JXJNE 20, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



969 



spective View— Twenty-fifth Anniversary 

 of the Foundation of the Royal Society.' 



Professor C. H. McLeod and Dr. Howard 

 T. Barnes, both of McGill University, Mon- 

 treal, contribute a joint paper entitled 

 'Differential Temperature Records in Me- 

 teorological Work.' This paper contains 

 further results obtained with the electric 

 recorder and thermometers at different 

 levels, an account of which was presented 

 two years ago before Section III. of the 

 Royal Society. Much evidence has been 

 obtained to show that the traces may be 

 used to advantage in temperature fore- 

 casting. 



'An Aluminum and Magnesium Cell,' 

 by Mr. G. H. Cole and Dr. H. T. Barnes 

 (McGill), describes a cell which has proved 

 to be of some interest in its behavior on 

 short circuit. It illustrates very well the 

 effect of dissolved gases on metal surfaces. 



' Nocturnal Radiation ' was then discussed 

 by Dr. H. T. Barnes himself, in which the 

 following two points of special import are 

 given: (a) Differential temperatiire traces 

 have been obtained of the radiation at night 

 from the surface of a specially prepared 

 thermometer; (6) the effect of a clear or 

 cloudy atmosphere is shown, and the ab- 

 sorption of the heat rays in some materials 

 is given. This paper is followed by an- 

 other one by Dr. Barnes on 'Radiation as 

 the Cause of Anchor lee Formation.' 

 Further evidence is given in support of the 

 view that radiation is the main cause of 

 anchor ice formation. It is shown that 

 water and ice are apparently transparent 

 to the long heat rays beyond 80/j.. 



Mr. R. W. Boyle's two papers, namely, 

 (a) 'The Effect of Tensile Stress on Spe- 

 cific Resistance' and 'Effect of an Electric 

 Current on the Modulus of Elasticity,' 

 introduced by Professor Barnes, reveal 

 interesting results with the new resistance 

 alloys, manganin, constantin and rheotin. 



A few of the pure metals are also studied 

 in comparison. 



Then follow a series of further contri- 

 butions to physics, entitled: 



'On Deficient Humidity of the Atmos- 

 phere,' by Dr. T. A. Starkey and Dr. H. T. 

 Barnes. 



It is shown by accurate hygrometric tests 

 that the air in an ordinary building, heated 

 by the hot-v/ater system, may be almost 

 devoid of water vapor in the winter time. 

 The ill effects of this on the respiratory 

 tract are discussed. A comparison of 

 various hygrometers is given. 



'Mass of the a Particles expelled from 

 Radium,' by Professor E. Rutherford, 

 F.R.S. 



'Some Peculiar Effects resulting from 

 the Distribution of the Intensity of the 

 Radiation from Radioactive Sources,' by 

 Professor E. Rutherford, F.R.S. 



'A New Product of Actinium,' by 0. 

 Hahn, Ph.D., presented by Professor Ruth- 

 erford. 



'The Origin of the /8 Rays from Radio- 

 active Substances,' by W. Levin, Ph.D., 

 presented by Professor Rutherford. 



Then follow a series of researches in 

 physical chemistry carried out in the Uni- 

 versity of Toronto during the academic 

 year, 1905-06, communicated by Professor 

 AV. Lash Miller. 



'The Detection and Estimation of Cer- 

 tain of the Oxidation Products of Naphtha- 

 lene,' by M. C. Boswell; ' The Mechanism 

 of the Oxidation of Naphthalene by Nitric 

 Acid and by Chromic Acid,' by M. C. Bos- 

 well; 'The Intermediate Compound Theory 

 in Chemical Kinetics : the Reaction between 

 Bromic, Hydriodic and Arsenious Acids,' 

 by Fred. C. Bowman; 'Tautomeric Forms 

 of the Keto-esters,' by R. II. Clark; 'The 

 Mechanism of the Aeeto-aeetic-ester Syn- 

 thesis,' by R. H. Clark; 'Analysis of the 

 Reactions leading to the Formation of 

 Phthalonic Acid from Naphthalene,' by R. 



