December 24, 1908] 



NATURE 



229 



loom very large in this communication, and it is note- 

 worthy that the author regards the diffuse placenta, such 

 as that of the lemuroids, as a specialised and simplified 

 rather than a primitive type. The latter position, on the 

 other hand, is claimed for the zonary placenta of the 

 Carnivora, and it is noteworthy, in connection with the 

 view that the creodonts are related to the mammal-like 

 reptiles, that the author sees evidence of a placental re- 

 lationship between marsupials, carnivores, and insectivores. 

 Further, he expresses the belief (p. 132) " that the 

 Didclphia furnish very conclusive evidence of their 

 being very specialised descendants of placental mammals." 

 This, of course, is in direct opposition to the views 

 of Prof. J. P. Hill. As regards the Primates, the 

 author is of opinion that they are widely sundered from 

 the Lemuroidea, herein differing in toto from the recently 

 expressed views of Messrs. Standing and Elliot Smith. 

 It may be mentioned that Metachiromys, which the author 

 still includes in the Primates, was regarded by Prof. 

 H. F. Osborn in 1904 as an armadillo. The most startling 

 part of the paper is, however, the proposal to divide 

 vertebrates into the three groups of Cyclostomata, 

 Chondrophora, and Osteophora, the first comprising the 

 lampreys, the second the sharks and rays, and the third 

 the whole of the remaining groups. A further sugges- 

 tion is that the ganoid Polypterus, and perhaps also the 

 lung-fishes, is the descendant of terrestrial tetrapodous 

 ancestors, and the further suggestion is hazarded that a 

 similar origin may be claimed for many teleostomous 

 fishes. 



The announcement is made by the present editors of the 

 Botanische Zeitung that at the close of this year they 

 will withdraw from that office, and will, with the co- 

 operation of Prof. L. Jost, start a new monthly journal, 

 Zcitsclirift fiir Botanik, to be published by the firm of 

 Gustav Fischer in Jena. It is proposed to include original 

 articles, reviews, and a summary of new literature in 

 each part. Messrs. Gustav Fischer also announce that 

 they are undertaking the publication of a new medical 

 journal, Zcitschrift fiir Immunitaisjorschung und experi- 

 mentcUe Therapie. that will consist of two parts, obtain- 

 able separately, the one devoted to original communica- 

 tions, the other to reviews. 



Prof. W. Trelease has published a useful, although not 

 fully determinate, note on the two species Agave rigida, 

 Miller, and Agave angiistifolia, Haworth. The first 

 binomial has been applied by more than a dozen 

 systematists to agaves of different kinds, but it appears 

 that the original type named by Miller has to be re- 

 discovered, and the author suggests a habitat between 

 \'enezuela and Yucatan. The discussion of Agave angiis- 

 tifolia leads to the view that this species includes Agave 

 lurida, a common fence plant to-day in St. Helena, Agave 

 Kigktii, and other species that have received distinct 

 appellations. The paper, with illustrations of the two 

 species, is published in the nineteenth annual report of 

 the Missouri Botanical Gardens. 



It is reported by Miss T. Tarames in the Recueil des 

 Travaux hotaniques Nierlandais (vol. v.) that in the 

 species of Dipsacus a chromogen exists which on warm- 

 ing gives rise to a blue colouring matter ; to the chro- 

 mogen the name " dipsacan " is given, and the colour- 

 ing matter is called " dipsacotin." The formation of 

 dipsacotin is somewhat similar to the formation of indigo 

 in the case of species of Indigofera. It- is produced by 

 the splitting up of dipsacan either by heating in the 

 presi-iuc of moisture- or by the action of benzin. Dipsu- 

 \(>. 204,^, \"OL. 79] 



can occurs in all parts of the plant, especially in the 

 growing region ; it has been found in all genera of the 

 DipsacaceiE that have been examined, but is most 

 abundant in species of Dipsacus. 



The quarterly issue of the Trinidad Bulletin (October) 

 is an excellent number, containing much information, 

 original and extracted, on the agricultural crops in Trini- 

 dad and adjacent islands. An article by Mr. A. W. 

 Bartlett deals with cocoa-nut plantations and the prepara- 

 tion of copra. Mr. T. Thornton discusses the prospects 

 for cotton cultivation in Tobago. Cotton of the "Marie 

 Galante " type has been cultivated, but the Sea Island 

 variety has not received much attention. Hints are pro- 

 vided on the propagation of cedar and cyp — Cordia Geras- 

 canthus — seedlings for planting up areas ; the latter re- 

 quires more attention in the nursery, but will thrive on 

 poor soil, and furnishes very good constructional timber. 



Apart from the information regarding trees and shrubs, 

 the notes on Continental parks and gardens communicated 

 by Mr. W. J. Bean to the Kew Bulletin (No. 9) will serve 

 to direct attention to various horticultural and sylvestral 

 localities that may with advantage be included in a Con- 

 tiental trip. At Tervueren, not far from Brussels, there 

 is a comparatively new arboretum extending over 300 

 acres for the cultivation, in geographical groups, of such 

 exotic trees as are sufficiently hardy. Within easy reach 

 of Gouda are situated the nurseries of Boskoop, where 

 the peaty soil provides an ideal home for rhododendrons, 

 but where Japanese maples, wistarias, and many other 

 valuable plants also luxuriate. The gardens at Herren- 

 hausen and Sans Souci, the nurseries of Vilmorin at 

 Verriferes and Les Barres, of Lemoine at Nancy, of Spath 

 near Berlin, and of Hesse at Weener, all famous horti- 

 cultural centres, are briefly described. 



Dr. JuRiTZ discusses the underground waters of Cape 

 Colony in recent issues of the Agricultural Journal of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. He lays stress on the fact that an 

 adequate water supply would completely alter the agri- 

 cultural potentialities of the country, besides being of 

 importance for all steam users, particularly railways, and 

 then proceeds to set out a number of analyses of waters 

 collected from different parts of the colony. The Table 

 Mountain and Stormberg series were found to yield the 

 purest waters, while the Uitenhage, Dwyka, and Bokke- 

 vsld formations gave rise to the most saline. Calcium 

 chloride occurred in some cases, and sodium carbonate was 

 found in the waters of the Middle and Upper Beaufort and 

 Stormberg series, rendering the water quite unfit for agri- 

 cultural purposes. 



In his " Vocabulary of Malaysian BasI^et-work, " the 

 late Dr. O. T. Mason, head curator of the anthropological 

 department of the United States National Museum, made 

 a notable advance towards a more scientific treatment of 

 this important industry. Dr. W. L. Abbott has recently 

 presented to the museum a large collection of baskets 

 from Malaysia. This is now being studied in comparison 

 with the extensive series obtained among the American 

 Indian tribes and in the Philippines. To secure a scien- 

 tific treatment of the subject it was found necessary to 

 define accurately the terms applied to the various stages 

 of technique and to the materials used in the processes 

 of manufacture. Dr. Mason's glossary, all the more 

 important articles of which are illustrated with excellent 

 drawings, will do much to secure future accuracy of de- 

 scription and definition. Probably, for the present at 

 least, his nomenclature will be accepted in describing the 

 characteristics of the various groups of basketry among 

 the lower races throughout the world. 



