90 



NATURE 



\Nov, 28, 1878 



F.R.S., and Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S., Vice-Presidents ; Mr. S. 

 Roberts, F.R.S., Treasurer ; Messrs. M. Jenkins and R. Tucker, 

 Hon. Secretaries. Other Members : Mr. J. W. L. Glaisher, 

 F.R.S., Mr. H. Hart, Dr. Henrici, F.R.S., Dr. Hirst, F.R.S., 

 Dr. Hopkinson, F.R.S. , Mr. A. B. Kempe, Dr. Spottiswoode, 

 F.R.S. , Prof. H. J. S. Smith, F.R.S., Mr. H, M. Taylor, 

 and Mr. J. J. Walker.— Mr. Merrifield having taken the chair, 

 Mr. J. D. H. Dickson was elected a Member, and Prof. W. S. 

 Jevons, F.R.S., was proposed for election. The Rev, A. 

 Freeman and Prof. Reinold were admitted into the Society. — 

 The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Warren de la Rue, 

 F.R.S., respecting a memorial to M. Leverrier. — The following 

 communications were made to the Society : — On the instability 

 of jets, by Lord Rayleigh. — On self-strained frames of six 

 joints, by Prof. Crofton, F.R.S. (read by Mr. Hart).— On equi- 

 valent statements, iii., by Mr. H. McCoU (abstract, read by 

 Mr. Tucker). — The last paper contained a solution of a test 

 problem to show the power of the author's method of elimina- 

 tion ; then, an explanation, with illustrations and applications, 

 of another allied method, called the "method of unit and zero 

 substitution ; " thirdly, a brief indication of the way in which 

 this algebra of logic may render important service to scientific 

 men in investigating the causes of natural phenomena ; and 

 lastly, a brief criticism of Prof. Jevons's method of solving logical 

 problems. 



Linnean Society, November 21. — Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys, 

 F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair. — Dr. W. P. Kesteven 

 exhibited, and a short note was read on some specimens of the 

 so-called Tete anglais {Melocactus communis) from Vieuxfort, St. 

 Lucia. There also was exhibited roots, tendrils, and tubers in 

 different stages of Vitis gongylodes and V. cuspidata, illustrating 

 the paper immediately thereafter read, viz. : On branch tubers 

 and tendrils of Vitis gongylodes, by Mr. R. Irwin Lynch. Subter- 

 raneous tubers are by no means rare among plants, e.g., the 

 potato, but in contrast those of V. gongylodes present on the 

 stem are aerial, at a height, and on dropping to the ground 

 strike root. Cylindrical, of considerable size, and tenacious of 

 life, they doubtless are a safeguardin propagation of the plant 

 under circumstances prejudicial to the seed. The tendril 

 possesses terminal adhesive disks, and these are formed without 

 the stimulus of contact with any substance, therefore opposed to 

 certain other climbers mentioned by Mr. Chas. Darwin. The 

 aerial roots are of great length, eleven feet and more, they spring 

 from each node, and are of a rich crimson colour in summer, so 

 that they are attractive objects as seen in the Victoria House at 

 Kew. — Report on the Mollusca of the Challenger expedition, by 

 the Rev. R. Boog Watson. After introductory remarks, the 

 author describes three genera of the Solenoconchia. Of 

 these Dentalium has eighteen species, eleven being new. Sipho- 

 dentalium has seven species, all new to science. Of Cadulus 

 two only are already known, nine species and one variety being 

 now recorded for the first time. In all, thirty-six species and 

 four varieties, whereof twenty species were hitherto unknown. 

 Some are of high interest, inasmuch as being remnants of genera 

 now living which have existed since the cretaceous epoch. — The 

 Secretary read the abstract of a paper by Mr. John Miers, on 

 the Symplocaceas. The author gives credit to Mr. Bentham for 

 the earliest accurate knowledge of the group. The authors of 

 the " Genera Plantarum" recently adopted the example of Prof. 

 A. De CandoUe, who regarded the Symplocacese as a mere tribe 

 of the Styracese. This appears objectionable to Mr. Miers, 

 who, with historical remarks, &c., gives grounds for his adverse 

 opinion. Then follows a synopsis of, to him, eleven recognis- 

 able genera, with diagnoses of same, and lists of 125 species. — 

 On the Algae of Lake Nyassa, by Prof. Dickie, a brief conamu- 

 nication, wherein he mentions being indebted to Dr. Laws, of 

 the Livingstonia mission, for the collection. All the genera of the 

 Algse are known European forms, while the Diatomacese, with 

 few exceptions, are likewise widely-diffused species, the only 

 peculiar form being Epithemia clavata. — Messrs. Thos. David- 

 son, F.R.S., and Fred. Jas. Faraday, were elected Fellows of 

 the Society. 



Chemical Society, November 21. — R. Warington in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — A chemical study 

 of vegetable albinism, by Prof. Church. The author has made 

 numerous analyses of white and green leaves of the same age 

 from the same plant, in order to discover whether any difference 

 in their composition could be detected. The leaves were 

 gathered from the maple, the holly, the ivy, and three exotic 



plants. White leaves contain more water than corresponding 

 green leaves, whilst the ash of white leaves contains more potash 

 and phosphoric acid, but less lime, especially less oxalate and 

 carbonate of calcium. Nearly sixty per cent, of nitrogen in the 

 white leaves is non-albumenoid, while the green leaves contain 

 thirty per cent, of nitrogen in that state. The author has also- 

 analysed a vegetable parasite, the dodder, and its host, the red 

 clover ; he finds that the white leaves resemble in composition 

 the parasite, while the host represents the green leaves. The 

 white leaf is therefore, in a sense, a parasite on the green leaf, 

 and owes its existence to its connection with the normal portion 

 of the plant. — Relation between the melting-points of the ele- 

 ments and their coefficients of expansion, by Dr. Carnelly. The 

 author finds that, of thirty-one elements, twenty-six show that 

 the coefficient of expansion increases as the melting-point 

 diminishes ; the five exceptions are arsenic, antimony, bismuth, 

 tellmium, and tin. — A preliminary notice on a hydride of boron, 

 by F. Jones. The author succeeded in preparing a grey friable 

 mass of magnesium boride by strongly heating a mixture of 

 magnesium dust and boron trioxide. On heating this mass with 

 hydrochloric acid, a colourless gas was evolved, spontaneously 

 inflanamable, burning with a green flame, and of disagreeable 

 odcur. 



Zoological Society, November 19. — Mr. A. Grote, vice- 

 president, in the chair. — Mr. Sclater exhibited and made re- 

 marks on an adult specimen, in full plumage, of the black- 

 throated stonechat {Saxicola stapazina), which had been obtained 

 in Lancashire, and had been sent for exhibition by Mr. R. 

 Davenport. The species had not been previously recorded as 

 occurring in the British Isles, and was an interesting addition to 

 the list of "Accidental Visitors." — The Secretary read two 

 letters he had received from Dr. A. B. Meyer and Mr. A. D. 

 Bartlett in reference to the communication read at the last meet- 

 ing from Mr. Everett respecting the supposed existence of the 

 anoa (Anoa depresiicornis) in the Philippines. — Prof. Owen, 

 C.B., read a memoir on the relative positions to their con- 

 structors of the chambered shells of cephalopods. — Sir Victor 

 Brooke, Bart., read a paper on the classification of the Cervida?, 

 and gave a synoptical list of the existing species of this family. 

 — A second paper by Sir V. Brooke contained the description of 

 a new species of gazelle from Eastern Africa, which the author 

 proposed to name Gatella walleri, after its discoverer, Mr. Gerald 

 Waller. — Prof. A, H. Garrod, F.R.S., read a paper on the 

 anatomy of Indicator major, and showed that, as regards its soft 

 parts, as in its osteology. Indicator is not related to the cuckoos, 

 but to the barbets and toucans. — A communication was read 

 from the Marquis of Tweeddale, F.R.S., containing the eleventh 

 of his contributions to the ornithology of the Philippines. The 

 present paper gave an account of the collection made by Mr. 

 A. H. Everett at Zamboanga, in the Island of Mindando. Ninety- 

 eight species were obtained in this locality by Mr. Everett, of 

 which eleven were new to the Philippine fauna and six were 

 new to science. — Mr. E. R. Alston read some notes supple- 

 mentary to his paper on the squirrels of the neotropical region. 



Entomological Society, November 6. — Mr. H. W. Bates, 

 F.L.S., F.Z.S., president, in the chair. — Mr. Waterhouse exhi- 

 bited a specimen of Chauliognathus excellens {Ttlephorida), a new 

 beetle from New Granada. — Mr. H. T. Stainton exhibited a new 

 horn-feeding Tinea ( T. orientalis), which had been reared by Mr. 

 Simmons, of Poplar. — The Rev. H. L. Gorham exhibited some 

 rare British beetles, taken in the neighbourhood of Horsham, 

 Sussex. — Mr. Goss exhibited specimens of a rare dragon ffy 

 (Cordulia curiisi) from Christchurch, Hampshire. — Mr. Meldola 

 exhibited a male specimen of the moth Erebus odorus, from 

 Jamaica, possessing large tufts or brushes on the hind leg, which 

 were considered as probably scent-secreting organs. — Prof. Wood 

 Mason exhibited drawings and made remarks on the flower simu- 

 lating Mantidce. — Mrs. Randolph Clay exhibited a living speci- 

 men of a beetle {Zopherus bremii), from Yucatan, worn as an 

 ornament. — Sir Sydney Saunders exhibited specimens of Blasto- 

 phaga psenes (Linn.), employed in the process of cuprification, 

 received from Mr. J. Lichtenstein, of Montpellier. — Also speci- 

 mens of Sycophaga crassipes. West, from the sycamore figs of 

 Egypt, together with certain apterous associates. — The Secre- 

 tary read a communication from the Board of Trade with refer- 

 ence to the damage done to the corn crops in the neighbourhood 

 of Mariapol by swarms of the beetle Anisoplia Austriaca. — Aj 

 sub-committee was appointed to draw up a report on the same;.! 

 — Miss E. A. Ormerod read a paper on Psila rosa, the well-f 

 known insect producing the so-called "rust" in carrot crops.! 



