November 24, 1898] 



NA TURE 



95 



which had been brought from Somaliland by Mrs. Lort 

 Phillips. As it had flowered in the Cambridge Botanic Garden 

 during the past summer, and ripe capsules and seeds were 

 obtained, a complete description was possible. — The Rev. T. R. 

 Stebbing, F. R.S., read a paper on " Amphipoda from the 

 Copenhagen Museum and other Sources," in continuation of a 

 former memoir on this subject ( Trans. Linn. Soc, ZooL, vol. vii. 

 part 2). Several new species and a few new genera were 

 described. 



Royal Microscopical Society, October 19. — Mr. E. M. Nel- 

 son, President, in the chair. —The President referred to a micro- 

 scope made by Reichert, and exhibited by Messrs. Baker. It 

 was designed for examining opaque objects ; a reflector was fitted 

 in the tube of the microscope, which threw the light down upon 

 the object through the objective. This was an old idea revived, 

 but in its present form it was said to be very useful in steel 

 works for examination of fractures of the metal. — Mr. C. Beck 

 exhibited four new students' microscopes, mounted upon true 

 tripod stands. — Messrs. Watson and Sons exhibited another 

 microscope, named the " Fram," specially designed for students' 

 use. — The President exhibited an old microscope by John Cuff, 

 of Fleet Street, date about 1760 ; and also an old French micro- 

 scope, date about 1765. lie then described some micro-rulings 

 presented to the Society, and made by Mr. fi. J. Grayson, of 

 Melbourne ; these were mounted in realgar, a medium possess- 

 ing a refractive index of 2'5, which caused the lines to stand out 

 with great distinctness. Two were micrometers and two were 

 test plates. The micrometer rulings had been critically measured, 

 and were found to be accurately and evenly spaced ; and the 

 test plates were beautifully ruled . There was also a specimen 

 of ruling suitable for a diffraction grating. Mr. Grayson had 

 likewise sent a number of slides of test diatoms mounted in 

 realgar, and some mounted in styrax, for comparison. The 

 slides showed no signs of crystallisation ; they had stood the 

 heat and rough handling in the post from Melbourne, and the 

 great heat of the past summer ; aqd Mr. Grayson said that, from 

 the method adopted by him, there was no fear of crystallisation 

 taking place. — A paper by Mr. J. Newton Coombe, "The Re- 

 production of Diatoms," was read by the Secretary, and was 

 illustrated by a series of lantern slides. Mr. Bennett said the 

 paper appeared to throw a new light on the various modes of 

 reproduction, and seemed to point to the removal of the diatoms 

 from the Protophyta to a position among the Conjugatae. — 

 Part iii. of Mr. Millett's "Report on the recent Foraminifera 

 of the Malay Archipelago" was taken as read. 



Manchester. 



Literary and Philosophical Society, October 18, — J. 

 Cosmo Melvill, President, in the chair. — Mr. J. J. Ashworth 

 exhibited a plant and cobs (both ripened and immature) of 

 Indian corn (Zea mais) grown at Wilmslow, Cheshire. Mr. 

 Charles Bailey made some observations on the exhibits, re- 

 marking especially on the inflorescence and fructification of the 

 plant, and on its geographical distribution. — The President com- 

 municated a paper by Air. Peter Cameron, entitled " Hymen- 

 optera Orientalia, or contributions to a knowledge of the Hy 

 menoptera of the Oriental zoological region," Part viii. The 

 author described a large number of new genera and species of 

 hymenopterous insects from the Khasia Hills in the Eastern 

 Himalayas, a district which has not hitherto been worked for 

 its Hymenoptera. The specimens were collected by the natives, 

 some of whom make excellent collectors, but who mostly confine 

 their attention to large or medium-sized species. That the 

 species inhabiting this region must number many thousand.s, 

 is evident from the fact that in the comparatively small dis- 

 trict of Sikkim there are found about 600 species of butter- 

 flies and (probably) thousands of moths. 



Edinburgh. 



Mathematical Society, November 11.— Mr. J. B. Clark, 

 President, in the chair. — Mr. George Duthie communicated a 

 paper on " Systems of circles analogous to Tucker's circles," 

 by Mr. J. A. Third, and Mr. VV. L. Thomson read a paper 

 on the "Geometrical theory of the hyperbolic functions." — 

 On the motion of Prof. G. A. Gibson, a committee was ap- 

 pointed to consider the treatment of proportion in elementary 

 mathematics. — The following were elected office-bearers for 

 the current session : — President : Dr. Alex. Morgan. Vice- 



NO. I 5 17, VOL. 59] 



President : Mr. R. F. Muirhead. Hon. Secretary : Mr. J. 

 W. Butters. Hon. Treasurer : Mr. F. Spence. Editors : Mr. 

 John Dougall, Mr. Charles Tweedie, Dr. C. G. Knott. Com- 

 mittee : Messrs. J. D. H. Dickson, Geo. Duthie, and A. 

 Lindsay. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, November 14. — M. Wolf in the 

 chair. — Observations of the meteor swarm, by M. Loewy. 

 Owing to the unfavourable weather, on the nights of November 

 10 and II only two meteors belonging to the group of Leonids 

 were observed. — Observations on the sun, made at the Observ- 

 atory of Lyons with the Brunner equatorial during the second 

 quarter of 1898, by M. J. Guillaume. The results are given in 

 three tables, showing mean area of spots, and their distribution 

 in latitude and longitude respectively. — On the development of 

 uniform functions in Taylor's series, by M. Emile Borel. — On an 

 indeterminate equation, by M. Carl Stornier. — On the pro- 

 duction of crystalli.sed tungsten by electrolysis, by M. L. A. 

 Hallopeau. The electrolysis of lithium paratungstate gives 

 metallic tungsten in a well crystallised state. The corresponding 

 sodium and potassium salts yield only tungsto-tungstates on 

 similar treatment. — Volumetric estimation of boric acid, by M. 

 Copaux. The method used is developed from those proposed 

 by Gasselin, R. Thomson, and Barthe, the titration being 

 carried out in presence of alcohol and glycerol, helianthin and 

 phenolphthalein being used as indicators. The analyses of 

 borax and ethyl borate quoted are very satisfactory. — New 

 halogen derivatives of guiacol and veratrol, by M. H. Cousin. 

 Trichloro-guiacol, dibromoguiacol, tetrabromoguiacol, triehloro- 

 veratrol and tribromoveratrol have been prepared and described. 

 — On a new sugar accompanying sorbite, by MM. Camille 

 \'incent and J. Meunier. When sorbite is crystallised from 

 aqueous solutions, the new sugar remains in the mother liquors. 

 These are then fermented by the sorbose bacterium, which 

 oxidises the residual .sorbite, and the sugar is then extracted from 

 the syrup by benzaldehyde in presence of sulphuric acid. The 

 sugar obtained from this is an octite, C^HjgOg, and has not been 

 crystallised. A comparison of its properties with those of 

 sorbite shows that the substances are quite distinct. — Derivatives 

 of natural methylheptenone, by M. Georges Leser. The re- 

 action between sodium, acetic ether, and natural methylhepte- 

 none has been studied, and a condensation product CjbH.iijO 

 isolated and analysed. — Volumetric analysis of acetalde- 

 hyde, by M. X. Rocques. The results obtained by 

 the method previously given by the author have since 

 been found to vary with the temperature. To obtain 

 exact results it is necessary to carry out the reaction in 

 closed vessels at 50° C. — Estimation of diabetic sugars by the 

 polarimeter, by the reduction coefficient, and by fermentation, 

 by M. Frederic Landolph. The author distinguishes three 

 classes of diabetic sugars, which are clearly indicated by the 

 relations existing between the amount of Fehling's solution 

 reduced, the rotatory power, and the amount of carbon dioxide 

 produced on fermentation. — Some general preliminary con- 

 clusions on humic coals, by M. C. Eg. Bertrand. — On the mode 

 of formation of indigo in the methods of commercial extraction, 

 by M. L. Breaudat. The suggestion that micro-organisms play 

 a part in the indigo fermentation, would appear to have no 

 foundation. The plant especially studied, Isatis alpiiia, con- 

 tains a hydrolysing diastase and an oxydase. In presence of 

 water, the former splits up indican into indigo-white and indi- 

 glucin, and the latter oxidises the indigo- white in presence of an 

 alkali to indigo.— On the absorption of the halogen salts of 

 potassium by plants, by M. E. Demoussy. Plants growing in 

 solutions containing potassium chloiide, at first rapidly absorb 

 the salt, but this absorption slows down and finally cease.s. 

 Sodium bromide is also absorbed, but not the iodide.-— 

 Researches on lesions of the nervous centres produced by experi- 

 mental hyperthermy, by M. G. Marinesco.— On early lesions of 

 the nervous centres in hydrophobia, by M. V. Babes. Hydro- 

 phobia produces cellular and vascular lesions of the grey matter, 

 which can be m.ade out one or two days before the appearance 

 of the first rabic symptoms. — Observations on the general course 

 of histogenesis and organogenesis, by M. J. Kunstler. — On 

 burrowing in the Homaridae and Thalassinidae, by M. Georges 

 Bohn.— On the development of some species of Trochus, by M. 

 A. Robert.— Absorption of carbohydrates by roots, by M. Jules 

 Laurent. A maize plant will grow and gain weight in an 

 atmosphere free from carbon dioxide, if supplied with glucose. 

 Sunlight, however, is necessary for this assimilation.— On the 



