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Linnean Society, May 4.-Prof. W. A. Herdman, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-The botany of Gough Island, part i., phanerogams and ferns: R. N. RudmoseBrown. Gough Island, or Diego Alvarez, lies in the mid South Atlantic, lat. 40° 20' S., long. 9° 56' 30" W., and may be regarded as the most outlying member of the Tristan da Cunha group, a small island between seven and eight miles long, and half as wide, rising to a height of It has been occasionally visited, but never 4000 feet. permanently inhabited. The chief features of the vegetation are the tree Phylica nitida and the tree-fern Lomaria Boryana. Four of the seventeen species of phanerogams are almost certainly introduced, while two are science, a species of Cotula and an Asplenium. The Scottish Antarctic Expedition lay off the island for three days in April, 1904, but owing to high sea landing was only practicable on one day, when the materials for the present paper were collected.-The study of vegetation: its present condition and probable development: Prof. A. G. Tansley. The word ecology, introduced by Prof. Haeckel, means the study of the vital relations of organisms to their environment, and by Prof. E. Ray Lankester was termed bionomics. Restricting his remarks to a special branch of the subject, the author proceeded to consider the plant-association as the unit, the great fact being the association of plants under definite conditions of environment. Instances were given of sets of plants found in meadows, woods, cultivated fields, moors, and dunes. Schizopoda captured in the Bay of Biscay during a cruise of H.M.S. Research: E. W. L. Holt and W. M. Tattersall, with an appendix dealing with the distribution statistically by Dr. G. H. Fowler. The paper forms part v. of the series on Biscayan plankton. Ten genera and eleven species were described; of these one species is rew to science, and one, previously known from a single example, is represented by eight specimens. All the commoner forms are epiplanktonic, but of these some are represented by scattered specimens from greater depths. Euphausia pellucida, essentially epiplanktonic, with centre of distribution about 50-75 fathoms, seems to show a marked vertical oscillation, rising by night and sinking by day; it was plentiful in bright moonlight; by day scattered specimens occurred between 250 and 100 fathoms. Meganyctiphanes norvegica, caught in small numbers and on few occasions, was only captured by night, never by day at any depth whatsoever. Messrs. Holt and Tattersall suggest that this species is sufficiently sharp-sighted to see and avoid a net by daylight, even at a depth of 100 fathoms. Nematoscelis megalops, with the same distribution as Euphausia pellucida, showed a less clearly marked oscillation.

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Anthropological Institute, May 9 –Dr. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.-Some tribes of the Uganda Protectorate: Lieut.-Colonel C. Delmé-Radcliffe. The author described the customs and habits of the natives with whom he came in contact, including the Kavirondo and other tribes on the Victoria Nyanza, and the Acholi in the Nile Province. The paper was illustrated by numerous lantern slides, illustrating the peoples, animals, and scenery, and by a large and interesting collection of ethnographical specimens from the Protectorate.

Challenger Society, May 10.-Prof. d'A. W. Thompson, C.B., in the chair.-A new species of Tuscarusa from the North Atlantic: Dr. Wolfenden.-Observations on the temperature and salinity of the water of the North

Atlantic, made during two cruises of Dr. Wolfenden's yacht Silver Belle during the summers of 1903 and 1904: Dr. H. N. Dickson. In 1900-2 much valuable work had been done by Dr. Wolfenden in the Færöe Channel, but as this area lay within the field of the International Council for the Study of the Sea, he worked in 1903 farther out in the Atlantic, to the west of Ireland, and at the entrance to the Færöe Channel south of the WyvilleThomson Ridge, the observations connecting directly with those of the International Council in the Channel itself and in the Norwegian Sea during the August cruises. The work in 1904 was more directly concerned with the general oceanic movements of Atlantic waters; a line of soundings was run from the south-west of Ireland to the Azores, thence into the Mediterranean through the Straits of

Gibraltar, and thence to the English Channel. Dr. Dickson illustrated the observations by diagrams of temperature and salinity along the sections, and discussed the considerable light thrown on the behaviour of the easterly drift on reaching the shores of Europe, the exchange of waters between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the volume of current in the straits, and the extension in the Atlantic of Mediterranean water of high temperature and salinity.

Geological Society, Mav 10.-Mr. R. S Herries, vicepresident, in the chair.-The geology of Dunedin (New Zealand): Dr. P. Marshall. A detailed account of the petrography of the district was given. The age of the oldest rocks seen, mica-schists, is not definitely known. They are followed by Tertiary sandstones and limestones. Fine, plant-bearing shales succeed unconformably, and upon these, again, rests a light scoria-bed. The igneous rocks next described cover them. These rocks include an ill-exposed, gold-bearing syenite, a diorite, lavas, rhombporphyry, tinguaite, hypabyssal trachydolerite, a teschenitedyke, and trachyte. Trachytoid phonolites occur as interbedded sheets. The andesites are characterised by hornblende and augite. Dolerites of two principal types occur in dykes, one type being the commonest of all the rocks in the area. A considerable series of chemical analyses follows, showing that the silica-percentage varies from 66 in the Portobello trachyte to 44.84 in one of the dolerites. The relative ages of the volcanic rocks are worked out sc far as possible.-The Carboniferous limestone of the Weston-super-Mare district: T. F. Sibly. The Carboniferous limestone of the Weston-Worle ridge includes part of the Syringothyris-zone (C), extending from the laminosa-dolomites upwards, and part of the Seminulazone (S). While the dip of the rocks of the ridge is towards the south, a reversed fault throws the Syringothyris-beds on the south against the Seminula-beds to the north, and the latter rocks are over-folded on the north side of the fault. The lower part resembles the equivalent part of the Clevedon sequence, and indicates shallow-water conditions; the upper part of C resembles the corresponding part of the Burrington section, and indicates the predominance of a Mendip-facies. The Woodspring ridge shows a sequence exactly similar to that of Clevedon. There were two periods of volcanic activity, one of which occurred at the close of Zaphrentis-time and the other early in Syringothyris-time.

Physical Society, May 12.--Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S., vicepresident, in the chair.-A simple method of determining the radiation constant, suitable for a laboratory experiment: Dr. A. D. Denning. The apparatus consists of a hemispherical copper cap to the outside of which is affixed a jacket through which steam or water can be passed The receiving surface consists of a silver plate, and the rate of rise of temperature of the plate is measured by means of a silver-constantan thermo-junction. When performing the experiment, a non-conducting pad is placed between the hemisphere and the silver disc until the temperature of the jacket is uniform. Then the pad is slid out, and the deflections of the galvanometer in the thermo-junction circuit are noted every few seconds. By plotting these deflections on a curve the initial slope of the curve, i.e. the initial rate of rise of temperature of the silver disc, is obtained; and from this, knowing the constants of the disc, &c., the radiation constant can be calculated.-A bolometer for the absolute measurement of radiation Prof. H. L. Callendar. It is now generally agreed that the electric compensation method, in which the heat received by radiation on a metallic strip is determined by measuring the electric current required to produce the same rise of temperature in the strip, is the most satisfactory and accurate method for absolute measurement. In the practical application of the bolometric method for the absolute measurements of solar radiation, the author has introduced certain modifications suggested by experience in platinum thermometry, with the object of securing (1) temperature compensation, so that the zero remains constant in spite of changes in the surrounding temperature; (2) conduction compensation, so that loss of heat by conduction at the ends of the strips may not affect the readings; (3) accurate measurement of the area of radiation absorbed. Comparisons have been made between

the bolometer, in which the platinum strips are directly exposed to radiation, and one of the author's ordinary sunshine receivers enclosed in a glass bulb, in order to determine the effect, if any, of the glass bulb in selective absorption. The values of the reduction constant obtained for the glass receiver showed no certain variation over a wide range of quality of radiation, from sunshine or arclight down to a dull red heat. This result is probably to be attributed to a self-compensating action of the glass bulb, which radiates to the enclosed coils precisely those rays which it absorbs.-Results of experiments carried out at Crompton's works at Chelmsford, by Mr. C. H. Wright, on the possibility of using the resistance of a conductor heated by an alternating electric current as a measure of the current: W. H. Price.

Zoological Society, May 16.-Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F. R.S., vice-president, in the chair.-Examples of a new golden mole obtained in connection with Mr. C. D. Rudd's exploration of South Africa: 0. Thomas. It is proposed to call the mole Amblysomus corriae, sp. n. Microscopic slides of Lankesterella tritonis, a hæmogregarine parasitic in the blood-corpuscles of a newt, Triton cristatus: H. B. Fantham. This parasite was recently found by Mr. A. S. Hirst and the exhibitor, and their observations had since been independently confirmed by Dr. A. C. Stevenson.-A contribution to the knowledge of the encephalic arterial system in Sauropsida: F. E. Beddard.-Criticisms of the Hon. Walter Rothschild's proposed classification of the anthropoid apes: Sir H. H. Johnston. The author was disposed to agree with Mr. Rothschild's classification of the African apes, but suggested that the proper transcription of the native name for the bald chimpanzee should be nkulunkamba instead of (as Du Chaillu wrote it) koolookamba. He, however, could not agree with Mr. Rothschild's proposed change of the generic name of the orang from Simia to Pongo, and although considering him right in applying the former name, at present used for the orang, to the chimpanzees, he was of opinion that either Satyrus or Pithecus was a far preferable name to Pongo for the orang. He concluded the paper with a list of words used in several African languages for the name of the chimpanzee, and with a précis of the history of European knowledge of the anthropoid apes down to the eighteenth century.-Some species of bats of the genus Rhinolophus: K. Anderson. The author showed the propressive evolution from the Austro-Malayan R. simplex fallied to megaphyllus), through a long series of Oriental forms, to the W. Palearctic R. ferrum-equinum, and a similar chain from the Oriental R. lepidus (allied to minor) to the W. Palearctic R. blasii and R. eurvale. R. hipposiderus was traced back to the Oriental R. minor.

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the results obtained by him in a theoretical study recently published with some experimental results of M. Maurain, and shows that his theoretical conclusions are completely confirmed. On the voyage of the Princesse Alice: the Prince of Monaco. A sketch is given of the work attempted in oceanography, bacteriology, chemical biology, zoology, and the meteorological exploration of the upper atmosphere by means of kites.-On a condition of convergence of Fourier's series: Henri Lebesgue.—On minimal curves: E. Vessiot.-On the compressibility of different gases below atmospheric pressure and the determination of their molecular weights: Adrien Jaquerod and Otto Scheuer. The compressibility of several gases has been measured at o° C. for pressures between 400 mm. and 800 mm. of mercury, and for ammonia and sulphur From dioxide for pressures between 200 mm. and 400 mm. the measurements the coefficient of deviation from Boyle's law has been determined, and this has been applied to the formula of D. Berthelot for the limiting density of gases and the estimation of their molecular weight. The molecular weights calculated agree with those obtained by the best analytical methods with the exception of nitrogen compounds, for which an atomic weight of 14.01 must be assumed. The atomic weight of nitrogen deduced from the ratio of the densities of nitrogen and oxygen: Philippe A. Guye. From a consideration of the whole of the experimental data available, the mean value N=14.009 must be regarded as the most probable value for the atomic weight. On the fusibility of the mixtures of antimony sulphide formed with cuprous sulphide and mercuric sulphide: H. Pélabon. The equilibrium between acetone and hydroxylamine hydrochloride: Philippe Landrieu. This equilibrium has been previously studied by means of the acid set free during the reaction, but owing to the rapidity with which the equilibrium is displaced this method is not trustworthy. In the present paper the reaction is followed by calorimetric studies.-Physicochemical researches on hæmolysis: Mlle. P. Cernovodeanu and Victor Henri.-The action of the metal ammoniums on the polyatomic alcohols : E. Chablay. The alcohol is dissolved in liquid ammonia and is then acted on by the solution of the alkali metal, sodium or potassium, also dissolved in ammonia, and the result of the reaction washed several times with liquid ammonia at -40° C. In this way one of the hydroxylic hydrogen atoms of the alcohol is replaced by potassium (or sodium), the alcohols studied being mannite, erythrite, and glycerol. On benzhydroxamic and dibenzhydroxamic acids: R. Marquis. A new method of preparing mesoxalic their condensation with cyanacetic esters : Ch. Schmitt. The corresponding malonic esters are treated with nitrous fumes, descriptions being given of the preThese condense paration of the methyl and ethyl esters. with cyanacetic esters in the presence of piperidine, one or two molecules of the cyanacetate entering into the reaction according to the experimental conditions.-The basicity of dinaphthopyryl: R. Fosse and L. Lesage. pyranic oxygen. Double halogen salts of some metals and The group dinaphthopyryl,

esters:

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, May 22.-M. Troost in the chair.New experiments in experimental parthenogenesis in Asterias: Yves Delage. Additional proof is given of the fact that it is not an increase in the osmotic pressure alone which determines parthenogenesis, several of the reagents employed, manganese chloride, sodium phosphate, &c., acting as well, if not better, when the total concentration of the mixture is lower than that of sea water. Attention is directed to the marked action of solutions of manganese chloride, a salt which is not present in sea water. Magnetic hysteresis produced by an oscillating field superposed on a constant field. Comparison between theory and experiment: P. Duhem. The author compares

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CO,

communication gives details of the preparation of several double salts of this radical.-On some circumstances influencing the physical state of starch: J. Wolff and A. Fernbach. Researches on animal lactase: Ch. Porcher. It is shown that ether saturated with water is capable of extracting from the intestines of certain animals considerable quantities of lactase.-Contribution to the study of histological staining substances: G. Halphen and André Riche. The albuminoid substances in animal tissues preserved in formol solutions are profoundly altered, and the methods of staining to be employed require considerable modifications.-On some minerals of Djebel-Ressas (Tunis): L. Jecker. Variation in the histological characters of leaves in the galls of Juniperus Oxycedrus from the Midi and Algeria: C. Houard. On the biology of Melampyrum pratense: L. Gautier. On the transformations of the nitrogenous materials in seeds in the course of maturation: G. André.-Observations on the fibrous intersections of

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