Dec. 24. 1885] 



NATURE 



doubtful, there can be no doubt as to the sucker-like functions 

 of the appendages in Pneumoderraon. — Evidence in favour of 

 the view that the coxal gland of Limulus and of other Arachnida 

 is a modified nephridium, by G. L. GuUand, M.A. (plate 36), 

 with a note thereon bj' Prof. E, Ray Lankester, in which the 

 following important statement is made : — " The space in the con- 

 nective tissue into which the young nephridium opens internally 

 is not a blood space. The blood system in the larger Arthro- 

 poda is altogether distinct from the general system of lacuna? of 

 the connective tissue. The lacuuic form a hmphatic sysldiii 

 which contains a liquid distinct from the blood : they represent 

 the body cavity, and as such receive the internal openings of the 

 nephridia." — Notes on the embryology of Limulus, by Dr. J. S. 

 Kingsley (plates 37-39). — On the anatomy of the Madreporaria, 

 part i., by G. Herbert Fowler, B.A. (plates 40-42). — The issue 

 of the " Supplement " numbers of thii journal being found in- 

 convenient, it has been decided to publish its numbers for the 

 future at such intervals as the accumulation of material renders 

 desirable. Though more than four numbers will thus in all 

 probability be published in the course of a year, the title will 

 remain unaltered. Four numbers will make a volume. 



Two papers are especially noteworthy in the yminial of 

 Botany for November : — Rev. H. E. Fox and Mr. F. J. 

 Hanbury's " Botanical Notes of a Tour in Caithness and 

 Sutherland," where they had the opportunity of visiting large 

 tracts of country from which botanists are, as a rule, now 

 practically shut out, that they may not interfere with the sports 

 of the owners; and Mr. F. N. Williams's careful "Enumera- 

 tion of the Species and Varieties of Diant/itis." 



The number for December is signalised by a continuation of 

 the record of Mr. Thos. Hick's important observations on proto- 

 plasmic continuity in the Fucacea;. He has now detected this 

 continuity in two other species, He7nanthaha lorea and Latnin- 

 aria digitata (the latter not strictly belonging to the Fucacece), in 

 the cortical and central, less certainly in the epidermal tissue. 

 In the latter species the continuity is effected through the in- 

 tervention of sieve-plates. Mr. James Britten gives a complete 

 liistory of the important botanical 'collections made by Messrs. 

 J. R. and G. Forster. 



The Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales^ 

 vol. X. part 2, July 31, contains the following papers: — W. 

 Macleay, revision of the genus Lamprina, and descriptions of 

 new species ; on two new Australian Lucanidas ; on new fishes 

 from the Upper Murrumbidgee. — N. de Miklouho-Maclay, on 

 the zoology of the Maclay coast. New Guinea, ii. ; on two 

 new species of Dorcopsis (plates 19 and 20) ; on the brain of 

 Halicore aitstralts (pUte 24). — Dr. R. von Lendenfeld, on 

 Australian sponges lately described by Carter ; on a Medusa 

 from the tropical Pacific. — A. G. Hamilton, on the fertilisation 

 of Goodenia hederacea (plate 21). — K. H. Bennett, on the habits 

 of Falco subniger and Glareola i^raliaria. — Rev. J. M. Curran, 

 on the geology of Dubbo (plates 22 and 23). — Baron von 

 Mueller, on a remarkable Haloragis from New South Wales. — 

 A. S. OUiff, the Cucujids of Australia. — D. Ogilvy, de- 

 scription of new fishes. — E. P. Ramsay, notes on birds from 

 New Guinea; on a new species of CoUyriocincla. — G. F. 

 Mathew, R.N., on the natural history of Claremont Islands; 

 on the butterflies of Thursday Island. — W. A. Haswell, M.A., 

 jottings from the biological laboratory of Sydney University. 



Zeitichtift fiir wi^senschaflliche Zoologie, Band 42, Heft 3, 

 October 27. — On tlie movements of the foot in the Lamelli- 

 branchs, by Dr. A. Fleischmann (with five woodcuts). —On the 

 oceanic fauna off the coast of New Guinea, by Dr. R. Greeff 

 (plates 12-14). Rolas or Pigeon Island is separated from St. 

 ■Thomas by a channel of from 3 to 4 km. wide. Under favour- 

 able winds, shoals of larval and mature Crustacea, MoUusca, 

 Echinoderm larva, Medusa, Radiolaria, &c., float through. 

 The general description of the place is most alluring ; surely 

 the proprietor, Mr. F. Jose de Araujo is in the possession of 

 an earthly paradise for a marine zoologist. In this memoir Dr. 

 Greeff describes and figures several new species of Tomo- 

 pteris and Alciope, giving, at the same time, anatomical details. 

 — Contributions to the anatomy and histology of Priapulus 

 caudatiis. Lam., and Halicryplit! spinulosus, V. Sieb. , by Dr. 

 W. Apel (plates 15-17). — Contributions to our knowledge of 

 the Mallophaga, by Dr. F. Grosse (plate 18). These researches 

 are chiefly based on a remarkable new parasite from a pelican 

 found by Dr. Reiss in Chili, which is described as belonging to 

 a new genus and species (Tetrophthalmm chilensis). — On the 



reproductive organs in Nematois metallic us, Pod., by N. Cholod- 

 kovsky (plate 19), a memoir of importance to the Lepidopterist . 



Archives Itatiennes de Biologic, tome vi. fasc. 2, March 31, 

 contains : — Clinical and physiological researches on paralde- 

 hyde, by Dr. V. Cervello. — On the physiological action of 

 antipyrene, by Dr. F. Coppola. — On perimetry, and on self- 

 registering perimeters, by Dr. Ferri. — On the effects of salt on 

 Cercaria, by Prof. E. Perroncito. — On cicatrisation after wounds 

 in the kidney ; and on the partial regeneration of that organ, by 

 G. Pisenti (plate). — On albumen in the saliva, and the bile in 

 albuminuria, by Matilda Dessalles. — On the minute structure of 

 the air-sacs in birds, by Dr. E. Ficalbi (abstract). — On anomalies 

 in the number of the semi-lunar, aortic, and pulmonary valves, 

 by G. Martinotti, and G. Sperino. — On microphytes in the 

 normal human epidermis by Prof. G. Bizzozero (from Virchcnv's 

 Archiv), December, 1884 (plate). — On the organ of Corti in the 

 Cercopitheci, by Prof. A. Tafani (illustrated). — Notes on the 

 anatomy of a negro (iii.), by Prof. Giacomini (plates). 



The October number of the Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano 

 contains only two original papers : — On the Bryology of the 

 neighbourhood of Cuneo, by Sig. Macchiati ; and On the nature 

 and development of the integuments of the seed in Tilia, by 

 Sig. Mattirolo. These integuments may be classified into two 

 layers, the inner of which displays the light line characteristic of 

 the genus Tilia, and which is due to the formation of lignin. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Royal Society, December 17. — " A New Form of Spectro- 

 scope." By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R. S. 



Some two or three years ago, when the sun-spot work carried 

 on at Kensington revealed the different behaviour, in different 

 spots, of lines visible in the spectra of the same element, it 

 seemed desirable to extend similar observations to metallic pro- 

 minences, and, if possible, in such a way that comparisons over 

 a considerable reach of spectrum should be secured. 



It then struck me that a grating cut in half, with one part 

 movable, would afford a ready means of doing this. 



Circumstances prevented the realisation of this scheme till 

 quite recently, when I put into Mr. Hilger's hands a grating 

 presented to me by Mr. Rutherfurd. 



The result is excellent. It is possible to observe C and F, 

 for instance, together, quite conveniently, with either a normal 

 or a tangential slit. The only precautions necessary are to see 

 that one-half of the light passing through the object-glass falls 

 on one-half of the grating, and that the rays which come to a 

 focus on the slit plate are those the wave-length of u hich is half 

 way between the wave-lengths compared. 



Linnean Society, December 17. — Mr. Frank Crisp, LL.B., 

 Vice-President and Treasurer, in tlie chair. — Heritiera littoralis, 

 var. macrophylla. Dr. Masters showed a branch with leaves and 

 fruit, received from Prof. Cornu, of the Jardindes Planter, Paris. 

 The adult leaves, of very large size, are dark green above, and 

 silvery white beneath. The latter, due to an investment of 

 shining, peltate, membranous scales, has given rise to the name 

 " Looking-glass tree." This Sterculaceous tree is a native of 

 the tropics of the Old World, in the vicinity of coasts, and 

 occurs inland in the hills of Eastern Bengal. Kurz considered 

 the species and its variety as quite distinct, a view not held by 

 Dr. Masters. — Mr. Charles Stewart exhibited the stridulating 

 organ of a Spiny Lobster {Palinurus) ; he showed under the 

 microscope the file-like bow and its two tubercles, also, by means 

 of a softened specimen attached to the carapace, he pro f ced the 

 peculiar grating noise which the animal makes durin_; liP . — Mr. 

 J. G. Baker exhibited specimens of Lycopodiuin cotnplanatum, 

 collected by the Rev. A. Lawson on the Somersetshire side ot 

 Exmoor, near Porlock, thus corroborating those who h ive 

 ascribed a British habitat to the species in question. — Mr. 

 Clement Reid drew attention to a series of fossil seeds and 

 plants from the " Forest Bed" of the Cromer district, Norfolk ; 

 their very excellent state of preservation enabled their comparisons 

 with living plants to be easily made out, and thus a clue 

 given to the history of our present flora. — Mr. Thos. Christy 

 exhibited a plant of Angnrcum sesquipedalc in flower, and a 

 plant of Catasctum puium, showing flowers erect and reversed 

 in the same spike. In none of the flowers was the ovary visibly 

 twisted, but in long ovaried orchids it is often very difficult to 

 detect the twisting of the ovary by the external aspect. This 



