NA TURE 



[May 7, 1896 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



American Journal of Matlumalics, vol. xviii. No. 2, April. 

 —The intermediary orbit, i.e. the Moon's periodic orljit rela- 

 tively to the Sun obtained from the variation terms when all 

 terms but those depending on the ratio of the mean motions only 

 are omitted, has been considerctl in vol. i. by Dr. Hill, and sub- 

 sequently in the Ada Mal/iciiial!ia{\o\. viii.) the same writer 

 obtained an expression for the motion of the Moon's perigee, so 

 far as it depends on the ratio of the mean motions. These 

 papers have lieen followed by others by Prof. E. W. Brown, in 

 which the terms depending on the solar parallax and the lunar 

 eccentricity are computed.— The object of the opening paper of 

 the present number, on the inclinational terms in the Moon's 

 coordinates, by P. H. Cowell, is to take into account, according 

 to Dr. Hill's method, the inclination of the orbit, considering it 

 as being the manifestation of a small oscillation about Dr. Hill's 

 distorted circular orbit, which relatively to the Sun is a closed 

 curve. The terms multiplied by the tirst power of the inclina- 

 tion have been calculated to the sixth order, and an expression 

 for the part of the motion of the Moon's node, that depends 

 upon the mean motions only, has been found as far as the eighth 

 order, i.e. one term further than in Delaunay's series. The terms 

 multiplied by the square of the inclination have been calculated 

 to the fifth order, and the terms multiplied by the third power of 

 the inclination to the fourth order in in. The notation adopted 

 is that of the paper by Prof. Brown (Am. Joitrn. Math., vol. 

 xvii. ). — A short note by A. S. Chessin, on non-uniform con- 

 vergence of infinite series, brings out more clearly a point in a 

 previous note (vol. xviii. No. I), which the writer says has been 

 misunder.stood. — On a certain class of equipotential surfaces, 

 by B. O. Peirce, discusses the nature of such systems of plane 

 curves as are at once the right sections of possible systems of 

 equipotential cylindrical surfaces belonging to distributions of 

 matter which attract, according to the law of nature, and the 

 generating curves of possible systems of equipotential surfaces 

 of revolution. — M. Petrovitch contributes " Remarques sur les 

 equations de dynamique et sur le mouvement tautochrone." — A 

 note on C. S. Peirce's paper on a quincuncial projection of the 

 sphere, by J. Pierpont, corrects an inaccuracy in that paper (vol. 

 ii. p. 394). Mr. Pierpont, in a note on the invariance of the 

 factors of composition of a substitution-group, gives a much 

 simplified proof of this important theorem. — H. Maschke, in a 

 long article (pp. 156-188) on the representation of finite groups, 

 especially of the rotation-groups of the regular bodies of three- 

 and four-dimensional space, by Cayley's colour diagrams, shows 

 that Cayley's method (the theory of groups, graphical repre- 

 sentation. Am. Joitrn. , vol. i., and on the theory of groups. Am. 

 Jotirn., vol xi. ) can be readily applied to the construction and 

 investigation of numerous groups of higher orders. In parti- 

 cular, the writer says, the colour diagrams for the rotation groups 

 of the regular bodies can be arranged in such a way that they 

 lend themselves much easier, at least in some respects, to a 

 study of the groups concerned, than even the models of the 

 regular bodies. Numerous diagrams of interest accompany the 

 paper. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 

 Chemical Society, March 19.— Mr. A. G. V. Harcourt, 

 President, in the chair. — The following papers were read : — The 

 constitution of a new organic acid resulting from the oxidation 

 of tartaric acid, by H. J. H. Fenton. The acid obtained by the 

 oxidation of tartaric acid in presence of iron seems to be a dihy- 

 droxymaleic acid of the constitution C(OH)(COOH) :C(OH) 

 (COOH) ; an isomeric acid has also been prepared, which is 

 possibly the corresponding dihydroxyfumaric acid. — The volume 

 and optical relationships of the potassium, rubidium and ca;sium 

 salts of the monoclinic series, R2M(SOj)2, 6H„0, by A. K. 

 Tutton. A detailed investigation of the physical properties and 

 volume relationships of the twenty-two salts of this series, of 

 which the author has previously determined the morphological 

 constants, leads to a number of important conclusions ; the alkali 

 metal R in salts of this series, exerts a predominating influence 

 on the crystallographical characters of the substances.— Com- 

 parison of the results of the investigations of the simple and 

 double sulphates containing potassium, rubidium and cesium, by 

 .\. E. Tutton. — The liearing of the rcsidts of the investigations 



NO. 1384, VOL. 54] 



of the simple and double sulphates containing potassium, 

 rubidium and ca-sium, upon the nature of the structural unit, by 

 A. E. Tutton. No considerable contraction occurs in the 

 formation of the double salts of the series K„M(S04)o, 6H.,0 

 from its constituent salts, so that it is improbable that these con- 

 stituents are in chemical combination in the solid state ; this 

 conclusion is supported by the fact that these salts do not exist 

 in solution, and that many of them are very unstable. It is not 

 necessary to assuine that the structural units of crystals consist 

 of more than one chemical molecule in the case of double salts 

 or salts containing water of crystallisation. — The hydriodides of 

 hydroxylamine, by W. R. Dunstan and K. C.oulding. The only 

 crystalline hydroxylamine hydriodides which the authors have 

 been able to prepare have the compositions 3NH;jO, HI and 

 2NH30,HI,— .\n analysis of water from the dropping well at 

 Ivnaresborough in Yorkshire, by B. A. Burrell.— Contributions 

 to the knowledge of ethylic acetoacetate. Part I. Acetonyl- 

 malic acid, by S. Ruhemann and E. A. Tyler. Ethylic sodio- 

 acetoacetate antl ethylic chlorofumarate react with formation of 

 ethylic methyldihydrofurfurantricarboxylate, which on hydrolysis 

 with alcoholic potash yields acetonylmalic acid CMe(OH) : 

 CII.CH(COOII).CH(OH).COOH.— The action of lead thio- 

 cyanate on the chlorocarbonic esters. Part I. Carboxyethylthio- 

 carbimide and its derivatives, by R. E. Doran. — An auxiliary 

 assay balance, by R. Law. The author describes a balance for 

 assay work, which gives the weight of the gold "cornet" with 

 such accuracy that on its transference to the ordinary assay 

 balance, the observer can put the requisite weight on the balance 

 |)an at once ; the remaining fraction can then be determined by 

 the rider alone. — Charas : the resin of Indian hemp, by T. B. 

 Wood, W. T. N. Spivey, and T. H. Easterfield. Charas, the 

 resin of Cannabis iniiica, contains a terpene, a sesquiterpene, a 

 parafiin, CjsH,;,,, and a red oil, CisHjiO., ; the latter, in doses of 

 o 05 gram, protluces intoxication and sleep. — Note on the decom- 

 position of a-chloronitrocamphor, by A. Lapworth. — On heating 

 a-chloronitrocamphor, camphorquinone is produced. — T-Bromo- 

 camphor, by C. Revis and F. S. Kipping. — Oxidation products 

 of o-liromocamphorsulphonic acid, by A. Lapworth and F. -S. 

 Kipping. On oxidising ammonium a-bromocamphorsulphonate 

 with nitric acid, products are obtained which seem to be a 

 sulpholactone, CmHijSO^Br.j, a hydroxydibromocamphorsul- 

 phonic acid and an ammonium dihydrogen ir-sulphocamphoric 

 acid.— On the xylic and xylidinic acids, by W. H. Bentley and 

 W. H. Perkin, junr. 



March 26.— .\nniversary Meeting.— Mr. A. G. V. Harcourt, 

 President, in the chair.— After the reading of the presidential 

 address and the transaction of the usual business, a ballot was 

 taken for the election of officers and Cotincil for the ensuing 

 year. 



Geological Society, April 15.— Dr. Henry Hicks, F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. — The President announced that a 

 portrait in sepia of Prof Bonney, executed by Mr. Trevor 

 Haddon, had been presented to the Society by thirty-four 

 subscribers, P'ellows of the Society. — The following communi- 

 cations were read :— The Junction-Beds of the Upper Lias and 

 Inferior Oolite in Northamptonshire. Part I. Physical and 

 Chemical, by Beeby Thompson. The author, while combating 

 the view that a considerable unconformity existed between the 

 Upper Lias and the Inferior Oolite of Northamptonshire, brought 

 together much evidence to illustrate the effects of slipping, and 

 to show that these effects may be mistaken for those of un- 

 conformity. He also applied the evidence which he had 

 collected to illustrate certain points in the physics of valley- 

 formation. After giving details as to the horizon of the springs 

 of the district, the distribution of water in the Inferior Oolite, 

 and the develti|iment of the springs, he argued that every valley 

 of the district has been elongated in the direction which it now 

 has by a stream originating in a spring always at its head, and 

 that the development of channels towards particular points of 

 discharge had been the chief agent in initiating the formation 

 and guiding the direction of all the minor valleys of the river- 

 system within the influence of the same set of beds. A de- 

 scription of the characters of the slopes followed, and their 

 significance was discussed. The structure of the hills and 

 valleys of the district occupied the next portion of the paper, 

 and the author considered that corresponding to the deepening 

 of a valley by denudation there was uplifting of the beds below 

 it, and at the .same time an outward and upward thrust along 

 the hillside which lifted beds there ; also, that hills were 

 reduced in height by sinking as well as by denudation of their 



