Lad 
March 3, 1870] 
NATURE 
465 
BOTANY 
Movements of Chlorophyll 
ACCORDING to observations recently made by the French 
botanists, MM. Prillieux and Roze, the grains of chlorophyll in 
the leaves of plants assume different positions according as they 
are exposed to light (either natural or artificial) or to darkness. 
In darkness these grains, together with protoplasmic threads to 
which they are attached, are in contact with the walls which 
divide the cells from one another; under the influence of light 
they gradually change their position from these to the upper or 
under walls which form the surfaces of the leaf. M. Roze be- 
lieves that this motion originates in the protoplasmic threads, 
which are the vital and animating part of the cell. (Comefies 
Rezidius.) 
Dependence of the Distribution of Plants on 
that of Animals 
Pror. HILDEBRAND continues in the Zofanische Zeitung his 
account of Delpino’s investigations on the Dependence of the 
Geographical Distribution of Plants on that of Animals (see 
Nature, No. 9, p. 246). In passing from the tropics to the 
temperate regions, we observe a general falling off in the number 
of species of native plants, caused by the disappearance of 
those animals which are needful for their fertilisation. Thus a 
large number are lost whose impregnation depends upon hum- 
ming-birds. Roses and pzonies disappear where the larger 
Coleoptera are no longer found. The greater number of Si/evee, 
and especially the night-flowering species of Silene and Lychnis, 
find their limits where nocturnal Lepidoptera cease. In the 
Arctic zone those plants only can be found which are fertilised 
by the agency of Hymenoptera, Diptera, orthe wind. This law 
is illustrated by the flora of Nova Zembla lying between 71° and 
76° N. lat., and Spitzbergen, between 76° and 80° N. lat. Out 
of 124 species of flowering plants constituting the phenogamous 
flora of Nova Zembla, six belong to the tribe Pedicudlarinee, 
which are neither self-fertilised, nor by the agency of the wind, 
but entirely by the help of Hymenopterous insects. The infer- 
ence is drawn that, notwithstanding the severity of the climate 
(the mean temperature of August, the hottest month in the year, 
not rising above 5° C. or 41° F.), some insect of this class must 
find its home there. Accordingly Sporen records observing a 
single beetle and a ground-bee, with a few flies and midges. 
‘The insect described as the ground-bee is probably the widely- 
diffused Boméus terrestris, one of the most active of insects in 
the fertilisation of plants. Prof. Delpino thus classifies the 124 
flowering plants of Nova Zembla: 16 dichogamous, fertilised 
by Hymenoptera ; 84 dichogamous or homogamous by Hymen-" 
optera or Diptera; 24 dichogamous by the wind. Out of 
gi flowering plants found in Spitzbergen, 2 may be described 
as fertilised by Hymenoptera, 63 dichogamous or homogamous 
by Hymenoptera or Diptera, and 26 by the wind. In neither 
country are there any plants dependent on Lepidoptera for their 
fertilisation. A.W.B. 
M. Jose pr Canto has successfully introduced, on an ex- 
perimental scale, the cultivation of Cinchona officinalis into the 
Azores. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
The last number of Poggendorff’s Axnalen der Physik und 
Chemie (vol. cxxxviii. part 4), contains the following papers :— 
(1.) ‘* Thermo-chemical Investigations, Part iii.” by Julius Thom- 
sen (pp. 497 to 514). This communication relates to the calori- 
metric behaviour of the acids of sulphur and selenium when 
neutralised with bases. The author’s numerical results differ 
considerably from those of Favre and Silbermann. This 
difference is ascribed by him to the use, by those investigators, 
of the mercurial calorimeter, which he considers to be “altogether 
inapplicable for accurate determinations.” (2.) ‘‘ Mineralogical 
Communications” (ninth part), by G. vom Rath (pp.515 to 550). 
(3.) An addition to a previous communication “ On the crystalline 
forms of salts of certain sulpho-acids derived from phenol,” by the 
same author (pp. 550 to 553). (4.) ‘‘ Experiments on Irradiation,” 
by Wilhelm von Bezold (pp. 554. to 560). This paper contains a 
description of experiments whereby the imperfect achromatism 
of the eye is made strikingly evident, and also of a method of pro- 
ducing analogous effects objectively upon a screen by means of a 
simple unachromatised convex lens. (5.) ‘* On the vibrations of 
a plate of air corresponding with those of asolid plate,” by E, H. 
Vierth (pp. 560 to 563). Two Chladnis plates were fixed by means 
of a clamp parallel to each other, and one about a millimeter above 
the other, a disk of cork being placed at the centre to prevent 
them touching. The upper plate being thrown into vibration 
by means of a fiddle bow, the distribution of nodes and loops 
in it and in the stratum of air between the plates, was ascertained 
by strewing sand upon each plate. The sand figures formed, re- 
spectively, upon the upper plate by its own vibrations and upon 
the lower plate by the vibration of the stratum of air, were 
markedly different, but, nevertheless showed a distinct corre- 
spondence. (6.) ‘* On the corrosion-figures and asterism of Ice- 
land spar,” by Heinrich Baumhauer (pp. 563 to 565). (7.) “Reply 
to the critical remarks of Mr, L. Boltzmann,” by R. Most (pp. 
566 to 570). In this paper, which is entirely mathematical, the 
author maintains the accuracy of a demonstration of the second 
fundamental theorem of the mechanical theory of heat communi- 
cated by him to a previous number of the Azzalen. (8.) Experi- 
mental investigation into the influence of temperature on electro- 
motive force,” by L. Bleekrode (pp. 571 to 604). Solutions of 
salts of various metals were placed between precisely similar 
electrodes of the same metal in each case as that contained in the 
salt employed, and the electrodes were connected by a metallic 
circuit of great resistance, containing a delicate reflecting galvano- 
meter. When the liquid in contact with one of the electrodes was 
heated, a current was obtained in most cases of such a strength 
as to indicate a change of electromotive force between the metal 
and liquid approximately proportioned to the change. of tempe- 
rature. The experiments seem to show that the currents observed 
were of the nature of thermo-currents, but they are not quite 
conclusive on this point. (9.) ‘*On new Sulpho-salts” (third 
communication), by R. Schneider (pp. 604 to 628).  (10.) 
“* Experiments on combinations of Mica” (from the Proceedings 
of the Berlin Academy, July 1869), by E. Reusch (pp. 628 to 
638). If a number of thin plates of biaxal mica are superposed, 
so that the principal section of each makes an angle of 60° with 
that of the preceding one, the combination has the optical pro- 
perties of a uniaxal crystal causing rotation of the plane of 
polarisation to the right or left, according to the direction in 
which each plate of mica is turned relatively to the preceding 
one. (11.) ‘*On the separate perception of an Over-tone simul- 
taneously with the Fundamental tone,” by C. B. Greiss (pp. 638 
to 640). This paper contains nothing new, except that it 
ascribes to Prof. Tyndall a well-known experiment of Helm- 
holtz’s. (12.) ‘‘Reply to Dr. Mohr,” by A. Von Lasaulx 
(pp. 640 to 642), respecting the formation of basalt. (13.) “On 
the motion of the light of the negative inductive discharge in 
rarefied air,”’ by J. C. Poggendorff (pp. 642 to 644). When the 
discharge of an induction coil is allowed to pass between two 
fine platinum wires, the ends of which are within one milli- 
metre of each other, the well-known negative glow recedes from 
the end of the negative wire, in proportion as the air in which 
the discharge is taken is more and more rarefied ; and at the 
same time the position of the greatest evolution of heat by the 
negative discharge recedes similarly. 
The Ibis, a quarterly journal of Ornithology, New Series, No. 
21, January 1870. (Van Voorst.) ‘The papers contained in this 
number are—(1.) ‘‘ Notes on the Birds of the Peninsula of Sinai,” 
by C. W. Wyatt. (2.) ‘‘On the Sun-birds of the Indian and 
Australian regions,” by Lord Walden—an article showing an 
extraordinary acquaintance with the literature of the subject. (3.) 
“On a fourth collection of birds from the Fantee country,” by 
R. B. Sharpe. (4.) “A list of the birds of Turkey,” by Captain 
Elwes and Mr. T. E. Buckley—the first attempt at a compila- 
tion of all the available information respecting the ornithology 
of one of the least known European countries, including that 
acquired by the authors during a tour through various parts of 
the Turkish dominions. (5.) “ Onthe Ornithology of Hainan,” 
by Consul Swinhoe, hitherto well known by his successful 
researches in the sister island of Formosa—an article containing 
results quite as remarkable as those furnished by the writer’s 
former explorations. (6.) ‘* Notes on the birds of the Island of 
St. Helena,” by J. C. Melliss. (7.) ‘* Additional notes on Mr, 
Lawrence’s list of Costa-Rican birds,” by O. Salvin. (8.) 
“©Notices of recent Ornithological publications,” English, Ger- 
man, Finnish, Italian, Portuguese, and Australasian, wherein 
more than thirty works are briefly reviewed; and (9.) ‘‘ Letters 
from Mr. Allen Hume, Drs. Jerdon and Malmgren, Captain 
Shelley, Messrs. Gurney, Harting, and Sharpe, Dr. Salvadori 
and Mr. Swinhoe.” The number also contains four well-drawn 
and coloured lithographic plates, by Mr. Keulemans, representing 
seven species of birds, all but one hitherto unfigured, 
