May 1, 1902] 
F.R.S., Mr. Rolfe also exhibited some specimens illustrating 
the precocious germination of the seeds of a species of Draczena. 
Germination had taken place through the pericarp while the 
berries were still hanging on the plant.—Mr. Spencer Moore 
read a paper entitled ‘‘ A Contribution to the Composite Flora 
of Africa,” in which he described a number of new species in 
the Herbarium of the British Museum. He found that the 
north-eastern tropics, especially British East Africa and the 
neighbouring parts of Somaliland and Southern Abyssinia, had 
yielded most of the novelties.—Prof. F. E. Weiss read a paper, 
illustrated by lantern-slides, on a biseriate halonial branch of 
Lepidophloios fuliginosus. The branch in question, about 7 in. 
in length, was found in a large nodule by Mr. George Wilde at 
Haugh Hill, near Stalybridge. Dr. Scott, in a preliminary 
communication to the British Association in 1898, had identified 
it with the plant described by Williamson as Lepidodendron 
fuliginosum, now generally included in the genus Lepidophloios. 
Prof. Weiss supported this identification, and brought forward 
several instances of halonial branches of Lepidophloios which 
possessed only two rows of tubercles, instead of the more usual 
quincuncial arrangement of the tubercles. The specimen 
referred to, and of which photographs were shown, were from 
the British and Manchester Museums, and instances were alsoy 
cited from Williamson’s published memoirs. The second part 
of the paper consisted of a detailed account of the anatomy of 
this well-preserved specimen, which went to confiru: Dr, Scott’s 
previous identification of it. 
Geological Society, March 26.—Prof. Charles Lapworth, 
F.R.S., president, in the chair.—On a remarkable inlier among 
the Jurassic rocks of Sutherland and its bearing on the origin of 
the breccia-beds, by the Rev. J. F. Blake. On the coast of 
Sutherland due south of Port Gower is seen on the scars at low 
water a long rocky crest of Old Red Sandstone, with its flaggy 
beds dipping at a high angle. It is of considerable height, and 
is surrounded by nearly horizontal Jurassic beds containing large 
blocks of rocks similar to those of the crest, irregularly placed. 
The size, outline and relation to the surrounding rocks show that 
this cannot be a transported block, but must have been part of, 
or directly derived from, a neighbouring coast—like the modern 
sea-stacks of the present coast at Duncansby. From considera- 
tions of the character and distribution of the breccia-beds, it is 
concluded that they are the product of an ice-foot of Upper 
Jurassic age, which invaded the normal deposits of that period. 
—On a deep boring at Lyme Regis, by Mr. A. J. Jukes- 
Browne. During 1go1 a boring was made near Lyme Regis in 
search of coal, and was carried to the depth of 1300 feet without 
reaching the base of the Upper Triassic Marls. The beds 
passed through were compared with those exposed along the 
cliffs from Lyme to Sidmouth. The author concludes that the 
boring did not reach the beds which near Sidmouth form a 
passage from the Keuper Marls to the Keuper Sandstones, and 
that the Keuper Marls proved by the boring are at least 1130 
feet, and may amount to 1200 feet in thickness. 
MANCHESTER. 
Literary and Philosophical Society, April 15.—Mr. 
Charles Bailey, president, in the chair.—Dr. Henry Wilde, 
F.R.S., read a paper on the atomic weights and classification 
of the elementary gases, neon, argon, krypton and xenon. The 
recent determinations of the densities of the new gases by Prof. 
Ramsay and Dr. Travers prove conclusively that they belong to 
the seventh series of elements in Dr. Wilde’s table, which in- 
cludes nitrogen and the comparatively inert groups of the 
platinum metals. Within the limits of experimental error and 
residual interferences, all the members of this series are multi- 
ples of seven.—A paper on the hypnotic influence of prolonged 
vision of persistent motion and sparkling objects, by Mr. 
Thomas Kay, was read.—Mr. F. J. Faraday exhibited an old 
copy of Chateaubriand’s ‘‘ Atala,” partly written in the huts of 
the American Indians in Louisiana and Florida during the 
author’s first visit to the New World in 1789, and containing 
passages showing the continued existence amongst the Red 
Indians at the end of the eighteenth century of some of the 
religious beliefs and practices referred to in Mr. J. E. King’s 
recent paper on the Jesuit records of 1611, noticeably — with 
regard to the metempsychosis of the souls of infants, the ex- 
huming of the bones of members of the. family from the tem- 
porary village grave for reburial in a common national grave on 
the occasion of the ‘‘ Feast of the Dead,” or the ‘‘ Feast of 
Souls,” and the transporting of the bones of dead relatives 
NO. 1696, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 2 
during migration.—Prof. F. E. Weiss exhibited a specimen of 
Welwitschia mirabilis, This curious plant was discovered by 
Dr. Welwitsch in 1860 in the south-west of Africa, where it 
grows in very arid regions, rooted by a verylong tap root. The 
upper part of the plant is protected by a very thick mantle of 
cork. It only possesses two leaves, which last throughout the 
life of a plant, being constantly renewed from the base, which 
lies protected in a groove of the stem. /Velwztschia was first 
described by Sir Joseph Hooker, who considered it as belonging 
to the group of Gnetacez allied to the Conifers. 
PARIS. 
Academy of Sciences, April 21.—M. Bouquet de la Grye 
in the chair.—On some phenomena of voltaic polarisation, by 
M. Berthelot. Experiments on the polarisation effects of liquid 
cells, both with and without the addition of reducing agents.— 
On the methods of proving the electrolytic action of a battery, 
by M. Berthelot. An examination of the conditions under 
which the smallest possible quantity of gas set free in an electro- 
lytic cell can be observed, together with some experiments in 
| which formol instead of pyrogallol was used as the reducing 
agent.—On Abelian functions with complex multiplication, by 
M. G. Humbert.—The resistance due to companion waves, by 
M. de Bussy. The proportionality between the height of the 
companion waves and the square of the velocity of the vessel pro- 
ducing them was proved by three sets of experiments, on a 
model 1/16th natural scale, on the vessels Guzchen and the 
American cruiser Co/wmbia.—On Daniellia and their secreting 
apparatus, by M. L. Guignard. The existence of a secreting 
system distributed through the whole thickness of the wood is a 
characteristic feature of the Daniellia ; with the Copaifera and 
the Eperua of tropical America, these are the only leguminous 
plants known possessing intraligneous secreting apparatus.— 
New observations on the fossil flora of the basin of Kousnetzk 
(Siberia), by M. R. Zeiller. The Permian flora of Siberia 
appear to be closely allied, at all events in the cases of the 
most abundant and characteristic species, with the normal 
Permian flora of Europe and North America, from which they 
are distinguished only by the presence of some particular types. 
—Observations of the sun, made at the Observatory of Lyons 
with the Brunner 16 cm. equatorial, during the third quarter of 
1901, by M. J. Guillaume. The results are expressed in three 
tables, showing the number of spots, their distribution in 
latitude and the distribution of the faculz in latitude re- 
spectively.—On the continuous deformation of surfaces, 
by M. G. Tzitzeica.—The laws of deformation, the 
principles of calculation, and rules for the scientific 
employment of mortars, by M. Rabut. It is shown that 
the mortar described is altered in shape when fired accord- 
ing to simple and precise laws, easily explained from the 
properties of the material. The laws resulting from these 
principles are in agreement with the methods of construction in 
practical use.—On a new method for the optical measurement of 
thicknesses, by M. Macé de Lépinay. A sketch of a new method 
is given which possesses the advantages of requiring no other 
reflecting surfaces than those of the plate studied, and of permit- 
ing exact measurements to be made even if the plate isnot quite 
perfect from the point of view of homogeneity or parallelism of 
its surfaces.—On the absorption of radioactivity by liquids, by 
M. Th. Tommasina. Preliminary measurements of the ab- 
sorptive power of various organic liquids for the radiation from 
radioactive substances are given.—On the formation of negative 
images by the action of certain vapours, by M. P. Vignon (see 
p. 13).—On a case of molecular rupture by bromine, by M. R. 
Fosse. In the reaction between naphthylol-dinaphthoxanthene 
and bromine, instead of the expected substitution by the halogen, 
a molecule of bromine is added on as with an unsaturated body, 
the trinaphthyl-methane molecule being then split up into a 
bromo-naphthol and bromo-methanal-1-naphthol-2.—On some 
derivatives of fumaric aldehyde, by M. R. Marquis. The acetin 
of nitrosuccinic aldehyde, the preparation of which is described 
in a previous paper, is decomposed by dilute acetic acid at 80° C. 
with formation of fumaric aldehyde, H.CO.CH=CH.CHO, 
the phenylhydrazone and oxime of which are described.—The 
transformation of new into stale bread, by M. L. Lindet. The 
amount of soluble dextrins in the crumb of bread as it leaves 
the oven amounts to more than 10 per cent. of the dry weight ; this 
amount was found to decrease steadily on standing, until after 
four days there is only 2 per cent.. The only alteration under- 
gone by the crust is in the amount of water it contains. —On 
