October 27, 1898] 



NA TL7RE 



629 



TnK Journal o{ the Royal Microscopical Society for October 

 contains a continuation of Mr. F. W. Millett's report on the 

 recent Foraminifera of the Malay Archipelago collected by Mr. 

 A. Durrand, and the usual summary of current researches in 

 zoology, botany, and microscopy. Among the latter is an 

 abstract of Mr. Lewis Wright's important paper on microscopic 

 images and vision. 



The Biologisches Centralblatt continues its useful summaries 

 of recent researches in vegetable biology and physiology. In 

 the numbers for September 15 and October i are contributions 

 by Dr. R. Keller on the nyctitropic movements of leaves ; 

 on the mechanical action of rain on plants ; on the flexibility 

 of axial organs, and their capacity for resisting strain ; on the 

 comparative intensity of assimilation in plants in the Tropics 

 and in Central Europe ; and on the freezing of plants. 



The Naiurwissenschaftliche Wochenschrift for October 2 

 contains an interesting paper by F. Schlechert, being a report 

 of observations on several points of vegetable physiology. He 

 finds that the highest temperature in the interior of a stem 

 (12 cm. depth from the surface) occurs about midnight, the 

 lowest between noon and 3 p.m. While the chief factor 

 which governs the temperature of the interior of a tree is the 

 temperature of the surrounding air (about twelve hours earlier), 

 it is also affected by the temperature of the soil, by that of the 

 ascending current of water, and by the degree to which the 

 twigs are exposed to direct sunlight. 



The papers read at the third annual congress of the South- 

 Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, held at Croydon in June, 

 are printed in the Report and Transactions just published by 

 Messrs. Taylor and Francis. Among the subjects of the papers 

 are : The place of geology in education ; entomology as a 

 scientific pursuit ; the nature of the soil in relation to the 

 distribution of plants and animals ; natural gas in Sussex ; 

 photography in relation to science ; ideals for natural history 

 societies, and how to attain them ; and the folk-lore of amulets 

 and charms. The volume thus contains information of interest 

 and value to the members of all natural history societies. 



From the United States we have received the following official 

 publications:— "Principal Poisonous Plants of the United 

 States," by V. K. Chesnut (U.S. Department of Agriculture 

 Bulletin No. 20) ; a very useful publication, but the illustra- 

 tions to which might be improved ; we should hardly have 

 recognised two of the imported European weeds, Solanum 

 nigrum and Coniuin macu latum. Sixth Report on Kansas 

 weeds (Bulletin No. 30, Experiment Station of the Kansas 

 State Agricultural College, Manhattan) ; in this, and in other 

 similar American publications, we note the introduction of the 

 practice of noting graphically, by small maps, the distribution of 

 the various species throughout the different States. 



There is an interesting paper in the American Naturalist 

 for September on some European museums, especially from a 

 geological and mineralogical point of view, by Mr. E. O. 

 Hovey. The small " Roemer Museum " at the quaint mediaeval 

 city of Hildesheim, near Hanover, is especially commended. 

 Those visited by the writer in Russia presented no particular 

 features of interest, the value of the magnificent collection of 

 minerals in the Imperial Mining Institute at St. Petersburg 

 being greatly marred by a faulty arrangement. Brief accounts 

 are also given of the Natural History Museum at Berlin ; the 

 University Museum at Naples ; the Museum of Natural History 

 at the University of Geneva ; the collection of minerals at the 

 Jardin des Plantes, and the splendid collection of the Ecole des 

 Mines, Paris ; the Museum of Practical Geology in Jermyn 

 Street, London, and the collection at the British Museum ; and 

 the Woodwardian Museum, Cambridge. 

 NO. I 5 13, VOL. 58] 



Mr. W. S. Blatchley, State Geologist of Indiana, has 

 issued his report (occupying 1197 pages) on the work accom- 

 plished by the department of geology and natural resources 

 during the year 1897, A large proportion of the energies of 

 the department were employed during that year in collecting 

 data for a detailed report on the coal area of the State, shortly 

 to be published. The present report includes papers of 

 economic importance relating to petroleum, stone and clay 

 resources of the State, the reports of the chiefs of the divisions 

 pertaining to mines, natural gas and illuminating oils, and a 

 long descriptive illustrated catalogue (666 pp.), by Mr. A. W. 

 Butler, on the birds which have been observed within the State 

 of Indiana, with an account of their habits. 



A SECOND English edition of Prof, von Meyer's well known 

 " History of Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Present 

 Day "has just been published by Messrs. Macmillan and Co., 

 Ltd. The first English edition, translated from the original 

 German edition by Dr. George McGowan, appeared in 1891. 

 Dr. McGowan is alike responsible for the present volume, 

 which is translated from the second German edition, with 

 numerous additions and alterations. It is unnecessary to refer 

 here to the value of the work, or to add to the account of it 

 given in our review of the English version (Nature, vol. xliv. 

 p. 289). It is sufficient to say that in the second edition, 

 published in 1895, ^^oi. von Meyer made use of all the 

 additional sources of information on subjects of historical 

 chemistry which had become available since the original work 

 was written. "Among these," Dr. McGowan remarks, "are 

 the Berzelius-Liebig and the Liebig-Wdhler Letters, the Letters 

 and journals of Scheele, Priestley's Letters, and the auto- 

 biographical fragment which Liebig left behind him. In 

 addition, there are the recently published and valuable his- 

 torical researches of Berthelot on the chemistry of the early 

 Middle Ages, and the writings of Ladenburg, Schorlemmer, 

 Thorpe, Grimaux, and others on the development of chemistry 

 within certain definite periods, or on the life and work of 

 particular chemists." These additions add to the value of what 

 has always been a volume of great interest to students of 

 chemistry, and we do not doubt that the new edition will be 

 even more successful than the former one. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Siamang {Hylobates syndactylus) from 

 Sumatra, a Thick-necked Terrapin (Bella crassicollis), a Siamese 

 Terrapin (Damonia subtrijuga), a Burmese Tortoise ( Testudo 

 elongata) from Siam, an Amboina Box Tortoise (Cyclemmys 

 amboinensis) from Borneo, presented by Mr, Stanley S. 

 Flower ; a Negro Tamarin (Midas ursulus) from Guiana, pre- 

 sented by Mr. E. F. Brooker ; a Macaque Monkey (Macacus 

 cynomolgus) from India, presented by Miss Abchurch ; a Pig- 

 tailed Monkey (Macacus nemestrinus) from the East Indies, 

 presented by Mr. R. O Bell ; a Common Paradoxure 

 (Paradoxurus niger) from India, presented by Mr. H. A. 

 Cottrell ; two Capybaras (Hydrocharus capybara) from 

 South America, presented by Mr. Basil J. Freeland ; a short- 

 winged Weaver-bird (Hyphantornis brachyptera) from South 

 Africa, presented by Miss Alice Heale ; an Emu (Dromctus 

 novce-hollandia) from Australia, presented by Sir Cuthbert 

 Peek, Bart. ; a Suricate (Suricata tetradactyla) from South 

 Africa, presented by Miss Peek ; two Starred Tortoises ( 7V^/m</(? 

 elegans) from India, presented by Mr. J. Freeman; a Smooth- 

 headed Capuchin (Cebus monachus) from South-east Brazil, a 

 Rabbit-eared Bandicoot (Puragale lagotis) from Western Aus- 

 tralia, a Vulpine Phalanger ( Trichosaurus vulpecula) from 

 Australia, deposited ; six Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) from 

 Holland, purcha.sed ; two Rosy-faced Love-birds (Agapornis 

 roseicollis), bred in the Menagerie. 



