376 



NATURE 



{August 1 8, 1 88] 



Thomas Harris. — A contribution to the pathological anatomy of 

 primary lateral sclerosis (sclerosis of the pyramidal tracts), by 

 Dr. Dreschfeld (Plate 26). — On the form and proportions of a 

 foetal Indian elephant, by Prof. Turner (Plate 27). — On the 

 femoral artery in apes, by Dr. J. Macdonald BroNin. — The 

 brain and nervous system : a summary and a review, by Robert 

 Garner. — Inde.K to vol. xv. 



The recent numbers of Trimcii's ymirnal of Botany (217-223) 

 contain quite the average number of articles of interest, relating 

 bolh to British and to foreign botany. — H. and J. Groves de- 

 scribe Chara obtusa, a species new to Britain. — Dr. Vines sum- 

 marises the existing literature on the very difficult and intricate 

 subject of the morphology of the Scorpioid Cyme, re erring 

 especially to the confusion resulting from the difference in the use 

 between Continental and English writers of the terms "helicoid" 

 and "scorpioid." — Prof. Dickson gives a very interesting account 

 of the morphology of the pitclier of Cephalotus follicularis, illus- 

 trated by two plates. His conclusions on its structure are thus 

 summarised; — "i. That the pitcher results from a calceolate 

 pouching of the leafblade from the upper .surface. 2. That the 

 apex of [the leaf is on the far side of the pitcher-orifice [from 

 the main axis and from the lid, and is probably represented by 

 the tip of the middle dorsal %ving. 3. That the pitcher-lid 

 repre-ents an outgrowth or excrescence from the upper leaf-sur- 

 face." Mr. C. B. Clarke and Dr. Hance continue their descrip- 

 tive papers, the former relating chiefly to Indian, the latter to 

 Chinese botany, and including the description of many new 

 species. Among tlie more important of Mr. Clarke's contribu- 

 tions is a complete review of the order Commelinacese, in which 

 are comprised 307 species (including the common Tradescantia 

 virginica, or Virginian spider-wort of our gardens), distributed 

 over twenty-six genera. These are placed by Mr. Clarke in 

 three tribes — the Polliea; (26 species), Commeline^ (144 species), 

 and Tradescantiea?, which includes nineteen out of the twenty-six 

 genera. 



Though the recent numbers (41, 42) of the Scottish 

 Naturalist contain no article calling for special remark, tliis 

 quarterly fully maintains the character which it has already 

 acquired under the editorship of Dr. Buchanan White. 



The American NatiiralisI, July, 1881, contains : On the 

 origin and descent of the human brain, by S. V. Clevenger. — On 

 the eastern snow bird, by Samuel Lockvvood. — On bacteria as 

 a cause of disease in plants, by T. J. Brn'rill. — Record of Ameri- 

 can carcinology for 1880, by J. S. Kingsley. — Aboriginal stone- 

 drilling, by Charles kau. — On the effects of impacts and strains 

 on the feet of mammalia, by E. D. Cope. 



In the last number of the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical 

 Club which has reached us are two interesting articles. Mr. F. 

 WoUe described several freshwater algae new to the flora of tlie 

 United States, several of them being previously undescribed. 

 These are Synechoeocc2ts racemosiis, Calothrijc Hosfordii, and 

 C. laculosa. Prof. C. E. Bessey describes and figures a simple 

 dendrometer for measm-ing the height of trees. 



Annalcn dcr Physik und Chemie, No. 6. — Determination of 

 the specific gravity of distilled mercury at 0°, and the disturbing 

 reactive dilatations of the glass therewith connected, by P. 

 Volkmaun. — Researches on sound-strength, by A. Oberbeck. — 

 On the quantity of electricity furnished by an influence machine 

 of the second kind, and its relation to moisture, by E. Riecke. — 

 On the distribution of electricity on the surface of moved con- 

 ductors, by H. R. Hertz.— On Herr Exner's experiments with 

 regard to the theory of Volta's fundamental experiments, by V. 

 A. Julius. — The determination of the transference-numbers of 

 the ions forhthium and carbonic acid compounds, by J. Kuschel, 

 — On the galvanic behaviour of carbon, by H. Muraoka. — Re- 

 marks on Herr Warburg's paper, on some actions of magnetic 

 coercitive force, by C. Fromme. — The intensity of the horizontal 

 terrestrial magnetic force for Gottingen in iSSo, with the secular 

 variation of the same, by K. Schering. — On a new volumeno 

 meter, by A. Paalzow. — On the oxygen spectrum, by A. Paalzow 

 and H. W. Vogel. — The photometry of the Fraunhofer lines, 

 by K. Vierordt. — A polarisation-apparatus of platino-cyanide of 

 magnesium, by E. Lommel. — On the law of dispersion, by the 

 same. — Researches on the height of the atmosphere, &c. (con- 

 tinued), by A. Ritter.— On the absolute size of gas-molecules, 

 by E. Dorn. — Remaiks on Herr Besselhagen's paper on a new 

 form of the Topler mercury air-pump, by F. Neesen. 



The Nuovo Giornale Bclanico Italiano for April contains an 

 article by A. Piccone on the cause of the_disease which was so 

 destructive to the chestnut trees in the province of Genoa in the 

 year 18S0, and which was previously obscure. He claims to 

 have established that it is due to the attacks of a parasitic fungus, 

 Septoria ca tanea, which attacks the branches and leaves, but 

 the reproductive organs of which he has been unable to detect. 

 Its extraordinary development during that year appeared to be 

 due to tlie rainy character of the summer. Fitzgerald and 

 Bottini's article on the bryology of the valleys of the rivers 

 Secchio and Magra is accompanied by a valuable coloured map 

 showing the nature of the soil in the district bordering the 

 western coast of the peninsula stretching from near the Gulf of 

 Spezzia to Lucca. 



Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Bd. 35, Heft 4, 

 June 14, 18S1, contains ; On the minute structure of the stig- 

 mata in the insects, by O. Krancher (plates 28 and 29). — A re- 

 vision of the species of Holothuroids described by Prof. Brandt 

 from Mertens' collection, by Dr. Hubert Lndnig. — Contribution 

 to a knowledge of the Hydrachnid genus Midea of Bruzelius, 

 by F. Konike (plate 30). — A revision of the Hydrachnids 

 described by H. Lebert from the Lake of Geneva, by F. 

 Koiiike. — Contribution to a knowledge of the Psorospermeae of 

 fish, by Prof. O. Biltschli (plate 31). — Studies on the Bopyridce, 

 by Prof. R. Kossmann (plates 32 to 35). 



RiTue Internationale des Sciences Biologiques, June 15. — Exa- 

 mination of vision from the stand-point of general ■medicine (con- 

 cluded), by M. Charpentier. — Insane conceptions, their me- 

 chanism and diagnostic character, by M. Spitzka. 



Rcvite Internationale des Sciences biologiques, July, 1881, con- 

 tains ; — Metallothsrapy, by Dr. L. H. Petit. — Protoplasm con- 

 sidered as the basis of animal and vegetable life, by Prof. 

 Hanstein. — The multiplication, colonisation, and encystment ot 

 the rhizopods, a review by Dr. Biitschli. — On the coloration of 

 living protoplasm by Bismarck Brown, by L. F. Henneguy. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Entomological Society, August 3. — R. Meldola, F.C.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — Miss E. A. Ormerod exhibited 

 ^nme'Coleoptera and Hemiptera from Port Elizabeth, South 

 Africa. — Mr. E. A. Fitch exhibited an ear of wheat infested by 

 Siphonophora graiiarii, every specimen of which was attacked 

 by a parasite belonging to the genera Allotria or Aphidius. — 

 Papers read : Mr. A. H. Swinton, on the oviposition of lodis 

 vernciria. — Prof. Westwood, description of a new genus of 

 Hymenopterous insects (Dyscolesthes) from Chili. — Mr. A. G. 

 Butler, descriptions of new genera and species of Lepidoptera 

 from Japan. — Mr. R. Trimen, on some new species of R/wpalo- 

 ccra from Southern Africa. — Mr. C. O. Waterhouse, descrip- 

 tions of new Longicorn Colcoptera from India. — Mr. W. L. 

 Distant, descriptions of some new neotropical Pentatomidce and 

 Coreida, and of the female of Morpho Adonis, Cram. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Central African Lakes 353 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Farlow's "Marine Algse of New England and the Adjacent 



Coast" 354 



"The Berries and Heaths of Rannoch . 355 



Tschermak's " Lehrbuch der Mineralogie."— W. J. Lewis . . . 355 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Panizzi and the Royal Society.— C. ToMLlNSON, F.R.S 355 



The Oldest Fossil Insects.— Dr. H. A. Hagsn 356 



The True Coefficient of Mortality.— Prof. John Le Conte ... 357 

 Bisected Humble Bees.— Prf. Thos. McK. Hughes, F.R.S. ; 



Edward Parpitt; R. V. D 357 



Migration of the Wagtail.— Henry Forbes 358 



Italian Deep-Sea Exploration in the Mediterranean. By 



Dr. Henry H. Giglioli isS 



KJiNio's Wavk-Siren (;F/M/«M<raiM»j) 358 



Hvdrodynamic Analogies to Electricity and Magnetism By 



Prof. George Forbes 360 



Notes 361 



Geographical Notes 364 



Solar Physics— The Chemistry of the Sun. By J. Norman 



Lockver, F.R.S. {With Diagrams) 365 



State Medicine. By John Simon, C.B., F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D. . 370 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Great Comet of 1 881 375 



Schaberle's Comet 37S 



The Companion of 6irius 375 



SoiiNTiFic Serials 375 



Societies and Academies 376 



