October 2.1, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



525 



excellent, the nearly life-size picture of a bull- 

 frog that forms the frontispiece being par- 

 ticularly fine. 



The special feature of the Zoological So- 

 ciety Bulletin for October is the announce- 

 ment of the reception at the park of a young 

 African elephant of the small-eared species, 

 from West Africa known as Elephas cyclotis. 

 Few realize that specimens of the African 

 elephant are far more uncommon in this coun- 

 try than mastodons and it is quite probable 

 that this specimen is the first of the species 

 seen in the United States. Other interesting 

 animals on exhibition are the great anteater, 

 echidna, crested screamers and ruffs. 



The Museum Neios (Brooklyn) for October 

 Taas for its longest article an account of the 

 rearrangement of the insect room at the Chil- 

 dren's Museum, to better adapt it to the needs 

 of teachers and children. The collections 

 comprise a very considerable number of the 

 local insects, examples of the largest and 

 smallest insects in various orders, and in- 

 stances of striking differences between the 

 males and females. These are supplemented 

 by small groups showing life histories, in- 

 teresting habits, protective coloration and 

 mimicry. There is an extended series of 

 lectures at the Children's Museum for pupils. 

 Various changes are noted at the Central Mu- 

 seum, in the main already announced in 

 Science. An interesting addition to the col- 

 lection illustrating variation is a group of 

 eleven ruffs, Pavoncella pugnax, in full breed- 

 ing plumage, showing the striking differences 

 found among these birds. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. NEW YORK 



SECTION. 



The first regular meeting of the season was 

 held at the Chemists' Club, Friday evening, 

 October 6, 1905. The program of the evening 

 was as follows: 



E. H. Williams and H. C. Sherman: The 

 Detection, Determination and Rate of Dis- 

 appearance of Formaldehyde in Milk. 

 Using a method which permits approximate 



estimation of any amount of formaldehyde 



greater than 1 : 160,000, it was found that even 

 aqueous solutions of formaldehyde of 1 : 10,000 

 to 1:40,000 lose strength steadily on standing 

 at room temperature, the loss being due to an 

 actual destruction, and not merely to polym- 

 erization, of the formaldehyde; while when 

 added to milk in the same proportion formal- 

 dehyde disappears ten to twenty times as 

 rapidly as from water. 



The hydrochloric acid and ferric chloride 

 test is capable of showing 1 part of formalde- 

 hyde in 250,000 parts of milk. Sourness of 

 the milk does not ir). itself diminish the deli- 

 cacy of the reaction, but when milk is pre- 

 served by means of formaldehyde the latter 

 will have largely disappeared before the milk 

 becomes sour. Considerable data regarding 

 the time required for the disappearance of the 

 reaction is given. 



The gallic acid test, applied to the distillate 

 obtained from the milk after acidulation with 

 sulphuric acid, is much more delicate than 

 the hydrochloric acid and ferric chloride test, 

 and gives more conclusive results with samples 

 which have stood until the formaldehyde has 

 largely disappeared. 



J. B. Whitney and S. A. Tucker: Otserva- 

 tions on the Preparation of Metallic Cal- 

 cium hy Electrolysis. 



The method used was that of J. H. Good- 

 win, and the attempt was made to improve 

 the yield of the metal. The electrolyte was 

 molten calcium chloride. The apparatus used 

 at first was similar to Goodwin's and the re- 

 sults obtained agreed satisfactorily with his. 

 It was found that the proper temperature 

 limits were so difficult to maintain that a new 

 form of kathode was devised, in which the 

 temperature of the iron rod was kept down by 

 water cooling. With this improvement the 

 yield of calcium was increased to sixty per 

 cent. 



A modification of the kathode was tried in 

 which the iron kathode was inclosed by an 

 insulated graphite bell, the object being to 

 prevent the oxidation and chlorination of the 

 calcium as formed, but it was not found to 

 work well in operation. F. IT. Pough, 



Secretary. 



