March 6, 1902] 



NATURE 



431 



more vigorous vegetative growth, and (2) by the fruit being 

 mostly abortive and the peduncles not becoming recurved. — Mr. 

 Francis Darwin, F.R.S., read a paper on a method of investi- 

 gating the gravitational sensitiveness of the root-tip, showing 

 the apparatus used and lantern-slides of seedlings under experi- 

 ment. Confining himself to the modern development of the 

 question, the author remarked that the observations of Czapek 

 and of Pfeffer having been contradicted by Wachtel, it had be- 

 come desirable to confirm these observations by employing a 

 different method. The apparatus used consisted of a counter- 

 balanced lever 53 cm. long, able to turn in any direction by 

 being mounted on knife -edges. Seedlings of the bean and the 

 pea were employed, and glass tubes, straws and dandelion scape 

 were in turn used to contain the root-tip, and, by the aid of 

 certain mechanical appliances, to prevent the root slipping out 

 of the tube. The tip being fixed, the remaining part of the 

 root and the hypocotyl became curved in varying degrees, due 

 to the continued stimulation of the root-tip. The result has 

 been confirmation of the observations made both by Czapek and 

 by Pfeffer. —Dr. D. II. Scott, F.R.S., gave an account (illus- 

 trated by lantern-slides) of an extinct family of ferns — the 

 Botryopteridex, our knowledge of which is primarily due to the 

 researches of M. Renault. 



Zoological Society, February 18. — Prof. G. B. Howes, 

 F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair. — Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier 

 exhibited and made remarks upon the skull of a supposed hybrid 

 between the sheep and the pig, named *'cuino" by the in- 

 habitants of Mexico, where it is stated to be extensively reared 

 as an agricultural animal. The skull was clearly that of a pig. 

 — Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major exhibited and made remarks upon 

 some remains of voles from the Upper Val d'Arno (Italy) and 

 from the Norwich Crag, representing Microtus pliocaeiiicus 

 (Maj.) and y¥;VTO/«j intermedins (Newt.). Dr. Forsyth Major 

 considered that they belonged to a distinct genus, which he 

 proposed to name Mimomys. — Mr. R. Lydekker exhibited, on 

 behalf of Mr. Rowland Ward, two pairs of antlers and a skull 

 of an elk from Siberia (beyond the Altai). Mr. Lydekker 

 pointed out that, although belonging to adult animals (as the 

 dentition of the skull indicated), the antlers had practically no 

 palmation — a characteristic' which induced him to propose the 

 specific name Alces bedfordiae for the Siberian elk. — Dr. C. I. 

 Forsyth Major gave a description of Mustela palaeattua, Weith., 

 from the Upper Miocene of Pikermi and Samos, based chiefly 

 on an almost perfect skull from Pikermi in the Turin Museum. 

 — Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F. R.S., read a description of two new 

 rodents discovered by Mr. P. O. Simons near Potosi, Bolivia. 

 The one proposed to be called Neoctodon simonsi was allied to 

 Octodon, but had simpler teeth, without enamel infoldings, and 

 a bushy tail, the size and external appearance being much those 

 oi Neotoma cinerea. The second, called Andinoinys edax, was 

 allied to Phyllolis, but had much larger, more complicated and 

 highly hypsodont teeth ; in general appearance it was like a 

 large Phyllotis, such as Ph. dar-u>ini. Its head and body 

 measured 160 mm. and its tail 145 mm. — Mr. Oldfield Thomas 

 also read a paper on some new mammals from northern 

 Nyasaland, which had been contributed to the National Museum 

 by Commissioner -Mfred Sharpe, C.B., and Colonel Manning. 

 — Mr. Boulenger, F. R.S., made remarks on the characters of 

 the very young form of Polypterus, connecting the early stage 

 recently discovered by Mr. Budgett with the more advanced 

 stages described by Dr. Steindachner and himself. Characters 

 were pointed out by which the young of Polypteri laprcuHi, 

 congicus, cndlicheri, weekiii, setiegaliis and palmas could be 

 distinguished. Special attention was drawn to young specimens 

 of P. lapradii from Nigeria, in which the external gills measured 

 up to one-third of the total length. — Mr. Boulenger also drew 

 attention to a new snake 01 the genus Psammophis, from Cape 

 Colony, of which a specimen had been presented to the British 

 Museum by Dr. G. Leighton. The name P. leightoni was 

 proposed for this new species. — Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S., 

 read a paper dealing with the tuft of vibrissa; commonly met 

 with upon the wrist of mammals belonging to the orders 

 Lemuroidea, Carnivora, Rodentia and Marsupialia. It was 

 pointed out that this structure was found in both sexes and in a 

 large proportion of the genera and species belonging to the 

 mammalian groups mentioned. As to other orders of mammals, 

 the only ungulate in which they h.ad been discovered was stated 

 to be Hyrax ; of edentates, the armadillos alone possessed these 

 vibrissa? upon the wrist. 



NO. 1688, VOL. 65] 



Cambridge. 



Philosophical Society, February 17. — Prof. Macalister, 

 president, in the chair. — The histology of the endosperm 

 during germination in Tamils tommiinis and Galium trico^nCj 

 by Mr. Walter Gardiner, F.R.S., and Mr. Arthur W. Hill. 

 After briefly describing the stages in the germination of Tamils 

 communis, the authors gave an account of the histologj- of the 

 endosperm and of the changes which accompany the dissolution 

 of the cell walls. — Demonstration on the dimorphism of the 

 Foraminifera, by Mr. J. J. Lister. — On the differentiation and 

 integration of divergent series, by Mr. G. H. Hardy. The paper 

 contains some discussion of the general principles in accordance 

 with which we may attribute conventional values to analytical 

 expressions which do not represent any determinate quantity 

 when interpreted in the ordinary way. In particular it is shown 

 how they lead to Borel's definition of the sum of a divergent 

 series. It also contains investigations as to the possibility of 

 applying the ordinary operations of the calculus to divergent 

 series whose sums are defined as by Borel. A series of general 

 theorems is proved, and applications are made to thetevaluation 

 of definite integrals and the theory of trigonometrical series. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, February 24. — M. Bouquet de la 

 Grye in the chair. — On transcendental meromorphs defined 

 by differential equations of the second order, by M. Paul 

 Painleve. — On the origin of stolonial formations, by M. 

 Edmond Perrier. — On the impossibility of certain permanent 

 states in viscous liquids, by M. P. Duhem. — M. Baillaud was 

 elected a correspondant for the section of astronomy in the 

 place of the late M. Souillart. — On some transformations of 

 Backland, by M. E. Goursat. — The application of Duddell's 

 singing arc to the measurement of small coefficients of self- 

 induction, by M. Paul Janet. It is known from the experi- 

 ments of Duddell that there is a simple relation between the 

 period of the note given out by a singing arc, the capacity and 

 the self-induction of the circuit. By measuring the intensity of 

 the current with a thermal ammeter, the difference of potential 

 with a thermal voltmeter, and working with condenser of known 

 capacity, it is shown that coefficients of self-induction smaller 

 than 0-003 Henry can be measured. — On a capillary electro- 

 meter, by M. Pierre Boley. The Lippmann capillar)- electro- 

 meter will not work with saturated liquid amalgams which are 

 not sufficiently mobile in the narrow tubes. It has therefore 

 been modified to meet this special case. Its sensibility was 

 found to be of the order of "00003 volt.— On some properties 

 ofazobenzene and hydrazobenzene, by MM. P. Freundler and 

 L. Beranger. The Friedel and Crafts reaction cannot be 

 utilised for the preparation of ketones from azo-bodies. — On 

 the constitution of dibutylic and dicenanthylic alcohols, by M. 

 Marcel Guerbet. By a careful study of the oxidation products 

 of these two alcohols, it was found that they are repre- 

 sented by the formula: CH3.CH(C4Hg).CH..CH,OH and 

 CH3.CH„.CH„.CH(C7H„).CH.,.CH„.OH.— On the polymer- 

 ised state' of ordinary indigo and the isomeric transformation 

 of indigotin into indirubin, by M. L. Maillard.— On some 

 reactions obtained with the aid of magnesium amalgam, 

 by M. L. Meunier. Magnesium amalgam attacks ethyl 

 alcohol even in the cold, magnesium ethylate being 

 formed. The alkyl iodides are more readily attacked 

 by this reagent than by the copper-zinc couple, the 

 saturated hydrocarbon being formed. Ordinary aldehyde 

 reacts violently with magnesium amalgam, the symmetrical di- 

 oxybutane, CH3.CHOH.CHOH.CH:;, being produced.— On the 

 constitution of "tariric acid, by M. Arnaud. — A new method for 

 characterising the pseudo-acids, and on its application to the 

 oximidocyanacetic esters, by M. P. Th. Muller. Measure- 

 ments are made of the molecular refraction and molecular dis- 

 persion. — On some derivatives of methyl-nonyl-ketone, by M. H. 

 Carette.. By the addition of hydrocyanic acid to this ketone and 

 the subsequent hydrolysis of the nitrile produced, the corre- 

 sponding amide and acid were obtained, the properties of which 

 are described. — On an important source of error in the examina- 

 tion of diastases, by MM. Emm. Pozzi-Escot. The colour 

 reaction with tincture of guaiacum, which has been relied upon 

 in many researches, is now found to fail in certain cases. From 

 this it follows that a certain number of published works on the 

 diastases and their localisation in particular cells are of no value. 

 — On the analysis of ceramic products, by M. V. de Luynes. 



