496 



NA TURE 



[March 27, 1890 



number of logs received from ships was 189 ; of these 80 per 

 cent, were classed as "excellent," being a greater percentage of 

 excellence than has been reported for some years. The dis- 

 cussion of the meteorology of the Red Sea is still in progress, 

 and the work is well advanced. Charts of barometrical pressure 

 for four representative months for the various oceans have been 

 issued, together with charts showing the mean barometrical 

 pressure for the year, and the extent of range of irregular 

 fluctuations, and considerable progress has been made in the 

 construction of the current charts for the various oceans. As 

 these works are cleared off, it is intended to undertake a dis- 

 cussion of the meteorology of the region from the Cape of 

 Good Hope to New Zealand. (2) Weather Telegraphy. The 

 work of this branch continues to increase, and the Daily and 

 Weekly Weather Reports, in particular, have been extended 

 and improved. Forecasts continue to be prepared three times 

 daily, and special forecasts were issued during the hay-making 

 season ; the highest percentage of success of the latter was in 

 the southern part of England, and the lowest in the north-east 

 district. Storm warnings are issued to those places on the coast 

 that desire to receive them. (3) Land Meteorology of the 

 British Isles. The records from the Observatories and Stations 

 of the Second Order are discussed and published. The Council 

 have continued the annual grant of ^100 towards the expenses 

 of the Ben Nevis Observatory, and have received copies of the 

 observations made there. They have also agreed to allow ;!^25o 

 a year to the [proposed Observatory at Fort William, for five 

 years, and to supply an outfit of an Observatory of the First 

 Order, to be equipped with self-recording instruments. The 

 Report also contains interesting notes on some results of an 

 examination of the Atlantic charts published by the Office, and 

 on the measurement of squalls shown on the traces of Robinson's 

 anemometers. 



A NEW alkaloid, to which the name taxineis applied, has been 

 extracted and isolated by Drs. Hilger and Brande, of Erlangen, 

 from the leaves, seeds, and young shoots of the yew tree ( Taxus 

 baccata). Lucas some time ago pointed out the existence of a 

 narcotic partaking of the nature of an alkaloid in the yew tree, 

 and Marme has since described a mode of extracting it, Drs. 

 Hilger and Brande have lately prepared large quantities of this 

 alkaloid, and have at length satisfactorily determined its com- 

 position and its more important chem'ical properties. The leaves 

 and seeds were first repeatedly treated with ether in order to 

 extract as much of the alkaloid as possible. The extract was 

 then subjected to distillation to remove the ether, and the residue 

 agitated with water acidified by a little sulphuric acid. The acid 

 washings were noticed to be strongly coloured, and this was 

 found to be due to the high tinctorial power of a compound of 

 taxine with sulphuric acid. The acid solution was then rendered 

 alkaline by ammonia, and the precipitated alkaloid dried over 

 sulphuric acid. After dissolving in ether, re-washing with acid 

 and precipitating with ammonia several times, the alkaloid was 

 obtained as a perfectly white powder of extremely bitter taste, 

 and melting at 82° C. On heating in a glass tube the melted 

 taxine partly sublimes as a white cloud which condenses in the 

 colder part of the tube in the form of drops of oil which solidify 

 on cooling. At the same time it evolves a most characteristic 

 odour. It is very difficultly soluble in water, chloroform, or 

 benzene, but readily in alcohol and ether. Concentrated sulphuric 

 acid produces an intense purple coloration. Dilute acid solutions 

 give precipitates with gold chloride, platinum chloride, and picric 

 acid, and also even in very dilute solutions yield precipitates on 

 the addition of caustic alkalies or ammonia insoluble in excess. 

 Analyses show that the formula of taxine is most probably 

 C37H52O10N. It forms with acids salts readily soluble in water. 

 The hydrochloride, sulphate, acetate, oxalate, and tartrate, have 

 been prepared, likewise the double salts with the chlorides of 



platinum and gold. The hydrochloride is best obtained by 

 passing hydrochloric acid gas through a solution of taxine in 

 anhydrous ether, when the salt is at once deposited in good 

 crystals. Analysis indicates the formula C37H52O10N.HCI. The 

 sulphate possesses the composition (C37Hg20ioN)2H2S04, the 

 platinochloride (C37Hg20ioN.HCl)2PtCl4, and the aurochloride 

 (C37Hg20ioN.HCl)AuCl3. A compound of taxine with ethyl 

 iodide, of the composition C37HgoOioN.C2H5l, was also 

 obtained by heating equal molecules of the alkaloid and ethyl 

 iodide to 100° C. under pressure. This compound is also a 

 crystalline solid soluble in water. As regards the constitution of 

 the alkaloid, which from its high molecular weight must of 

 necessity be extremely complex, it has only yet been ascertained 

 that it belongs to the class of nitrile bases. The leaves of the 

 yew tree were found to contain the largest quantity of taxine, the 

 seeds containing a smaller but still by no means inconsiderable 

 quantity of the alkaloid. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Rhesus Monkey {Macacus rhesus ? ) from 

 India, presented by Mr. McDowall Currie ; a Ring-necked 

 Parrakeet {Palccornis torquatus i ) from India, presented by 

 Miss Thornton Smith ; two West African Love Birds {Agapornis 

 pullaria <5 $ ) from West Africa, presented by Mrs. Cyril 

 Tatham ; a Black-necked Stork {Xenorhynchus atistralis) from 

 Malacca, two Peacock Pheasants {Polyplectron chinquis <J ? ) 

 from Burmah, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Objects for the Spectroscope. 



Sidereal Time at Greenwich at 10 p.m. on March 27 = 

 loh. 2im. 7s. 



Remarks. 

 (i) This is a very bright planetary nebula in the constellation 

 Hydra. From its size and equable light, Smyth compared it 

 to Jupiter. It is about 32" in diameter, and its spectrum con- 

 sists of bright lines. In 1868, Dr, Huggins recorded the pre- 

 sence of the three characteristic nebula lines, but Lieutenant 

 Herschel only saw two of them. The spectra of planetary 

 nebulae are by no means difficult to observe, notwithstanding 

 their generally small diameters. If no cylindrical lens be em- 

 ployed, the lines in some cases are considerably bright, and 

 their shortness is no great drawback. Now that we know that 

 there are a good -number of lines in the nebula of Orion, it 

 seems reasonable to expect that a careful search will reveal a 

 greater number in other nebulae. D3 and a line about A 447 

 are the next in order of brightness to the three chief lines and 

 G in the visible part of the spectrum of the nebula in Orion, 

 and these should therefore be first looked for. It should also 

 be particularly noted whether the brightest line is perfectly 

 sharp on both edges, or otherwise. 



(2) This star has a spectrum of the Group II. type. Duner 

 states that the spectrum is rather feebly developed, all the bands 

 being narrow. The bands 2 and 3 in the red are the strongest. 

 The character of the spectrum indicates that the temperature of 

 the star is probably higher than that of most of the members of 

 the group, the spectrum approaching that of Aldebaran. In 

 that case, a considerable number of lines may be expected. It 

 will be remembered that in Aldebaran there is mainly a line 

 spectrum, together with the remnants of the bands in the red, 



(3) A star of the solar type (Gothard). The usual observa- 

 tions are required. 



