March 8, 1883 | 
very much like that caused by veratria, both in its form and in 
the modifications produced in it by repeated stimuli. We have 
found that the veratria curve is restored by potash to the normal 
in the case of the gastrocnemius, just as Ringer found it in the 
case of the frog’s heart. The peculiarity which barium produces 
in the gastrocnemius is also abolished by potash. We have 
tested a number of other substances belonging to allied groups, 
and find that some of them have a similar, though not identical, 
action with barium, The results of these experiments, as well 
as the general considerations to which we have ‘already alluded, 
we purpose to discuss in another paper. 
“On the Formation of Uric Acid in the Animal Economy, 
and its Relation to Hippuric Acid.” By Alfred Baring Garrod, 
M.D., F.R.S. 
The paper is divided into an introduction and three parts. 
The introduction contains the results of a series of experiments 
upon the solubility of uric acid and its most important salts, at 
the temperature of the body ; and upon the effects of mixing the 
urates of sodium and ammonium with the phosphates and 
chlorides of the same bases. 
Part I. contains observations upon the physical and micro- 
scopic characters of the urinary excretions of birds, reptiles, and 
some invertebrata, as well as chemical investigations of such 
excretions, and of the blood of the same classes of animals, with 
a view to the detection therein of uric acid. Part II. deals with 
the formation of uric acid in the animal economy, The rival 
theories are discussed, and from the consideration of the very 
large quantities of uric acid, in proportion to the body-weight, 
excreted by many of the lower animals, as well as the inability 
of the kidneys to excrete uric acid which has been taken by the 
mouth or injected into the blood, the author is led to the opinion 
that the uric acid is a product of changes which take place in 
the kidneys itself, and is not merely filtered off from the blood. ° 
This view receives further support from the fact that, whilst the 
kidneys excrete ammonium urate, uric acid when found in the 
blood is in the form of the more stable sodium urate. 
It is further shown that when solutions of hippurates are | 
mixed with solutions of urates, the salts exert an influence upon 
each other, and details of experiments to demonstrate this action 
are embodied in an appendix. 
Linnean Society, February 15.—Sir John Lubbock, Bart., 
F.R.S., president, in the chair.—Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited a 
perfect hermaphrodite butterfly (Zycena zcarus), and a blue 
male and brown female of the same species for comparison. 
The hermaphrodite in question possesses two spotless blue wings 
on the left, and two spotted brown wings on the right, thus 
being intermediate in colour between the two sexes.—Dr. W. C. 
Ondaatje exhibited a collection of thirty species of Ceylon 
corals, of which twenty were of a stony character. ‘The series 
agree in the main with those of the Indian fauna ; four are new 
species, viz. two of Cavoria, one of Pavonia, and one of 
Alcyonium, the two latter however showing most affinity to 
forms met with in islands of the Pacific Ocean.—Mr. T. Christy 
called attention to examples of Carnauba palm leaves and to the 
wax of the tree; and he also showed specimens of a hybrid 
Primula (P. japonica and P. sinensis) with double whorls of 
flowers. —Mr. J. G. Baker read his third contribution to the 
flora of Madagascar, In this he gives descriptions of the new 
Incomplete and Monocotyledons contained in the collections 
recently made in Madagascar by the Rey. R. Baron and 
Dr. G. W. Parker. The only new genus is Cephalophyton, 
a Balanophorad used in medicine, of which the material is 
not complete. Most of the new species belong to widely 
spread tropical genera, such as Ficus, Loranthus, and Croton. 
Cape types are represented by Faurea, Peddiea, Dais, Kniphofia, 
and Digcadi, one species of each, and by four Aloes. Of 
Obetia, a genus of arborescent stinging-nettles known only in 
Madagascar and the neighbouring islands, there are four new 
species. The Bamboo common in the woods of Imerina proves 
to be conspecific with that of the interior of Bourbon. There 
is a curious Zxocarpus with phyllocladea, nearly allied to species 
from Norfolk Island and the Malay archipelago.—Mr. C. 
B, Clarke has contributed a complete synopsis of all the 
species of Cyperus known in Madagascar and the neighbouring 
islands.—Mr, George Murray read a paper on the outer peridium 
of Broomeia. This gasteromycetous fungus, which is nearly 
related to Geaster consists of a mass of individuals closely seated 
together on a corky stroma, These individuals have been found 
up till now with only one peridium, and the Rev. Mr. Berkeley, 
who first described the plant in 1844, treated the stroma as the 
NAT OTE 
451 
! 
| homologue of an outer peridium. Mr. Murray has found 
on some specimens recently brought from Dammara Land 
a true outer peridium common to all the individuals. From an 
examination of it he is able to throw light on the mode of 
development of this fungus. —A paper was read on the ‘* Manna”’ 
or Lerp insect of South Australia, by Mr. J. G. Otto Tepper. 
This contained observations on the insect in question and on the 
peculiar saccharine substance derived from it, which is deposited 
on Eucalypt trees.—Mr. W. B. Hemsley read a communication 
on the synonymy of Didymoplexis, and on the elongation of the 
pedicle of D. fadlens, The latter saprophyte orchid is widely 
scattered in tropical Asia, though apparently nowhere very 
common. It is remarkable for the elongation of its pedicles 
after flowering, At tle time of flowering the pedicles are 
shorter than the flowers, which are less than half an inch long ; 
but afterwards they elongate, sometimes as much as a foot. The 
object seems to be to carry the ripening fruit clear of the wet 
decaying vegetable matter in which the plant grows. 
Zoological Society, February 20, W. H. Fowler, F.R.S., 
president, in the chair.—Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell exhibited a selection 
of microscopical preparations received from the Zoological 
Station at Naples, and made some remarks upon them.—Mr, 
J. J. Weir exhibited and made remarks on an apparently 
hermaphrodite specimen of Zycenea tcarus.—Mr. Sclater gave 
an account of the birds collected by Mr. H. O. Forbes, F.Z.S., 
during his recent expedition to Timor Laut, and exhibited the 
specimens. The species were fifty-five in number, sixteen of 
which were described as new to science under the following 
names :—/Vinox forbest, Strix sororcula, Tanygnathus subaffinis, 
Geoffroius tenimberensts, Monarcha castus, Monarcha mundus, 
Rhipidura hamadryas, Myiagra fulviventris, Micreca hemi- 
| xantha, Grauculus unimodus, Lalage mesta, Pachycephala arcti- 
torguis, Diceum fulsidum, Myzomela annabelle, Calornis crassa, 
and Megapodius tenimberensis. The general facies of the avifauna 
as thus indicated was stated to be decidedly Papuan, with a 
| slight Timorese element, evidenced by the occurrence of certain 
species of the genera Geoctchla and Erythura ; while the new 
owl (Strix sororcula) was apparently a diminutive form of a 
peculiar Australian species.x—Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell read the 
second of his series of papers on the Holothuroidea. The 
present communication contained the descriptions of some new 
species which the author had discovered while examining the 
specimens of this group contained in the collection of the British 
Museum.—Dr. Hans Gadow read a paper on the suctorial ap- 
paratus of the Tenuirostres, pointing out that the tubular 
structure of the tongue in this group is produced by the over- 
growth of the horny lingual sheath, the edges of which curl 
upwards and inwards.—A paper was read by Mr. L. Taczan- 
owski, C.M.Z.S., Curator of the Museum at Warsaw, in which 
he gave the descriptions of some new species of birds in the 
collection made by Dr. Raimondi during his recent explorations 
in Peru. The species in question were seven in number, belong- 
ing to six genera, namely, Carenochrous seebohmi, C, dressert, 
Phytotoma raimondi, Ochthaca jelskii Upucerthia pallida, 
Cynanthus grisetventris, and Psittacula crassivostris.—Mr, Tac- 
zanowski also read a communication from Dr, Dybowski, in which 
the sexual differences between the skulls of AAj tina stelleri were 
pointed out.—A communication was read from Mr, G, B. 
Sowerby, jun., containing the descriptions of nine new species of 
shells and of the opercula of two known species, 
Entomological Society, February 7.—]. W. Denning, 
M.A., F.L.S., president, in the chair.—Two Members and one 
subscriber were elected.—Mr. J. R. Billups exhibited a species 
of Conocephalus which was found in a greenhouse at Lee and 
kept alive some time.—Mr. F. P. Pascoe read some comments 
on a letter recently contributed to NA1uRE by the Duke of 
Argyll, respecting a moth observed by him at Cannes.—Mr. E. 
A. Fitch exhibited three species of Hymenoptera from Am- 
barawa, Sumatra.—M. L, Peringuey communicated notes on 
the habits of three species of Pawssus observed by him at the 
Cape of Good Hope. 
Mineralogical Society, February 15.—Mr. W. H. Hudle- 
ston, F.G.S., president, in the chair.—Prof. Church exhibited 
and described a specimen of siliceous matter obtained by Mr. 
Vicary from the Upper Greensand of Haldon, which contained 
98 per cent. of silica.—The President then read a paper on a 
recent hypothesis with respect to the diamond rock of South 
Africa. A discussion ensued.in which Profs, Rupert Jones, John 
Morris, and Church took part.—A paper from Mr. J. H. 
