Nov. 25, 1869] 
NATURE 
I2!I 
—M. E. Prilliewx described some experiments by which he has 
demonstrated that etiolated plants acquire their healthy green 
colour more rapidly when shaded than when exposed to the direct 
rays of thesun.—M. L. Colin communicated a note on the etiology 
of intermittent fevers, or ‘‘telluric intoxication,” in which he 
ascribed them entirely to the toxical action of the soil, and de- 
clared that residence in large cities has a remarkable prophylactic 
effect.—Several other notes, of which only the titles are given, 
were read, 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, October 21.—A memoir 
was communicated from Dr. W. F. Gintl on Ratanhine and its 
Compounds.—Dr. F. Steindachner presented a report on a 
collection of fishes made by Baron Ransonnet, at Singapore. 
The collection contained 60 species, some of them of particular 
interest, as having been previously obtained only from Japan 
or Eastern Africa. Four species were described as new, belong- 
ing to the genera Platyglossus (2), Pseudochromis, and Gerres.—A 
memoir, on the origin of the fatty oil in the olive, by M. C. O. 
Harz, was presented, in which the author states that at first this 
secretion does not possess the properties of a fatty oil, but its 
constituents are surrounded by a membrane, and therefore repre- 
sent true secretion-cells, until the approach of maturity. These 
secretion-cells are not simple vesicles, but contain numerous 
daughter-cells, which, with the membrane of the mother-cell, 
all finally become converted into oil. The presence of the 
membrane is best demonstrated by treatment with Miller’s 
Salt solution of aniline and chloriodide of zinc successively ; 
the membrane acquires a fine dark-blue colour.—The table of 
meteorological and magnetical observations at the Central Obser- 
“vatory for the month of September was presented. 
November 4.—M. F. Maly communicated a memoir entitled 
Theorems upon Straight Lines in Space.—Dr. Fitzinger presented 
the concluding part of his memoir on the cynopterine family of bats ; 
and Dr. A. Boué made some remarks on the geography of the 
basins of the Drin and Vardar in North Albania and Macedonia. 
November 11.—Prof. Lang communicated a*memoir describing 
an experimental investigation of the velocity of light in quartz. 
Quartz, unlike other uniaxial crystals, possesses a doubly re- 
fractive power in the direction of its longitudinal axis. 
The author has already stated theoretically that in quartz 
there is no ordinary undulation, and even the extraordinary 
undulation changes according to a different law from that 
prevailing in the ordinary uniaxial crystals. His present paper 
contains the observational proof of this theoretical result. Dr. 
C. Jelineck reported upon a self-registering thermometer, con- 
structed by M. Hipp, of Neuchatel. Dr. F. Steindachner pre- 
sented the first part of his ichthyological report upon a journey to 
Senegambia. It referred to the brackish-water fishes of the 
Senegal, and contained descriptions of 21 species, most of which 
are among the greatest rarities in European museums, and 
several of them are only known from the Guinea coast. The 
species belong to the families Percide, Pristipomatide, and Ca- 
rangide, The author stated that Osolethus senegalensis is identical 
with Pseudolithus typus (Bleek.), Pristipoma macrophthalmum 
(Bleek.) with ZLarimus auritus (Cuv. and Val.), Zrachynotus 
myrias and maxillosus with ZT. goreensis (Cuv. and Val.), and 
Trachynotus goreensis (Bleek.) with 7: ovatus (Lin.), and that 
Pristipoma Rang (Cuy. and Val.) is only a young form of P. 
suillum of the same authors.—Prof. Ditscheiner communicated a 
note upon the dispersion of the optic axes in rhombic crystals, in 
which he showed that both the true and the apparent angle of the 
optic axes may be represented by Cauchy’s dispersion formula :— 
PoAa+ Bt 
2 AZ 
as a’function of the wave-length A. The table of observations 
for the month of October, at the Imperial Central Institution for 
meteorology and terrestrial magnetism, was communicated. 
BERLIN 
German Chemical Society, November 8.—The following 
papers were read.—Schultsen and Nenky on the formation of 
Urea in the Body.—Liebreich on an Antidote against Strychnia. 
—Oppenheim on Todo-bromide of Mercury.—Baeyer : Remarks 
on Thomsen’s Criticism of Hermann’s Calculation of the Heat of 
Combustion.—Hoffmann on some Derivatives of Sulphuretted 
Ureas.—Von Somaruga on Cresylopurpuric Acid.—Weidel on 
Sandal-wood.—Weselsky on Double Cyanides.—Thomsen (1) 
on the Preparation of the Hydrate of Chloral ; (2) on Selenious 
~ and Selenic Acids.—Henry on Ethylated Derivatives of Alcohols 
and of Polyatomic Acids.—Henry on the Preparation of Pure 
Iodine from Iodide of Mercury.— Henry and Radzicewsky : Cor- 
rection of a Former Note on Paratoluidine.—Friedel: Scientific 
Correspondence from Paris. —Merz and Weith on a new method 
of forming Triphenylated Guanidine, 
PHILADELPHIA 
Academy of Natural Sciences, May 4.—A paper entitled 
““A Review of the Species of Plethodontidz and Desmognathide,” 
by E. D. Cope, was presented for publication. —Mr. J. H. Redfield 
stated that on the 22nd of April, in company with Mr. C. F. 
Parker, he had visited Cedar Bridge, Ocean County, New 
Jersey, in search of Corema Conradii. This plant occurs 
in Newfoundland, on islands near Bath, Maine, at Plymouth, 
Cape Cod, and near Islip, Long Island, and was first discovered 
at Cedar Bridge by Prof. S. W. Conrad. This locality was 
visited by Dr. Long about 1835, and carefully indicated by 
him in Ann. N, Y. Lyc. Nat. Hist. iv., 83, so that there was 
no difficulty in finding the precise points mentioned ; but Mr, 
Redfield was sorry that no trace of the plant could be found 
there ; and it has doubtless been eradicated by animals or by 
unscrupulous collectors, or has been otherwise unable to maintain 
its foothold in ‘the struggle for existence.” The vicinity also 
was carefully examined, but without success. The plant is said 
to have once existed near Pemberton Mills, New Jersey ; but as 
that neighbourhood is now entirely under cultivation, there is no 
evidence that the Csrema Conradii now exists south of Long 
Island. If it is again to be discovered in New Jersey, it will 
probably be in the wide sandy waste a few miles west of Cedar 
Bridge, near the boundary between Burlington and Ocean coun- 
ties, where a succession of elevated ancient ocean beaches offer 
conditions similar to those of Cape Cod.—Prof. Cope exhibited 
bones and teeth of a large extinct Chinchilla of the island of 
Anguilla, West Indies, Amdblyrhiza inundata; and with them 
teeth of a second and new species, which he called ZLoxomylus 
Jongidens. It was also allied to the Chinchillas, and of large 
size. They were accompanied by a shell implement of human 
manufacture, which was (so far as discovery in earthy matrix, 
the colour, &c., were evidence) of the same age as the Rodent. 
May 11 and 18.—The following papers were presented for 
publication :—‘‘ Further notes on Microscopic Crystals”; by 
Isaac Lea, LL.D.—‘‘Sexual Law in the Conifera”; by 
Thomas Meehan.—‘‘ An attempt to ascertain the average 
weight of the brain in the different races of mankind”; by 
Joseph Barmard Davis. 
June 1.—Prof. Cope exhibited some interesting specimens 
of extinct reptiles; one of these was the cranium, minus a 
portion of the muzzle of a gavial, from the New Jersey Green- 
sand, previously described under the name of Yhoracosaurus 
brinispinus, but which this specimen demonstrated to belong 
to another genus, since it did not present the lachrymal foramina 
of the former. He applied the name /o/ofs to it, and stated 
that he had evidence that Crocodilus tenebrosus Leidy, and 
probably C. odscurus L. also belonged to it. He also exhibited 
drawings, with measurements of portions of the limbs, of a very 
large Dinosaur, in the collection of Dr. Samuel Lockwood, of 
Keyport, Monmouth county, New Jersey. It was discovered 
by this gentleman in the lower cretaceous clays on the shores of 
Rassitan Bay. It consisted of the extremity of the tibia, with 
astragalus and fibula. He said it indicated the second genus 
of his suborder Symphypoda, and was thus allied to Comp- 
sognathus, differmg in the remaining indication of suture 
between astragalus and tibia, which disappeared in Compsog- 
nathus. The astragalus thus entirely anchylosed was also 
confluent with the calcaneum, forming a continuous condy- 
loid surface for the tibia. In an anterior projection externally, 
the extremity of the fibula reposed by a condyloid extremity, 
the shaft lapping over the outline of the tibia. This demon- 
strated what he had already stated, that the fibule of Iguan- 
odon and Hadrasaurus had been reversed. The length of the 
fragment was sixteen inches, the fractured section was a trans- 
verse oval, the medullary cavity nearly filled with cancellous 
tissue. The transverse width of the extremity 12 in. ; oblique 
diameter 14 in. This form he called Orzithotarsus immants, 
and placed it between Hadrasaurus and Compsognathus. It 
indicated one of the most gigantic of the Dinosaurs yet dis- 
covered. He made some observations on a fine fragment of the 
muzzle of a large Mosasauroid, which pertained to a cranium of 
near five feet in length. The pterygoid bones were -separated. 
from each other, and support nine teeth. A peculiarity of 
