ositions of close upon 2000 lines, composing the three rincipal bands, have been determined. The wave-lengths ere derived from the interference standards of Fabry and uisson, but have been corrected to Rowland's scale to acilitate comparison with solar spectra. (4) Twelve of the eries of lines which compose the green band have been aced, and it is shown that none of the formulæ which ave been proposed is sufficiently general in its applicaon to represent all of these series within the limits of rror of measurement. For the longer series the closest pproximation is given by Halm's equation. (5) The dentification of magnesium hydride in the sun-spot pectrum has been fully confirmed, and is clearly demontrated by photographs submitted for reproduction. (6) It s shown that many of the bright interruptions of the dark ackground of the spot spectrum are not bright lines, but nerely clear interspaces between lines or groups of lines n the spectrum of magnesium hydride. (7) The presence f the magnesium hydride flutings, together with flutings f titanium oxide and calcium hydride discovered at Mount Wilson, accords with the view that spots are regions of educed temperature, and that their darkness is at least artly due to absorption. (8) The investigation of the ossible presence of lines of magnesium hydride in the ordinary solar spectrum is for several reasons inconclusive, out there is evidence that very few, if any, of the thousands of faint lines tabulated by Rowland are to be accounted for by this substance.-The discovery of a remedy for nalignant jaundice in the dog, and for redwater in cattle: Prof. G. H. F. Nuttall and S. Hadwen.-The comparative power of alcohol, ether, and chloroform, as measured by their action upon isolated muscle: Dr. A. D. Waller.

EDINBURGH.

Royal Society, June 21.-Dr. Burgess, vice-president, in the chair.-The pharmacological action of protocatechylropeine Prof. C. R. Marshall. Like most other ropeines, this substance paralyses, but only for a short period, the so-called vagal endings of the heart; it also depresses the neuro-muscular junctions in voluntary muscle and the muscular tissue itself. Its most interesting action, however, is upon the respiration. Medium doses, intravenously administered, rapidly paralyse the respiration. This effect is generally transitory, and is not concomitant with other effects produced by the compound. Tappeiner and Pohl have observed similar transitory effects after intravenous injection of other derivatives, and Pohl's explanation, which ascribes the effect to paralysis of the respiratory centres, was shown to be the true one for protocatechyltropeine. The relation between chemical constitution and pharmacological action as exemplified in the tropeines was considered, and an attempt made to show that definite action could not with certainty be attributed to the two constituent groupings of the tropeines.-The toot poison of New Zealand; an investigation into its pharmacological action: Prof. C. R. Marshall. This poison, which includes three definite species of Coriaria, has proved a serious hindrance to the rearing of stock in New Zealand. The active principle, isolated by Easterheld and Aston, is a glucoside named tutin. The effects produced are chiefly stimulation of the medullary centres and epileptiform convulsions, which are mainly of cortical and pontine origin. Pontine convulsions are susceptible to anaesthetics. A fall of temperature always occurs after the administration of tutin. The substance also depresses the sentient centres, and in man causes loss of memory. Coriamyrtin and picrotoxin have a similar action, but are more powerful, and in some respects more ransient in action, than tutin.-Hydrolysis of salts in amphoteric electrolytes: Miss H. H. Beveridge. The wo principal methods in general use for determining the egree of hydrolysis of salts-catalysis of methyl acetate and electrical conductivity-give results in the case of salts of amphoteric electrolytes which are not at all concordant. The hydrolysis of anthranilic hydrochloride was herefore investigated by several independent methods. Of hese, the solubility, distribution between two solvents, -atalysis of diazo-acetic ester, and electromotive force all pointed to the catalysis values being correct, while values obtained from depression of the freezing point and electrical conductivity differed widely from these. The divergence vas due, not to any abnormality in the degree of ionisa

very

tion of the salt, nor to the speed of the ions, but might be explained by the assumption of some association of molecules and ions.-Seismic radiations, part ii. Dr. C. G. Knott. Following up results regarding reflection and refraction of seismic disturbances given twenty years ago (see also Phil. Mag., 1899), the author calculated the surface disturbances which accompany the reflection of the various types of elastic wave at the surface of an elastic solid. When the incident wave is condensational there is always a reflected distortional wave as well as a reflected condensational wave, and a simple harmonic disturbance produces at the surface a simple harmonic disturbance along a line differing at most incidences by a few degrees from the direction of the incident disturbance. When, however, the incident wave is distortional there is, after a certain critical angle, no reflected condensational wave. For incidences greater than this critical value the original simple harmonic motion of the incident wave is not, in general, accompanied by a simple harmonic motion of each particle of the .surface, but each point of the surface is thrown into elliptic motion of all degrees of ellipticity from circle to straight line. Details were worked out for certain assumed values of the elastic constants. The results indicate how misleading in certain cases is the phrase emergence angle," much, used by seismologists. PARIS.

Academy of Sciences. June 28.-M. Émile Picard in the chair.-Integral equations of the first species: Émile Picard. The gases of volcanic fumaroles : Armand Gautier. The gas samples were collected under experimental conditions designed to exclude the possibility of the admission of atmospheric oxygen, and to preserve gases alterable by water, such as carbon oxysulphide. Gas taken from fumaroles at Vesuvius near the top of the cone was found to consist of hydrochloric acid, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. No sulphur compounds could be detected, and carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and fluorides were absent. Gases collected from fumaroles on Vesuvius eighteen months after an eruption showed hydrochloric acid to be absent, and 0.5 to 20 of carbon monoxide present. It was noted that, although no halogen acids could be detected, the gases leaving the fumaroles rapidly attacked steel and copper.-Ordinary carbon: H. Le Chatelier and M. Wologdine. By modifying the graphitic oxide reaction, graphite has been proved to be present in carbon from acetylene and in other varieties of carbon produced at moderately low temperatures, hitherto assumed to be free from graphite. Carefully purified amorphous carbon from various sources has a density of about 1-8. -The existence of trachytes with quartz (bostonites) in the Mont-Dore massif: A. Michel Levy and A. Lacroix. -The polished stonework in the Haut-Oubanghi: A. Lacroix. The ornaments are made of worked polished quartz; the process of manufacture is described in detail, and shown to be strikingly analogous with similar work in Neolithic deposits.-The origin and evolution of fresh-water shrimps of the family of Atyidæ : E. L. Bouvier. The hydration of potassium carbonate: M. de Forcrand. A thermochemical paper.-The action of metallic oxides on methyl alcohol: Paul Sabatier and A. Mailhe. Alumina, at temperatures about 300° C., furnishes a large yield of methyl oxide; thoria and titanium dioxide at 350° behave similarly; oxides of chromium and tungsten give a mixture of methyl oxide and formaldehyde, the latter being partially split up into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Other oxides give the latter reaction exclusively.-Observations of the comet 19094, made at the Observatory of Lyons with the bent equatorial of 32 cm. aperture: J. Guillaume.-The variations of brightness of Encke's comet and the sunspot period: J. Bosler. The graphical comparison of the variations in brightness of Encke's comet and the number of sun-spots shows that the two phenomena are clearly related.-Comparison of the spectra of the centre and the edge of the sun: H. Buisson and Ch. Fabry.The physical and historical interpretation of some markings on the moon's surface; from the eleventh part of the photographic atlas published by the Observatory of Paris: P. Puiseux.-An extension of the theory of continued fractions: A. Chatolet.-The calculation of the.

and

roots of numerical equations: R. de Montessus.Remarks on a note by M. Petit on a new wave detector for wireless telegraphy and telephony: E. Tissot. It is suggested that the arrangement of a fine metallic point resting on a crystal of natural pyrites is really one of the thermoelectric detectors.-Comparison between the a rays produced by different radio-active substances: Mlle. Blanquies.-The temperature of the oxyhydrogen flame : Edmond Bauer. This was found to be 2240° C.-The "initial re-combination" of the ions produced in gases by a particles: M. Moulin.-The magnetic transformation of lead: M. Loutchinsky. The coefficient of magnetisation is ten times greater in lead crystallised by fusion than in lead hammered out or drawn into wire.-The practical method for the simultaneous calculation of atomic weights: G. D. Hinrichs.-The bromide of dimercurammonium, NHg Br H. Gaudechon.-The formation of oxygen compounds of nitrogen and their metallic combinations (iron and lead) in the production of ozone for the sterilisation of water: Ed. Bonjean. The amount of oxides of nitrogen produced in commercial forms of ozonisers is sufficient seriously to attack lead and iron pipes used in the construction. This has not been considered in the design of sterilisation apparatus on the commercial scale. The separation of graphite in white cast iron heated under pressure: Georges Charpy. Carbon arising from the decomposition of iron carbide produced at temperatures between 700° C. and 1100° C., and under pressures rising to 15,000 atmospheres, separates in the form of graphite.-Contribution to the study of uranyl chloride : Echsner de Coninck.-A new alkaloid extracted from the bark of Pseudocinchona africana: Ernest Fourneau. The crystallised alkaloid studied has the composition of quebrachine (C,,H2N2O1), and resembles this alkaloid in many of its properties. They differ in rotatory power, quebrachine being dextrorotatory and the new base lævorotatory.--The formation of lactones from acid alcohols : E. E. Blaise and A. Kohler. An e-octolactone can be prepared from the acid C,H,.CH(OH).(CH),.CO,H by slow distillation in a vacuum, but the C-lactone could not be prepared from the next higher homologue in the same way. If the dehydration is attempted by heating with 50 per cent. sulphuric acid, a migration of the hydroxyl group takes place, a y-lactone being formed in both instances. Soluble starch: Ch. Tanret.-The action of hydrogen peroxide upon crystallised oxyhæmoglobin: I. Szreter. The cholalic acids: Maurice Piettre. Regeneration in species of Syllis: Aug. Michel.-The mechanism of the immunity of snakes against the salamandrine: Mme. Marie Phisalix.-Concerning a note of M. Devaux entitled "The Relation between Sleep and the Retention of Interstitial Water": Raphael Dubois. The author points out that this note confirms his results on the phenomena accompanying sleep in hibernating animals. The metamorphosis of the splanchnic muscles in the Muscidea: Charles Pérez.-The ratio of the weight of the liver to the weight of the body in birds: J. de La Riboisière. The glacial origin of Loch Lomond and Loch Tay Gabriel Eisenmenger. The hydrology of the Bracas (Basse-Pyrénées) and of El-Torcal (Andalousie): E. A. Martel.-The earthquake at Corinth on May 30, 1909 D. Eginitis.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Linnean Society, May 26.-Mr. C. Hedley, president, in the chair.-Metasomatic processes in a cassiterite vein from New England: L. A. Cotton. The vein examined lies some six miles south-west of Inverell. A transverse section, about 11 inches in width, was taken and cut into six pieces, in planes parallel to the plane of the vein. Sections were then cut, and a series of four analyses made. Of the latter, three were of the vein, while the fourth was of the country rock, an acid granite. Examination of the slides showed that the central part of the vein was highly siliceous. The remaining slides of the vein-material showed an abundance of a peculiar pale mica of a paragonite-sericite nature. This mica was found to replace the quartz, felspar, and biotite of the acid granite. Fluorite was also found as a secondary mineral, and it is possible that a small amount of topaz was present.-Note on the Guyra Lagoon, N.S.W.: L. A. Cotton. The Guyra Lagoon lies immediately to the west of the town

of Guyra. It is surrounded by low basalt hills, ex for a depression in these to the south-east. The lay which, before 1902, had held water so far back as oldest settlers in the district could remember, is now There has been no diminution in the rainfall to account this. It is thought that the changing of the limited ca ment area from pastoral to agricultural country account for the present dryness of the lagoon. F observations seem to indicate that the depression is crater-lake. Note on diurnal variations in the temperat of camels: Dr. J. B. Cleland. During the examina of a certain number out of 500 camels in the north-we of Western Australia, a wide diurnal variation in th temperatures, sometimes of 7° F., was met with. would seem to be due to the high temperature of : atmosphere during the day, coupled with the fact camels only visibly perspire at the back of the neck co a small area, and the coolness of the nights. They diurnal range suggests a resemblance to cold-blo animals.-Some rare Australian Gomphinæ (Neuropter Odonata), with descriptions of new species: R Tillyard. The present paper brings up to date our kë ledge of Australian Gomphinæ. Five new species added to the list, and the male of Austrogomphus Martin, of which only the female was known, is descri -Studies in the life-histories of Australian Odonata: life-history of Petalura gigantea, Leach: R. J. Tillyar The species is one of the few remaining forms o very ancient family.

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