June 29, 19 16] 



NATURE 



375 



same axis of symmetry-. Other more complex rela- 

 tions were described. — Dr. G. T. Prior : The meteorites 

 )f Khairpur and Soko-Banja. The Khairpur 

 meteorite is precisely similar to the Daniels Kuil, and, 

 like it, belongs to the rare Hvittis type of chondritic 

 stones, which contain oldhamite, and are almost free 

 from oxide of iron. The Soko-Banja meteorite con- 

 tains a small amount (4 per cent.) of nickel-iron, very 

 rich in nickel, together with ferro-magnesian 

 minerals rich in ferrous oxide. — Dr. G. T. Prior : The 

 ■ classification of meteorites. In chondritic stones the 

 richer the nickel-iron in nickel the richer the ferro- 

 magnesian minerals in ferrous oxide, and in general 

 the smaller the amount of nickel-iron the richer it is in 

 nickel. On these principles chondritic stones are 

 divided into four groups corresponding to the types : — 

 (i) Daniels Kuil; (2) Cronstad; (3) Baroti; (4) Soko- 

 Banja. Under the same groups the meteoric irons 

 may be arranged according to their richness in nickel, 

 and the non-chondritic stones according to the 

 richness in iron of the ferro-magnesian sili- 

 cates, except that a • fifth group is added for 

 Eucrite, Howardite, Shergottite, Angrite, and 

 Nakhlite, since they are richer in lime, ferrous 

 oxide, and mostly also in alumina, than any chon- 

 dritic stone at present known. — Lieut. A. Russell : 

 Note on a new occurrence of gold from Cornwall. 

 Alluvial gold was found *in the bed of a small stream 

 adjoining a jamesonite mine near Port Isaac. — A. 

 Holmes : A series of volcanic rocks from the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Lucalla River, Angola. The rocks 

 described were collected by J. J. Monteiro in i860, 

 and include porphyritic basalts, biotite trachyte, 

 trachyte with aegirine and cossjrite, nephelinite, and 

 pyroxene andesite. They occur partly over Archaean, 

 and partly over Karoo, rocks, and are probably related 

 to the Tertiar\' alkali rocks between Senza do Itombe 

 and Bango. An olivine camptonite of post-Miocene 

 age from Dombe Grande, near Benguella, was also 

 described. — Prof. T. L. Walker : Sf>encerite, a new zinc 

 phosphate from British Columbia. The new mineral 

 occurs as the core of stalactites of hemimorphite in 

 the H.B. zinc mine near Salmo, in the West Kootenay 

 district. It is snow-white in colour, with brilliant 

 pearly lustre on the perfect cleavage. The three 

 rcctj ngular cleavages and the optical characters sug- 

 gest at first sight rhombic symmetrv, but complex 

 lamellar twinning is present, and etched figures are 

 symmetrical about one plane only. Analyses of the 

 verv pure material conform closelv with the formula 

 Zn.7PO,),.Zn(OH),.3H30, the mineral being a 

 hydrated basic zinc phosphate, and thus differing from 

 the other zinc phosphates — hopeite, parahopeite, and 

 tarbuttite. It is named after Mr. L. J. Spencer, of 

 the British Museum. — E. L. Bruce : Magnesian tour- 

 maline from Renfrew, Ontario. Brown crystals 

 occur at the contact of crystalline limestone and 

 gneiss in a limestone quarry at the town of Renfrew. 

 .Analysis shows the presence of 1453 per cent, of 

 magnesia. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, June 13. — M. CamiUe Jordan in 

 the chair. — G. Bigourdan : The discovery of the 

 visibility of the stars in full daylight, and the works 

 of Gassendi. The author corrects his former note on 

 this subject, as the author of the MSS. describing the 

 appearance of Mercur>- in daylight was Peiresc, and 

 not J. Gaultier. — B. Baillaud :' Remarks on the deter- 

 mination of the difference of longitude between the 

 Obser\'atories of Paris and Washington. The figures 

 are based on wireless telegraphv between the two 

 stations, and the value adopted for the difference of 

 longitude is 5h. 17m. 36-771$. — L. Landouzy : Observa- 

 tions on the note of A. Chauveau (Comptes rendiis. 



NO. 2435, VOL. 97] 



1916, p. 855). A discussion of the relations between 

 1 tuberculosis and alcoholism. — C (iuichard : A particu- 

 lar class of congruences of circles.^ — W. H. Voong : 

 The basis of the theory of integration.— C Cheneveaii : 

 .\ direct reading density balance. The instrument 

 described permits the determination of the density of 

 a liquid (up to 2-5) to about one unit in the third 

 decimal place. — M. Zenghelis : The synthesis of 

 ammonia. Experiments of the combination of 

 hydrogen and nitrogen at the ordinary temperature 

 in presence of various catalysts. — W. Broniewski : Mar- 

 tensite in the iron-carbon diagram. — F. Zambonini : 

 Some observations on the comf)Osition of apatites. — 

 C. Sauvageau : The "mucilage glands" of certain 

 Laminar ia. 



Linneaa Society, .March 29. — Mr. A. G. Hamilton, 

 president, in the chair. — \. G. Hamilton : Presi- 

 dential address. A review of the relations 

 of birds and flowers in regard to pollina- 

 tion, with special reference to the .\ustralian 

 aspect of the subject. The entire absence of bird- 

 poJlinated flowers from the European flora is respon- 

 sible for some general statements concerning the rela- 

 tions of insects and flowers, which are not applicable, 

 without qualification, to other floras. .Mr. Bentham, 

 in his important paper, " Notes on the Styles of Aus- 

 tralian Proteaceae," was apparently unaware that, so 

 far as is known, the highly specialised flowers of the 

 suborder Folliculares are entirely dependent on birds 

 for pollination, for he speaks of the possibility- of 

 insect-agency being required to transfer the pollen 

 of certain Grevilleas to adjoining fk)wers. In addition 

 to the Proteaceae, there are numerous less specialised 

 flowers— species of Myrtaceae (Eucalypts, Angophora, 

 Callistemon, Darwinia, etc.), Epacrideae (Stjpheha), 

 Loranthaceae, and others— which, though freely visited 

 by birds, may not be entirely dependent on them, as 

 these are also visited by numerous insects. The .Aus- 

 tralian "professional" pollinating birds comprise 

 seventy-two species, in twenty-three genera, of Meli- 

 phagidae, and seven species of brush-tongued lorikeets, 

 besides a few species of other families which, occa- 

 sionally, may play a subordinate part as amateurs. 

 The interaction of these agencies, over a continental 

 area, must, in the aggregate, be of some considerable 

 magnitude. Bird-pollination is a much more difllicult 

 problem for investigation than insect-pollination. The 

 birds are shv, and resent the presence of intruders, so 

 that the obser\^er can rarely approach sufliciently near 

 to make out all-important details, and quick in their 

 movements. The individual flowers of the Australian 

 Proteaceae are small, though usually massed in showy 

 spikes or heads, and this increases the difficulty-. — 

 R. J. TiUyard : Studies on Australian Neuroptera. 

 No. II.— Descriptions of new genera and species of 

 the families Osmvlidae, Myrmeleontidae, and -Ascala- 



phidje. A. White': Revision of the Stratiomyidae of 



.Australia (Diptera). The Stratiomyidae form one of 

 the larger families of the Diptera, containing about 

 one thousand species from all parts of the world. 

 They are conspicuous flies, many of them possessing 

 splendid metallic colouring, but, so far as the Aus- 

 tralian species are concerned, they have been little 

 studied. The present paper lists thirty species, be- 

 longing to eighteen genera, all the species, with one 

 doubtful exception, and twelve of the genera being 

 peculiar to .Australia. 



Cape Towx. 

 Royal Society of Soath Africa, May 17.— Dr. -\. 

 Marius Wilson in the chair. — W. T. Saxton: Eco- 

 logical notes on the district of Manubie. Trnnskei. 



