234 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, December 14, 1882.— On the genus 
Meliola, by UW. Marshall Ward, B.A., Fellow of Owens 
College, Manchester, The author has examined the life- 
history and structure of several species cf these epiphytic 
fungi. The fungus consists of a much-branched mycelium, on 
which appendages and fruit-bodies occur, The Ayphe consti- 
tuting the mycelium, consist of cylindrical cells, with hardened, 
brown cell-walls and protoplasmic contents ; these are attached 
to the epidermis of the leaves, &c., of tropical plants by rudi- 
mentary /iawstoria, which do not pierce the ‘cell-walls of the 
host, but are firmly adherent to the cuticle. The appendages 
consist of simple or branched setaceous outgrowths, which spring 
from the mycelium at various points, and are especially deve- 
loped around the fruit-bodies from masses of hyphe, which 
Bornet considered as forming a special part of the fungus, under 
the name of ‘‘receptacle” ; these setee cannot be considered as 
subserving any special function, however, and are certainly not 
tubes for the outlet of spores, as earlier observers have surmised. 
Other appendages occur in the form of small ovoid or flask- 
shaped lateral branchlets ; some of these become free and sub- 
serve vegetative reproduction as conidia, ‘The fruit-body, or 
perithecium, arises by continuous development of one of the 
pyriform lateral branchlets, and the author has studied its 
development very particularly. The short, ovoid, unicellular 
brancblet, after becoming separated from the parent hypha by a 
septum, suffers division into two cells by a septum running 
obliquely across it; of these two cells one produces the outer 
walls of the ferithecium, by continuous cell-multiplication, whilst 
the other contributes the central portion, or ascogonium, by 
slower division of its contents. 
The former cell, dividing up more rapidly, produces a layer 
of cells which envelope the latter by a process of ‘‘ epiboly,” and 
the outer cell-walls become hard, thick, and dark-coloured. 
The latter—ascogenous cell—divides up more slowly into a 
“*core” of thin-walled cells, very rich in protoplasm, After 
complete envelopment, the cells of the ‘‘core” are recognised in 
vertical sections ; certain of them become elongated, and form 
the earliest asc?, while others become absorbed—together with 
inner cells of the enveloping layer—to provide nutritive material 
for the developing ascz and their progeny. 
The asci are produced successively, and are delicate clavate 
sacs, containing two to eight sfores, each spore being divided 
by one, two, or three cross septa. The germination of the 
spore is also described and figured ; it throws out an irregular 
germinal tube, which soon forms rudimentary Aaustoria, and 
grows forth as a mycelium, similar to that from which the Jevi- 
theciuwm was produced. 
The author examines and criticies the views held by Bornet 
and Fries as to the systematic position of A/éliolas ; especially 
the opinion that they are to be considered as tropical represen- 
tatives of the European Zrysiphee. He shows that the original 
cell from which the Zerithecium arises must be regarded as con- 
taining in itself the undifferentiated elements of an Archecarpium 
and Antheridium-branch (in the sense of De Bary and others), 
and that after the primary division into two cells, we must look 
upon one of these—the one which becomes more rapidly divided 
up—as the homologue of the awtheridium-branch and enve- 
loping tissues of the Zvysifie ; the more slowly divided cell— 
which produces the ascogenous core—being the equivalent of the 
ascogonium, &c., of those fungi. The details of successive 
phases of development are amply illustrated by figures and many 
peculiarities acquired by the group are carefully examined and 
described. 
The author concludes that the A/e/io/as must be looked upon 
as a group developed along similar lines to those of the Z7y- 
siphee, Eurotinm, &e., but in which the sexual process has 
suffered still greater reduction or withdrawal, leading to those 
forms in which it is entirely suppressed. 
With respect to the injurious action of these fungi on their 
hosts, the author decides that no direct parasitic action on the 
cell-contents takes place, but that injury results indirectly on 
ace-unt of the dense black yceliwm, when strongly developed, 
depriving the leaves of air, light, &c. 
Chemical Society, December 21, 1882.—Dr. Gilbert, presi- 
dent, in the chair.—The following papers were read :—On the 
condensation products of oenanthol (part ii.), by W. H. Perkin, 
jun. The author has studied the action of nascent hydrogen 
NATURE 
[ Fan. 4, 1883 
upon oenanthol ; when this substance is dissolved in acetic acid 
and acted upon by sodium amalgam, heptylic alcohol is produced, 
also an aldehyde, C,,H,,O, and an alcohol, C,,H.,O; if the 
oenanthol is dissolved in ether, heptylic alcohol, a solid aldehyde 
melting at 29°°5 (C,,H,,0), and a second substance, C,,H,)O, 
are formed. By oxidising the aldehyde C,,H,,O with silver 
oxide, a small quantity of an acid, C\yH,,O,, boilirg at 300° 
310, was obtained. The author has al:o studied the action of 
nascent hydrogen upon the aldehyde C,,H.,O, and discusses the 
constitution of these new bodies.—On the behaviour of the 
nitrogen of coal during destructive distillation; with some 
observations on the estimation of nitrogen in coal and coke, by 
W. Foster. It is usually stated in text-books that coal contains 
about 2 per cent. of nitrogen, which, during destructive distilla- 
tion of the coal, comes off as ammonia. ‘The author finds that 
this statement is not true. A Durham coal was used, containing 
1°73 per cent. of nitrogen, and giving 74°5 per cent. of coke. 
If the total quantity of nitrogen in the coal be taken as 100, 
that evolved as ammonia is only 14°5 per cent.; as cyanogen, 
1'56 per cent; as nitrogen in the coal-gas, 35°26 per cent. ; left 
behind in the coke, 48°68 per cent.—On the absorption of weak 
reagents by cotton, silk, and wool, by E. J. Mills and J. Taka- 
mine. The reagents are sulphuric and hydrochloric acids, and 
caustic soda, This paper chiefly contains tables, with results 
calculated to five places of decimals.—On brucine, by W. A. 
Shenstone. Various observers have stated that brucine, when 
treated with dilute nitric acid, yields either methyl or ethyl, 
nitrate or nitrite. The author has studied the action of h)dro- 
chloric acid upon brucine quantitatively, and has proved that more 
than one molecule of methyl chloride is evolyed from one imole- 
cule of brucine ; he conclndes that brucine is strychnia, in which 
two atoms of hydrogen are replaced by two methoxyl groups, 
and its formula may be written, Co,H»9(CH,0),N,0,.—Re- 
searches on the induline group, by O. N. Witt and E. G. P. 
Thomas. ‘‘Induline” is a term appled to all coloured com- 
pounds formed by the action of amidoazo compounds on the 
hydrochlorides of aromatic amines with elimination of ammonia. 
The authors have studied in the present paper the formation of 
amidoazobenzene, and its action on aromatic hydrochlorides, and 
especially on anilin hydrochloride.—Preliminary note on some 
diazo derivatives of nitrobenzyleyanide, by W. H. Perkin. 
Meteorological Society, December 20, 1882.—Mr. J. K. 
Laughton, M.A., F.R.A.S., president, in the chair.—Three new 
Fellows were elected, and Capt. J. de Brito Capello and Mr. W. 
Ferrel, M.A., were elected honorary members.—The following 
papers were read :—Popular weather prognostics, by the Hon. 
R. Abercomby, F.M.S., and Mr. W. Marriott, F.M.S. The 
authors explain over 100 prognostics, by showing that they 
make their appearance in definite positions relative to the areas 
of high and low atmospheric pressure shown in synoptic ckarts. 
The method adopted not only explains many which have not 
hitherte been accounted for, but enables the failure, as well as 
the success, of any prognostic to be traced by following the 
history of the weather of the day on a synoptic chart. The 
forms discussed are :—cyclones, anticyclones, wedge-shaped and 
straight isobars. The weather in the last two is now described 
for the first time. They also point out (1) that prognostics will 
never be superseded for use at sea, and other solitary situations ; 
and (2) that prognostics can be usefully combined with charts in 
synoptic forecasting, especially in certain classes of showers and 
thunderstorms which do not affect the reading of the barometer. 
—Report on the phenological observations for the year 1882, by 
the Key. T, A. Preston, M.A., F.M.S. The most important 
feature of the phenological year was the mild winter. The effect 
of this upon vegetation was decidedly favourable ; and had it 
not been for the gales—especially that of April 28—the foliage 
would have been luxuriant, and therefore free from insect 
attacks, but the contrary effect has been produced on insect 
life, for-the scarcity of insects, especially butterflies and moths, 
has been the general remark of entomologists.—Mr. J. S. 
Dyason, F.R.G.S., exhibited a series of typical clouds in 
monochrone, and also a series of sketches of clouds in colour, 
made in June, July, and August, 1882. 
MANCHESTER 
Literary and Philosophical Society— Microscopical and 
Natural History Section, December 12.—Prof, Roscoe in the 
chair.—Mr, James Heelis made some remarks upon the causes 
of the movement of the old Rhone Glacier with special refer- 
ence to the power of gravity to produce such movement when 
