574 



NA rURE 



[Al'RIL 17, 1902 



by the tide. Among them were feveral hundred hololhurians, 

 several specimens of two species of sting-ray, two species of 

 guitar-fishes (Rhinobatus), two cestracionts, two dog-fishes, a 

 -ed perch, a large number of smelts, and several octopi." The 

 " red water " occurred for at least two hundred miles along the 

 coast and extended several miles out to sea ; it had not disap- 

 peared at the beginning of September. Wherever it occurred 

 food-fishes were scarce ; but the small harbour-fishes and in- 

 vertebrates of the ' ' plankton " were unaffected. Towards the 

 end of July, the animalcule Nocliluca appeared in swarms and 

 devoured the animalcules of the red water. A somewhat similar 

 visitation is reported to have occurred five hundred miles further 

 south in the seventies, but has never before been known in 

 California. 



An interesting case of peloria was furnished by a Catlleya 

 which Dr. Masters showed at a recent meeting of the scientific 

 committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. This abnormal 

 flower appeared on a plant . produced by crossing Caitlcya 

 Schniderae with Brassavola Digbyana. It showed three regular 

 sepals, and alternating with these three petals, alike in size, 

 colour and shape. The column was normal. 



A RECENT number of Science records the proceedings of a 

 number of prominent American botanists, now organised under 

 the name of "The Botanists of the Central States." The 

 meetings were held at the University of Chicago, under the 

 chairmanship of Prof. J. M. Coulter. Among the papers 

 read were the following :—F. C. Newcombe, "The sensory 

 area of the roots of land plants"; H. L. Lyon, "The phylo- 

 geny of the cotyledon" ; C. A. King, " Fertilisation and some 

 accompanying phenomena in ^;-aMi;«o/-<j /«/;■/;'•«" ; H. S. Reed, 

 "The ecology of a glacial lake" ; R. A. Harper, " Binucleate 

 cells in certain Hymenomycetes." 



A CATALOGUE of plants has been received from Mr. H. P. 

 Kelsey, the proprietor of the Highlands Nursery, N. Carolina, 

 U.S. Mr. Kelsey has successfully undertaken to bring before 

 Americans the wealth and richness of their native flora. The 

 nurseries are situated at a height of 4000 feet, and naturally lend 

 themselves to the production of such alpine or subalpine genera 

 as Rhododendron, Kalmia, Tsuga, Leucothoe and Andromeda. 

 To the cosmopolitan grower of interesting or little-known 

 plants, this list of hardy American specialities will suggest many 

 future possibilities. 



Various explanations have been put forward to account for 

 the production of cleistogamic flowers. No simple explanation 

 has been off'ered which would cover the phenomenon in all 

 cases ; indeed, it is much more probable that they are formed in 

 response to din"erent stimuli, or for different purposes. In the 

 second volume of the PubUcallbns of the University of Penn- 

 sylvania, Dr. C. H. Shaw discusses the formation of cleisto- 

 gamic flowers in two American species of Polygala. One of 

 these, Polyoala polygama, produces both aerial and subterranean 

 forms. The latter occur in early summer at the same time as 

 the normal flowers, while the former are found later, on shoots 

 which may have borne open flowers and which at this time 

 develop a geotropic tendency. The morphological diflferentiation 

 of the aerial cleistogamic flowers is intermediate between that 

 of the other two varieties. The formation of the cleistogamic 

 flowers seems to be correlated with the economic .ind rapid 

 production of seed, for the normal flowers fail to a great extent 

 to set seed, and require a longer time to mature it. 



From two leaflets which we have received we notice that 

 Kodak, Ltd., have two novelties which they have recently 

 brought out. One of these consists of a kodak made especially 

 NO. 1694, VOL. 65] 



for the use of glass plates alone, and fitted witli the usual nenl 

 and simple movements and adjustments, many of which can be 

 operated with one hand. These cameras are m.ade in two sizes, 

 for quarter and 5x4 plates, and both are fitted with Bausch 

 and Lomb's lenses and shutters. The other new announce- 

 ment is the number two stereo kodak for taking stereoscopic or 

 single pictures 3^ x jj in. on cartridge film. The camera is of 

 the box pattern, measuring 8 x 4J x 6 in., and requires no 

 unfolding when a photograph is about to be taken. The 

 shutters are ever-set, and are simultaneously operated for time 

 or instantaneous exposures by separate levers. A third lever 

 actuates three stops, and its position indicates which stop is in 

 front of the lens. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Caracal (Felis caracal) from South Africa, 

 presented by Mr. F. C. Longbourne ; a Suricate (Siiricala 

 tetradactyia) from South Africa, presented by Miss Philippe 

 Stephenson; three Common Vipers {Vifera te/M), British, 

 presented by Mr. A. Old ; a Diana Monkey [Cercopithecus 

 diana) from West Africa, deposited ; two Alpine Choughs 

 (Pyrrhocora.x alpinns), European, purchased ; six Shaw's 

 Gerbilles {Gerbillus skawi), three Black Swans [Cygniis 

 atraliis), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Total Eclipse of the Moon (April 22).— There will be 

 a total eclipse of the moon on the evening of Tuesday, April 22, 

 which will be partly visible in England. The total phase will 

 be reached before moonrise at Greenwich (7h. 5m.), so that 

 only the latter part of the phenomenon can be observed. The 

 following particulars are for Greenwich mean time : — 



The first contact with the shadow occurs at 89° from the 

 north point of the moon's limb towards the east ; the last con- 

 tact at 60° towards the west. 



Magnitude of eclipse (moon's diameter = l) = i'337- , 

 In consequence of the eclipse taking place near the time of 

 moonrise, it will be interesting, wherever the surroundings 

 permit, to observe the setting sun and eclipsed moon simul- 

 taneously at opposite points of the horizon. 



New Variable Stars.— 4 (1902) Geminoritm.—Vtc(. 

 Ceraski announces the variability of the star BD + 20°-i875, 

 determined from photographs taken at Moscow. Its position is 



R.A. = 7h. 32m. 37s. oKg, 

 Decl. = -I- 20° 45 3 / 

 The magnitude is usually stated to be g-o, and at present the 

 brightness is increasing. „ , ., ,V,j 



5 (1902) /.j';-<7^.— In the Aslronomtsche Nachrichlen (Bd. 

 158, No. 3783), Mr. A. Stanley Williams announces the dis- 

 covery of a new variable in Lyra whose coordinates are 



R.A. = i8h. 56m. I2S. l/.o-o 

 Decl. = -f 37^ i8'7 r ^5'- 



All the observations up to the present time are photographic, 

 from plates taken with a 4-4-inch portrait lens. 



The magnitude appears to vary between lo-6 and I2'0. 

 From the dates of the minima it would se<.-in to have a period 

 of about two-thirds of a year, and in this case the next 

 maximum should occur in or about the m mth of July 1902. 



