NovEMBER 13, I9I 3] 
ago. The effect of foreign sperm in producing cyto- 
lysis on an egg is described, and it is also shown 
that an egg may become totally unreceptive for 
foreign sperm, whilst it is still perfectly capable of 
being fertilised with the sperm of its own species.— 
A. D. Hall, W. E. Brenchley, and L. M. Underwood : 
_ The soil solution and the mineral constituents of the 
_ soil.—Prof. B. Moore and T. A. Webster: Synthesis 
_ by sunlight in relationship to the origin of life. 
_ thesis of formaldehyde from carbon dioxide and water 
_ by inorganic colloids acting as transformers of light 
_energy.—Dr. B. Blacklock and Dr. W. Yorke: The 
_ trypanosomes 
_ Beschalseuche).—T. G. Brown: Postural and non- 
Syn- 
causing dourine (mal de coit or 
stural activities of the mid-brain._J. O. W. 
arratt: The nature of the coagulant of the venom of 
_Echis carinatus.—E. H. Rodd: Morphological studies 
in the benzene series. 
IV., The crystalline form of 
sulphonates in relation to their molecular structure.— 
Prof. W. H. Bragg and W. L. Bragg: The structure 
_ of the diamond.—Hon. R. J. Strutt: Note on electric 
_ discharge phenomena in rotating silica bulbs.—J. N. 
Pring: The origin of thermal ionisation.—Clive 
Cuthbertson and Maude Cuthbertson: The refraction 
and dispersion of gaseous nitrogen peroxide. 
Physical Society, October 24.—Prof. C. H. Lees, vice- 
president, in the chair.—Ezer Griffiths : The ice calori- 
_ meter, with remarks on the constancy of the density 
of ice. The primary object of the work was the re- 
_ determination, by an electrical method, of the constant 
of Bunsen’s ice calorimeter. The mean value of the 
calorimeter constant was found to be 15-486 milli- 
grams of mercury per mean calorie. Various ob- 
servers have advanced evidence tending to show that 
the density of ice at 0° C. is not a definite constant. 
A consideration of their work leads to the conclusion 
that the small variations of density found for different 
samples might be simply due to the presence of 
_ occluded water or an amorphous modification cement- 
ing the ice crystals together. The value (80-30) of the 
latent heat of fusion of ice, calculated from the ice 
calorimeter, supports this view, as it is higher by 
about o-7 per cent. than the value obtained by direct 
determinations with ice in bulk.—H. Ho and S. 
Koto: An _ electrostatic oscillograph. The paper 
describes an electrostatic oscillograph suitable for 
recording very high voltages. Two vertical bronze 
strips pass symmetrically between two parallel metallic 
plates called ‘field plates.” They are connected at 
their lower ends by a silk fibre which passes under 
an ivory pulley. An extremely small mirror is fixed to 
the strips. This arrangement constitutes the vibrator, 
which, mounted on an ebonite frame, is immersed in 
an oil bath. To the upper extremities of the strips 
are connected the terminals of a direct-current voltage 
of about 300. The alternating voltage to be recorded 
is connected to the ‘field plates,” in parallel with 
which there are two oil condensers in series. The 
electrical midpoint of the direct-current battery is 
connected to a point between the condensers. The 
turning moment on the strips is proportional to the 
product of the momentary values of the alternating- 
current voltage and the direct-current voltage, so that 
if the latter is constant, the deflection of the mirror 
accurately follows the variation of the former. 
Zoological Society, October 28.—Prof. E. A. Minchin, 
F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.—Dr. F. ; 
Beddard: The anatomy and systematic arrangement 
of the Cestoidea. A new genus and species of tape- 
worms from the double-striped thicknee (Cfdicnemus 
bistriatus) was described.—Dr. F. A. Bather: The 
fossil Crinoids referred to Hypocrinus Beyrich. The 
two specimens of Hypocrinus schneideri, Beyr., de- | 
scribed by Beyrich and Rothpletz respectively, are re- 
NO. 2298, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
335 
described and re-figured. The structure of the genus 
is shown to agree with that of the Devonian family 
Gasterocomidz, the content of which is discussed; 
but it is suggested that in this case and in that of 
‘* Lecythiocrinus”” adamsi the distinctive features may 
| have been independently acquired. The holotype of 
Hypocrinus piriformis, Rothpletz, is redescribed and 
refigured, and proved to be no Hypocrinus. It is 
thought to be a highly modified descendant of the 
Taxocrinidze, by way of such a genus as Cydonocrinus. 
The left posterior radial appears to have borne a large 
arm, but the other arms are more or less atrophied, 
and the right posterior radial has almost disappeared. 
—D. M. S. Watson: Batrachiderpeton lineatum, Han- 
cock and Atthey, a Coal-Measure Stegocephalian. The 
paper contained the description of the skull, lower 
jaw, and pectoral girdle of this species, based on a 
series of specimens in the Newcastle Museum, derived 
from the low main seam of Newsham Colliery.— 
R. W. Palmer: The brain and brain-case of a fossil 
ungulate of the genus Anoplotherium. A cranium 
from the Phosphorites of Quercy, together with an 
exceptionally perfect and well-marked brain-cast ob- 
tained from it, were described from material in the 
British Museum collections. 
Challenger Society, October 29.—Sir John Murray in 
the chair.—Dr. E. J. Allen: A new quantitative tow- 
net for the collection of plankton. A net of bolting- 
silk is enclosed within a canvas case so arranged that 
all the water passing through the net escapes from 
the canvas case through a meter The meter con- 
sists of a propeller and a clockwork recorder, and 
is calibrated by running through it a measured stream 
of water. The number of organisms collected by the 
net can be counted or the amount of plankton deter- 
mined in some other way, and the quantity per unit 
volume of water calculated. The net can be used for 
horizontal or for vertical hauls, in the latter case 
working both when going down and when coming 
up.—Dr. Francis Ward: Reflection as a concealing 
and revealing factor in aquatic life. 
MANCHESTER. 
Literary and Philosophical Society, October 7.—Mr. 
Francis Nicholson, president, inaugural address: The 
old Manchester Natural History Society and its 
museums. An account of the society, which existed 
from 1821 to 1868, first in St. Anne’s Place, after- 
wards in King Street, and from 1835 in a museum 
built for the purpose in Peter Street. The museum 
was eventually passed over to Owen’s College, in trust 
for the people of Manchester, and exists to-day, im- 
proved out of recognition, as the Manchester Museum. 
The museum was perhaps strongest in the class of 
birds, in which it once rivalled the British Museum. 
As trustees, the University are now carrying on the 
work initiated by the Natural History Society much 
more efficiently than the society did in its most pros- 
perous days.—Prof. F. E. Weiss: Juvenile flowering 
in Eucalyptus globulus. A young plant developed 
flower buds during its second year, after the main 
stem had been cut down. The flowers were sub- 
tended by leaves characteristic of the immature plant 
and very different from the mature foliage. Such 
occurrences have been recorded for one or two species 
of Australian Eucalypti. In the case described by the 
author, the interference with the growth of the plant 
seems to have led to the juvenile flowering, as another 
plant dealt with in a similar way has produced flowers 
on the lateral branch, which had taken the place of 
the main stem after the latter was cut down. 
October 21.—Mr. Francis Nicholson, president, in 
the chair.—Miss D. A. Stewarts Changes in the 
branchial lamellz of Ligia oceanica after prolonged 
