December 2, 1922] 



NA TURE 



759 



silica and water. There is no evidence in favour of 

 the existence of any definite silicic acids in the 

 hydrated silica. — Andre Brochet : The preparation 

 of active nickel for organic catalysis. Three methods 

 are described, the reduction of black nickel oxide 

 by electrolytic hydrogen at 350 C. (an operation 

 requiring 48 hours), or by heating either nickel 

 formate or nickel oxalate to 25O°-3oo C. These 

 three varieties of active nickel possess practically 

 identical catalytic properties. — A. Aubry and E. 

 Dormoy : An arsenical glucoside : diglucosidodioxydi- 

 amino-arsenobenzene. The compound " 606 " has 

 been made to combine with glucose and the reactions 

 of the diglucoside formed are given. For thera- 

 peutic purposes the glucoside has the advantage as 

 compared with " 606 " of being very soluble in 

 neutral medium : it is also less alterable in air than 

 the dioxydiamino-arsenobenzol. — Pereira de Sousa : 

 The eruptive rocks of the Mesozoic and Cainozoic 

 border of Algarye and their geological age. — C. 

 Kilian : General sketch of the structure of the 

 Tassilis of Ajjer. — Albert Baldit : Magnetic measure- 

 ments in the south of France. — Sabba Stefanescu : 

 The velocity of evolution and the general plan of 

 structure of the crown of the molars of mastodons 

 and elephants. — Marc Bridel and Camille Charaux : 

 Centaureine, a new glucoside, extracted from the 

 roots of Centaurea jacea. Details of the extraction 

 and properties of the new glucoside are given. On 

 hydrolysis, centaureine gives 33-7 per cent, of 

 glucose (and no other sugar) and 70-8 per cent, of 

 centaureidine. — E. and G. Nicolas : The action of 

 hexamethylenetetramine on the higher plants. — 

 Marin Molliard : The influence of salts of copper on 

 the yield of Sterigmalocystis nigra. — Adrien Davy 

 de Virville and Fernand Obaton : The opening and 

 closing of persistent meteoric flowers. Persistent 

 meteoric flowers are defined as those the floral parts 

 of which show opening and closing movements during 

 several days. These movements depend almost 

 entirely upon the temperature. A reduction in the 

 relative humidity of the air favours the opening of 

 the flowers, but the effect is slight. Contrary to the 

 views expressed by some physiologists light is without 

 action. — Alphonse Labbe : The variations in the 

 concentration of hydrogen ions in the salt marshes, 

 considered as a biological factor. — M. Bezssonoff : 

 The effect on guinea-pigs of an antiscorbutic pre- 

 paration. 



Sydney. 



Linnean Society of New South Wales, August 30. — 

 G. F. Hill : A new species of Mordellistena (Cole- 

 optera, Mordellidae) parasitic on termites. Descrip- 

 tion of a new species from Palm Island, N. Queensland, 

 distinguished from all other Australian species of the 

 genus by its large size and bright red prothorax. 

 It is improbable that this parasite, of which the only 

 known host is Calotermes (Glv ptotermes) nigvolabrum 

 Hill, could become a factor in controlling injurions 

 species of termites. — W. W. Froggatt : Description 

 of a new Phasma belonging to the genus Extatosoma. 

 A female obtained at Gosford, N.S.W., differing from 

 Extatosoma tiavatum W. S. Macleay, in its much 

 more slender form, many more spines, different 

 flanges on abdomen, and shape of legs. — W. A. 

 Haswell : On Astacocroton, a new type of acarid. 

 It is a parasite of the common spiny crayfish ( Asta- 

 copsis serratus) of the rivers of New South Wales. 

 It lives permanently in the gill-cavities of its host, 

 and the mature females become permanently attached 

 to the gills and incapable of active locomotion. The 



NO. 2770, VOL. I IOJ 



food consists solely of the blood of the crayfish. In 

 structure Astacocroton is related to the hydrachnids, 

 but shows certain special features, particularly in the 

 female reproductive apparatus. — Vera Irwin-Smith : 

 A new nematode parasite of a lizard. It possesses 

 an asymmetrical row of spines down one side. Nothing 

 like it has been found previously in reptiles. It is 

 assigned, provisionally, to the genus Rictularia, a 

 genus recorded, hitherto, only from mammals. Only 

 two females have been found. — A. J . Turner : Revision 

 of Australian Lepidoptera : Saturniadae, BombycidEe, 

 Eupterotidee, Notodontidaj. Of the first three 

 families only fifteen Australian species are at present 

 known. The fourth family, the NotodontidaB, is 

 enlarged by the inclusion as a subfamily of the 

 Cnethocampinse, a small natural group of which the 

 European Procession Moth is the type. Nearly 

 seventy Australian species are recognised. 



September 27.— Mr. J. J. Fletcher, vice-president, in 

 the chair.— T. Steel : Chemical notes : General. Some 

 curious ferruginous concretions surrounding twigs, 

 leaves, and fruit of Hakea, from a chalybite pool near 

 Fitzroy Falls, N.S.W., are described and figured, and 

 an analysis given ; also stalagmite from a grotto at 

 Wentworth Falls, having a similar composition. 

 Analyses are given of cubical pseudomorphs of 

 pyrites, from Western Australia, called locally 

 " Devils' Dice " ; of lime prepared by the Fijians from 

 coral and used for plastering the hair ; of the shells 

 of Helix aspci-a, the urinary secretion of birds and 

 reptiles, the fruit of the banana, and milk of unripe 

 coconuts. — Margaret H. O'Dwyer : A note on protein 

 precipitation in grasses. Stiitzer's reagent (copper 

 hydroxide), tannin salt solution, Barnstein's reagent 

 (a variation of the copper hydroxide method) and 

 alcohol (S5 per cent.) were used as precipitants. 

 Tannin salt solution and alcohol appear to give the best 

 results.— Margaret H. O'Dwyer : Further report on 

 the nutritive value of certain Australian grasses. 

 Analyses are given of grasses at the early flowering 

 period and when the seed is set. The protein present 

 decreases with the age of the grass, while crude 

 fibre is higher in the older stages. Diseased grasses 

 showed slight divergences from normal. — W. F. 

 Blakely : The Loranthaceae of Australia (contd.), 

 Pt. iii. Eight species and five varieties of the sub- 

 genus Euloranthus, of which one species and three 

 varieties are new, are described. — M. B. Welch : 

 The occurrence of oil-glands in the barks of certain 

 Eucalvpts. Oil-glands occur in the secondary bast 

 of certain species of Eucalyptus (stems and roots). 

 The contents of the secretory cavities become 

 resinous and insoluble towards the outside of the 

 bark. The function of the glands is probably pro- 

 tective. 



Royal Society of New South Wales, October 4. — 

 Mr. C. A. Sussmilch, president, in the chair. — H. G. 

 Smith : On the occurrence of tevo-phellandrene in 

 the oil of Melaleuca acuminata. The species occurs 

 in South Australia and is locally known in Kangaroo 

 Island as " Lavender bush." The yield of oil is 

 about 2 per cent., and this consists principally of 

 phellandrene and cineol, the latter to the extent of 

 44 per cent.— A. R. Penfold : The essential oils of 

 two varieties of Leptospermum flavesceus. The 

 northern form of this species, var. microphyllum, was 

 obtained from Frazer Island, and the other new 

 variety, called leptophyllum (Cheel), from Narrabn. 

 Both oils consist essentially of alpha and beta pmene, 

 sesquiterpenes, and sesquiterpene alcohols, with small 

 amounts of cineol ; terpineol is present in the latter 

 oil. 



