November 25, 1920] 



NATURE 



.427 



The paper contains contributions to our knowledge 

 .of the methods of treatment used by witch-doctors. 

 — J. W. C. Gnnn : The action of Urginea Burkei. 

 Experiments were performed oh frogs, rabbits, cats, 

 rats, and guinea-pigs with extracts of Urginea 

 Burkei, Baker, commonly known as the Transvaal 

 slang-kop. It has an action on the alimentary 

 system, producing vomiting and diarrhoea, and on 

 the nervous system, resulting in loss of power in the 

 limbs, diminution of reflexes, and final paralysis. 

 Its main action is on the circulatory system. — G. A. 

 Boiilcnger and J. H. Power : A revision of the South 

 .African -Agamas allied to Agama hispida, A. 

 aira and A. anchietae. The paper contains a 

 revision of the group of South .African reptiles 

 which has stood most in need of revision. The 

 account in the British Museum Catalogue of Lizards 

 has long ceased to fulfil its purpose, and the attempt 

 is now made, with the help of a very large amount of 

 material, to arrive at conclusions which will stand 

 the test of time. — S. H. Skalle : A species of Microdon 

 (Diptera) from Natal. The paper gives a description 

 of the larva, puparium, and adult female of Microdon 

 illucevs, Bezzi, the growth being under the author's 

 observation.— J. D. F. Gilchrist : Note on living fish 

 brought by H.M.S. Challenger. 



Sydney. 

 Linnean Society ol New South Walci, September 29. — 

 Mr. J. J. Fletcher, president, in the chair. — Dr. J. M. 

 Petrie : The chemical examination of Macrozamia 

 spiralis. A complete summary of its poisonous record 

 is given. In the leaves the following constituents 

 were identified : F'ormic, acetic, valerianic, and lauric 

 ai ids ; oleic, stearic, and higher fatty acids ; a volatile 

 essential oil ; a phytosterol ; a paraffin with the pro- 

 perties of triacontane, and an olefine having the pro- 

 fwrties of octodecylene. The nuts contained 39 per 

 cent, of starch and much mucilage. In feeding experi- 

 ments white rats were given with their ordinary food 

 (i) crushed fresh leaves, (2) grated seeds, (3) the rich, 

 fatty, and resinous components extracted from the 

 leaves by ether, and (4) aqueous extracts of the leaves 

 and the seeds. The animals showed no signs of being 

 aflecte<l after feeding for three weeks. — A. P. Dodd : 

 Two new Hymenoptera of the superfamily Procto- 

 trypida from .Australia. A new genus is proposed in 

 the family Diapriid-f, and a new species of Proso-' 

 xylabis (IJelytidne), the former being a primary para- 

 site of the sheep-mafcgot flies. — Prof. VV. N. Benion, 

 W. S. Dan, and \V. R. Browne : The geology and 

 petrology of the Great Serpentine Belt of New South 

 Wales. Part ix. : The geology, palaeontology, and 

 petrography of the Currabubula district, witli notes 

 on adjacent regions. The extrusive rocks compri.sc 

 kemtophvric tuffs of the Burindl and Kuttung series, 

 with which are intrrbedded soda rhyolite flows and 

 tuffs and basalt. The Werrie series consists of de- 

 composed basalts, occasionallv slaggv. Invading 

 tfiesc, and also the umlerlying Kutlung and Burindi 

 beds, is an immense series of sills and dykes com- 

 prising quartz keratophyre, quartz trachyte, quartz 

 latitp, andesite, lamprophyre, normal and nlbite 

 dolerite, tcschcnife, and basalt. .Attention is directed 

 to the peculiar association of calcic and alkaline rock- 

 types linked by intermediate types, and evidently 

 derived from n common sfnrk magma. Though the 

 dominant rocks in this area are intrusive, and those 

 in the Paterson, Seahnm, and Pokolbin districts are 

 effusive, the pelrogrnnhiral similarity of the Car- 

 boniferou.^ igneous rocks in the two districts is most 

 marked. — .A. M. Lea : Descriptions of new species 

 of Australian Coleoptern. Part xvi. Nineteen species 

 and one variety of Dilropidus, three species of Ela- 



NO. 2665, VOL. loei 



phodes, and three species of Coenobius are describtnl 

 as new. In addition, notes on synonymy, etc., partly 

 the result of examination of some of Macleay's and 

 OUiff's types from the Australian Museum, are given 

 for seventy-one species belonging to twenty-two 

 genera. 



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