March 30, 1893] 



NATURE 



515 



sensitive revolving leaflets {Fumaria), by the petioles 

 [Clematis and TropcBolum), by the tips of the leaves 

 iTillandsia and Flagellaria). Then come the leaf-ten- 

 dril climbers proper, such as Pisuiii sativum and Cobiva 

 uandens. But the almost peculiarly tropical branch- 

 climbers, plants climbing by means of modified caulomes 

 branches or inflorescences), present the most singular 

 forms. Dr. Schenck divides them into branch-climbers 

 proper, which have elongated naked or leafy revolving 

 branches clasping the branches of other plants ; hook- 

 climbers, which develop hook or claw-like supports ; 

 " watch-spring " climbers and thread-climbers. The 

 grape-vine and passion-flower are classed under the last. 

 The climbing organs of the " watch-spring " type are very 

 curious. They are naked, attenuated branches, which 

 roll up in one plane, forming a loose elastic spiral, be- 

 tween the coils of which the support is caught. The spirals 

 usually thicken only at the point of contact, thereby 

 effecting a firm hold of the support. Dr. Schenck does 

 not enter deeply into the anatomy of climbing organs, 

 though he states that differentiation of the tissues of 

 sensitive organs only takes place after contact. The 

 plates are all devoted to the illustration of the external 

 morphology of climbing organs. A systematic list of 

 genera containing climbing species is given, and there is 

 also a chapter on the geographical distribution of climb- 

 ing plants. W. BOTTING Hemsley. 



CLAP HAM JUNCTION AND PADDINGTON 

 RAILWAY. 



^r*HE statement that appeared in the press towards the 

 A end of last week, that the promoters of this railway 

 had applied to the committee who rejected the bill for 

 permission to bring the subject again before the House 

 of Commons did not represent the fact. What really 

 occurred may be gathered from the following extract 

 from the Times of Saturday, the 25th inst. : — 



" It had been the intention of the promoters of the 

 Clapham and Paddington Railway Bill to ask the com- 

 mittee, presided over by Sir J. Kennaway, to grant per- 

 mission to have the bill recommitted, in order to meet 

 the objections as to electric traction raised by the Royal 

 College of Science and the City and Guilds Institute. 

 After a private consultation with the chairman, it has 

 been decided that the public application to this effect 

 should not be made until some arrangement has been 

 come to with the authorities of these institutions in the 

 Exhibition Road, and until steps had been taken to find 

 out whether they would agree to the substitution of cable 

 for electric traction on that portion of the line coming 



within the radius of the scientific colleges " 



Even the preceding corrected statement rather repre- 

 sents the aspect which the promoters would like the 

 matter to assume than the strict truth. For as a matter 

 of fact it has been pointed out first that the passage 

 of the electric locomotives and the train of iron- 

 framed carriages running nearly due north and south 

 within some 40 feet of magnetometers would stop all 

 work, even if the motive power were a cable ; secondly, 

 that the vibration caused by the quick moving trains and 

 by the slapping cable would be ruinous ; and lastly, that 

 no one but an over-sanguine company promoter would 

 imagine that an electric railway with a fragment worked 

 by cable in the middle would be a lasting arrangement. 

 Let but the bill pass, and within six months after the 

 railway was open an interesting collection of broken 

 cables would be on exhibition in the Houses of Parlia- 

 ment. It is amazing that the question of the shifting of 

 the route of the proposed railway a few hundred yards to 

 the east or west of Exhibition Road seems to be altogether 

 neglected. 



NO. 1222, VOL. 47] 



NOTES. 



Honour has been done lately to two British men of science 

 by the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of France. On 

 March 6 Sir Joseph Lister was elected a Foreign Associate in 

 succession to the late Sir Richard Owen, and on March 20 Sir 

 Henry Roscoe was elected a Correspondent in the section of 

 chemistry in succession to the late M. Abria. 



The Brazilian expedition, under charge of Mr. A. Taylor, 

 for the observation of the solar eclipse has arrived safely at 

 Ceara. 



The Liverpool Marine Biology Committee have recently 

 appointed Mr. J. Henry Vanslone, from Prof. Howes' 

 Laboratory at the Royal College of Science, South Kensington, 

 as Resident Curator of their Biological Station at Port Erin 

 in the Isle of Man. The important addition which has been 

 made to the station during the winter, viz. a two-storied tank 

 and aquarium house, is now finished, and will be open for use 

 at Easter, when Prof. Brady, Mr. Thompson, Prof. Herdman, 

 and several other biologists are going to Port Erin to work. 

 Nine investigators and students have already applied for 

 accommodation at the station during April, and others are 

 coming at later periods during the summer, so there seems 

 every prospect of the insiitution being well used this season. 



In connection with the conversazione to be held at the Royal 

 College of Surgeons of England on July 5, to celebrate the 

 jubilee of the Fellowship of the College, it has been decided, 

 as this year is also the centenary of the death of John Hunter, 

 to organise an exhibition of pictures, MSS., books, furniture, 

 &c., connected with the great surgeon. In addition to the 

 articles which are the property of the College of Surgeons, the 

 exhibition will include other relics, the loan of which has been 

 kindly promised by the present possessors. The librarian of 

 the College will be pleased to give further information to any 

 owner of Hunterian relics who may be willing to lend them for 

 exhibition. 



A VERY successful conversazione was held by the students of 

 the Royal College of Science in the South Kensington Museum 

 on 1 hursday, March 23. Mr. C. V. Boys concluded the 

 various entertainments by exhibiting Mr. Henry Dixon's photo- 

 graphs of spiders walking on water, Lord Rayleigh's and his 

 own photographs of bursting bubbles, and by showing his inte- 

 resting experiments with soap bubbles. 



The council of the City and Guilds Institute for the Advance- 

 ment of Technical Education have nominated the following as 

 members of the Technical Educational Board of the London 

 County Council, viz. : — Mr. Herbert Saunders, Q.C., Sir Owen 

 Roberts, and Dr. W. J. Russell, F.R.S. 



The Camera Club announces that the seventh annual Photo- 

 graphic Conference will be held in the theatre of the Society of 

 Arts on Wednesday and Thursday, April 12 and 13, under the 

 presidency of Captain W. de W. Abney, F. K.S. Papers will 

 be read by some of the leading students of photography, and 

 all photographers are invited to take part in the conference. 



Some time ago the Egyptian Government appointed a com- 

 mission to examine the building in which the archaeological 

 collection is housed at Ghizeh. This commission has now 

 finished its investigations, and, according to the Cairo corre- 

 spondent of the Times, its report shows the condition of the 

 building to be even more dangerous than it was known to be. 

 A fire would completely destroy the building in the course of a 

 few hours. The Egyptian Government propose to have the 

 Museum made fireproof at a probable cost of ;^90,ooo, but the 

 result is not expected to be satisfactory. A new building on a 



