Oct. 14, 1886] 
NAT ORE 
587 
pitants is nearly impossible. A new chemistry has to be slowly 
built up, taking for data uncertain and deceptive indications, 
marred by the interfering power of mass in withdrawing soluble 
salts from a solution, and the solubility of nearly all precipitates 
when present in traces in water or in ammoniacal salts. What 
is here meant by ‘‘traces” will be better under tood if I give an 
instance. After fifteen months’ work I obtained the earth 
yttria in a state which most chemists would call absolutely pure, 
_ for it contained not more than 1 part of impurity (samaria) 
in 250,000 parts of yttria. But this one part in a quarter of a 
million profoundly altered the charac’er of yttria from a radiant- 
matter-spectroscopic point of view, and the persistence of thi: 
_ very minute quantity of interfering impurity entailed another ten 
months’ extra labour to eliminate these final ‘traces,’ and to 
ascertain the real reaction of yttria pure and simple. 
The radiant-matter test applied to these phosphorescing bodies 
proves itself to be every day more and more valuable, and one 
of the most far-searching and trustworthy tools ever placed in 
the hands of the experimental chemist. It is an exquisitely 
delicate test, capable of being applied to bodies which have 
been approximately separated, but not yet completely isolated, 
by chemical means; its delicacy is unsurpassed even in the 
region of spectrum analysis ; its economy is great, inasmuch as 
the test involves no destruction of material ; and its convenience 
is such that any given specimen is always available for future 
reference. Likewise, the quantity of material is limited solely 
by the power of the human eye to see the body under examina- 
tion. Beyond all these excellences is ils trustworthiness. I 
_ should perhaps exceed the legitimate inference from experience 
were I to claim that this test is infallible ; but this I may say— 
during the five years in which the test has been in daily use in 
my laboratory, I never once have been led to view its indications 
_ with suspicion. Anomalies and apparent contradictions have 
cropped up in plenty ; but a little more experiment has always 
shown that the anomalies were but finger-posts pointing to fresh 
paths of discovery, and the contradictions were due to my own 
erroneous interpretation of the facts before me. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Rendiconti del Reale Istituto Lombardo, July.—On some new 
substituted derivatives of benzine, by E. G. Korner. In order 
to complete the still defective aromatic series, the author has 
prepared a number of these derivatives, studying them in con- 
‘nection with the relative isomerous compounds. The list in- 
cludes a hydrochlorate, (B)HCI,H,O; asulphate, (B)2H,SO,; 
orthoiodacetanilide, C;H,I . NHC,H,0 ; and nitro-orthobiiodo- 
benzine, probably C,H,. I. 1. H. NO,.—On the effects of the 
sulphate of copper against the parasites of the grape-vine, by 
Prof. Gaetano Cantani. It is shown that this remedy, which 
has already been successfully tried in France, should also he 
introduced in Italy, if not to supersede, at least jointly with, the 
milk of lime.—Chemical and experimental researches on human 
milk, by Prof. G. Sormani and T. Gigli. It appears from the 
authors’ experiments that a mixed or normal diet yields far 
etter results than an exclusively animal or vegetarian régime. 
Meteorological observations made at the Brera Observatory, 
Milan, during the month of July. 
Botanische Fahrbiicher, von A. Engler, Siebenter Band, 
Weft iv.—Contributions to the morphology and classification of 
the Cyperacee, by Dr. F. Pax. The author regards the Cyper- 
aceze as reduced types cf a series which is more advanced phylo- 
genetically than the Juncaceze. As regards their relations to the 
Graminez, he concludes that the affinity is not so direct that the 
one family could be derived from the other.—On the flower and 
inflorescencé of the Centrolepidaceze, by Prof. Dr. G. Hieronymus. 
Contributions to the flora of the Cameroons, by A. Engler. 
list of plants collected by Dr. Buchholz in the Cameroons 
in 1874, with descriptions of the new species.—On the origin 
+ of the weeds on arable land and waste places in Germany, part 1, 
| by F. Hellwig.—Abstracts of important papers. 
| Heft v. opens with part 2 of the above paper by Dr. Hellwig. 
The first part is chiefly occupied with the general consideration 
of the subject, and lists of the plants in question ; while the 
seccnd contains a detailed account of the origin of the plants 
Named in the foregoing lists.—The orchids collected by Dr. 
_ Naumann on the expedition of H.M.S. Gazelée, by F. Kranzlin. 
The volume closes with a valuable list of works published during 
1885, on classificatory botany, &c. This, together with the 
frequent analyses of the more important of those papers which 
are published in languages not usually familiar to ordinary 
ia greatly enhances the value of Dr, Engler’s excellent 
serial. 
Bericht iiber die Thatigheit der botanischen Section der Schles- 
ischen Gesellschaft, 1885, compiled by Prof. Dr. F. Cohn.— 
The Botanical Section of the Society held nine meetings during 
the year 1885, at which the following original papers were 
read :—Dr. Engler, on the vegetation of the German possessions 
in South Africa.—Dr. Pax, on the genus Acer.—Herr Limp- 
richt, on the formation of pores in the cortex of the Sphagna.— 
Dr. Eidam, on an Entomophthoraceous fungus found on frogs’ 
dung.—Dr. Schroter, on the mycological results of a journey to 
Norway.—Dr. Pax, on the morphology and classification of the 
Cyperacex.—Dr. Engler, on the family of the Typhaceez,—The 
report closes with a statement of the results of the investigation 
of the Phanerogamic flora of the district in 1885, arranged by 
R. von Uechtritz. 
Beitrage cur Biologie der Pflanzen, von Dr. F. Cohn, Vierter 
Band, Zweites Heft.—Investigation;s on the tendrils of the 
Cucurbitacee, by Dr. Otto Miiller, of Breslau (3 plates). The 
author concludes, chiefly on anatomical grounds, that the irritable 
part of the tendril of the Cucurbitacex is of foliar nature.— 
Investigations of the Flage//ate, by Dr. Arthur Seligo (1 plate). 
—Basidiobolus, a new genus of the LExtumophthoracee, by 
Dr. Ed. Eidam (4 plates). The author regards the resting 
spores of this genus as true zygospores, though the gametes are 
of unequal size, and expresses the opinion that the Ay/omo- 
PAthoree fnd their natural place in the Zygomyrcetes, as directly 
related to the AZucoring. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
SYDNEY 
Royal Society of New South Wales, August 4.—Ch- 
Rolleston, President, in the chair.—The Society’s Medal and 
Prize of 25/. was presented to Mr. S. Herbert Cox, F.C.S., 
F.G.S., for his prize essay on ‘‘ The Tin Deposits of New South 
Wales.” The principal deposits occur in New England as im- 
pregnations, segregation veins, and lodes in granite, also as gash 
veins in Silurian slates, and as a network of veins or stockwork 
in haplite. The granitic eruption occurred not later tham 
Carboniferous times, and no sedimentary strata appear to have 
been deposited until the Tertiary period, when the leads of 
alluvial tin were formed, together with their associated gravels. 
Denudation on an enormous scale has gone on, and the Silurian 
slates which rest on the granites have only been preserved as 
outlying patches included in folds in the granite. Dykes of 
feldspar and quartz porphyry traverse both the granite and slates, 
but the date of this eruption is probably Tertiary, although 
evidence appears to point out that this acidic only preceded 
the ensuing basaltic eruption by a short time. The more fluid 
basalt flowed for considerable distances, frequently burying the 
gravels of the river-beds with the tin they contained, and pre- 
serving these ‘‘deep leads” from subsequent denudation. True 
lodes appear to be rare, but some remarkable impregnated areas 
exist in greisen ; ‘‘segregation”” veins of small size are found 
in the granite, and in the slate ‘‘gash” veins up to 4 inches im 
width occur, but these are certainly not true lodes, Fortunately, 
wolfram occurs in separate veins from the tin ; copper and iron 
pyrites, fluor-spar, tourmaline, white mica, and topaz are com- 
mon ; beryl forms a rock with quartz, through which tinstone is. 
impregnated. In the alluvial deposits, tinstone is found asso- 
ciated with diamonds, sapphires, zircons, &c. The greater 
quantity of the tinstone hitherto raised has been from the allu- 
vial, and the ‘‘deep leads” which are still being worked, and 
will probably be greatly developed in the future, closely corre- 
spond in their course with the shallow ones, They are worked 
to depths of 140 to 180 feet, and are frequently found below 
solid floes of basalt. Very good crushing and smelting plants 
have been erected, and although the conditions of the district 
vary greatly in different parts, it may be taken as certain that a 
yield of 5 per cent. tin in lodes, and from 4 to 1 ewt. per cubic 
yard in deep alluvial deposits, pays for extraction. ‘The total 
output of tin between 1872 and 1883 is 64794 tons of ingots 
and 13'268 tons of black tin.—A paper by the late Rey. P. 
