472 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IV. No. 92. 



decomposition with them. It was found 

 further that not only acids, but all electro- 

 lytes, react in the same way on the sul- 

 phonic ethers, and as might be expected all 

 electrolytes were found to react upon the 

 sulphonic ethers much more rapidly than 

 water. 



C. E, Linebarger, Chicago : ' On the 

 Nature of Isomorphous Mixtures.' The 

 author gives an historical review of the two 

 views held as to the nature of isomorphous 

 mixtures, namely, that of mechanical mix- 

 tures, or solid solutions. From experiments 

 upon the rate of desiccation of isomorphous 

 mixtures of sulphates the author concludes 

 that this is a case of solid solution and not 

 a mechanical mixture. 



E. B. Warder, Washington, D. C. : 'A 

 Discussion of Lichty's Experiments on the 

 Speed of Esterification.' The 'coefficient 

 of speed ' in each case, as deduced by means 

 of the formulas for reversible reactions, 

 is shown to vary in the progress of the reac- 

 tion ; first diminishing, then nearly con- 

 stant or slightly increasing, and finally di- 

 minishing very rapidly. Suggestions are 

 thus gained regarding the nature of sec- 

 ondary influences involved. 



H. M. Goodwin, Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology : ' The Hydrolysis of Ferric 

 Chloride.' The author calculates the de- 

 gree of hydrolysis of ferric chloride from 

 conductivity and freezing point determina- 

 tions, finding it to be inappreciable in fairly 

 concentrated solutions (e. gr., decinormal), 

 but nearly complete in more dilute ones 

 (e. g., millinormal) . He also describes and 

 discusses the remarkable increase in con- 

 ductivity with the time which such solu- 

 tions manifest. 



A. A. Noyes and H. M. Goodwin : ^ The 

 Viscosity of Mercury Vapor. ' By determin- 

 ations of the viscosity coefiicients of gases 

 it is possible to calculate the relative cross- 

 sections of the molecules of the gases. 

 From measurements of the viscosity of 



mercury and carbon dioxide it is found 

 that the spaces between the atoms of mole- 

 cules are probably not large. The authors 

 conclude that atoms and molecules are of 

 the same order of magnitude. 



INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 



F. W. Clarke, Washington, D. C. : ' Some 

 Points in Nomenclature with regard to 

 Analysis of Mineral Water.' It was 

 pointed out that in the light of modern 

 theories of solution the present method of 

 reporting water analyses are totally erro- 

 neous. Suggestions were asked as to no- 

 menclature in case of reporting SO^, CO3, 

 etc. 



C. H. Herty and H. V. Black, Univer- 

 sity of Georgia : ' The Alkali Tri-Halides.' 

 The authors show that the successive crops 

 of cr3^stals obtained in the preparation of 

 rubidium dibromiodide are identical, con- 

 firming thus the previously held view that 

 these substances are true chemical com- 

 pounds. 



E. Goldsmith, Philadelphia : ' The met- 

 amorphosis of Fossil Bone into a mineral.' 

 The author showed the substitution of car- 

 bonic acid for phosphoric acid, calcium 

 carbonate crystallizing as aragonite. 



J. L. Howe, Washington and Lee Uni- 

 versity : ' A Bibliography of the Metals of 

 the Platinum Group.' This work will be 

 ready for print soon. 



J. L. Howe : ' Examination of Water 

 and Deposits from a Lake in Yucatan.' 

 The deposits ( mud ) proved to be almost 

 pure gypsum. A sample from the middle 

 of the lake contains a large quantity of 

 hydrogen sulphide, while another sample 

 taken from the border contained none. 



T. W. Richards and H. G. Parker, Har- 

 vard University : ' A Revision of the Atomic 

 Weight of Magnesium.' From determina- 

 tions of chlorine in magnesium chloride 

 the authors find the atomic weight of mag- 

 nesium to be 24.36. 



