enduring for possibly many thousands of years. In modern times, and in very recent geologic times as well, there have been minor fluctuations or pulsations in climate in various parts of the earth, as ably demonstrated by Brückner, Huntington and others. The "Brückner cycle," about thirty-five years in length, illustrates one type of pulsation. Hann, Melldrum, Douglass, and others have observed an eleven-year period to be about the average length of time between the maxima of wet or dry conditions. While the length of the cycles or periods may vary, the combinations of these shorter cycles of climatic changes are considered as making up the grand or climatic cycles, which are the ones best known in geology. If the pulsatory theory of climatic change is a true interpretation of the observed facts of recent times, as seems very probable, then one may naturally inquire if similar pulsations or minor changes in climate have not occurred in the geologic past. If they have, what evidence, if any, is to be found in the rocks? The work of Barrell, Sayles, Case and others, in their studies of sedimentation, seems to definitely correlate climatic fluctuations with various phases of erosion and deposition. It may be of interest to submit some facts which may prove to be additional evidence of climatic pulsations, as afforded by certain "sedimentary" rocks. The writer, in the course of a study of the sandstone formations in the foothills southwest of Fort Collins, in northern Colorado, came to the conclusion that much of this sandstone is of subaerial, and not subaqueous, origin. The sandstones of this region are commonly referred to as "Red Beds." The stratigraphic names are the Lyons, and the Lykins formations. In the most prominent ridge of the Lykins outcrop are located a number of quarries from which flagging and building stone have been taken for many years. One prominent feature of much of this stone is its variegated laminations. These are usually alternate layers of white and brown sands, although other colors are occasionally found. These layers vary in thickness from about 0.5 mm. to 30 or 40 mm. In a number of cases the white layers are much thicker than the brown, while in many other cases the two kinds of layers are nearly equal in thickness. Also, the brown layers are often thicker than the white. Very thin alternate layers often occur, and there are usually many of these in a group when they do occur. Examination of the character of typical samples from these layers shows, essentially, the following facts: 1. The white layers are composed almost wholly of very well rounded grains of white quartz, with scattered specks of iron oxide; the quartz grains are nearly uniform in size, the largest being rarely over 1 mm. in diameter, and the smallest about 0.3 mm. in diameter; the white layers are almost wholly free of any colored cement, and of angular or even subangular grains; many of the grains are pitted; wind ripples are frequently found at the top of a white layer, on exposed bedding planes. 2. The brown layers are composed almost wholly of angular and subangular grains of many different sizes, from very small to over 1 mm. in diameter; comparatively few rounded grains are present; the color is due to a coating of iron oxide on most of the grains. These differently colored layers of sand, having such markedly different characteristics, would seem to point clearly to rather different origins. The factors and forces contributing to their formation can hardly be said to be identical. The material of the white layers suggests rounding, pitting, sorting, and deposition by the wind. The material of the brown layers has evidently been water-worn and water-borne, coming from a comparatively distant region. The occurrence of these different layers with their implied differences in origin and deposition may well suggest something of the history of this region, especially in regard to the extent and frequency of rainfall. As these rocks contain no fossils, and in their general lithological character point to deposition by the wind, one may at least tentatively conclude that the climate of this region was rather arid at the time the sands composing these rocks were put in place by the forces of nature. This part of the continent was evidently a portion of the great inland desert which is thought to have existed in Triassic times. is made with sand deposits that are being formed at the present time. The study of this sandstone takes on an added interest if we note further that the frequency of recurrence of the brown or white layers often shows a striking regularity or periodicity. Where we find fairly broad white bands, with very thin brown layers alternating, it would seem that a relatively dry season is indicated. On the other hand, when the brown layers are very numerous and close together, it apparently points to frequent rains, with comparatively little deposition of the white sands by the wind. In the solid rock wall, as observed in the quarries, one can note the more or less regular recurrence of the wider bands of white, and if one could be sure that here a wide white band and one or more narrow brown bands represented the deposit of an arid year, one could determine the time required to produce a given thickness of this rock and also draw some conclusion as to the relative aridity of a given year or a series of years. But one can not at present state, beyond reasonable limits, the amounts of either kind of material that might be deposited in a year, and therefore one may not yet say definitely how long it took for a given stratum to be formed, or whether the aridity indicated by a white band corresponds to one season or to several. It may be interesting to note, however, that the recurrence of groups of brown layers with a Quarry "A" It seems probable that at one season this particular locality was swept by winds carrying a burden of well-worn quartz grains, which was dropped when the force of the wind was checked. When the wind rose again, some of this sand was doubtless moved farther on, but a little remained to add to the accumulating layers beneath. At another season, the surface of this wind-laid sand was covered by a deposit of entirely different material, probably brought from some neighboring zone of alluviation by torrential rains. When the water had flowed on, or evaporated, the red-brown material became exposed to the winds, part of it was doubtless swept away, but some was covered with desert sand which continued to accumulate until the next freshet sent more of the red-brown sediment into the depression in the zone of dunes. That this was approximately the mode of deposition seems likely, when we find the one layer to be characteristically wind-borne, and the other water-borne, when all the accompanying facts are considered, and comparison corresponding decrease in thickness of the white layers is found, on the average, following every tenth or eleventh layer. This recurrence, as observed at a number of places on the quarry walls, as well as on detached fragments, ranges from the sixth to the fifteenth white layer. For example, at one place (Quarry "A," Section I.) the writer measured the thickness of the series of white layers, the thickest layers recurring as follows: seventh, eleventh (from and including the seventh), fifth (or fifteenth from the seventh), eleventh, ninth, fourteenth. At Section II., Quarry "A," the thickest white layers recur as follows: ninth, seventh, sixth. White Layer Fifteenth........ Fourteenth 1, Section I., Quarry "A," to the top of column 4, same section, there are a total of 33 white layers. In the section from Quarry "B," from the layer at the top of column 4 to the top of column 7, there are 34 white layers; from the top of column 7 to the top of column 11, there are 34 white layers. Likewise, from the top of column 2 to the top of column 6 there are 40 white layers; from the top of column 6 to the top of column 10 there are 38 white layers. It may be that it is just by chance that these layers are arranged in this way, yet the agreement with known climatic pulsations is so striking as to make one ask whether it is Quarry "B," Section I Thickness of White Layers, in Mm., Bottom to Top 11 Thirteenth Twelfth.. 10(B) (6) (15) (13) (15) (15) (11) (14) (11) 13 8 (20)(10) First..... At another place (Quarry "B"), about a quarter of a mile away, the following periods were observed: tenth, twelfth, tenth, seventh, eleventh, fifteenth, tenth, twelfth, sixth, thirteenth, sixth. These three sections are about 2.5, 2 and 4 feet in thickness, respectively. The details of these measurements are shown in the tables above. On about 18 quarried fragments it was found that on the average every eighth to twelfth white layer was thicker than those between. On several such fragments, this recurrence was observed as follows: eleventh; tenth; eleventh and following ninth; eighth; ninth and following eleventh; tenth. Another striking periodicity may be noticed in the tables. These periods correspond rather well to the average number of years in the Brückner cycle, as from the top of column just chance after all, or a result of natural laws. It is quite evident that the recurrence of layers of a certain character is periodic. Whether one can in this manner safely assign a limit to the yearly deposits seems questionable, but one may certainly inquire into the probability of deducing from a study of these variegated sandstones the conclusion that at the time of their formation the climatic conditions, especially with reference to rainfall, were fluctuating much as they have been within recent times. It would be distinctly interesting to know whether geologists can find, in more exact and complete studies, further evidence of pulsatory changes of climate having been recorded in the clastic rocks. C. E. VAIL COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, FORT COLLINS KANSAS CITY MEETING OF THE AMER ICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY THE fifty-fourth meeting of the American Chemical Society was held at Hotel Muehleback, Kansas City, Kansas, from April 10 to April 14, 1917. The general program was carried out under the able leadership of Professor Julius Stieglitz, president of the society, and Dr. Charles L. Parsons, secretary, while the various divisions were presided over by Charles L. Alsberg, E. H. S. Bailey, J. E. Breckinridge, J. R. Bailey, H. E. Howe, H. P. Talbot, L. F. Kebler and T. J. Bryan. During the session the usual order of business was carried out, consisting of meetings of the council, inspection of plants, with general and public sessions. A complimentary smoker and subscription banquet added to the diversion of the week, On Wednesday morning, April 11, addresses of welcome were given by Hon. George H. Edwards, mayor of Kansas City, and by Dr. Frank Strong, chancellor of the University of Kansas. Response to these addresses was made by President Julius Stieglitz. Mr. Arthur J. Boynton gave a very interesting paper on the Economic resources of the Kansas City zone. Wednesday afternoon was given over to a public session, of which the program was as follows: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS H. P. Cady, Chairman The geology of the mid-continent oil and gas fields: RAYMOND C. MOORE. Variations in the composition of gases of the midcontinent field: H. C. ALLEN and E. E. LYDER. Helium and associated elements in Kansas natural gases: C. W. SEIBEL. Some experiences in the use of oxy-acteylene welding in long distance natural gas transportation: E. P. FISHER. The cracking of petroleum in the liquid phase: ROY CROSS. One billion gallons of synthetic gasolene in 1918: WALTER F. RITTMAN. The chemical work of the petroleum division of the Bureau of Mines: HARRY H. HILL. Thursday morning was given over to a symposium on the chemistry and metallurgy of zinc, Professor John Johnson presiding. The remainder of the day and Friday were occupied with the meetings of the divisions. The following abstracts of papers presented have been prepared by the authors for publication in SCIENCE: DIVISION OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY C. L. Alsberg, Chairman I. K. Phelps, Secretary The toxicity of galactose and mannose for green plants and the antagonistic action of other sugars toward these: LEWIS KNUDSON. The toxicity of galactose to the growth of Pisum arvense L. and to Triticum sativum L. was inhibited by glucose or saccharose, the former being slightly more effective than the latter. But levulose, arabinose, maltose and raffinose do not inhibit the toxicity of galactose, although in presence of levulose the primary root may continue its growth to a limited extent It was found that 0.0125 mol. galactose was as toxic as 0.025 mol, the other sugars being used at a concentration of 0.025. Mannose had a toxic effect similar to galactose. Glucose or saccharose inhibited the toxicity of mannose. The effect of three annual applications of boron on wheat: F. C. Cook and J. B. WILSON. Borax and colemanite were applied to horse manure in amounts sufficient to act as a fly larvicide. The manure was applied to the same plats at the rate of 20 tons per acre for three consecutive years and wheat was grown on the plats each year at Arlington, Va. A borax, a colemanite, a manured control and an unmanured control plat were used. It is calculated that the upper 6 inches of soil of the borax plat received .0088 per cent. H,BO, the first year and .0022 per cent. the second and third years. The colemanite plat likewise received .0029 per cent. H,BО ̧. Borax reduced the yield of grain 10 per cent. in 1914 and 1915, colemanite had little effect. In 1916 the yields from all four plats were low, but the borax plat gave the largest yield. The only apparent injury to the wheat was the first season on the plat receiving the large amount of borax. There were no evidences of any cumulative action of boron in the soil. The after-ripening of fruits: F. W. MUNCIE and W. P. JAMES, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Horticulture. Attempts to preserve peaches by encasing with hard paraffin were unsuccessful, since considerable decomposition resulted after two months, with a marked production of alcohol and an intensely bitter taste. The color, however, remained normal, and the skeleton of the fruit was not broken down. This last condition is similar to that described for other fruits kept in an atmosphere of CO, by other workers and is apparently due to an accumulation of carbon dioxide within and about the fruit. Peaches decomposed rapidly about the spot where an injection of invertase had been made, or in a solution of invertase. Similar experiments are in progress with apples, in an effort to explain the discrepancy between the decrease in sucrose content of apples during ripening found by Bigelow, Gore and Howard and the absence of invertase from the apples studied by Thatcher. Flesh and epidermis of peaches kept in an atmosphere of O, for two months became golden yellow, but turned brown quickly on exposure to air. The flesh was soft, contained a little alcohol, and had an insipid taste. Quantitative study of the respiration of apples in an atmosphere of oxygen, showed that the rate is higher under this condition than in an atmosphere of air. Quantitative determination of carbohydrates in plant tissues: F. W. MUNCIE and D. T. ENGLIS. If fresh plant tissue is plunged into warm alcohol and after standing two weeks, the alcohol removed by decantation and expression before extraction with hot alcohol, a large percentage of the sugar (96 per cent. in one experiment) is removed and loss of fructose by hot extraction largely avoided. Mercuric nitrate is more satisfactory to use than the acetate and 10 per cent. phosphotungstic acid than the more concentrated solution used by them. Asparagin also is quantitatively removed from solution by mercuric nitrate provided the solution is made just alkaline to litmus with sodium hydroxide or carbonate after addition of the mercuric salt, then just acid with a few drops of weak acid. No mercuric oxide is precipitated by such a procedure. These reagents, especially the phosphotungstie acid, invert sucrose so quickly that they are not applicable to the determination of a mixture of sucrose, glucose and fructose, excepting when sucrose has been previously determined. This may be done by using basic lead acetate as the clearing agent, by the polarimetric method if the inversion is made with invertase or solution again made neutral after use of acid. When the value for sucrose is known, the original solution partially cleared with SO,-free alumina cream is inverted with invertase, then nitrogenous impurities removed with mercuric nitrate and phosphotungstic acid and total glucose and fructose determined. Subtraction of value for sucrose leaves the values for glucose and fructose present in the original solution. A physical and chemical study of the kafir kernel: GEORGE L. BIDWELL. Dwarf, black-hulled, white kafir kernels were separated by hand into bran, germ and endosperm. These parts were analyzed and compared to corresponding parts of corn and were found to resemble them closely. In the bran a wax-like substance was found. The ether extract of the germ was found to be liquid. The endosperm yielded an ether extract not yet examined. The coloring matter in this sample does not seem to be associated with tannin. The endosperm may be separated into starchy and horny parts, the former having less protein than the latter. Oil from the avocado: H. S. BAILEY and L. B. BURNETT. The production of the avocado or alligator pear in the United States is increasing so rapidly that there is a possibility of large quantities of this fruit being available as a source of oil. The fruit when fully ripe contains approximately 80 per cent. of moisture and the dried material about 50 per cent. of oil. So far no method has been found by which the oil can be extracted from the fruit in a sweet, edible condition, and as the oil when extracted with ether and the solvent removed at low temperature in vacuum has a bitter taste, it is very doubtful whether the oil as it exists in the fresh fruit itself is palatable if separated from the accompanying pulp. By means of the usual hydrogenation process it is comparatively easy to convert either the expressed oil or that extracted by solvents into a solid, white, tasteless, fat which resembles in its physical properties ordinary hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Oil from the Stillingia sebefera: H. S. BAILEY and L. B. BURNETT. The fruit of the semi-tropical tree Stillingia sebefera, which grows in China and has been introduced into some of the southern states of this country, produces two glycerides. The exterior of the seed is covered with a wax-like substance from which is derived the Chinese vegetable tallow of commerce. The interior of the seed contains an oil usually known as stillingia oil. Certain statements in the literature indicate that this oil even in China is not used for food purposes and probably has poisonous properties. The constants of these oils have been determined, and experiments made by Dr. William Salant, of the Bureau of Chemistry, in feeding rabbits with both the expressed and extracted oils. So far as the results obtained with the small amount of material available are conclusive, it appears that stillingia oil is not toxic and has practically the same effect as other vegetable oils. A noteworthy effect of bromides upon the action of malt amylase: ARTHUR W. THOMAS. The action of sodium and potassium bromide upon malt amylase was found to be inhibitory when present |