446 



NATURE 



[January i, 1920 



In considerable numbers and in tlirec forms small, 

 large, and dividing (Agricultural Research Institute, 

 Pusa, Bulletin No. 90). Malaria-like parasites in the 

 blood of ruminants seem to have been recorded only 

 by Bruce, who found two antelopes infected in Xvasa- 

 land in 1913. 



Ix the recently issued -fascicle iv. of "Contributions 

 A la faune des Indes neerlandaises " (vol. i.), published 

 by the Instituts .scicntifiques de Buitcnzorg, V>\ . Paul 

 van Oye gives an account of the Chaetognatha found 

 in fifty-one samples of plankton taken off the north 

 coast of Java. He describes five new species of Sagitta 

 and one of Krohnitta, and founds a new genus 

 Zahonya. Details are given of the horizontal dis- 

 tribution of the various species. Dr. A. I>. J. Sunier has 

 examined the collection of Stomatopoda in the fishery 

 station and in the museum at Buitenzorg. The speci- 

 mens prove to belong to known species of Squilla, 

 Pseudosquilla, Odontodactylus, and Gonodactvlus. 

 Ts'otes are given on seventeen species, the known geo- 

 graphical range of several of which is considerably 

 extended. 



In the paragraph in these columns on September 25 

 (p. 78) referring to a paper by Mr. E. W. Vredenburg 

 on "Observations on the .Shells of the Familv 

 Doliidae," the statement that " it appears that the 

 genus Dolium is not known in formations older than 

 thf Oligocene " is in need of correction. Mr. E. \. 

 Martin writes to point out that a Cretaceous Dolium 

 is mentioned in Mantell's " Medals of Creation " and in 

 the same author's "Geology of Sussex" (1822, p. 196). 

 This was described and figured as Doliutn nodosum 

 by Sowerby in 1825 ("Mineral Conchology," vol. v., 

 p. 34, pis. 426, 427). The figures represent casts of a 

 large species of this genus. An analogous, if not 

 Identical, species of Dolium is recorded bv W. C. 

 AVilliamson from the Cretaceous formation of Mount 

 Gebeel Suneen, part of the Lebanon range, imme- 

 diately above Beyrout (Proc. Geol. Soc. Lond., iii., 

 1840, p. 291). 



Dr. N.atimn Mutch describes in the Journal of the 

 Royal Microscopical Society (pt. 3, September, 1919, 

 p. 221) a comparatively simple procedure for the isola- 

 tion of a single bacterial cell. It consists essentially 

 in making a very dilute emulsion of the culture and 

 transferring a minute drop of this to a sterile cover- 

 glass, which is quickly mounted on a cell so as to 

 form a hanging-drop preparation. A ring of filter- 

 paper moistened with saline solution is placed on the 

 bottom of the cell, and serves both to prevent evaporation 

 from, and addition of moisture to, the hanging drop, 

 which thus maintains a constant size. The prepara- 

 tion is then examined microscopically, and if a single 

 cell only is found to be present, a drop of melted 

 sterile agar is added to the drop on the cover-glass, 

 the preparation remounted on the cell, incubated, and 

 a growth is thus obtained. 



We learn, from California Fish and Game, vol. v., 

 No. 4, that in igig, for the first time in several 

 years, squid were caught in abundance at Montery, 

 California. Three Chinese firms have dried, in the past 

 season, about 1,772,000 lb. of this mollusc. Three tons 

 ■of wet furnish one Ion of dried squid. Practically the 

 NO. 2618, VOL. 104] 



whole of the harvest was sent to China. But, appa- 

 rently by way of experiment, a small percentage of 

 the catch was canned, while some was put upon the 

 market in a fresh state, and is, it would seem, slowly 

 winning favour as a table delicacy. Squid tentacles 

 are said to rival the oyster in flavour. The kelp indus- 

 try, which was started during the war to furnish 

 potash, seems, from this number, to have come to an 

 end. But it is hoped that the plant will be re-started 

 on a paying basis by the sale of certain by-products 

 which are obtainable during the process of extracting 

 the potash. No hint, however, is given as to the 

 nature of these promising substances. 



The Journal of Agricultural Research for October 15 

 contains two interesting contributions to the study of 

 plant nutrition. By determining the composition of 

 barley at successive stages of its growth in soil, Mr. 

 J. S. Burd demonstrated considerable losses of 

 potassiumi and nitrogen from the [)lant at the be- 

 ginning of ear- formation, at which period the water- 

 extract of the soil has a minimum concentration. The 

 author considers that the most important condition of 

 the soil solution for a high yield is an adequate supplv 

 of nutrient elements during the first half of the growth- 

 period ; subsequent high concentration is unnecessarv, 

 and may be undesirable. .Similar results were ob- 

 tained by Mr. D. R. Hoagland in carefully controlled 

 sand and water cultures. Marked absorption of all 

 nutritive elements occurred throughout growth if suit- 

 able concentrations of the medium were continuouslv 

 maintained, but the absorption in the later stages of 

 growth led to no important increase in vield. Atten- 

 tion is directed to the necessity of clearly distinguish- 

 ing between the concentration and the total supplv 

 of essential elements in the nutrient solution, since 

 rapid absorption by the plant mav produce considerable 

 alterations in the composition of the solutions. 



A REPORT of the Meteorological Committee for the 

 vear ended March 31, 1919, has recently been issued. 

 This is the first report since the .Armistice, and much 

 interesting information is given in it. Immense strides 

 have been made in meteorology, and the Meteorologi- 

 cal Ofiice has expanded accordingly, dependent on the 

 necessities of the war. Whereas the sum available, 

 including manv costs for the Services, in the year 

 1913-14 was 29,380!., in 1918-19 it Was 66.371!. A 

 much greater demand was made on the office for 

 meteorological instruments, and for forecasts of all 

 descriptions, including the upper air. The marine 

 division, on the other hand, which is dependent for 

 its information on the Royal Navy and mercantile 

 marine, experienced a great falling off in the number 

 of documents received from observers at sea, the 

 documents numbering 2738 in the year 1913-14 and 

 only 43 in 1918-19. Throughout the war there was 

 great activity in the supply of data to the .Xrmy, Navy, 

 and Air Service, and the work commonlv undertaken 

 in times of peace was greatly augmented, although 

 most of the information was i-onsidered private and 

 was withheld from the general public. The restric- 

 tions upon the circulation of meteorological infonna- 

 tion were removed after the signing of the .Armistice. 



