PEOGEESS OP MICEOSCOPIOA-L SCIENCE. 195 



the Society by Dr. Slavjansky of St. Petersburgh, illustrating adenoma 

 polyposum b^emorrhagicum uteri, and also epithelial cancer of the 

 uterus. The differences in the arrangement of the nest of epithelial 

 cells in the connective tissue was very well shown. 



Amphibians loithout Metamorphoses. — The ' Medical Record ' says 

 that M. Davay has discovered in Guadaloupe a genus of frogs 

 (Hylodes Martinicensis) which does not pass through the tadpole 

 .stage, but is completely developed in ovo. 



Helmholtz on the Membrana Tympani. — In his recently-published 

 book Herr Helmholtz enters into a minute description of the mem- 

 brana tymj)ani, which he shows to be, not, as hitherto supposed, 

 highly elastic, but an absolutely inextensible membrane, chiefly com- 

 posed of tendinous fibres ; and shows that its curved form renders 

 it essentially different from all other membranes hitherto studied in 

 acoustics. The articulation between the incus and the malleus he 

 regards as analogous to that racket construction well known in certain 

 watch-keys which offer resistance in one direction but not in the 

 other. The tensor tympani, in contracting, renders tense all the 

 fibrous bands which give firmness to the position of the ossicles, except 

 the ligamentum mallei superius, which runs in the same direction as 

 the muscle. 



Tlie Microscopy of Textile Fabrics. — We learn from 'Nature' that 

 Dr. Eobert Schlesinger publishes (from the house of Orell, Fiissli, and 

 Co., Zurich) a small work on the microscopical examination of Textile 

 Fabrics in the raw and coloured state, with a note on the mode of 

 detecting " shoddy wool." It contains a complete account of the 

 fabrics made from the various vegetable fibres in more or less common 

 use, also from hair and silk, with their distinguishing characteristics, 

 as exhibited under the microscope, when raw, spun or woven, and 

 dyed, illustrated with twenty-seven woodcuts, and introduced by a 

 preface by Dr. Emil Kopp. 



The Natural History and Microscopy of the Composites. — These 

 have been excellently given in the last number of the ' Journal of the 

 Linnean Society,' in a most elaborate paper by Mr. Bentham, F.E.S., 

 who occupies the entire number in the discussion of his subject. In 

 accordance with the system proposed in the 'Genera Plautarum,' 

 he divides the order into thirteen sub-orders, viz. : 1, Vernoniacefe ; 

 2, Eupatoriaceee ; 3, Asteroideae ; 4, Inuloideae ; 5, Helianthoidefe ; 

 6, HelenioideaB ; 7, Anthemidete ; 8, Senecionidefe ; 9, Calendulacete ; 

 10, Arctotidese ; 11, Cynaroidete; 12, Mutisiaceae; 13, Cichoriaceae ; 

 the most important diagnostic characters dej)ending on the structure 

 of the pistil (in the hermaphrodite flowers), fruit, androecium, corolla, 

 and calyx (pappus). A very exhaustive account is given of the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the sub-orders and principal families ; and 

 the first appearance of the order is traced with probability to Africa, 

 Western America, and probably Australia. 



An Experiment in support of Pasteur is reported by the ' Lancet,' 

 which says that the experiment is based on the operation of castrating 

 rams by twisting the cord. Such proceeding is very effectual, and 



