186 
secondary nucleus of the embryo-sac, or with one of its con- 
stituent polar nuclei, to form the endosperm. There is, there- 
fore, in Li/ium martagon, according to M. Guignard, a double 
process of conjugation ; but the union of the ‘‘antherozoid ” 
with the secondary nucleus of the embryo-sac he regards as a 
process of ‘‘ pseudo-fecundation.” Similar results have been 
obtained by Prof. S. Nawaschin, and they have been confirmed 
by Miss Ethel Sargant in a paper read before the Royal Society 
on May 4. 
THE third part of the series of memoirs, in course of publica- 
tion by the Cambridge University Press, on the material 
collected during Dr. Arthur Willey’s expedition to the Pacific 
in search of the eggs of the Pearly Nautilus, has just been issued. 
Three papers are contained therein, dealing respectively with 
orthogenetic variation in the shells of Chelonia, by Dr. Hans 
Gadow ; Enteropneusta from the South Pacific,’ by Dr. Willey ; 
and a collection of Echiurids, by Mr. A. E. Shipley. 
AN account of the communications and discussions at the 
International Congress of Zoologists, which met at Cambridge 
in August last, was given in NATURE at the time of the meeting 
(vol. lviii. p. 424). A fine volume of Proceedzigs, edited by Mr. 
Adam Sedgwick, F.R.S., has now been published by Messrs. 
C. J. Clay and Sons. The volume contains the papers and 
addresses read before the congress, with reports of remarks 
made upon the subjects of these communications, and also 
during the discussions of specific points of zoological importance. 
Fifteen coloured plates are appended to the volume to illustrate 
some of the papers. The nature of the contents can be judged 
from our summary of the work of the congress, and the editor 
is to be congratulated upon being able to see the Proceedings 
published nine months after the meeting. Few official reports 
of international congresses appear with such commendable 
promptitude. 
A DIAZO-BODY is a substance obtained by the interaction of 
nitrous acid and an amine (such as aniline) under certain con- 
ditions of temperature. Perhaps no other reaction in organic 
chemistry is so important either theoretically or technically, and 
it is so fundamental that the term ‘to diazotise”” has been 
coined to express the operation. Diazo-compounds are of the 
general type R.N=N.OH, where R may be any benzene 
group (C,H, and so on), and are distinguished by their great 
nstability and explosive power, tending to give off nitrogen. 
By very simple reactions the substance R.N=N.OH may be 
made to give R.OH, R.Cl, RBr, RI, RH, R.NH,, R.NH.NH),. 
In many questions of constitution of benzene ring compounds, 
the exchange of the diazo-group for the sulphonic group is a 
necessary step in the argument. The methods hitherto pro- 
posed for carrying out this reaction give, in general, very bad 
yields and involve the production of evil-smelling thio-com- 
pounds as intermediary products. In a recent number of the 
Berichte, Dr. Ludwig Gattermann describes a very elegant 
method, the discovery of which, he states, was due to a happy 
accident which depends upon the formation of a sulphinic acid 
directly from the diazo-compound. The diazo solution, prefer- 
ably as sulphate, is mixed with an excess of sulphuric acid and 
saturated with sulphur dioxide, and then treated at o° C. with 
finely-divided metallic copper, when the sulphinic acid is formed 
in practically theoretical quantity. The method has been found 
to be of wide applicability, equally good yields being obtained 
in the naphthalene series. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Hoolock Gibbon (Hy/odates hoolock, 8 ) from 
Upper Burma, presented by Mr. S. B. Bates ; two Blue-bearded 
Jays (Cyanocorax cyanopogon) from Brazil, presented by Mr. 
Arthur Ussher; a Laughing Kingfisher (Dacelo gigantea) from 
NO. 1547, VOL. 60] 
NATORE 
[JuNE 22, 1899 
Australia, presented by the Hon. A. Littleton; two Black- 
bellied Sand-Grouse (Pterocles arenarius) from Asia, presented 
by Mr. G. P. Torrens ; twelve Sharp-headed Lizards (Lacerta 
dugest) from Madeira, presented by Mr. R. H. Archer ; two 
Green Lizards (Lacerta viridis), a Tessellated Snake (Z7opz- 
donotus tessedlatus), a Common Snake (7Zvopidonotus natrix), 
European, presented by the Rev. F. W. Haines ; a Northern 
Mocking-Bird (Memes folyglottus) from North America, pre- 
sented by Mr. C. Gillett ; a Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo 
(Cacatua gaterita) from Australia, two Spiny-tailed Iguanas 
(Ctenosura acanthura) from Central America, deposited ; two 
Derbian Screamers (Chauna derbtana) from Colombia, two 
Palm Squirrels (Sczwrus palmarum) from India, a Diamond 
Python (Python spilotes) from Australia, purchased; two 
Burrhel Wild Sheep (Ouzs burrhel, 2), two Jameson’s Gulls 
(Larus novae-hollandiae), bred in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
TEMPEL’Ss COMET 1899 ¢ (1873 II.)—M. L. Schulhof has 
calculated new elements and a continued ephemeris for this 
comet, using the positions supplied from the observations of 
Messrs. Perrine and Javelle, made at Lick and Nice respectively. 
Astr. Nach. (Bd. 149, No. 3574). 
Elements. 
T = 1899, September 6'0 Paris Mean Time. 
M= 7 21 50°5 
7 = 185 36 200 
2 = 120 57 56°3 7 1899'0 
2 = )er2e3Se52.0 
~ = 32 49 38°7 
“= 671-9166 
Ephemerts for 12h. Paris Mean Time. 
1899. R.A. Decl. Br. 
m. Ss. ° ‘ “ 
June 25 20 8 168 EN7i 23, 2 2'282 
20 9 367 740 5 
27 10 56°1 7 57 54 
2orias MPF ANSTO) ora 8 16 30 
29) ..0) 20mIgmaoymeen— S335) 52 2°525 
CoME?r 1899 a (SwiFt).—Dr. A. Stichtenoth, of Kiel, con- 
tributes a continued ephemeris of this comet to Astr. Nach. 
(Bd. 149, No. 3574). 
Ephemeris for 12h. Berlin Mean Time. 
1899. R.A. Decl. Br. 
he ees ae 
June 22 14 38 41 27) 37-1 0°27 
23 36 26 39°4 
24 33 43 25 44°1 0°23 
2 31 34 24 $13 
26.15 20/341. 24..(0'8 
Di waa Dame 23) 120. 
Zo miven Zou eee 222074) O'l7 
2 TAC CAw ee 21) 4253 
During the week the comet travels almost in a direct line 
between the stars e and a Bootis. It can only with difficulty 
be now detected with telescopes of less than three inches 
aperture. 
SpecTRA OF RED SrTars (Crass III. 4).—In August last, 
1898, results of a photographic study of the stars of Secchi’s 
Type IV. (Vogel’s III. 4), made by Mr. Ellerman and Prof. G. 
E. Hale at the Yerkes Observatory, were discussed at the Har- 
vard Conference (Astro- Physical Journal, vol. viii. p. 237, 1898). 
The photographs were obtained with a spectrograph having only 
one prism and a long-focus camera (20°0 inches). Since that 
time the spectrograph has been remodelled and provided with a 
train of three prisms and a shorter focus camera (10°8 inches), 
and with this instrument much better photographs have been 
obtained with shorter exposures. Ju/letin No. 7 of the Yerkes 
Observatory contains a short description of these, with a plate 
showing the spectra of four stars of this class (Astrophysical 
