OCTOBEB 21, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



559 



under the formula a;EO-2/MiiO, zH^O, of 

 ■which the cobalt bearing variety, asbolite, has 

 an important economic value as a cobalt ore. 

 Raneieite is a calcium-bearing variety of 

 psilomelane. Under anhydrous sulphates and 

 chromates are descriptions of mascagnite, 

 thenardite and metathenardite, which is the 

 name given to a polymorphic form of Na,SO, 

 stable above 235° and differing in its crystal- 

 line and optical properties from thenardite. 

 It was found at a secondary fumarole (temp. 

 600-590°) of Mt. Pelee and had evidently 

 formed from fusion. There are then described 

 glauberite, anhydrite, the barite group with 

 many photographs and crystal drawings, the 

 alunite group in which an occurrence of natro- 

 alunite from Martinique may be noted, lanar- 

 kite, brochantite and linarite. Caledonite and 

 leadhillite are the two sulfates with carbon- 

 ates. The list of hydrous sulphates is an 

 extensive one and includes mirabilite, gypsum 

 (nearly 50 pages) and most of the vitriols, 

 namely, epsomite, goslarite, morenosite, mel- 

 anterite, pisanite, boothite, bieberite and chal- 

 canthite. Further alunogen, connellite, eo- 

 quimbite, fibroferrite, aluminite with which 

 felsobanyite and paraluminite may be iden- 

 tical, being only aluminite in a somewhat 

 altered condition. Apatelite (Fe, A1),(0H),- 

 SOj-|-H,0 is a definite mineral species, its 

 composition as here given being deduced from 

 a new analysis of original material, the results 

 obtained differing very much from the orig- 

 inal analj'sis.' The remaining sulphates de- 

 scribed are copiapite, glockerite, polyhalite, 

 kalinite, halotrichite, pickeringite, metavoltite, 

 roemerite, botryogen and cyanotriehite. Of 

 the molybdates and tungstates there are 

 wulfenite, scheelite and the wolframite group 

 composed of ferberite FeWO„ wolframite 

 (Fe, Mn)WO, and hiibnerite MnWO„ though 

 Lacroix states that the analyses of ferberite 

 show an excess of FeO. Molybdite from Cor- 

 sica showed qualitatively the presence of iron 

 and water. The aluminates, ferrites, chrom- 

 '■ The composition of this and several related 

 minerals badly needs revision. From the data 

 now at hand. apatfUte, raimondite, cyprussite and 

 possibly several others are probably identical 

 (W. T. S.). 



ites comprise the spinel group, the various 

 members of which (spinel, hercynite, chrom- 

 ite, magnetite, etc.) are fully described and 

 illustrated, and the orthorhombic chrysoberyl. 

 Only three borates are given, hambergite and 

 rhodizite from Madagascar and ulexite. Na- 

 dorite, PbO-SbOCl, from Algiers and the 

 probable occurrence of romeite, CaSb,0„ 

 therewith, are the two antimonites which 

 finish the volume. The descriptions of the 

 different minerals are given as in the former 

 volumes and the paragraphs on the occur- 

 rences and associations are very full and con- 

 tain much interesting information. The vol- 

 ume is richly illustrated with photographs and 

 with crystal drawings. 



Waldemae T. Schaller 



SCIEWTIFIG JOURNALS AXD ARTICLES 

 The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 

 VIII., No. 3, issued September 15, contains 

 the following : " Some Peculiarities of the 

 Proteolytic Activity of Papain," by Lafayette 

 B. Mendel and Alice F. Blood. A detailed 

 study of the behavior of papain with especial 

 reference to the accelerating effect which 

 HON exerts upon its action. " The Erepsin 

 of the Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)," by Alice 

 F. Blood. A typical vegetable erepsin can be 

 prepared from white cabbage. " A Method 

 for Determination of Saccharine in Urine," 

 by W. R. Bloor. Evaporated urine is acidified 

 and extracted with benzol. Saccharine is 

 determined colorimetrically in the benzol ex- 

 tract by transforming it into a colored sub- 

 stance, probably phenol-sulphonephthalein or 

 sulphurein. This is effected by heating with 

 phenol-sulphuric acid. "Estimation of Sac- 

 charine in Urine and Feces," by Alfred J. 

 Wakeman. A modification of Bloor's method. 

 "Manganese of the Tissues of Lower Ani- 

 mals," by H. C. Bradley. Data from numer- 

 ous analyses indicate that manganese is a 

 normal constituent of the fresh-water mussels 

 of North America. " Some Lipase Reac- 

 tions," by H. C. Bradley. Experiments per- 

 formed with human pancreatic juice show that 

 the hydrolysis of triolein is regularly increased 

 by increased amount of lipase; that a given 



