February ii, 1915] 



NATURE 



663 



sonianus have been discovered. The specimen in 

 transverse section of an area of 20 x 35 cm. shows a 

 uniform structure of most beautifully petrified tissue, 

 which appears to be quite unlike any known fossil. 

 Photomicrographs were exhibited showing the details 

 of the tissues, which, in many respects, are like a 

 giant phloem. The name Vectia litccombensis is pro- 

 posed. — Dr. H. Drinkwater : Brachydactyly as an 

 example of Mendelian inheritance. Brachydactyly 

 (shortness of fingers and toes) has been studied by 

 Dr. Drinkwater in four distinct families. In affected 

 people, all the fingers and toes are short, and the 

 stature is reduced. The chief defect is an extremely 

 abortive condition of the second phalanx, which be- 

 comes ankylosed to the third, in two families. In 

 the other two it is not ankylosed, and the fingers are 

 not so short (Minorbrachydactyly), but the toes are 

 alike in the four families. The epiphyses of the 

 second phalanges are absent in the shortest fingers. 

 The abnormals transmit the abnormality to about half 

 their offspring. The normals never transmit the 

 abnormality : it is bilaterally symmetrical and never 

 skips a generation. It is a Mendelian dominant. 



Manxhester. 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, January 12. — Mr. 

 F. Nicholson, president, in the chair. — Prof. W. H. 

 Lang : Studies in the morphology of Isoetes. Part 2, 

 the analysis of the stele of the shoot of Isoetes 

 lacustris in the light of mature structure and apical 

 development. The author gives the results of a re- 

 examination of the stele of Isoetes lacustris, special 

 attention being paid to points disputed or left obscure 

 by previous investigators. From wnthin outwards the 

 following tissues can be distinguished: (i) central 

 column of primary xylem ; (2) peripheral zone of 

 xylem, including the bases of the leaf-traces abutting 

 on the central column of xylem; (3) parenchymatous 

 xylem-sheath ; (4) primary phloem, continuous with 

 phloem of leaf-trace; (5) secondary prismatic tissue; 

 (6) meristem of the anomalous secondary tissue; (7) 

 cortical tissue. In some stems the meristem and the 

 secondary tissue are completely wanting. The pro- 

 cambial tissue immediately behind the growing point 

 gives rise to the central column of primary xylem. 

 The other primary tissues of the stele are differentiated 

 in the inner portion of the radiating rows of procam- 

 bial cells surrounding the central region; the cortex 

 is derived from the outer portion of this radiating 

 tissue. There is thus a radial seriation of the ele- 

 ments from the outer xylem to the cortex quite 

 independent of any secondary growth. The inner 

 xylem is regarded as centripetal in relation to the 

 fKjIes of the leaf-traces applied to it, these being the 

 only equivalents of protoxylem. The outer xylem lies 

 between and outside the protoxylem poles. It is thus 

 comparable, on the one hand, with the outer primary 

 xylem of the Filicales, and, on the other, corre- 

 sponds in position to the normal secondarj^ xylem of 

 the Lepidodendreae. On this view a stele of Isoetes 

 would contain tissues corresponding to the centripetal 

 primar>' xylem, the normal secondary' xylem, and 

 the anomalous secondary xylem (found in some 

 species) of Lepidodendreae. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, February i. — M. Ed. Perrier 

 in the chair. — Armand Gautier : The soldier's ration in 

 time of war. The work of Atwater on the heat 

 actually evolved in the human body by the con- 

 stituents of food, proteids, fats, and carbohydrates, is 

 made the basis of the discussion. This is supple- 

 mented by data derived from the study of two peasant 

 families carried out over a period of twelve months, 

 of railway workers, and of Belgian agriculturists. 



NO. 236:5, VOL. Q4'l 



The average, in calories, for the daily food ration 

 of workers in the north of Europe is 4349, for the 

 French climate 3947, the difference being partly due 

 to the higher temperature and partly to the higher 

 weight of the inhabitants of northern Europe as com- 

 pared with the French. The French army ration 

 gives 3190 calories, and the author considers that in 

 cold weather this should be supplemented by at least 

 900 calories, and argues that a portion of this, at 

 least, should be in the form of wino. — G. G««y : The 

 Brownian movement according to Lucretius. An ex- 

 tract from ■■ De rerum natura," in which the move- 

 ments of motes in air strongly illuminated is ascribed 

 to the action of the invisible movements of the atoms. 

 — MM. Brandt and Darmezin dn Ronsset : A new form 

 of polar extremities for electro-magnets used in 

 surgerj'. A general description, without details, of 

 flexible poles capable of being used in the extraction 

 of magnetic fragments from wounds. — L. Gay : The 

 solubility of hydrates. — Jos^ Rodriguez Monrel* : The 

 phototropy of inorganic systems. Strontium sulphide. 

 A study of phototropy, or the change of colour under 

 the influence of light and of phosphorescence of 

 strontium sulphide containing various proportions of 

 manganese, or of manganese and bismuth together. 

 The experimental results are given, the theoretical 

 discussion being reserved for a later communication. 

 — Lucien Liais : Waterproofing tissues by impregna- 

 tion of the constituent elements. Observations on the 

 measurement of the strength of tissues. Instead of 

 waterproofing the woven material, the rubber solution 

 is introduced on the thread during weaving. The 

 method has the advantage of preserving the ordinary 

 appearance of the finished material, and" as compared 

 with the ordinar)- waterproofing process the material 

 is more resistant to w ear by friction. — R. Chadean : 

 The geology of the Timbuctoo-Taoudeni-Kidal and 

 Gao regions. — G. Amand : The suckers of Balladyna, 

 Lembosia, and Paradiopsis.— Maxime Minard : The 

 localisation of projectiles and the examination of the 

 wounded by the X-rays. A discussion of the compara- 

 tive advantages of the radioscopic and radiographic 

 methods. The former cannot guide the surgeon 

 during the actual operation, may cause grave burns 

 to the operator, and even when carefully conducted 

 may fail to discover certain foreign bodies. A modi- 

 fication of Hirtz's radiographic method is described 

 as advantageous, and details of eight operations 

 chosen from a total of eighty-eight arc given. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Memoirs of the Colombo Museum. Series A. 

 No. I. Bronzes from Ceylon, chiefly in the Colombo 

 Museum. By Dr. A. K. Coomaraswamy. Pp. 31-r 

 xxviii plates.' (Colombo, Ceylon : The Museum.) 



Notes on Practical Physics for Junior Students. By 

 Prof. C. G. Barkla and Dr. G. .'V. Carse. Pp. xii+ 118. 

 (London : Gurnev and Jackson.) 35. 6d. net. 



Manual del Entomologo. By P. L. Navas. Pp. 

 79. (Barcelona : Tipografia Catolica.) 



Dew-Ponds : Histor\-, Observation, and Experiment. 

 By E. A. Martin. Pp. 208. (London : T. Werner 

 Laurie, Ltd.) 6s. net. 



Physical Geography. By P. Lake. Pp. xx + 324. 

 (Canibridge University Press.) ys. 6d. net. 



Sewage Purification and Disposal. By G. B. 

 Kershaw. Pp. x + 340. (Cambridge University 

 Press.) 125. net. 



Mathematical Papers for Admission into the Royal 

 Militar>^ Academy and the Royal Militar\- College, 

 September-November, 19 14. Edited by R. M. Milne. 

 Pp. 28. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 15. 



