March i8, 1886 J 



NATURE 



Ml 



blood, and gives a lable of the invertebrates in which ha^mo- 

 cyanin and haemoglobin have been found. — On the nature of 

 papain and its action on vegetable protcid, by Dr. Sidney H. C. 

 Martin. The proteids present in papain are globulin and albumin, 

 and two forms of albumose. No peptones were found. — Re- 

 Ljarding the influence of the organic constituents of the blood on 

 the contractility of the ventricle, by Dr. Sydney Ringer (plate 9). 

 He infers that the arrest of contractility with a saline solution is 

 not due to the removal of pabulum to support the contractions, 

 but that lime and potassium salts are necessary ingredients in a 

 circulating fluid to supply the conditions essential to the change 

 occurring during a contraction, there being stored up in the 

 muscular tissue a material to carry on contractions which cannot 

 be washed out by a fluid circulating in the heart cavities. — On 

 the nature of glomerular activity in the Icidney, by J. O. Adami. 

 It would seem that the glomerular epithelium has properties of a 

 definite secretory nature ; they may even be regarded as {in the 

 dog) having powers of a selective secretory nature. — Plethysmo- 

 graphic and vaso-motor experiments with frogs, by Dr. Fred. W. 

 Ellis (plates 10 and 11). — On some vaso-motor functions of the 

 spinal nerves in the frog, by W. Horscraft Waters. 



The yoiirnal of Anatomy and P/iysiohgji for January 1SS6, 

 vol. XX. part 2, contains : — Prof. Macalister, morphology of 

 the arterial system in man, part i. — R. Austin Freeman, the 

 anatomy of the shoulder and upper arm of the mole (plate 5). — 

 Dr. Hans Gadow, on the reproduction of the carapax in tor- 

 toises (plate 6). In the case experimented on, the dermal 

 annour was cast ofl^, after injury, down to the soft cutaneous 

 layers ; the bulk of these produced cutis, which then underwent 

 the normal process of ossification, until at last a new complete 

 armour was formed. The author cites, as an analogous case, 

 " the reproduction of bark from the 'oliole surface of the cam- 

 bium laid open after the destruction of the old cortex." Is 

 this so? — Dr. A. M'Aldowie, on the development and decay of 

 the pigment-layer in birds' eggs. — Dr. D. J. Cunningham, the 

 connection of the os odontoideum with the body of the axis. — 

 Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, on the skeleton of Geococcyx (plates 7-9) ; 

 a very full account of the skeleton of this rare bird. — Dr. Noel- 

 Paton, 'relationship of urea- formation to bile-secretion ; partii. of 

 these important experimental researches. The formation of urea 

 in the liver bears a very direct relationship to the secretion of 

 bile by that organ. — Dr. W. Hunter, recent histological 

 methods. — Prof. \V. Turner, the sacral index in various races of 

 mankind ; makes two classes — where the sacral index is below 

 100 (Dolichohieric), and where it is above loo (Platyhieric). — 

 Dr. J. L. Gibson, the blood-forming organs and blood-formation, 

 I art ii. 



Zeitschrift fiir ivisscnschaftliche Zoologie^ Band xliii. Heft i 

 (Leipzig, December 31, 1885), contains : — Prof. A. Kblliker, 

 histological studies of Batrachian larvs (plates I and 2). Almost 

 forty years ago Prof. Kblliker published his first account of the 

 development of the Batrachian tissues, but the improvement in 

 methods of research and the expansion of knowledge as to nerve- 

 bundles and other endings have caused him to alter his opinions 

 on several matters, and in this memoir we find his latest views on 

 the structure, development, and terminations of the nerves ; also 

 some general considerations of the structure of the nerve-fibre 

 and on the development of the blood- and lymph-vessels. — W. 

 Schwarze, on the post-embryonal development in Trematodes 

 (plate 3). These researches were made on Cercaria arinata and 

 C. echinata from Linmeus slagnalis, and on C. oriiata and C. 

 spinifcra from Planorbts coineus. A useful bibliography of the 

 literature is appended. — Hermann Uhde, on the dorsal pore of 

 the terrestrial Oligochfets : a contribution to the histology and 

 classification of the Lumbricidae (plate 4). In this memoir, in 

 addition to a very detailed list of the literature of the subject 

 and to a chapter on anatomical details, we have an account of 

 the various species, based on materials collected from various 

 parts of the world. — Dr. Deichler, on Protozoa parasitic in 

 the sputa of whooping-cough. — Dr. E. Witlaczil, on the mor- 

 phology and anatomy of the Coccid;e (plate 5). 



Morphologisches Jahrbiich (Gegenbaur's), Band xi. Heft 3 

 (Leipzig, 1885), contains : — Dr. Bela Haller, researches on the 

 marine Rhipidoglossa (plates 17-24), part ii. The first part of 

 Haller's researches appeared in vol. ix. The present part treats 

 of the structure of the central nervous systems and their enve- 

 lopes. The material operated on was obtained at Trieste from 

 Fissurella, Haliotis, and Turbo, and the conclusion is arrived at 



that without doubt the nerves throughout this group of MoUusca 

 have a double origin. — Dr. H. Virchow, on the form of the 

 plicce of the ciliary body in mammals (plate 25). These folds, so 

 comparatively small in the human eye, are largely developed in 

 the rabbit. — Dr. W. Pfitzner, on the division of the nucleus in 

 Protozoa ( plate 26). These observations were chiefly on the 

 nuclei in Opaliua ranaritm^ and show the general similarity of 

 the kariokinesis in this Protozoon with that in Metazoa. — Dr. 

 G. Baur, notes on the "astragalus" and the "intermedium 

 tarsi" in mammals (plate 27). As introductory to these notes 

 a very copious account of the literature of the subject is given. — • 

 Among the short notices are : on the nerve-canal in the humerus 

 of the Amniota, by Prof. U. Fiirbinger ; and on the rudiment 

 of a septal nasal gland in man, by Prof. Gegenbaur. 



Fciulicivili del Rcale Istitido Loinbardo, January 21. — On 

 the grape-vine mildew ; observations and remedies, by Prof. 

 Gaetano Cantoni. Although usually supposed to have been for 

 the first time introduced into Europe from America about 1877, 

 the writer quotes a correspondent in the Bulletin of the French 

 Agricultural Society, who states that this disease was known in 

 Alsace under the name of niildan over forty years ago. From 

 Alsace it passed to America, where the name became Anglicised, 

 recently returning to Europe under the designation of grape- 

 vine mildew. The best prophylactic remedies hitherto discovered 

 are the sulphate of copper and milk of lime, applied either 

 separately or in combination about the beginning of June, and 

 repeated, if necessary, towards the end of August or beginning 

 of September. — On the formation of dew, by Prof Giovanni 

 Cantoni. It is shown that the theory recently communicated by 

 Prof. Aitken to the Edinburgh Royal Society and described in 

 Nature for Jan. 14 (p. 256), agrees with the conclusions already 

 arrived at by Fusinieri, Melloni, and other Italian meteorologists. 

 — Summary of the meteorological observations made at the 

 Brera Observatory, Milan, during the year 1885, prepared by 

 E. Pini. 



Mittheilungen der Naturforschenden Geselhchaft in Bern, Nos. 

 1092-1132 {1884-85). — Wind and precipitates in Bern (from 

 records of Bern Observatory during fifteen years), by Herr 

 Benteli. — On a case of rapid hole-formation in rock, by Herr 

 Baltzer. — On lake-balls, by Herr Coaz. — On the theory of 

 trisection of angles, by Herr Moser.— On the termination 

 of nerves in striped iimscles of man, by Herr Flesck. — 

 On a case of loess in Canton Bern, by Herr Baltzer. — On 

 the oldest map of Switzerland of .-Egidius Tschudi, by Herr 

 Graf. — Mathematical researches on the colour of thin gypsum 

 plates in polarised light, by M. Jonquiere.— On the poisoning with 

 Amanita phalloides in Bern in 1884, by Herr Studer, jun.— On 

 the occurrence of the vascular wave in the carotid-curve, by 

 Herr Mvitzenberg, — Contributions to a comparison of the brain- 

 fissures in Carnivora and Primates, after examination of a lion's 

 brain, by Herr Familiant. — On the chemistry of food-stuffs, by 

 Herr Fueter-Schnell. — On a new occurrence of rock-crystal in 

 Switzerland, by Herr von Fellenberg. 



Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesell- 

 schaft in Lucerne, September 1884.— We note here the President's 

 (Herr Suidter-Langenstein) opening address, dealing with the 

 Lucerne region in geological, meteorological, and biological 

 aspects ; also two interesting reports on prize competitions — one 

 relating to a climatology of Switzerland, the other to the deep- 

 water fauna of Swiss lakes. 



Journal de Physique, February.— On refrigerating mixtures 

 and the principle of maximum work, by M. Potier. — On the 

 critical temperatures and the pressures of some gases, by MM. 

 Vincent and Chappuis. — Researches on the freezing temperature 

 of solutions, by M. Raoult.— On the formula of plane gratings, 

 by M. Branly. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Royal Society, December 10, 1885.—" On the Magnetisa- 

 tion of Steel, Cast Iron, and Soft Iron." By John W. 

 Gemmell. 



In this paper the author describes and gives the results ot a 

 series of experiments upon particular specimens of iron and of 

 steel. The specimens consisted of wires of " soft Scotch iron, 

 "common wire," "charcoal iron," and "soft steel," with bars 

 of cast iron and malleable iron ; .and the object of the investiga- 



