—Fuly 23, 1385] 
NATURE 
287 
CH, CH or CH,'CH ; although the production of acetic acid 
on oxidation of the hydrocarbons favours the former hypothesis, 
it is not safe to accept it until several of the hydrocarbons of the 
~C,,H,,,-» series have been isolated and more completely studied. 
The possibility that sa¢wvated hydrocarbons of the C,,H,, series 
are among the products is especially noteworthy, although it 
must not be forgotten that such hydrocarbons might have been 
original constituents of the petroleum used in making gas. To 
settle this and other questions, it is proposed to prepare oil- 
gas from so/id paraffin on a sufficient scale to obtain the quantity 
of material required for the investigation.—On the non-crystall- 
_isable products of the action of diastase upon starch, by Horace 
T. Brown and G. H. Morris, Ph.D.— Decomposition of carbonic 
acid gas by the electric spark, by H. B. Dixon, M.A., and 
H. F. Lowe, B.A. Various chemists have investigated the 
decomposition of carbonic acid by the electric spark. Experi- 
ments having shown that no explosion is propagated by a spark 
ina mixture of carbonic oxide and oxygen dried by standing 
over anhydrous phosphoric acid, it seemed of interest to repeat 
the experiments on the decomposition of carbonic acid when 
dried in a similar manner. Carbonic acid dried over anhydrous 
phosphoric acid was submitted to a series of induction sparks in 
an eudiometer by means of a chain composed of short pieces of 
platinum fused into small glass bulbs. The amount of decom- 
position varied from time to time, approaching no fixed limit. 
Similar results were found on introducing a Leyden jar into the 
secondary circuit of the Ruhmkorff, but the amount of decom- 
position was less. On passing a series of induction sparks 
through a dried mixture of carbonic oxide and oxygen, partial 
combination gradually took place, but no fixed limit was reached. 
Two similar eudiometers were prepared and fitted with wires 
made of an alloy of platinum and iridium, each wire ending in a 
bulb about 2 mm. in diameter. The bulbs were brought to the 
same distance apart in the two tubes. On bringing an equal 
volume of dried carbonic acid into the two tubes, and sending a 
series of sparks from one Ruhmkorff coil through both tubes at 
the same time, the gases in the two vessels were found to be 
equally affected, their volumes varying exactly together so long 
as the pressure was kept the same in the two tubes. The more 
feeble the spark, the greater was the decomposition of the car- 
bonic acid found to be. When 100 volumes of dried carbonic 
acid were brought into one tube, and 150 volumes of a dried 
mixture of carbonic oxide and oxygen were brought into the 
other, and a series of sparks were passed through both from the 
same coil, the volume of carbonic acid increased, and the 
volume of carbonic oxide and oxygen diminished, until after 
some hours they became equal. Ona further prolonged passage 
of the spark the two volumes altered together, sometimes in- 
creasing and sometimes diminishing, as the nature of the spark 
varied. A coil of fine platinum wire was heated by an electric cur- 
rent to whiteness in dried carbonic acid. No permanent alteration 
of volume was produced. When a similar coil of platinum wire 
was heated in a mixture of dried carbonic oxide and oxygen, it 
glowed intensely for some minutes, and complete combustion was 
found to have taken place between the two gases. No flame 
was visible around the wires.—On the influence of silicon upon 
the properties of cast iron, by Thomas Turner, Assoc.R.S.M. 
—Elever months’ experience with toughened glass beakers, by 
R. J. Friswell.—Bromo-derivatives of diphenyl, tolylphenyl, 
and ditolyl, by Prof. Carnelley and Andrew Thomson.—Note 
on the influence of strain upon chemical action, by Prof. Car- 
nelley and James Schlerschmann.—On the non-existence of 
gaseous nitrous anhydride, by William Ramsay, Ph.D.—On the 
causes of the decrepitations in samples of so-called explosive 
pyrites, by B. Blount.—On the specific action of a mixture of 
sulphuric and nitric acids upon zinc in the production of hy- 
droxyamine, by E. Divers, M.D., F.R.S., and T. Shimidzu, 
M.E.—On the action of pyrosulphuric acid upon certain metals, 
by E. Divers, M.D., F.R.S., and T. Shimidzu, M.E.—On the 
constitution and reactions of liquid nitric peroxides, by E. 
Divers, M.D., F.R.S!, and T. Schmidzu, M.E.—On the be- 
haviour of stannous chloride towards nitric oxide and towards nitric 
acid, by E. Divers, M.D., F.R.S., and T. Haga.—Preliminary 
note on the reaction between mercurous nitrate and nitric oxide, 
and between mercurous nitrate and nitrites, by Edward Divers, 
M.D., F.R.S., and Tamemasa Haga.—On some derivatives of 
anthraquinones, by A. G. Perkin and Dr. W. H. Perkin, jun. 
_ Royal Microscopical Society, June 10.—Rev. Dr. Dall- 
inger, F.R.S., President, in the chair.—Mr. Suffolk exhibited 
which had been worked to a true surface, through which an 
ordinary objective could be focussed with perfect definition.— 
Prof, Stewart called attention to a specimen he exhibited under 
the microscope, and a model showing the special eyes of 
Chitonidze described by Prof. Moseley.—Mr. Wright’s letter 
with reference to Dr, Anthony’s criticism on his note on the 
structure of the tongue of the blow-fly was read, in which he 
gave all the credit of the discovery of the suctorial organs to 
Dr. Anthony, whose paper on the subject had been pre- 
viously unknown to him. He also sent a slide of the blow- 
fly proboscis, mounted by Mr. Sharp, whose method of prepara- 
tion and mounting in the biniodide of mercury solution was 
described.—Mr. Suffolk said he had examined Mr. Wright’s 
first specimen, and he had also made a similar specimen of his 
own; but the conclusion he came to was that the appearances 
described were due to some sort of diffractive effect and that 
they were in fact out-of-focus appearances.—Mr. J. Mayall, 
jun., called attention to the fact that a Nobert 19-band test-plate 
had been successfully mounted in Prof. Hamilton Smith’s 
medium, having a refractive index of 2°4, the results being to 
render the lines very much more visible than had been the case 
before The preparation was made by Dr. van Heurck, and 
was attended with considerable difficulty. He now thought it 
possible to improve upon the photomicrographs of the late Dr. 
Woodward of Washington, for, the lines being mounted in the 
highly refractive medium, could be illuminated by immersion 
means, so that an objective of higher aperture than any em- 
ployed by Dr. Woodward could be used to resolve them. He 
hoped to try some experiments in photographing the test- 
plate by means of Powell and Lealand’s new homogeneous im- 
mersion, 1/12th of 1:5 N.A.—Mr. Crisp said that they had 
received from Prof. W. A. Rogers, of Cambridge, U.S.A., a 
collection of upwards of 60 slides, showing the action of a 
diamond in ruling lines upon glass. The series was accompanied 
by a descriptive paper, which, when printed in the Yowrnal, 
would enable the Fellows to compare it with the slides. The 
President said that Prof. Rogers had expressed the hope that 
some one might feel sufficiently interested in the subject to make 
a careful study of the slides. They had not yet had any oppor- 
tunity either of examining the slides or reading the paper, but 
their best thanks were due to Prof. Rogers for his valuable 
donation.—Theiler’s ‘‘ Universal Pocket Microscope” was ex- 
hibited by Mr. Crisp.—Dr. Maddox said that since the last 
meeting he had continued his experiments on the feeding of 
insects with bacilli, and had fed both the wasp and the blow- 
fly with the Anthrax bacillus. They had lived on through the 
month until that very hot day when the thermometer rose to 
136° in the sun, when they succumbed to what he believed was 
heat asphyxia, so that he was unable to attribute their deaths to 
any effect of the bacilli—Mr. Waters read his paper on the use 
of the avicularian mandible in classification, the subject being 
illustrated by drawings.—Mr. Cheshire described a method of 
mounting in glycerine, which he had found of great advantage 
with the particular class of preparations (insect anatomy) with 
which he had lately been engaged ; he further illustrated his 
meaning by drawings upon the blackboard and by the exhibition 
of specimens which were handed around for inspection.—Prof. 
M. N. Dutt’s letter was read, accompanying some unknown 
powdery substance found near Delhi. 
SYDNEY 
Linnean Society of New South Wales, May 27.— 
Prof. W. J. Stephens, F.G.S., President, in the chair.—The 
following papers were read :—Note on the brain of Hadicore 
australis, Owen, by N. de Miklouho-Maclay.—On a_ new 
species of Haloragis from New South Wales, by Baron F. von 
Miiller, K.C.M.G., &c.—Two new Australian Lucanide, by 
William Macleay, F.L.S., &c.—A list of the Cucujide of 
Australia, with notes and descriptions of new species, by A. 
Sidney Olliff, Assistant-Zoologist, Australian Museum. In this 
paper, which is a preliminary contribution towards a monograph 
of the family, fourteen species are added to the Australian 
fauna. Ten new species are described, including five belonging 
tothe genus Zemophiaus. A fine new Brontes from Port Dar- 
win and the Richmond River, measuring 14 mm. in length, is 
characterised under the name of B. macleayt. It is distinguished 
from all the Australian species of the genus by its rather convex 
elytra, and in having the prothorax with the anterior angles very 
prominent and the sides feebly serrate. A table showing the 
a collecting bottle (made by Mr. Stanley) with flat sides, | geographical distribution of the species is added.—Description 
