ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 659 



Lauded spectrum exhibited by tbe crude solution of the xauthophylls 

 does uot represent a single colouring matter (xanthophyll), but is due 

 to a mixture of colouring matters, the chief constituent of which is 

 chrysophyll. The observations were made on leaves of Ficus carico and 

 F. repens. 



Endosperm and Milk of the Cocoa-nut.* — J. E. Kirkwood and 

 W. J. Gies give the following general statement of the composition of 

 the endosperm and milk of the cocoa-nut. The milk is composed of 

 95 '3 p.c. water and 4*7 p.c. solids. Of the latter 88*5 p.c. is organic, 

 11*5 p.c. inorganic. The average composition of the endosperm is:- 

 water 4G p.c, solid matter 54 p.c. ; of the latter 98 ' 1 p.c. is organic, 

 1 • 9 p.c. inorganic. The organic matter consists mainly of oil and 

 cellulose ; there is some soluble carbohydrate ; a small proportion of 

 globulin and proteose ; only a very small quantity of albumin ; no 

 peptons. The fresh endosperm contains 0*75 p.c. of nitrogen, or 4*7 p.c. 

 of albuminoid. 



Solanine in Tobacco-Seeds.f — From a series of experiments made 

 on a cultivated variety of Nicotiana Tabacum and on N. macropliylla, 

 J. Starke disputes the statement of Albo that the alkaloid solanine 

 occurs in the seeds. He also confirms the assertion of other botanists 

 that neither does nicotine occur in the seeds themselves. 



Barium in Plants.* — E. Homberger finds barium carbonate as a 

 constant constituent of the ash of the copper-beech, occurring probably 

 in the plant in the form of sulphate. The amount varied between 

 0*57 and 1*20 p.c. of the ash. 



Zinc in Plants. § — L. Labaud has found zinc in very small quan- 

 tities in the ash of plants growing in a soil containing a considerable 

 amount of the salts of this metal. From 100 grm. of the air-dried 

 material, about 0-25 grm. of zinc oxide, or 0*2 grm. of metallic zinc, 

 were obtained. 



(3) Structure of Tissues. 



Stomatiferous Cavities in the Leaves of Ficus.|| — In three species of 

 Ficus — F. kallicarpa, punctata, and excavata (and probably they occur 

 in other species also) — Dr. G. Bargagli-Petrucci finds peculiar cavities 

 on the under side of the leaves. In the first and second named species 

 the cavity opens on the surface of the leaf by a short circular or 

 elliptical aperture, and it is clothed internally by long unicellular hairs. 

 In the third species there are no such hairs, and the communication of 

 the cavity with the exterior is long and greatly curved. The cystoliths 

 do not always occupy the same position in respect to these cavities. 

 The cavities are abundantly supplied with stomates, and their purpose 

 appears to be the protection of these organs, in order to maintain a 

 uniformity in transpiration. 



* Proc. Ainer. Ass. Adv. Sci., 49th Meeting, New York, 1900, pp. 275-6. 



t Bull. Classe Sci. Acad. E. Beige, 19<>1, pp. 379-83. 



% Landwirthsch. Vere.-Stat., li. (1899) p. 473. See Bot. Centralbl., lxxxvii. 

 (1901) p. 12. 



§ Zeit. Nalir-Genussm., iv. (1901) pp. 489-92. See Journ. Chem. Soc, 1901, 

 Abstr. ii. p. 467. 



|| Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital.. viii. (1901) pp. 491-8 (4 figs.). 



