596 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 225. 



calcium has lately been redetermined by Henri 

 Moissan from ' the action of water on crystal- 

 lized metallic calcium. The value was found 

 to be Ca + O = + 145 cal. This value is greater 

 than that for the oxids of potassium (+ 98.2) 

 and sodium (+ 100.9), from which it appears 

 that calcium can replace these metals in their 

 oxids. It is also slightly greater than that of 

 the oxid of lithium (+ 141.2). Corresponding 

 to this, metallic lithium was obtained by heating 

 the oxid with metallic calcium at a red heat. 

 The heat of formation of magnesium oxid as 

 found by Thomsen is + 143.4, but the previous 

 observations of Winkler were confirmed, that 

 at a low red heat calcium is freed from its oxid 

 by magnesium. It is suggested, therefore, that 

 the observation of Thomsen is erroneous, owing 

 to impurities present in the metal used. 



It is interesting to find a paper from a Span- 

 ish chemist in a recent Comptes Bendus. J. R. 

 Mourelo, of Madrid, describes the preparation 

 of phosphorescent strontium sulfid from the 

 carbonate. Finely powdered stroutianite and 

 sulfur were heated in boats in a porcelain tube 

 while a current of nitrogen was passing. In 

 no case was a crystalline sulfid obtained. If 

 the strontium carbonate was pure, especially 

 free from alkalies, the sulfid was not phospho- 

 rescent. If the temperature was too high (above 

 a bright red heat), or if the nitrogen current 

 was too rapid, the same was the case, The 

 best results were obtained by using a stroutia- 

 nite which contained 96.12% strontium carbon- 

 ate, 2.03% calcium carbonate and traces of 

 water, manganese and iron. Particularly are 

 the traces of manganese necessary if the stron- 

 tium sulfid IS to be highly phosphorescent. 



A STUDY of aluminum has been made by P. 

 Degener as to its use for culinary utensils, and 

 published in the Hygienische Rundschau. While 

 aluminum is but slightly acted on by weak 

 acids when they are pure, in the presence of 

 sodium chlorid it is rapidly attacked, as, for 

 example, by sulfur dioxid, acetic acid, and even 

 by alum. The inference is that some consider- 

 able danger attends the use of aluminum ves- 

 sels in the preparation of many kinds of food. 

 Whether, as a matter of fact, the amount which 

 would be dissolved would do injury in the sys- 



tem remains a mooted question. While many 

 experiments seem to indicate that aluminum 

 salts have a somewhat detrimental eiiect upon 

 digestion, yet it is well known that the inhi- 

 bition of large quantities of alum water is 

 often found very beneficial to health, and many 

 alum springs enjoy a high reputation. 



J. L. H. 



THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION. 



We have recently received from Professor 

 Anton Dohrn, the Director of the Zoological 

 Station at Naples, a complete list of the Amer- 

 ican biologists who have worked at various 

 times at the Naples Zoological Station. It is 

 probable that the future demands upon the 

 Naples tables will be quite as great as the pres- 

 ent and the past, and the three tables, or rather 

 two and one-half tables, which are now sup- 

 ported by subscriptions from this country, should 

 be continued. Professor Dohrn has never 

 raised any technical question of rights, but has 

 always welcomed every American investigator. 

 The least we can do in return is to extend to 

 his institution the strongest support. 



The Americans who have worked in the 

 Zoological Station, the Tables they have occu- 

 pied and the periods during which they were in 

 attendance are as follows : 



Zoological Station. 

 Professor Whitman, Boston. . .12 11 81 2 5 82 



Miss O'Neill, H 11 3 98 22 4 98 



A ustria. 

 Dr. H. K. Corning 6 4 92 10 5 92 



Baden. 

 Mr. H. B.Ward, Troy 7 3 90 8 4 90 



Bavaria. 



Dr. B.Sliarpe 19 3 83 26 5 83 



Dr. B. Dean, Columbia 27 4 93 3 6 92 



British Association. 

 Dr. N. Cobb, Spencer, Mass... 11 11 88 27 1 89 



Ca^nbridge. 

 Miss E. A. Nunn 22 ] 1 82 1 5 83 



Hamburg 

 Dr. W. W. Norman, Ind 5 10 89 21 3 90 



Williams College. 

 Prof. E. B. Wilson, Baltimore.30 3 83 20 10 83 

 Prof. S. F. Clarke, Williams- 

 town 8 1 84 1 5 92 



