NA TURE 



[February 25, 1909 



obtained on the negative electrode at a pressure of 65 cm. 

 of mercury, while "for the same distance between the salt 

 and the electrodes the maximum deposit on the positive 

 electrode was not obtained until a pressure of i cm. of 

 mercury was reached. In this experiment the maximum 

 activity obtained on the negative electrode was about 275 

 times the maximum activity obtained on the positive 

 terminal. In all the experiments at the various pressures 

 the discs were exposed for two hours to the action of the 

 emanation from the actinium before being removed from 

 the exposing vessel for measurement. The salt used was 

 obtained from the Chinin Fabrik at Brunswick, Germany, 

 and the activ. deposits on both the electrodes were found to 

 have a decay period of approximately thirty-nine minutes. 



The experiments as a whole point to the ions produced 

 bv the radiation from the active salt and its products in 

 the gas in which the salt is placed as the carriers of the 

 active deposit. They seem to indicate, moreover, that the 

 known differences in the rates of diffusion of positive and 

 negative gaseous ions will sufTice to explain the differences 

 obtained in the amounts of the active deposit on the two 

 electrodes. J- C. McLennan. 



Physical Laboratory, University of Toronto, 

 February 6. 



Germination of the Broad Bean Seed. 



Mr. Heber Smith's observations on the relation of the 

 micropyle to the radicle in the seed of \icux /ufca (N.itvre, 

 February 4, p. 400) are quite correct. It is surprising that 

 the structure and germination of this seed, so extensively 

 used in elementary botanical teaching, should be so fre- 

 quently misunderstood by teachers and wrongly described 

 in text-books. The curious minute structure of the coat 

 of leguminous seeds has been thoroughly investigated by 

 Haberlandt, Beck, Pammel, and others, but has never, to 

 mv knowledge, found mention in any student's text-book. 

 There is, however, no excuse for the inaccurate statement, 

 made in many an elementary work on botany and on 

 nature-study, that the radicle always grows out through 

 the micropyle when germination begins. Beyond admitting 

 water into'the seed, the micropyle, as a rule, merely forms 

 a weak spot in the testa and enables the radicle to split 

 the latter, while in leguminous seeds the splitting occurs 

 quite independently of this aperture. 



In the broad-bean seed, with its well-developed " radic.e- 

 f>ocket," the swelling radicle, aided by the elongatin.T; 

 cotyledon-stalks, pushes out a V-shaped flap, the micropyle 

 being (as Mr. Heber Smith states) left intact. The two 

 ■' lines of weakness." which form the edge of the f!ap, 

 answer to the junction of the radicle-pocket with the inner 

 surface of the testa. The partition which constitutes the 

 inner wall of the pocket can be seen in sections of young 

 seeds as a ridge projecting into the seed cavity between 

 the micropyle and the radicle. 



In the seeds of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and 

 scarlet runners (P. mulliflorus, &c.) the pocket is less 

 highlv developed, and at an early stage the coat splits 

 transversely, starting from the tip of the radicle. As in 

 the broad bean, the micropyle remains intact at the end 

 of the hilum. 



The early stages in the germination of broad bean are, 

 I believe, accurately shown in my " Life-histories of 

 Common Plants," F'ig. 10. Frank Cavers. 



Hartley University College, Southampton, 

 February 13. 



Scientific Societies and the Admission of Women 

 Fellows. 



Nature of February 1: contains an able article on the 

 Chemical Society and the admission of women fellows. 

 Much of what is said in that article would apply equally 

 well to the Geological Society. 



On Mav 15, 1907, the council proposed a new bye-law 

 for the admission of women as " associates." There is 

 no authority in the charter for the admission of associates, 

 whether women or men ; and the proposition was rejected 

 by a majority of two. The council having apparently- 

 dropped the subject, a special meeting was, on the requisi- 

 tion of rrrt.ain fellows, held on April i, 190S, when a 



NO. 2052, VOL, 79] 



resolution was proposed by Mr. E. A. Martin for the 

 admission of women as fellows. This was defeated in 

 favour of a motion by a member of the council that a 

 poll be taken of all the fellows resident in the United 

 Kingdom. The validity of such a poll having been ques- 

 tioned, the president (Prof. SoUas) admitted that there 

 would be no validity in it, but said that, whatever the 

 result might be, the council would loyally .abide by it. The 

 result of this poll was in favour of the admission of women 

 as fellows. Subsequently, some non-resident fellows having 

 objected to being excluded from voting, a further poll was 

 taken of non-resident fellows, with a similar result. The 

 votes recorded in the two polls were : — in favour of the 

 admission of women, 439 ; against, 160. Of the 439, 31S 

 were in favour of admitting women as fellows, 109 as 

 " associates," while 12 expressed no preference. It is thus 

 shown that there is a decided preference for the admission 

 of women as fellows. 



Notwithstanding these votes, and the statement that the 

 council would abide by the result, the council has apparently 

 done nothing to carry them into effect ; but on February 10 

 a special meeting (convened by the council) was held to 

 consider the result of the vote, but no intimation was given 

 that any resolution would be proposed. The council put 

 forward certain objections to the admission of women, and 

 a motion bv Dr. .A. Smith Woodward, " That it is 

 ■desirable, under the existing charter, to admit women to 

 candidature for the fellowship of the society, on the same 

 terms as men," was rejected by a majority of ten votes. 



Whatever objections the council may have to the 

 admission of women as fellows, it seems only reasonable 

 that the fellows should have been informed before being 

 called upon to express their wishes. By inviting them to 

 vote, it was certainly implied that the decision of the 

 fellows would be respected. 



During the past twenty years there have been many able 

 papers contributed by lady geologists, and the fellows have 

 expressed a wish that women should now be admitted to 

 the societv on the same terms as men. By rejecting the 

 wishes of the fellows, the council is acting, not only 

 unjustly to lady geologists, but is ignoring the expression 

 of opinion which the council itself invited. 



Hythe, February 20. W. J. .Atkinson. 



Stone Circles in Ireland. 



In his paper, "Who built the British Stone Circles?" 

 read at the Dublin meeting of the British Association 

 (Nature, December 24, 190S, vol. Ixxix., p. 236), Mr. J. 

 Gray says he believes there are few, if any, such stone 

 circles in Ireland. The accompanying photograph shows 



Circle, Culdaff, Co. Donegal. 



one at Culdaff (river, bay, and village of the same name), 

 on the north coast of County Donegal. 



Only a few of the stones are now standing. Some have 

 fallen down, others have been taken for building or other 

 purposes; enough, however, still remain to show the form 

 of the circle. Beyond it, on the eastern side, lie several 

 blocks in two diverging rows. A short distance away 

 there is a double-chambered structure of upright slabs, once 

 covered by a mound, w-hich, many years ago, was carted 

 awav and spread over the farm by a former tenant. 



W. E. Hart. 



Kilderry, Londonderry, February 15. 



