1887.] BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 47 
the leadership of Dr. Bessey. For botany, with which we are most con- 
cerned, there are five rooms required, now provided with an outfit of 
as been considerably raised during these two years 
_Dr. ABERLANDT, investigating the structure of stinging hairs of 
various families, finds their essential structure very similar. ually 
there is a large terminal cell, more or less sunk in a multicellular base 
y which it is attached. A short distance below the point the walls of the 
ascribed, he thinks will not produce the effects in the small quantity 
which it is present. 
THE first number of a new journal devoted to animal and vegetable 
saan has been received. It is entitled Centralblatt fiir Bacteriologie wnd 
tors. Dr. Sternberg, of Johns Hopkins University, will represent the 
editor in this country. It isa bi-weekly of the size and appearance of 
the Botanisches Centralblatt, and promises to be in its field an equally use 
ful journal. It will at least be indispensable for bacteriologists. The 
($7). 
A SIMPLE METHOD of detecting ptomaines at the time of their forma- 
’, 
Centralblatt. A needle culture is made in nutritive gelatine [kept in the 
- . 
out the blue color in the presence of a ptomaine. An interesting result 
of the studies already made is that the forms which liquefy the gelatine 
are found to induce no reduction 
In Nature for December 16 (1886), D. Morris gives two interesting 
“ 
gled by them that they were unable to extricate themselves. As a result 
lis plant is dispersed plentifully in the trac migratory birds. 
x imento vulgaris, which gives rise to the great allspice industry of 
Janifica, is distributed by frugiverous birds, by whom the fruit is greed- 
