March 30, 191 1] 



NATURE 



153 



Some interesting abnormalities in the flowers of 

 CEnothera are recorded by Dr. R. R. Gates in the twen- 

 tieth report of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The trans- 

 formation of the sepals into green leaf-like organs, known 

 as virescence or frondescence, and general modification of 

 the floral organs, appeared in several species, notably in 

 CEnothera multiflora. Polymery, or an increase in the 

 number of parts, was manifested in certain hybrids of 

 O. Lamarckiana ; a curious feature was the occurrence 

 of trimerous flowers side by side with a tetramerous and 

 a heptamerous flower. In some cases there were evident 

 signs of coalescence of two flowers, or synanthy. 



Natural cross-fertilisation among plants in India forms 

 the subject of the latest botanical issue (vol. iii.. No. 6) of 

 th-^ Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, 

 compileil by Mr. and Mrs. A. Howard and Mr. A. Rahman 

 Khan. It is noted that natural crossing among wheat 

 plants, which is very rare in England, but is somewhat 

 more frequent in the drier climates of Europe and North 

 America, becomes more common under the much drier 

 conditions prevailing at Lyallpur. The conclusion follows 

 that wheat breeding in the canal colonies of the Punjab 

 will necessitate the exercise of special precautions. Among 

 the various observations recorded as examples of variation 

 due to natural crossing are colour variations in Lathyrus 

 sativus, change of form in tobacco plants, and petal modi- 

 fications in the opium poppy. 



About four years ago a first catalogue of fifteen pieces 

 of apparatus designed by Prof. W. F. Ganong to serve as 

 instruments for precise measurements in vegetable physio- 

 logy was issued by the Bausch and Lomb Optical Co., 

 Thavies Inn, Holborn Circus. Those instruments included 

 demonstration clinostat, portable clamp stand, normal light 

 screen, respirometer, leaf-clasp, and bell-jar support. A 

 short supplement to the former catalogue has recently been 

 published, in which new instruments in the form of two 

 space markers and a demonstration auxograph are 

 described. The more useful space marker for root-growth 

 measurements consists essentially of a wheel fitted with a 

 ribbed rubber rim, the ribs being spaced 2 mm. apart. 

 The auxograph is a continuous recording instrument, in 

 which the adjustment of the connection between the grow- 

 ing organ of the plant and the recording pen and other 

 details are carefully devised. 



The survey of the Philippine Islands has advanced 

 steadily since it was undertaken by the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey of the United States ten years ago. A consider- 

 able length of coast-line has been accurately located by 

 triangulation, and a belt of country along it has been 

 surveyed topographically. The hydrographic survi y of the 

 waters between the numerous islands has also been 

 vigorously pushed on, 120 charts having already appyeared. 

 A map showing the present state of the work appears in 

 the January number of The National Geographic 

 Magazine. 



The first number of the Technical Review of the 

 Venezuelan Ministry of Public Works mainly consists of 

 official decrees and regulations, but a small amount of 

 information relating to the country appears in the form 

 of communications from commissions entrusted with 

 exploration of eastern and western Venezuela. The geo- 

 graphical positions of sixteen places in the district of Lara 

 were astronomically determined, and a few notes on the 

 geology and meteorology arc added. Similar data are 

 furnished from the country to the southward, and the 

 meteorological observations taken at the Observatory of 

 ("ajigal in 1908 are included. 



NO. 2 161, VOL. 86] 



A SUMMARY of the state of the ice in the Arctic sea 

 during the summer of 1910 has been published by the 

 Danish Meteorological Institute. The White Sea was open 

 early, and in the Barentz Sea also the winter ice broke 

 up in May, though the polar ice remained dense. Round 

 Spitsbergen conditions were severe, but in the Greenland 

 Sea, on the other hand, they were normal, and the coasts 

 of Iceland were almost free from ice, though in April and 

 May it was not far from the north-west of the island. 

 The opinion is expressed that there will probably be much 

 ice this spring m the Barentz Sea and to the south of 

 Spitsbergen, while normal conditions are anticipated in 

 Davis Strait, Baffins Bay, and to the east of Newfound- 

 land. 



Mr. H. J. Mackinder, M.P., lectured on Monday, 

 March 27, before the Royal Geographical Society on the 

 subject of " The New Geography, its Aims and Methods," 

 wherein he reviewed the present outlook of the geographer 

 in this country and compared it with that of four-and- 

 twenty years ago, when he last discussed the scope of 

 geography before the society. After stating that the geo- 

 grapher in his maps sees the earth's surface and its form, 

 that he studies its history, and appreciates the influence of 

 this upon man, his distribution, development, and history, 

 the lecturer went on to demonstrate that with such an 

 outlook geography became an independent subject of study, 

 teaching, and research. By means of a few selected 

 instances the influence of the physical character of a 

 district on its human history was shown, and the in- 

 effectiveness of historical study without a clear perception 

 of the physical controls was insisted upon. Education on 

 such comprehensive lines may be trusted to give a width 

 of outlook and a power of visualising the relations of a 

 number of factors which must give added power in any 

 branch of knowledge. Research can find ample scope in 

 investigating the effect of the relations between the various 

 physical and human factors, thus furnishing a firm basis 

 for the generalisations of the geographer ; and for those 

 whose interest is directed to special branches of the sub- 

 ject, the critical examination of problems arising in them 

 affords opportunities for every geographer so long as he 

 bears in mind its relation to the subject as a whole, and 

 would not restrict the subject to the limits of that portion 

 in which his interest lies. 



The Transactions of the Geological Society of South 

 Africa include (vol. xiii., 1910, pp. 65-92, Plates ii.-ix.) 

 an interesting paper, by Mr. C. B. Horwood. on the carbon 

 found in the banket of the Rand. Mr. Horwood holds 

 that there is some close connection between the presence 

 of the carbon and that of the gold. He holds that the 

 carbon has been deposited, at least in its present position, 

 by secondary action, and that the carbon was probably 

 introduced as a hydrocarbon. He quotes, with apparent 

 approval, Mr. Coste's view that petroleum has a solfataric 

 volcanic origin. Mr. Horwood holds that the carbon at 

 the Rietfontein Mine is usually an indication of the 

 presence of visible gold, and that " where carbon is pre- 

 sent good gold values may confidently be e.xpected." 

 According to his account, it appears that it is only 

 occasionally that carbon can be detected in the pay-reefs, 

 and that it is only on the Rietfontein and the Randfontein 

 Mines on the Rand that sufliicient carbon occurs to be a 

 characteristic feature of the banket. C.irbon is apparently 

 most abundant in the abandoned Buffelsdoorn Mine, which, 

 however, is at Klerksdorp, and not on the Rand. Mr. 

 Horwood 's valuable analyses throw doubt on his view that 

 till' carlxm hjs been th»' precipitant of tl\<' gold owing to 



