May lo, 1877] 



NA TURE 



31 



rally been regarded as an accidental circumstance due to the use 

 of copper utensils in the preparation of food. M. S. Cloez, of 

 Paris, recently examined the blood of aroebucli shot in the forest 

 of Essarts, and found copper oxide present to the extent of 5^ 

 milligrammes per kilogramme of blood. As this result would 

 tend to show that copper is a normal constituent of the blood, 

 the question wliich next awaits solution is that of the method of 

 its entrance into the animal system. 



The Respiration of Plants. — We have already noticed 

 the investigations undertaken by Prof. Ikrodin on the pro- 

 cesses of respiration in plants. We find in the seventli 

 volume of the Memoirs of the St. Petersburg Society of 

 Naturalists the paper of Prof. Borodin in full, accompanied 

 by a series of graphic representations, by means of curves, of his 

 important measurements. We cannot attempt here to give a 

 tcsumc either of the varied experiments made by the author or of 

 the impoitant questions arising from Prof. Borodin's inquiry, 

 and discussed by him. As to the experiments themselves, we 

 can only state that the reader will fiud in the paper a thorough 

 discussion of their value and of the value of various methods 

 used for the study ot the subject. The main result is that in 

 darkness the energ of respiration of a branch gradually de- 

 creases ; a temporary action of light, however, increases it, this 

 increase being mostly the result of the influence of the less re- 

 frangible rays (red, &c.), and it takes place only when the sur- 

 rounding air can supply the plant with a sufficient amount of 

 carbonic acid. The decrease of tnergy of respiration is caused 

 by the decrease of the stock of starch in the plant, and the in- 

 crease under the influence of light takes ])lace because of the 

 formation, under this influence, of a new stock of starch. Thus, 

 other conditions remaining the same, the energy of respiration 

 depends upon the existence in the branch of non-nitrogenous 

 plastic substance ; this is the material for respiration, the exhaled 

 carbonic acid being the result of oxidation of a certain part of non- 

 nitrogenous org.anic matter. While following the author in his 

 discussion of this subject and of the opinions of Garreau, Pfliiger, 

 and Sachs, we further notice the importance of a fresh supply of 

 oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the plant as resulting from 

 M. Borodin's experiments and the contributions they make to 

 the most important and yet very obscure question as to the influ- 

 ence of temperature upon respiration. These important ques- 

 tions will be the subject of further studies, which the author 

 proposes to continue for many years. 



A Tasmanian Carnivorous Plant. — Dr. B. Crowther, of 

 Campbell Town, Tasmania, writing to The Mercury (Hobart 

 Town), November 26, 1876, states that he was furnished with a 

 plant which grows on rocky ground, whose crevices contain rich 

 organic soil, different from the peaty soil Darwin's grew in. It 

 is quite obvious, he states, on careful examination, that the plant 

 lives to a great extent off the small flies and gnats it obtains. 

 It is about six inches in height, and from its single vertical stem 

 project from one to two dozen small foot-stalks, at irregular and 

 variable distances. On the summit of each foot-stalk is a 

 rounded disc, placed horizontally, about half an inch in circum- 

 ference, fringed with tentacles of different sizes. In the centre 

 is a hollow, with small fine filaments projecting vertically ; on 

 the ends of both the filaments and also tentacles are little reddish 

 glands which secrete a sticky substance. The fly rests on the 

 outer zone, is conveyed by the sticky tentacles to the centre, 

 which at once closes upon the victim so tightly that a bjlgingmay 

 be seen corresponding to the fly inside. After it has been con- 

 sumed, the trap again opens, showing the debris of the fly, 

 which are doubtless washed away by the rain, so as to allow the 

 trap to again set for another victim. The plant described by 

 Dr. Crowther is evidently Drosera peltata, Smith, a well-known 

 Australian species (in herbaria). It is not referred tu liy Mr. 



Darwin in his work on "Insectivorous Plants;" and any more 

 exact information respecting its habits of life, and the mode in 

 which it captures insects would be a very useful addition to 

 our knowledge of these plants/ especially if accompanied by 

 drawings. 



Botany of New Guinea.— The distinguished Italian natu- 

 ralist and traveller. Dr. Beccari, has commenced the publication 

 of a rew illustrated work called "Malesia," for the purpose of 

 bringing before the scientific world his numerous botanical 

 discoveries in New Guinea and the Eastern Archipel.ago. The 

 first number of " Malesia " has just been isjsued at Genoa, and is 

 occupied with an article upon the palms of New Guinea and the 

 adjacent islands. Fifty species of palms were collected by Dr. 

 Beccari in these countries, many of which were previously 

 unknown. 



NOTES 

 Mr. C. J. Lambert has presented to the Chemical Society 

 1,000?. and to the Royal Microscopical Society, 500/., from a 

 bequest of 25,000/. left by his late father, to be appropriated to 

 benevolent and scientific purposes. 



We regret to learn that Prof. M'Crady who, on the death of 

 Prof. Agassiz, succeeded to the Chair of Zoology in Harvard 

 College, has found it necessary to tender his resignation to the 

 authorities of the University. This step is all the more to be 

 lamented as judging from the terms of the resignation, which we 

 have re.ad, it has been caused by a desire on the part of Prof. 

 M'Crady to raise the standard of zoological education in the 

 college to a higher level than was deemed advisable by the 

 authorities. We hope that some means may be found of retain- 

 ing Prof. M'Crady's services to the University. lie is well 

 known as an eminent original worker in an important depart- 

 ment of zoological research. 



We regret to announce the death of a Russian geologist. Prof. 

 N. P. Barbot-de-Marny. Having begun his scientific work in 

 1852, taking part in Hoffmann's exploration of the Ural, M. de 

 Marny continued until 1S76 his valuable work of the geological 

 exploration of Russia. He explored the Kuma-Manych de- 

 pression, the provinces of Archangel, Vologda, Volhynia, 

 Podolia, and Kherson, and all the lines of railway radiating from 

 Moscow, as well as those of Kief, Azov, Tsaritsin, Orenburg, 

 and Caucasus. In 1874 he took an active part in the diftrcult 

 exploration of the Aral-Caspian expedition and explored the 

 Amu-Darya. The Mines Journal and the Memoirs of the 

 Mineralogical and Geographical Societies, as well as those of the 

 St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists, one of the presidents of 

 of which he was for a long time, contain about no of his valu- 

 able papers, besides which he was the author of some important 

 volumes. His "Formation Stage" was an important addition 

 to our knowledge of the Tertiary of South-eastern Europe. He 

 died at the age of forty-five, leaving a family, a library of books, 

 many MSS., and — no money. 



The President of the Royal Academy is always very catholic 

 in his invitations to the annual dinner, certainly one of the chief 

 events of the London year. On Saturday last science was largely 

 and well represented, and Dr. Hooker, in his reply to the toast 

 of Science, happily performed what at first sight would seenr a 

 hard task under the circumstances. Dr. Hooker showed that 

 the incongruity between art and science was only apparent ; that 

 art lends valuable aid to science, and that all tnie art must really 

 be based on scientific principles ; and that moreover the two have 

 this in common, that success is unattainable in neither imless by 

 close observation, enthusiasm, and the skilful exercise of the 

 imagination. Some may be inclined to think that the new 

 Grosvenor Gallery is more scietrtific iir its method of selection 



