Last summer, while engaged with some quaternion investigations connected with Dr Plarr's problem (the locus-boundary of the points of contact of an ellipsoid with three rectangular planes) I was led to construct the glissettes of an ellipse. I then showed to the Society a series of these curious curves, drawn in my laboratory by Mr Shand, who had constructed for the purpose a very true elliptic disc of sheet brass. I did not, at the time, think it necessary to print my paper; but, after the close of the session, I made the curious remark that precisely the same curves can be drawn each as a glissette of its own special hyperbola. This double mode of sliding generation of the same curve seems to possess interest. It is somewhat puzzling at first, since the ellipse turns completely round, while the hyperbola can only oscillate. But a little consideration shows the cause of the coincidence.

The present paper refers to a number of specimens of Moniligaster, some of which belong to the species Moniligaster Barwelli already briefly described by myself;* others (one other at least) are possibly referable to a distinct species. I do not, however, give this species a name, principally for the reason that it will very possibly turn out to be identical with one or other of the species recently noted by Professor A. G. Bourne from the Nilgiris and Shevaroys. I am not at all certain that M. Barwelli is not identical with his M. minutus. The present paper contains a fuller account of the reproductive organs than I have yet given, but unfortunately it will be still found to be incomplete in certain particulars; some of these gaps, e.g., the clitellum and the egg-sacs, are filled up by Bourne's paper, assuming of course that the characters of these organs as given by Bourne will turn out to be generic, which is likely. The present paper contains some account of the other organs of the body, which has not yet been published

The conception of conjugate permutations appears to be due to Rothe. The definition may be expressed thus:—Two permutations of the numbers 1, 2, 3,…, n are called conjugate when each number and the number of the place which it occupies in the one permutation are interchanged in the case of the other.

It is well known that the square root of any commensurable number N is expressible in the form

and that the (z + 1)th convergent to this is,

where the continuant notation K( ) is explained by the example

The demonstration referred to is given in the Cambridge Mathematical Journal, vol. iv. pp. 18–20. It opens with the enunciation of a lemma to the effect that the intersection of the planes

the intersection of

and the intersection of

will be in the same plane if

The inferior olivary body or nucleus forms the ovoid projection which extends almost the whole length of the medulla oblongata, from the lower margin of the pons Varolii to within a short distance of the level of the decussation of the anterior pyramids. It is separated from the latter by a groove through which emerge the roots of the hypoglossal nerve. On its outer margin it is separated from the line of the roots of the glossopharyngeal and pneumogastric nerves by a shallow depression. Transverse vertical and longitudinal sections of the medulla show the olive to be a highly convoluted sac of grey matter open, at its hilum, towards the mesial plane. (It has two accessory nuclei of smaller size, an internal and a posterior accessory olive, which, as they are really parts of the larger nucleus, do not call for special consideration here.) The fibres of the hypoglossal nerve pass through its substance, but do not become, as was at one time supposed, and as has been recently again affirmed by Vincenzi, connected with the olive. On its median aspect lies the interolivary stratum or fillet. Anteriorly lies the anterior pyramid, posteriorly the formatio reticularis.

The soluble ferments or enzymes have always aroused the deepest interest, partly from the mystery which enshrouded their mode of action, partly from the importance of the processes with which they are associated. The peculiar power which each possesses of decomposing apparently unlimited quantities of a specific medium, without itself being used up in the process, has occasioned the confusion of enzyme action with processes truly vital in their nature. Although this action had only been demonstrated as subserving an alimentary function, its aid was invoked to explain many of 'the more obscure phenomena of biology. The series of decompositions which carbohydrates may undergo, known as the alcoholic, lactic, and butyric fermentations, were long ascribed to it. Even when Pasteur had proved that these processes were always correlated with a vital fact —the growth and multiplication of living cells—Traube, Hoppe- Seyler, and Liebig still contended that these might act only indirectly by the formation of soluble ferments. The analogy between fermentation and the infectious processes is so striking that the latter have long been grouped together under the term zymotic diseases, and these we are every day coming to recognise more and more as parasitic diseases conditioned by micro-organisms. Here again, however, many tend to regard the microbe as not acting directly; but through the production of soluble ferments.

The electrolysis of potassium salts of the form in strong aqueous solution has been shown by Kolbe to lead to the formation at the anode of R2decomposing into the ions K and ; the former giving at the cathode caustic potash and hydrogen, and the latter giving at the anode carbonic acid gas and R2. It occurred to me that if in dibasic acids, containing two carboxyls, one carboxyl could be temporarily shut off from taking part in the electrolysis, an interesting synthesis might be effected. Guthrie's observation † that when subjected to electrolysis with an anode of amalgamated zinc, gives caustic potash and hydrogen at the cathode, and zinc ethyl sulphate at the anode, gave a hint how such temporary eclipse of one carboxyl might be effected. I therefore determined to try the electrolysis of such a salt as in the hope that it would give at the cathode caustic potash and hydro-gen, and at the anode carbonic acid and , that is

Synthesis of Succinic Acid.—Potassium-ethyl malonate is easily prepared according to the directions of Freund (Berichte der deut chem. Gesellschaft, xvii. 780).

The conditions most favourable for the electrolysis were found to be as follows :—A large platinum crucible formed the cathode, while a spiral of stout platinum wire was used as the anode. The source of electricity was a battery of accumulators, and the current was so regulated that while passing through the solution it had an electromotive force of 12 volts and a strength of not more than 5 ampères. Under these circumstances the heat developed in the solution could be easily conducted away by a stream of cold water flowing round the platinum crucible.

In 1862 Field gave a brief account of a peculiar green solution, prepared by adding nitrate of cobalt to a solution of bicarbonate of soda containing a small quantity of the hypochlorite of that alkali. The author observed the formation of a similar green solution when making qualitative separations of chromium from other members of the iron group by means of sodium carbonate and bromine, and was thereby led to investigate the action of these two reagents on solutions of nickel and cobalt salts.