106 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 368. 



The author gave a brief account of methods 

 used and results obtained, in teaching dyeing 

 at the K'orth Carolina College of Agriculture 

 and Mechanic Arts. Scrap books, which had 

 been prepared by students, containing dyed 

 samples and tests made on them were ex- 

 hibited, to show the methods pursued. 



'Systematic Acid Analysis': A. S. Wlieeler. 



The plan suggested by Abegg and Herz 

 (Zeit. fiir Anorg. Ghem., 23, 236) is being 

 tried with certain modifications with his 

 classes in qualitative analysis in the Univer- 

 sity of North Carolina with considerable suc- 

 cess. He finds it to be the nearest approach 

 to a separation similar to that used with bases 

 that ho has cognizance of. 



'Recent Work on the Phthaleins': Charles 

 E. Brewer. 



This was a review of the several articles that 

 have recently 'appeared. The fii'st of these 

 was by OrndorfE and Brewer on the constitu- 

 tion of gallein. The other three articles, in 

 the current volume of the Berichte contributed 

 by Liebermann, Thiele and Jaeger and Feuer- 

 stein and Dutoit, were on dioxyfluorescein or 

 oxyhydroquinone phthalein. In every case the 

 view that the phthaleins react as tautomeric 

 compounds was sustained. All the contribu- 

 tors agree that those derivatives which have 

 color should have given the quinoid structure, 

 while those which are colorless are properly 

 repi-esented by the lactoid structure. A num- 

 ber of new compounds belonging to each of 

 these two classes were reported. 



'A Constant High-Temperature Bath': 

 Charles Baskerville. 



An ordinary enameled iron water-bath is 

 made use of, surrounded by asbestos with a 

 copper cover and a second asbestos top project- 

 ing in the bath and a wrought-iron float con- 

 structed to hold crucibles of various sizes. The 

 liquid of the bath is composed of a mixture of 

 the more fusible alloys. A specially con- 

 structed thermostat, made of very infusible 

 glass, controls the flame of a large lamp. A 

 glass tube, open at the bottom, penetrates the 

 dual cover and is placed within one of the 

 crucible receptacles. A mercury thermometer 

 under 20 degrees atmospheric pressure is used. 

 'New Apparatus: (1) Soil. Digestion Bath 



and (2) A Modifled Condensing Bulb Tube for 

 Nitrogen Determinations': C. B. Williams. 



Drawings of these two pieces of apparatus, 

 designed for use in the Chemical Laboratory 

 of the North Carolina Department of Agri- 

 culture, were submitted; also, a description 

 was read. Mr. Williams stated that these two 

 pieces of apparatus had proved very helpful, 

 both in point of economy of time and re- 

 liability. 



'Nitrification of Ammonium Sulphate and 

 Cotton-Seed Meal': W. A. Withers and G. S. 

 Traps. 



The conclusions drawn by the authors from 

 their pot experiments on nitrification are: 



(a) Ammonium sulphate in some cases hin- 

 ders nitrification. 



(6) In nitrification of ammonium sulphate, 

 sulphuric acid is produced and hinders the 

 process unless neutralized. 



(c) Soils differ in their action, depending 

 upon the kinds of bacteria present. 



(d) The relative number of organisms in the 

 soil capable of nitrifying ammonium sulphate 

 may be increased by continued addition of the 

 substance and lime if such germs were origi- 

 nally present. 



(e) Calcium carbonate is very helpful in 

 nitrification. 



Chaeles Burgess Williams, 



Secretary. 



THE SECTION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF 

 THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The Section met December 16, at 8 :15 p. m. 



Mr. D. W. Johnson gave a paper on 'Notes 

 on the Geology of the Saline Basins of Central 

 New Mexico.' He said that in the Antonio 

 Sandoval Grant, near the center of the Terri- 

 tory of New Mexico, are noted saline deposits 

 which have served as important sources of a 

 very pure salt in past years. The character of 

 these basins was discussed in some detail, and 

 points concerning their historical interest 

 briefly touched upon. The general geology of 

 the central portion of the Territory was then 

 briefly reviewed, while the local geology of the 

 Antonio Sandoval Grant was presented more 

 in detail. It was shown that the saline lakes 

 occur in the Eed Beds of Jura-triassic or Per- 



