832 
what ruthenium. Its combining weight is 
50.46, and hence if bivalent it would have an 
atomic weight of 100.92. In this case it would 
be the missing eka-manganese, but the authors 
put this furward merely as a suggestion, pend- 
ing a more thorough investigation. That which 
would tell most strongly against this supposi- 
tion is the fact that the new substance forms a 
white sulfate which is insoluble in water and in 
dilute sulfuric acid, and stable up to a tem- 
perature of 400° to 500°. The second new 
substance described by Hofmann and Strauss is 
found in the lead chlorid, both from pitch- 
blende and from bréggerite. This substance is 
radio-active, though the authors express doubt 
as to whether the activity of the lead from these 
minerals is due solely to the presence of this 
new substance. It appears to have a combin- 
ing weight of 86, from which an atomic weight 
of 172 would follow, provided the metal is, as 
would seem probable from its resemblance to 
lead, bivalent. It might then be a metal of the 
fourth group, between tin and lead, and the 
representative of the period, none of whose 
members are definitely known. Of the com- 
pounds of this element, if such it be, the sulfate 
alone shows radio-activity. After the action of 
the Kkathode rays the substance shows a fluores- 
cence, which lasts for upwards of two minutes. 
THE same number of the Berichte contains 
the description by Professor Hoffman and W. 
Prantl of a new element in the euxenite from 
Brevig. This euxenite, which is a complex 
silicate, titanate and columbate of the rare 
earths, iron, and aluminum, contains about two 
per cent. of what is supposedly zirconia. Hof- 
mann finds that half of this is a new oxid, 
differing from zirconia, by its insolubility in 
ammonium carbonate, its giving no color reac- 
tion with curcuma, and having a combining 
weight of 44.4, which is nearly double that of 
zirconium. The atomic weight of the new 
element, if quadrivalent like zirconium, would 
be about 178. The same mineral seems also to 
contain another hitherto unknown element, 
which bears some resemblance to tantalum, but 
which has not yet been carefully examined. 
In spite of the incredulity with which his 
claims to convert phosphorus into arsenic and 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Von. XIII. No. 334. 
antimony have been received by chemists, Fit- 
tica still continues his work upon the subject. 
In his latest experiments he heats amorphous 
phosphorus with lead oxid and boron. At 
140° water is formed and after heating to 205° 
the residual mass is found to contain lead sulfate 
and the borid of nitrogen. If boric acid anhy- 
drid is used in the place of the litharge, water, 
sulfuric acid and the borid of nitrogen are like- 
wise formed, but also arsenic and sometimes 
antimony. From these experiments Fittica 
concludes that amorphous phosphorus is a com- 
pgund of nitrogen, sulfur and hydrogen, and he 
assigns to it the formula N,SH,. He does not, 
however, furnish satisfactory proof that this 
represents the actual quantitative composition 
of phosphorus. He also admits that when 
amorphous phosphorus is oxidized with nitric 
acid no trace of sulfuric acid is formed. 
J. L. H. 
BOTANICAL NOTES. 
INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL ASSOCIATION. 
A CALL, signed by sixteen botanists of Hurope 
and America, has been issued fora meeting of 
the botanists of the world at Geneva, Switzer- 
land, on the 7th of August next, for the purpose 
of organizing an International Botanical Asso- 
ciation. In the call it is stated that the chief 
object of the Asscciation will be the foundation 
of a bibliographic periodical, criticizing in a per- 
fectly impartial manner all botanical publica- 
tions in such a way that the more important 
shall be separated from those which are of less 
value. Other advantages to be derived from 
the proposed organization are presented, and 
correspondence with the secretary, Dr. I. P. 
Lotsy, of Wageningen, Holland, is solicited. 
STOCK-POISONING PLANTS. 
THE Division of Botany of the United States 
Department of Agriculture has recently issued 
a valuable bulletin (No. 26) dealing with the 
plants which are known to be poisonous, or 
which are thought to be poisonous to stock in 
the State of Montana. About twenty-five pages 
are given to a general discussion of the condi- 
tions under which poisoning occurs, and of 
remedies and their application. Then follow 
about sixty pages devoted to a few plants of the 
