>5» 



NA TURE 



['Jim. 15, 1885 



system in the supply of water to the internal tissues, forming a 

 complete peripheral mantle of aqueous tissue. — " Ueber Poren 

 in den Aussenwiinden von Epidermiszellen," by H. Ambronn. 

 An attempt to show that the origin of pits in the outer walls of 

 epidermal cells is referable to undulations in the young 

 walls, and that these pits are not to be regarded as the func- 

 tional equivalents of those in the walls of internal tissues. — 

 " Nachtragliche Bemerkungen zu den Befruchtungsact von 

 Achlya," by N. Pringsheim. A further contribution to the 

 controversy as to the sexuality of the Saprolegniae. 



Zweites Heft. — " Ueber das Vorkommen von Gypskrystallen 

 bei den Desmidieen," by Alfred Fischer. An investigation of 

 the crystals of Calcium sulphate already known to exist in 

 Clostcrium ; similar bodies are also found in other genera of 

 Desmids. In Stauraslrum, Deswid/um, and Hxalotheca they 

 are not found. The author concludes that they are to be 

 regarded as an excretory product ; when the quantity produced 

 is small, it may remain dissolved in the cell-sap ; when larger it 

 appears as crystals. — " Ueber farbige kornige Stoffe des Zellin- 

 halts," by P. Fritsch. This article deals with the "anatomical 

 structure " of colouring granules, exclusive of chlorophyll, and 

 without reference to their development. In the light of recent 

 discoveries the chief interest of such bodies centres in their 

 development, and their relation to the chlorophyll granules. — 

 " Die Zellhaut, und das Gesetz der Zelltheilungsfolge von 

 Melosira (Orthosira Thwaitrs) Arenaria Moore," by Otto 

 Muller. A careful investigation of the succession of divisions 

 as seen in this filamentous Diatom, which will throw light upon 

 the process of multiplication of cells in other members of the 

 group. 



Drittes Heft. — "Untersuchungen iiber die Ilomologien der 

 generativen Produkte der Fruchtblatter bei den Phanerogamen 

 und Gefasskn pto^amen," by L. Celakovsky. The author 

 brings evidence fr 'in teratological specimens to bear upon the 

 question of the homology of the integuments of the ovule with 

 the indusium of the Fern-Sorus, with the object of establishing 

 that homolo 'y. — "Untersuchungen iiber die Morphologie und 

 Anatomie der Monokotylen-ahnlichen Eryngien," by M. Mobius. 

 The main results of this investigation are that the similarity of 

 the parallel-nerved species of Eryngium to the Monocotyledons 

 lies only in the leaves and rhizomes ; that it extends, however, 

 beyond mere external characters, and may be recognised in the 

 anatomical structure. 



Bulletin de la Sociiti des Naturalist's de Moscow, 1884, 

 No. I. — On the calculation of the average figures of relative 

 wetness, by K. Weihrauch (in German). The author 'hows that 

 the averages calculated by a mere addition of the observed 



values of — do not give correct [figures, and advocates a calcu- 



k 

 lation consisting of an addition of all numerators (s) and of all 

 denominators (A) separately, before making the division. He 

 illustrates his method by several examples taken from the series 

 of observations in the Caucasus. The paper willbe continue I. — 

 What becomes of bile in the digestive tube? by Dr. A. Weiss 

 (in French). The author confirms to some extent the well- 

 known opinion of Prof. Schiff. — Materials for the flora of the 

 Government uf Tamboff, district of Tamboff, by Th. Ignatieff. 

 The steppe flora is characteri ed, as usual, by the Stifia pennata, 

 but the following plants, showing a passage towards a more 

 southern flora, are met with : — Adonis vernalis, V'erbascum 

 Phtxniccum, Kchium ruhrum, Muscari leueophtsum, Iris furcata, 

 Frilillaria ruthrnica, and Salvia nutans. All these, which do 

 not extend much north — they are not met with in the Moscow 

 flora — are remarkable for the most vivid coloration of their 

 flowers. The author gives a list of 464 plants found at 

 Exlhal. — Review of the generative organs of the males of 

 Bombus, by General Radoszkowski (in French), with four 

 plates. — Short description of a journey to Central Asia, 

 lecture by N. Sorokine (in French). The author adds to his 

 paper a very interesting chromolithographed picture represent- 

 ing a saksaoul forest {Akabasis ammodend' on, Ledebour) of the 

 Kyzyl-kounis deserts. It is for the first time that we find in 

 print so Ljood a representation of this plant as it covers the 

 bar-khans, or sandy downs, of the Steppe. — Researches into the 

 histology of the hair, the bristle, the prickle, and the pen, by 

 W. Lwoff (in German), with four plates. — Notice on the hypo- 

 theses as to the origin of Lake Baikal, by W. Dybowsky (in 

 German). The recent discovery in Lake Baikal of the very 

 same sponge (Lubomirskia baicalensis) which is met with in the 

 Bering Sea leads to the conclusion that it has immigrated into 



lake Baikal from this sea. On the other side, several explorers 

 of Siberia, and recently again M. Cherski, have shown that 

 there are no traces of a marine communication of Lake Baikal 

 with the sea during and since the post-Pliocene period ; but 

 there are very numerous traces of large lakes connected formerly 

 by broad rivers, and it would seem probable that the sponge 

 might have immigrated by this .way. Dr. Dybowsky leaves the 

 question open. 



Bulletin de V Aeademie Royale de Belgique, November 8, 

 1884. — On certain phenomena of reduction produced in grains 

 when germinating, and on the formation of diastase, by M. A. 

 Jorissen. — On the quadrilinear form and surfaces of the third 

 order, by Prof. C. Le Paige. — Verbal communication on the 

 phenomenon of stellar scintillation, by Ch. Montigny. — On the 

 advanced vegetation observed in the spring of 1884 at Long- 

 champs-sur-Geer, by Baron de Selys Longchamps. — On the 

 chemical composition of krokydolite, and on the fibrous quartz 

 of South Africa, by A. Renard. — On the Chinese philosopher, 

 Lao-tse, a predecessor of Schelling in the seventh century, B.C., 

 by M. C. de Harlez. — An ambassador of the Duke of Alencon 

 at the court of Queen Elizabeth, by Baron Kervyn de Letten- 

 hove. — On a portrait of Van Dyck's grandmother in the Este 

 Gallery, Modena, by Henry Hymans. 



Atti della R. Accadtmia dei Lincei, July 1S84. — On the co- 

 existence of different empirical formulas, and in particular on 

 those containing the capillary constant of fluids or the cohesion 

 of solids, by Adolfo Bartoli. — Report of the committee ap- 

 pointed to rearrange the Corsini Library recently acquired by 

 the Academy. This valuable library was found to comprise 

 altogether 39,082 works, including 5903 Elzevirians, Aldines, 

 and other old and rare editions, 2511 MSS. and 191 volumes of 

 music, besides 116 portfolios of engravings and 17,733 prints 

 and drawings. — Meteorological observations made at the Royal 

 Observatory of the Capitol during the month of June 1884. 



Rivista Scientifico Industrials, October 31, 1884. — Variations 

 in the electric resistance of solid and pure metallic wires under 

 variations of temperature, by Prof. Angelo Emo. — Boulier's 

 pyrometer, described and figured by M. Lauth. — The gigantic 

 fossil turtle of Verona, described by S. Capellini. 



November 15-30, 1SS4. — Variations in the electric resistance 

 of solid and pure metallic wires under variations of temperature 

 (continued) ; part 2, original determinations of the electric 

 resistance of the chief metallic wires under different tempera- 

 tures, by Prof. Angelo Emo. — On the oxidation of sulphur by 

 ozone, by S. Zinno. — The Ammonites of the province of Venice, 

 described and figured by T. A. Catullo. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Geologists' Association, January 2. — On some recent 

 views concerning the geology of the North-West Highlands, by 

 Henry Hicks, M.D., F.G.S., President of the Association. 

 The author stated that as the Proceedings of the Association 

 contained several papers dealing; with the controversy concerning 

 the rocks of the North- West Highlands 1 f Sco land, he thought 

 it advisable to call the attention of the members to views con- 

 tained in an important article published in Nature (p. 29) by 

 the Director-General of the Geological Survey, and in a " Report 

 ..n the Geology of the North-West of Sutherland," by Messrs. 

 Peach and Home, in the same number, which cannot fail either to 

 change entirely the future character of the controversy, or bring it 

 rapidly to a satisfactory issue. Because of the positions held 

 by the chief disputants on I he one side, the controversy had 

 assumed, to a great extent, the appearance of being one between 

 official surveyors and some amateurs, who had been led to study 

 the questions involved in it. The well-known and widely- 

 accepted views first put forward by Sir R. Murchison, that there 

 were clear evidences in the North-West of Scotland of a "regular 

 conformable passage from fossiliferous Silurian quartzites, shales, 

 and limestones upwards into crystalline schists, which were 

 supposed to be metamorphosed Silurian sediments," were fully 

 adopted by the official surveyors, including Mr A. C. Ramsay 

 and Prof. Geikie, also by the late Prof. Harkness and others, 

 who had examined the areas. Prof. Nicol, of Aberdeen, how- 

 ever, for many years stoutly contested Sir R. Murchison's views, 

 and maintained that they were based on erroneous observations. 

 Unfortunately, at that time his views did not meet with much 

 ipproval. In the year 1878 the author re-opened the contra- 



