;6o 



NATURE 



[August 13, i! 



to the analytical characters of the com]>ounds of tungsten, by 

 M. E. Defacoz. The tungsten compound is converted into a 

 tungstatc, heated with some KHSDj and a little sulphuric acid, 

 and a drop of this, added to such reagents as phenol, naphthol, 

 morphine, &c. , when characteristic colour reactions occur. Of 

 these the red coloration with phenol, and the violet with hydro- 

 quinol, are the most sensitive and distinctive. — On the action 

 of aluminium chloride upon benzene containing thiophene, by M. 

 Eyvind Boedtker. Hydrogen sulphide is evolved, and the bulk 

 of the thiophene is destroyed. — On some new mixed tri- 

 methylene compounds, by M. L. Henry. The new substances 

 described are n-iodo-w-chloro-propane, CH.,Cl.CHo.CH.,I ; 

 and the corresponding nitro-derivative, CH.,C1 — CH5.CH.2. 

 (NO.,). — The rapid estimation of the constituents of a mixture 

 of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, having the same 

 fatty alkyl group, by M. Ch. Gassmann. The mixture is titrated 

 with hydrochloric acid, and then with sodium nitrite in .icid 

 solution ; the solution of the resulting simultaneous equations 

 gives results of sufficient accuracy for industrial ])urposes. — On 

 the compounds oxidisable uncjer the influence of the oxidising 

 ferment of mushrooms, by M. Km. Bourquelot. — On the hyber- 

 nation of the Clavelina Icpadifm-niis (Midler), by MM. A. 

 Giard and M. CauUery. — Treatment of experimental infections 

 by intravenous injection of a solution of common salt (07 per 

 cent.), and their mode of action, by MM. F. J. Bosc and V. 

 Vedel. — On the nature of the " Chabins," by M. Ch. Cornevin. 

 The Chabin (so-called by Gay) of Chili is not a hybrid, but a 

 species of sheep. — Chemical study of low-class flour used in 

 baking, by M. Balland. — On the proximate composition of the 

 gluten of cereals, by M. E. Fleurent. 



Amsterdam. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, June 27. — Prof van de 

 Sande Bakhuyzen in the chair. — Mr. C. Eykman presented for 

 publication in the Academy's Traiisacltoiis a paper on the re- 

 spiratory gas interchange of the inhabitants of the tropics. The 

 principal result of the experiments made at Batavia with Gep- 

 pert and Zuntz's apparatus, on persons in a state of rest was, 

 that both the European and the Malayan inhabitant of the 

 tropics, the weight of their bodies being reduced to the same 

 standard, use the same quantity of oxygen, and consequently 

 produce the same amount of heat, as the inhabitant of the tem- 

 perate zones, to whom the same test has been applied. More- 

 over, the ratio of the quantity of carbonic acid exhaled to that 

 of oxygen inhaled by Europeans, is pretty much the same in 

 India as in Europe ; with Malayans the amount of carbonic 

 acid exhaled is comparatively a little greater, which is accounted 

 for by the food of the latter being richer in carbohydrates. — 

 Prof van Bemmelen communicated the result of an investiga- 

 tion into the proportion of fluorine in the fossil bones from the 

 Pliocene formation in Middle-Java (Dubois' collection), which 

 proportion was determined by the author in co-operation with 

 Mr. Klobbie. He also treated of the coefficient of distribution 

 in the absorption of dissolved substances by colloids. — Prof, 

 van de Sande Bakhuyzen dealt with the determination of the error 

 of projection in the case of Repsold's instrument for measuring 

 photographs of stars. — Prof. Kamorlingh Onnes presented a con- 

 tinuation of his observations on the measurement of low tem- 

 peratures. — Mr. Verschaffelt described measurements of capillary 

 ascents of liquid carbon near the critical temperature. In his 

 thermodynamic theory of capillarity. Prof, van der Waals has 

 calculated, on theoretical grounds, the surface energy of a liquid 

 near the critical temperature. He arrives at the conclusion 

 that, at least if the temperature is very nearly critical, it must 

 be possible to represent the surface energy by the formula, 

 <T = A (i - til) 3/2, in which A is a constant, and 111 the reduced 

 temperature. The values of a-, deduced from experiments made 

 by de Vries, and by Ramsay and Shields, may now be represented 

 by a formula ir = A (i -ot)b, in which B is generally constant 

 and smaller than 3/2, though in a few cases it gradually in- 

 creases, in proportion as the critical point is approached. It 

 was, therefore, desirable to measure some ascents, when the 

 temperature was .still nearer the critical point ; and liquid car- 

 bonic acid was selected for this investigation. Up 'to 30' the 

 change of the height of ascent is pretty nearly linear ; for a 

 capillary of a radius r = 0-0441 wM, it was found that 



II/«M = 26 04 - 0-825 L 

 As this line cuts the temperature axis at 3i°-6, andasthe critical 

 pjint, where H must be = o, was found to be 3l°-0, the " height- 

 NO. 1398, VOL. 54] 



of-ascent " curve must incline a little towards the temperature 

 axis between 30° and 31°, which was actually observed. For 

 the calculation of the surface energy the licpiid and gas densities 

 determined by Amagat were used. Caillelet and Mathias have 

 constructed parabolic formuke for those densities, from which 



follows, it would seem, 



/„-/ 



y = /: s I 



van der Waals this relation must bt 

 least near the critical temperature. V 



According to 



theoretically satisfied, at 

 hen the (luotient 



...„(/,.-/.), 



'/A log (I -,yi1 



is now deduced from the densities, given by Amagat, then it 

 appears that up to about 30° it remains pretty nearly constant, 

 the mean being 0-367, consequently smaller than the value de- 

 rived from Cailletet's and Mathias's formuke ; above 30° it rises 

 and reaches the value 0-521, in accordance with the theory. 

 As regards A log a/A log (i - m), which, according to van der 

 Waals, must become equal to 1-5 in the immediate proximity 

 of the critical temperature, the calculation shows that this 

 quotient becomes smaller up to 29", but then it increases again, 

 the maximum found being 1-512. — Prof. Engelmann communi- 

 cated the result of investigations into the origin of the normal 

 movement of the heart, from which it appears that very probably 

 it is not of a neurogenic, hut of a purely myogenic nature. — 

 Prof. Franchimont presented, on behalf of Dr. P. van Rom- 

 burgh, of Buitenzorg, a paper on the action of iodine upon 

 potassium cyanide, .and of iodine cyanide upon caustic potash, 

 in which it is proved that the opinion that iodine cyanide 

 behaves differently from potassium, from bromine- and chlorine- 

 cyanide, is founded on an error, which has probably originated 

 intnot awaiting the end of the reaction, on making the experi- 

 ments. After twentj'-five minutes the final products are : at 25', 

 potassium isocyanate and potassium iodide ; they are also ob- 

 tained by adding iodine to an alkaline potassium cyanide 

 solution, when for a moment the smell of iodine cyanide is 

 observed. The concentration seems not to have any influence 

 upon the result, but it has upon the rapidity of the reaction. 



CONTENTS. P.U.E 



Tables for Navigators. By Rev. F. C. Stebbing . . 337 

 Caverns and their Inhabitants. By Prof, W. 



Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S 339 



The Photography of Histological Evidence. By 



Prof. E. A. Schafer, F.R.S 340 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Buchenau : " Flora der Ostfriesischen Insein (ein- 

 schliesslich der Insel Wangeroog.") — W. Botting 



Hemsley, F.R.S 341 



Carter and Bott : " A Text-book of Physical Exercises 

 adapted for the Use of Elementary Schools" . . . 341 



Nagel : "Der Lichtsinn augenloser Tiere " 341 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Utility of Specific Characters. — Prof. David 



Wetterhan 342 



The Position of Science at Oxford.— 'W. E. P. . . . 342 



The Mandrake. — Kumagusu Minakata 34? 



The Eclipse of the Sun 344 



The Physical Laboratory at Leiden (Holland). 



(Illustrated.) 345 



The Great Rift Valley. (Illustrated.) By Dr. W. T. 



Blanford, F.R.S 347 



The Meeting of the International Committee of the 



Carte du Ciel 350 



Notes 350 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Brooks's Comet 354 



Meteor Trails . . - 354 



Personal l-^quation in Observing Transits 354 



Recent Researches on Rontgen Rays 354 



Metallic Carbides. By G. N, H 357 



Italian Scientific Expedition to Monte Rosa. By 



Prof Piero Giacosa ..... 35S 



University and Educational Intelligence 35S 



Scientific Serial 350 



Societies and Academies . . 359 



