3' 



NA TURE 



[July 30, 1908 



a claim for priority by M. \kz("i. — Researches on the 

 l^etodiacids ; E. E. Blaise and H. Gault. By saponifying 

 oxalsuccinic ester with cold hydrochloric acid, the authors 

 have succeeded in obtaining a-ketoglutaric acid, 



CO.H— CO— CH„— CH,— CO,H. 



Attempts to generalise this reaction to the alkyl derivatives 

 have not been completely successful.— A ntyiv crystallised 

 sugar, perseulose, with seven atoms of carbon : Gabriel 

 Bertrand. This new sugar has been obtained by the bio- 

 chemical oxidation of perseite with the sorbose bacterium, 

 particulars being given of the details of the operation. The 

 sugar has the constitution C.H,,0- ; it is lievorotatory, 

 and shows the phenomenon of multirotation. Particulars 

 are given of its reducing po\\'er and of its osazone. — The 

 formation of compounds in solutions of tartaric acid and 

 sodium molybdate : P. Quinet. The densities of the solu- 

 tions, rotations, electric resistance, and cryoscopic constants 

 have been studied. The graphical analysis indicates definite 

 compounds between one molecule of tartaric acid and one 

 and two molecules of sodium molybdate. — The alkaline 

 granites of eastern Corsica : Pierre Termier and Jacques 

 Deprat. — I'rohypertensine : J. E. Abelous and E. 

 Bardier. This substance is extracted from normal human 

 urine by ether, and separated by means of oxalic acid. It 

 acts as an energetic vaso-constrictor, principally of peri- 

 pheric origin. The hypertensive substance acts bv exciting 

 the peripheric ganglia of the great sympathetic, and also", 

 to a minor degree, the muscular fibres of the vessels. — 

 The relative magnitude of the eye and the appreciation of 

 encephalic weight : Louis Lapicque. — Contribution to the 

 study of the nucleo-proteid-.. Risearches on the con- 

 stituents of pepsin : L. Hugrounenq and A. Morel. The 

 authors have applied the method of hydrolysis with hydro- 

 fluoric acid, described by them in an earlier paper, to the 

 study of the nitrogenous substances obtained bv the hvdro- 

 Ivsis of pepsin. Thirteen of these bodies were isolated and 

 their proportions given. — The semi-logical .signification of 

 urinary indoxvl. The examination of pus for indol : Ch. 

 Porcher. The method for detecting indol in pus is given 

 in detail. Twenty-five observations on pus of different 

 origins showed indol in nine cases only, so that indol is 

 not an invariable constituent of pus. It'is noted that when 

 indol occurs in pus it is never in minute quantities. — Re- 

 searches on the pharmacodynamic action of cvclohexane 

 .ind some of its derivatives : .A. Bi-issemoret and J. 

 Chevalier. — Researches on the presence of the rare gases 

 in the atmosphere at various heights : L. Teiss'erenc 

 de Bort. The samples were collected from caotive 

 balloons provided with an automatic apparatus for collect- 

 ing the s.amples at difi'erent known heights. In all the 

 ■samples, whatever the height of collection, a notable pro- 

 portion of argon was found ; helium was only found in the 

 lower layers up to a height of lo kilometres, neon being 

 found in all the samples. 



C.1PE Town. 

 Royal Society of South Africa, June 17. — Mr. S. S. 

 Ilough, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — .\ new Transvaal 

 tick, a variety of Ixodes pilosiis (Koch) : Prof. J. G. 

 Neumann — The distribution and hosts of the New Trans- 

 vaal tick Ixodes pilosus howardi, Neum. : C. W. Howard. 

 Mr. Lounsbury, in one of his reports, stated that /. pilusus 

 was only found in the Cape Colony in places which were 

 very humid, such as kloofs containing a stream of running 

 water, or in the vicinity of vleis. Apparently, /. filosus 

 howardi was not limited in its distribution to these con- 

 ditions, since Mr. Howard had taken specimens from places 

 which were more or less dry, unless thev could consider 

 Durban as humid, but such places as Levdsdorp and Zout- 

 pansberg, from which some of the specimens were taken, 

 were very arid. The principal host was the dog, but at 

 the Ivy Mine, Moodies, Barberton, a few specimens were 

 found on a cat, and a few on a hedgehog at Pienaars 

 River. — The occurrence of the genus Spha:roplea in South 

 Africa : W. T. Saxton. The previously noted localities 

 where the green alga Spha;roplea occurs are the inundated 

 plains of Central Europe. Asia, and America. Specimens 

 were collected in South .\frica by Mr. Saxton in a fresh- 

 water pool on Dassen Island nearly two years ago, and 

 again recently in pools on Green Point Common by Mr. 



NO. 2022. VOL. 78] 



E. P. Phillips. The alga is interesting as representing 

 a monotypic and rather isolated family, and is the only 

 one of its species known. Diagrams were . shown illus- 

 trating the structure and life-history. — Some investigations 

 regarciing brak (alkali) in Cape Colony soils: Dr. C. F. 

 Juritz. Brak or alkali in soil consisted of accumulations 

 of sodium salts. Rainy weather carried them to varying 

 depths, but prolonged dry weather caused their return 10 

 the surface. Irrigation tended to accentuate these con- 

 ditions, hence the adaptability of any tract of country 

 for irrigation depended, other things apart, upon the pro- 

 portion in the soil of salts which might render it unpro- 

 ductive. To test a soil as to its liability to become brak 

 under irrigation, it was essential to take samples at regular 

 intervals all the way down from the surface to the greatest 

 depth which irrigation water might penetrate. Brak was 

 caused by carbonate, chloride, and sulphate of sodium, the 

 first doing the most and the last the least injury. Natural 

 drainage usually carried, these noxious salts seawards, but 

 this was prevented by (i) an impermeable, layer below 

 the surface forming a basin ; (2) compactness of the soil 

 itself, and (3) a high water-line in the subsoil. Even thesi' 

 obstacles, where frequent rain resulted in an even distribu- 

 tion of salts throughout the soil, were not always sufficient 

 to prevent successful cultivation. The difficulty arose with 

 a scanty rainfall and a warm climate, or long drought after 

 heavy rain ; then it became important to ascertain how- 

 much salt the soil could contain and still be successfufly 

 cultivated. Investigations had been made in the divisions 

 of Herbert, Colesberg, Britstown, Steynsburg. Robertson, 

 and Carnarvon. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Treatise on Chemistry 2S9 



Practical Physics 290 



A Study of the Moon. By F. Stratton 291 



Cancer and its Treatment. By R. T. H 292 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Russell: "Mosses and Liverworts: an Introduction 

 to their Study, with Hints as to their Collection and 



Preservation " 292 



Mackenzie : " Methods of Surveying." — W. E. R. . 293 

 "A Guide to the Domesticated Animals (other than 

 Horses) exhibited in the Central and North Halls of 



the British Museum (Natural History) 293 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Isothermal Layer of the Atmosphere. — Dr. C. 



Chree, F.R.S 293 



The Nature of the 7 and X-Rays.— Prof. W. H. 



Bragg 293 



The Discovery of the Weight of the Air. — A. N. 



Meldrum . 294 



Astronomical Archaeology in Wales. By Rev. John 



Griffith 295 



Wild-Life Photography in America, (l/liislrated.) 296 

 A Contribution to the Indigo Question. By Prof. R. 



IWeldola, F.R.S. 296 



The Dublin Meeting of the British Association. 



By E. E, Fournier 298 



Lord Blythswood, F.R.S. By Prof. A. Gray, F.R.S. 301 



The Natural History Museum 302 



Notes 302 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in August 306 



Early Perseids 306 



Large Meteors from Scorpio 306 



The Recent Night-Glows 306 



Double-star Measures 306 



The History of Lunar Relief 306 



Minerals, including Gem-stones, at the Franco- 

 British Exhibition. By G. F. H. S 306 



Protective Devices for High-Tension Transmission 



Circuits. (Illnslraled.) 307 



The Royal Institute of Public Health ..... 308 

 University and Educational Intelligence . , ... 309 

 Societies and Academies 510 



