158 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 657 



E. Yung: " Le sens de rhumide oliez les Mol- 

 lusques," " Structure des tentacules chez Helix." 



C. Zelent: Title not yet received. 



Notices have also been received that the fol- 

 lowing demonstrations will be made : 



S. VON Apathy : " Certain Instruments for 

 Microtechnique," " Microscopic Preparations." 



C. W. Beebe: "Bird Skins." 



W. Dantchakoff: "Microscopic Preparations." 



G. A. Drew : " Illustrations of a Method to 

 make Series of Anatomical Drawings." 



J. H. EiiERTON : " Demonstration Collection of 

 Spiders." 



W. Junk: "Zoological Books." 



P. E. LuTZ: "Abnormal Wings of Drosophila." 



O. Maas : " Microscopic Preparations." 



A. Masimow : " Microscopic Preparations." 



S. Metalnikoff : " Preparations of Blood and 

 of Bacillus tuberculosis." 



A. Petkunkevitch : " Images in the Spider's 

 Eyes." 



C. F. RoussELET: "Mounted Slides of Rotifera." 



J. A. Thomson: "Peculiar Alcyonarians." 



Members are reminded that notices of com- 

 munications, demonstrations, etc., should now 

 be in the hands of the General Committee of 

 the Seventh International Zoological Congress, 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



For the Executive Committee, 



G. H. Parker, Chairman 



RADIUM EMANATION '^ 

 In 1903, it was shown by Mr. Soddy and 

 myself that the spontaneous change of the 

 emanation from radium results in the forma- 

 tion of helium ; this observation has been con- 

 firmed by Indrikson, by Debierne, by Giesel, 

 by Curie and Dewar, and by Himstedt and G. 

 Meyer. Debierne has shown that actinium 

 chloride and fluoride also develop helium. I 

 have also once detected helium in the gases 

 evolved continuously from a solution of tho- 

 rium nitrate, and hope soon to confirm this 

 observation. 



When the emanation is in contact with, and 

 dissolved in water, the inert gas which is pro- 

 duced by its change consists mainly of neon; 

 only a trace of helium could be detected. 



* From Nature, July 18. This letter is appar- 

 ently the basis of the alleged interview with Sir 

 William Ramsay, cabled to a prominent New 

 York newspaper on July 28 and widely quoted. 



When a saturated solution of copper sul- 

 phate is substituted for water, no helium is 

 produced; the main product is argon, possibly 

 containing a trace of neon, for some of the 

 stronger of its lines appeared to be present. 

 The residue, after removal of the copper from 

 this solution, showed the spectra of sodium 

 and of calcium; the red lithium line was also 

 observed, but was very faint. This last obser- 

 vation has been made four times, in two cases 

 with copper sulphate, and in two with copper 

 nitrate ; all possible precautions were taken ; 

 and similar residues from lead nitrate and 

 from water gave no indication of the presence 

 of lithium ; nor was lithium detected in a solu- 

 tion of copper nitrate, similarly treated in 

 every respect except in its not having been 

 in contact with emanation. 



These remarkable results appear to indi- 

 cate the following line of thought: From its 

 inactivity it is probable that radium emana- 

 tion belongs to the helium series of elements. 

 During its spontaneous change, it parts with a 

 relatively enormous amount of energy. The 

 direction in which that energy is expended 

 may be modified by circumstances. If the 

 emanation is alone, or in contact with hydro- 

 gen and oxygen gases, a portion is " decom- 

 posed " or " disintegrated " by the energy given 

 off by the rest. The gaseous substance pro- 

 duced is in this case helium. If, however, the 

 distribution of the energy is modified by the 

 presence of water, that portion of the emana- 

 tion which is " decomposed " yields neon ; if 

 in presence of copper sulphate, argon. Simi- 

 larly the copper, acted upon by the emanation, 

 is " degraded " to the first member of its 

 group, namely, lithium; it is impossible to 

 prove that sodium or potassium are formed, 

 seeing that they are constituents of the glass 

 vessel in which the solution is contained; 

 but from analogy with the " decomposition- 

 products " of the emanation, they may also be 

 products of the " degradation " of copper. 



A full account of this research will shortly 

 be communicated to the Chemical Society. 



William Eamsat. 

 July 11. 



