248 NATURAL SCIENCE. April. 



chloroform materially diminishes the transpiration ; fifteen minutes 

 with amyl nitrite sufficed to kill the greater part of a plant, while it 

 could withstand a much longer exposure to the other vapours. Ether 

 and amyl nitrite reduced the transpiration both in light and dark, and 

 the different colours of the spectrum had no effect on the influence of 

 ether vapour. Red, yellow, and green lights were obtained by use of 

 bell-jars, the hollow walls of which were filled with fuchsine, " diamond 

 dye " yellow, or a mixture of diamond dye yellow and blue respec- 

 tively, the conditions of temperature and moisture being constant. 

 The average results of a series of experiments under otherwise normal 

 conditions, showed a gradual slowing of the rate of transpiration from 

 diffused white light, through yellow, red, and green, to darkness. 



A set of experiments with the potato and a fuchsia showed that 

 moisture did not affect the influence of ether and amyl nitrite ; more- 

 over, at no time, though the atmosphere was practically saturated, did 

 the transpiration approach zero. Kohl, on the contrary, claims that in 

 the saturated atmosphere it is zero. 



Finally, to show the cause of Jumelle's apparently erroneous 

 conclusions, Schneider made a series of experiments with leaflets of 

 the potato. He found that, when exposed to ether for three hours 

 or less, either in light or darkness, transpiration, estimated by loss 

 of weight, was retarded, but with an exposure of 3I or 6 hours the 

 loss of weight increased in both cases. Owing to the long exposures, 

 the ether had stopped the protoplasmic activity, and hence increased 

 evaporation in both cases, but most in the dark, because in the 

 dark the leaflets were killed earlier. 



The Landslip at Sandgate. 



Sandgate, on the Kentish coast, was a good deal damaged by 

 landslips on March 4 and 5, though the accounts of the mischief done 

 have been considerably exaggerated. We are informed by ]\Ir. 

 Topley, who is intimately acquainted with the geology of the district, 

 that the whole town is built on an old landslip, and that the western 

 part of this disturbed mass has slipped again, owing principally to 

 the exceptionally heavy rainfall experienced during the past winter. 

 Mr. Topley will give an account of the landslip, and will exhibit 

 photographs, at the meeting of the Geologists' Association, to be held 

 at University College, on April 7. 



Target Practice and Fisheries. 



From the Report of the Target Practice (Seawards) Committee, 

 just issued, we observe that some interesting evidence was given 

 by Mr. Calderwood, of the Plymouth Marine Biological Station, as 

 to the position of favourite fishing grounds on the South Coast. 

 The Committee say: "The evidence of Mr. Calderwood .... satis- 



