92 



NATURE 



[Mav 25. 189^ 



mer.ozoic fish from the Altai, by J. V. Rohon {Lefidotus 

 allaiiiis, n. sp.). — On the cells of some conjugata devoid of 

 nucleus, by J. Gerasimoff. — (No. 2.) The Rhinoceridoe of 

 Russia, and the development of Rhinocetidas, by Marie Pawlofif. 

 — Researches relating to some Protococcoidae, by Al. Artari (in 

 German). The work has been done chiefly in order to study 

 the doubtful species. They were cultivated in different con- 

 ditions, and proved to be independent species. At the same 

 time the author experimented upon the influence of various 

 media upon variations ; the latter proved to occur within cer- 

 tain well-defined limits only, not exceeding the specific differ- 

 ences. The Algae, when returned to their previous conditions, 

 may return to their previous forms, thus proving a certain re- 

 sistance of the organism against the medium. The following 

 new species are described : — Glccocystia nageliana, Pknroccccus 

 simplex, P. congloineraliis, P. regularis, P. Beycrinckii, and 

 Chlamydomoiias apiocysliforiitis (three plates). — Thebirds ofthe 

 Government of Moscow, by Th. Lorenz, with preface by Prof. 

 Menzbier (first paper). Eighty- eight species are mentioned. 

 with remarks upon their manners of life, based upon many years' 

 observations. 



Zapiski {yfcmoirs) of tJic Novoros S'laii {Odessa) Society of 

 Naturalists, vo\. xvii. 2. — N. And russoff contributes, under the 

 name of bio-geographical notes, a paper on pelagic diatoms, 

 which contains a list of all named species of diatoms which 

 have hitherto been found, either free, or in the stomachs of 

 pelagic animals, both near to the coasts and in the open sea. 

 The list is based on the researches of fiooker, Ehrenberg, 

 Baddeley, Grunow, Castracane, and so on, down to the Chal- 

 lenger expedition, and the works of Murray, Hensen, and 

 Brun, and it is followed by short remarks upon the geological 

 importance of diatoms. The paper is summed up in German. 

 ^-Prof Sintsoff gives a list of Neogene fossils in Bessarabia, 

 the following species being new : — Acmua (Scurria) Ratssi, 

 tennissima, siibrostata, and striato-costala, Acnuia pseudo- 

 la:vif;ala, and Buccinnm suhsfinosuui. — D. Zabolotny discusses 

 animal phosphorescence, and gives some facts on the same 

 phenomenon observed in liinaiis, near Odessa. The phos- 

 phorescent water was of a brown red colour, and contained 

 masses of Daphnias, Rotifers, and Infusori.-e. It appeared that 

 luminosity was due to one Cilioflagellate, Glciwdininm, froin 

 the Peridiiiidu tribe, and it seems that light was emitted by 

 the protoplasm itself of the little animal. — A. Lebedintseff 

 describes the bathometer used in 1891 and 1892 during the 

 explorations of the Black Sea ; and G. Muskatbliith gives a 

 note on mitotic division of leucocytes in circulating blood. 



Annalen des K. h'. Naturltistorischen Hof museums, viii. No. 

 I. (VVien, 1893.) — Dr. O. Finsch continues his "Ethnological 

 experiences and authenticated objects from the South Sea." 

 The present is the first paper on Micronesia, and deals with the 

 Gilbert Islands. As is usual with Dr. Finsch's papers, it is well 

 illustrated by eight plates, two of which are in colours, containing 

 no figures, besides 16 wood-cuts. Although this paper, like 

 the others of the series, is a catalogue of the objects collected by 

 Dr. Finsch, and now in the National Museum in Vienna, it is 

 at the same time an important contribution to the ethnography 

 of Micronesia, a region of the great ocean about which com- 

 paratively little is known. The Gilbert Archipelago — often 

 called the Kingsmill Islands — are best known to the frequenters 

 of museums as the country of f irmid.ible weapons armed with 

 serried rows of sharks' teeth, and ofthe coir armour which was 

 worn as a defence against these deadly weapons. Dr. Finsch is 

 of opinion that the Gilbert Archipelago, with Banaba and 

 Nawodo, constitute a well-marked sub-province, as there is a 

 distinct language, peculiar pantomimic dances (in which both 

 sexes participate), characteristic tattooing, a special style of 

 house, which latter are grouped into large villages, colossal 

 assembly houses, well-built canoes, even for the South Sea, 

 shark tooth weapons, armour, a noose for catching eels, &c. 

 He concludes by saying, " In every respect the Gilberts exhibit 

 more affinity with Melanesia than with Polynesia, and least of 

 all with Micronesia." The other articles are ; "Characterless 

 birds' eggs : an oological study" [on Corviis corone, C. comix 

 and C. friigilfgus], by Emil C. F. Rzehak ; "On the 

 crystalline structure of meteoric iron," by G. Linck, and the 

 usual official reports for 1892. 



The last three numbers received (2-4) ofthe Biilletlina dclla 

 Socirta Botatiica Italiana contain a very large number of papers 

 on the flora, phanerogamic .and cryptogamic, of various districts 

 of Italy and the adjacent countries, including an interesting note 



NO. 1230, VOL. 48] 



on the very rich flora of Monte Nerone. In addition to these 

 Prof. R. F. Solla describes a case of polyembryony in the 

 carob, Ceratonia siliqua, and also the structure of the tanniferous 

 cells in the same plant. Sig. E. Baroni has a note on the 

 relationship of calcicolous lichens to their substratum. Dr. C. 

 Massalongo describes a gall on the bay, Laurus nobilis, due to 

 the attacks of an insect which he regards as a new species, and 

 names Phytoptiis Malpighianus. Prof. G. Arcangeli gives the 

 result of observations on the growth of the leaf-stalk of various 

 species of NymphjeaceEe, which he finds to be greater in the 

 case of immersed than of floating leaves. This he attributes 

 to the vertical pressure of the water on the upper surface ofthe 

 leaves in the former case. A paper by the late Prof. F. 

 Pasquale was read, describing a fall of rain from lime-trees, 

 quite unconnected with the manna produced by aphides, and 

 due to the inability of transpiration to eliminate the whole of 

 the water absorbed through the roots. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



LoNDO.\. 



Royal Society, March 23. — ^"Preliminary Notice oi» 

 the Arrow-Poison of the W.-iNyika and other Tribes of East 

 7'~quatorial Africa, with special reference to the Chemical 

 Properties and Pharmacological Action of the Wood from which 

 it is prepared." By Thomas R. Fraser, M.D., F.R..S., Professor 

 of Materia Medica in the University of Edinburgh, and Joseph 

 Tillie, M.D. (Edin.) 



Burton,' Cameron,^ and other travellers have given accounts 

 of much interest of an arrow-poison used in warfare and in the 

 chase by the WaNyika, WaKamba, WaGyriama, and other 

 tribes of Eastern Equatorial Africa. 



Several years ago, an opportunity was given to one of the 

 authors to examine poisoned arrows, and the poison used ii> 

 smearing them, of the WaNyika tribe. While the pharma- 

 cological action of this poison was found to have a close 

 resemblance to that of Strophanthus seeds, its physical and 

 chemical properties enabled the conclusions to be drawn that the 

 poison was not made from these seeds, but was chiefly composed 

 of an extract prepared from a wood.' 



These conclusions have been confirmed by the examination of 

 further specimens of the WaNyika arrow-poison, and of the 

 wood from which it is prepared ; and some ofthe results of this 

 examination are stated in this paper. 



The authors have separated from the arrow-poison and from 

 the wood a crystalline glucoside, whose elementary composition, 

 reactions and other characters they describe. 



They have el.iborately investigated the pharmacological action 

 of this glucoside. The minimum-lethal dose for frogs was found to 

 be about O'OOOOj grain per 100 grains of weight of frog, and for 

 rabbits about 0'0C0035 grain per pound of weight of animal. 



The glucoside has a very pronounced action upon the heart. 

 A large dose causes, in the trog, arrest of the contractions in a 

 state of ventricular systole, and the heart soon afterwards acquires 

 an acid reaction. After the heart is paralysed, respir,ition may 

 continue for so long as an hour, and for a considerable time the 

 frog can jump about actively. Smaller doses, on the other hand, 

 slow the heart by prolonging diastole, and arrest its pulsations 

 in a state of ventricular diastole. This diastolic arrest is not 

 prevented by the administration of atropine, and is probably due 

 to a direct action on the motor ganglia and muscle of the heart. 

 The action on blood vessels is very slight. Transfusion experiments 

 in tbe frog with a solution of 1 in io,oco of saline produced only 

 about the same effect as the pure saline solution alone. 



A marked paralysing action is exerted upon the skeletal 

 muscles, which also quickly pass into a condition of rigor mortis. 

 The spinal cord and sensory and motor nerves are but little 

 affected, and the former only doubtfully, except indirectly 

 through the enfeebled circulation when large doses are 

 administered. In warm-blooded animals, artificial respiration 

 does not prevent death from cardiac failure. 



In blood-pressure experiments, non-lethal doses were found to 

 produce a remarkable slowing of the pulse, the vertical height of 

 each pulse curve indicating, at the same time, a great increase in 

 the force of the ventricular contractions. 



I " Tile Lake Regions of Central Africa," i860, vol. 2, p. 305- 



-" Across Africa", 1885, p. 59. 



^'Fraser, ^' On Stropkanihus hispuius: its Natural History, Chemistry, 

 and Pharmacology,*' "'Edinburgh Roy. See. Trans.," vol. 35, PartlV, 

 1S90, pp. 966-67. 



