QTieRoyal c opL ancient ti.K M tnjirutea cCeCet sc. London 1945 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON S e r ie s A CONTAINING PAPERS OF A MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTER. VOL. CV. LONDON: Printed for THE ROYAL SOCIETY and Sold by HARRISON AND SONS, Ltd., ST. MARTIN’S LANE, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY. J une, 1924. LONDON : HARRISON AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY, ST. m a r t i n 's LANE. CONTENTS SERIES A. YOL. CY. Minutes of Meetings, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 30 ; December 6, 1923 ; January 17, 24,31 ; February 7, 14, 21, 28 ; March 6, 13, 20, 27 ; April 3 ; May 15, 22, 29, 1924. No. A 729.—January 1, 1924. PAQ-E Address of the President, Sir Charles S. Sherrington, at the Anniversary Meeting, November 30, 1923 ...................................................................................................... 1 The Structure of Aragonite. By W. L. Bragg, F.R.S., Langworthy Professor of Physics, Manchester University.................................................................................. 16 Constitution of the X-Ray Spectra belonging to the L Series of the Elements. By H. Hirata. Communicated by Sir W. H. Bragg, F.R.S......................................... 40 The Absolute Energies of the Groups in Magnetic /3-Ray Spectra. By C. D. Ellis, Ph.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and H. W. B. Skinner, B.A., Coutts-Trotter Student of Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S......... .......................................................................... 60 The Dynamics of Cyclones and Anticyclones regarded as Atmospheric Vortices. By D. Brunt, M.A., B.Sc. Communicated by Sir Napier Shaw, F.R.S.............. 70 On the Degradation of Acoustical Energy. By Morris D. Hart, A.M.I.E.E., D.I.C., M.Sc., A.Inst.P. Communicated by Prof. A. N. Whitehead, F.R.S. ... 80 Particles of Long Range Emitted by the Active Deposits of Radium, Thorium and Actinium. By L. F. Bates, B.Sc., Trinity College, Cambridge, and J. S. Rogers, B.A., M.Sc., Trinity College, 1851 Research Student of the University of Melbourne. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S...................... 97 Further Studies in Ionization : Hydrogen and Oxygen. By H. D. Smyth, Ph.D., National Research Fellow in Physics, U.S.A. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S......................................................................................................... 116 No. A 730.—February 1, 1924. Summary of the Results obtained from Experiments made during the Years 1918 to 1923 of the Effects of Temperature on the Properties of Metals. By A. Mallock, F.R.S........................................................................................................ 129 Catalytic and Induced Reactions.—Part I. Catalytic and Induced Oxidation in the Presence of Salts of Cerium. By Arthur Kenneth Goard (Coutts-Trotter Student, Trinity College, Cambridge) and Eric Keightley Rideal. Com­ municated by Prof. T. M. Lowry, F.R.S................................................... .............. 135 IV PAGE Catalytic and Induced Reactions. Part II.—Catalytic and Induced Oxidation in the Presence of Salts of Iron. By Arthur Kenneth Goard (Coutts-Trotter Student, Trinity* College, Cambridge) and Eric Keightley Rideal. Com­ municated by Prof. T. M. Lowry, F.R.S.................................................................. 143 A Re-Investigation of the £-Ray Spectrum of Radium B and Radium C. By C. D. Ellis, Ph.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and H. W. B. Skinner, B.A. (Coutts-Trotter Student of Trinity College, Cambridge). Com­ municated by Prof. Sir Ernest Rutherford, F.R.S. (Plate 1) .......................... 165 The Interpretation of /3-Ray Spectra. By C. D. Ellis, Ph.D., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and H. W. B. Skinner, B.A. (Coutts-Trotter Student of Trinity College, Cambridge). Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S.............................................................................................................................. 185 On the Velocity of Sound in Gases and Vapours, and the Ratio of the Specific Heats. By Harold B. Dixon, C.B.E., D.Sc., F.R.S., and Gilbert Greenwood, M.Sc. ..............................V.-........V............. ....... ..................................................... 199 The Absorption Spectra of Mixed Metallic Vapours. By S. Barratt, B.A. (Oxon.), Dept, of Chemistry, University of Leeds. Communicated by Prof. T. R. Merton, F.R.S. (Plate 2) ........................................................................................ 221 The Ratio of the Specific Heats of Nitrogen and of Oxygen. By J. R. Partington, D. Sc., and A. B. Howe, M.Sc. Communicated by Prof. H. B. Dixon, F.R.S. 225 No. A 731.—March 1, 1924. The Lattice Points of a Circle. By G. H. Hardy, F.R.S., Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford, and E. Landau, Professor of Mathe­ matics in the University of Gottingen..................................................................... 244 The Doublet Separation of the Balmer Lines. By G. M. Shrum, M.A., University of Toronto. Communicated by Prof. J. C. McLennan, F.R.S. (Plate 3) ....... 259 The Determination of Coefficients of Diffusion in Gels by means of Chemical Analysis, and a Comparison of Results obtained with those yielded by the Indicator Method. By Charles E. T. Mann, B.Sc. (Wantage Hall Senior Scholar), University College, Reading. Communicated by W. B. Hardy, Sec.R.S.......................................................................................................................... 270 An Electrical Method of Determining the Velocity of Detonation of Explosives. By J. E. P. Wagstaff, M.A., Lecturer in Physics, University of Leeds. Com­ municated by Sir Robert Robertson, F.R.S.............................................................. 282 The Series Spectrum of Ionised Carbon (C II). By A. Fowler, F.R.S., Yarrow Research Professor of the Royal Society, Imperial College, South Kensington... 299 Atmospheric Pollution and Potential Gradient at Kew Observatory, 1921 and 1922. By C. Chree, Sc.D., LL.D., F.R.S., and R. E. Watson, B.Sc...................... 311 On the Electrical Conductivity of Magnetite. By Ernest Wilson and E. F. Herroun. Communicated by Prof. O. W. Richardson, F.R.S.............................. 334 V PAGM-; The Difference-Periodogram—A Method for the Rapid Determination of Short Periodicities. By C. E. P. Brooks, M.Sc. Communicated by Dr. G. C. Simpson, F.R.S...............................................................................................................* 346 Particles of Long Range from Polonium. By L. F. Bates, B.Sc., Trinity College, Cambridge, and J. S. Rogers, B.A., M.Sc., Trinity College, 1851 Research Student of the University of Melbourne. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S........................................................................................................... 360 • No. A 732.—April 1, 1924. The Refractive Indices of Calcite and Aragonite. By W. L. Bragg, F.R.S., Langworthy Professor of Physics, Manchester University ................................... 370 Thermodynamics of Electron Emission. By O. W. Richardson, F.R.S., Wheatstone Professor of Physics in the University of London, King’s College ................... 387 Gaseous Combustion at High Pressures. Part IY.—The Influence of Varying Initial Pressures upon the Rate of Pressure Development and the Activation of Nitrogen in Carbon Monoxide-Air Explosions. By William A. Bone, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.S., D. M. Newitt, B.Sc., D.I.C., and D. T. A. Townend, B.Sc., D.I.C. (Salters’ Research Fellow) .......................................................................................... 406 The Large-Angle Scattering of a-Particles by Light Nuclei. By E. S. Bieler, Ph.D. (Cantab.), late Scholar of the Exhibition of 1851 for McGill University, 1923. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S................................................... 434 The Crystalline Structure of Succinic Acid, Succinic Anhydride and Succinimide. By Kathleen Yardley, M.Sc. Communicated by Sir William Bragg, F.R.S. ... 451 Experiments on the Emission of Electrons under the Influence of Chemical Action. By Manfred Brotherton, B.Sc., A.Inst.P., King’s College, London. Com­ municated by Prof. 0. W. Richardson, F.R.S.......................................................... 468 The Behaviour of Gases in Contact with Glass Surfaces. ' By D. H. Bangham and F. P. Burt. Communicated by Prof. H. B. Dixon, F.R.S...................................... 481 No. A 733.—May 1, 1924. Optical Dispersion and Selective Reflection, with Application to Infra-Red Natural Frequencies. By T. H. Havelock, F.R.S.................................................. 488 On the Determination of the Crystal-Axes in “ Single-Crystal” Aluminium Bars by means of X-Rays. By Alex Muller. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S. (Plate 4) ................................................................................. 500 Absorption of Hard y-Rays by Elements. By N. Ahmad, M.Sc., Peterhouse, Cambridge. Communicated by Prof. Sir E. Rutherford, F.R.S.........................; 507 On Selective Absorption by Luminous Mercury Vapour. By E. P. Metcalfe and B. Venkatesacliar. Communicated by Prof. A. W. Porter, F.R.S. (plate 5) ...................................................................................................................... 520 VI PAGE A Spherical Source in a Rotating Liquid. By S.