522 



NA TURE 



\_Aprili, 1879 



numerous stems without branches, and, on the other, yet more 

 numerous branches without stems, we must recognise in these 

 specimens the complementary elements of a grove of Lepido- 

 dendroid trees. 



One specimen found is a very important one. It has a mean 

 diameter of six inches, and is either a small stem or a very large 

 branch. Internally it exhibits the same structure as all the 

 smaller Lepidodendroid branches, except so far as it is modified 

 by size and age. But in addition to its other features, it exhibits 

 a very narrow exogenous ring surrounding the ordinary Lepido- 

 dendroid one, thus giving some clue to the size attained by such 

 branches before the internal organisation passed from the Lepi- 

 dodendroid to the Sigillarian type. 



The important discovery by Mr. D'Arcy Thompson, of 

 Edinbur^jh, of young branches of Ulodendron with reproductive 

 cones actually attached to the scars characteristic of the genus, 

 finally settles the nature and functions of these scars, showing 

 that they mark the positions from which bilaterally arranged 

 deciduous organs of fructification have fallen. 



The structure of Calamostachys Binneyana has had further 

 light thrown upon it, sustaining my previously expressed convic- 

 tions that it had a triquetrous axis, and that consequently its 

 affinities were with Asterophyllites and Sphenophyllum, and not 

 with Calamites. A specimen demonstrates that the six vascular 

 bundles going to the six fertile sporangiophores were given off 

 in pairs from the three tmncated angles of a triangular vascular 

 axis — an orientation absolutely indentical with that represented 

 in similar sections of stems of Sphenophyllum, published by M. 

 Renault. The recent discovery by Herr Stur, of Vienna, of a 

 plant in which Sphenophylloid and Asterophyllitean leaves are 

 found upon a common stem, establishes the correctness of my 

 previous conclusions, as to the very close affinities of these two 

 genera, 



A laige series of specimens from Oldham and Halifax has 

 enabled me to investigate in detail the very curious objects to 

 which Mr. Carruthers gave the name of Traquairia, and which 

 that observer believes to be a form of Radiolarian life. Their 

 Tcry elaborate organisation can scarcely be made intelligible 

 without the aid of plates. In a previous memoir {Phil. Trans. 

 1874, p. 56), I ventured to doubt the correctness of Mr. Carru- 

 thers' conclusions, and expressed my conviction that these 

 objects resembled spores rather than protozoan skeletons. 

 Further study of their details of structure has only strengthened 

 this opinion which has also received the important support of 

 Professors Hseckel and Strasburger, of Jena, both of whom 

 have carefully studied my collection of specimens. These objects 

 are small spheres — the sphere-wall of which is prolonged into a 

 series of long radiating tubes not unlike the muricated species of 

 a Cidaris. In their young state each murication gives off a 

 delicate thread or threads, which ramified freely in an apparently 

 mucilaginous or gelatinous, structureless, inve>ting magma. In 

 older specimens these threads developed into branching and 

 radiating cylindrical tubes which, like the primary ones, had 

 very thin walls. Within the outer sphere-wall, which consists of 

 the coalesced bases of these branching tubes, 'were at least two 

 other thin layers of membrane, and in several of the specimens 

 the interior of the capsule is filled with cells, exactly like those 

 seen in the corresponding cavities of Lycopodiaceous macro- 

 spores found in the Halifax deposits from which the finest 

 Traquairise have been obtained. These objects differ consider- 

 ably from all known reproductive structures ; but I agree with 

 Prof. Hjeckel in his very decided rejection of them from the 

 Radiolarian group of organisms, and with his conclusion that 

 they are vegetable and not animal structures. Prof. Stras- 

 burger thinks it most probable that their affinities are with the 

 macrospores of the Rhizocarpse. 



Myriads of the vegetable fragments both from Oldham and 

 Halifax are drilled in all directions with rounded insect or worm 

 borings, and further traces of these zylophagou> animals are 

 seen in innumerable clusters of small Coprolites of various sizes, 

 the size of those composing each clu-ter beintr uniform. 



liesirous of verifying Count Castracane'.^ alleged discovery of 

 Diatoms in coal, specimens of twenty-two examples of coal from 

 various localities in Yorkshire, Lanca hire, and Australia were 

 reduced, after the Count's method, to a small residue of ash. 

 This work was done for me in the chemical laboratory of Owens 

 College through the kindness of Prof. Roscoe. Like Mr. F. 

 Kitten, of Norwich, the Rev. E. O'Meara, of Dublin, and the 

 Rev. G. Davidson, of Logic Coldstone, 1 have failed to discover 

 the slightest trace of these organisms in coal. 



The last objects described are some minute organisms from 

 the carboniferous limestones of Rhydmwyn, in Flintshire, and 

 which were supposed by Prof. Judd to have been siliceous 

 Radiolarians from which the silica had disappeared and been 

 replaced by carbonate of lime. I fail to find any confirmation 

 of this conclusion. The objects appear to me to constitute an 

 altogether new group of calcareous spherical organisms that 

 may either have been allied to the Foraminifera or have had 

 some affinities with the Rhabdoliths and Coccoliths. I have 

 proposed for several species of the organisms the generic name 

 of Calcisphrera. Myriads of objects of similar character, but 

 of larger size, constitute the greater portion of a Corniferous 

 limestone from the Devonian beds of Kelly's Island, U.S.A. 



Additional light is thrown upon some Lycopodiaceous Stro- 

 bili, fern-petioles, Sporocarpous or cryptogamic conceptacles, 

 and other spore-like bodies, Gymnospermous seeds and stems. 



Chemical Society, March 20.— Dr. Gladstone, president, in 

 the chair. — The following papers were read :— On plumbic tetre- 

 thide, by E. Frankland and A. Lawrance. The authors pre- 

 pared this compound by adding plumbic chloride to zinc-ethyl, 

 and distilling the product in a current of steam. Ammonia^ 

 carbonic anhydride, carbonic oxide, cyanogen, nitric oxide, 

 oxygen, and sulphuretted hydrogen, do not act on this substance 

 at ordinary temperatures; sulphurous anhydride converts it into 

 a white amorphous mass, consisting of diethylsulphone and 

 plurnbic ethylsulphinatc. — Prof. W. Foster gave a verbal com- 

 munication on the production of the higher oxides of iron, 

 chromium, manganese, and bismuth. When the salts of the above 

 metals are treated with an alkaline solution of sodic hypobromite, 

 ferrates, chromates, permanganates, &c., are formed, oxygen 

 being evolved. Copper sulphate solution, when mixed with the 

 hypobromite solution, evolves oxygen at ordinary temperatures, 

 — On the decomposition of v\ ater by certain metalloids, by C. F. 

 Cross and A. Higgin. The authors conclude that pure sulphur 

 decomposes water, uniting both with its oxygen and hydrogen ; 

 the decomposition is independent of atmospheric oxygen. 

 Amorphous phosphorus decomposes lead acetate solution, but is 

 without action on water at lOo". Vitreous phosphorus does not 

 decompose water at 100° when air is excluded. — On the volumetric- 

 determination of chromium, by W. J. Sell. To the boiling 

 solution containing chromium, acidified with sulphuric acid, per- 

 manganate is added until a pink tint remains after boiling for 

 three minutes ; the manganese is precipitated by the addition of 

 sodium carbonate and alcohol, and filtered off; the chromic acid 

 in the filtrate is then determined by iodine and hyposulphite. 

 The author also gives details of a method of fusing chrome iron 

 ore, by means of which an estimation of the chromium can be 

 made in an hour and a quarter. 



Geological Society, March 12.— Henry Clifton Sorby, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Lazarus Fletcher, Arthur 

 Samuel Hamand, William J. Pope, and George W. Slatter,. 

 were elected Fellows of the Society. — The following communi- 

 cations were read : — On perlitic and spherulitic structures in the 

 lavas of the Glyder Fawr, North Wales, by Frank Rutley, 

 F.G.S. He mentioned the fact that the lavas of Bala age in 

 Wales were generally vitreous, and instanced some remarkable 

 cases of spherulitic structure from that district. Prof. Judd 

 stated that among the mo>t ancient rocks of the north-west of 

 Scotland were lavas showing spherulitic and fluidal stracture. 

 These were also common in the old red sandstone lavas. He 

 thought that as the spherulitic, perlitic, and fluidal structures 

 were in rocks of modern date confined to vitreous varieties, the 

 inference was safe, when applied to ancient rocks, that they 

 were once glass. Dr. Sheiimer asked if an analysis of the 

 rock had been made. If the rock was a true perlite, there 

 should be about 80 per cent, of silica. If the rock was altered, 

 one might expect a large excess of ma;^nesia. Prof. Ramsay 

 said that the character of the e lava-flow s was evident even with- 

 out microscopic examination. He recapitulated the evidence 

 which had persuaded him of this when surveying the district, 

 and expressed doubt as to the rocks at the base of the Cambrian 

 in North Wales being true lava-flows. Dr. Hicks said he 

 thought there wa no reason why a perlitic structure should not 

 occur in rocks of Bala age. He thought the fir>t spherulitic 

 rocks recognised in this country had come from rocks of Arvonian 

 age at St. David's. Mr. Bauerman said that modern lava-flows 

 often cover very large areas, as in North America and India ; so 

 the mere distance of the VVrekin from Wales would be no diffi- 

 culty. Mr. Rutley doubted whether spherulitic structure was 



