44 



.V.^ TURE 



[November ii, 1909 



spermatozoon of the higher Crustacea is constructed very 

 much on tlie principle of a cartridge. After the sperma- 

 tozoon has become attached to the egg by means of its 

 processes, the " capsule " explodes and drives the nucleus 

 and centrosome into the egg. The same journal also 

 includes an interesting account of the life-history and habits 

 of Chactopterus variopedattis by Mr. H. E. Enders, and 

 a very full account of the development of the procephalic 

 lobes of Epeira cinerea by Mr. A. E. Lambert, while Mr. 

 Walter Meek contributes a description of the structure of 

 the heart muscle of Limulus. 



A PRELIMINARY revision of Philippine Myrtacese, by Dr. 

 C. B. Robinson, published in the Philippine Journal of 

 Science (Botany, vol. iv., part iii.), is primarily noteworthy 

 for the number of species, just short of a hundred, 

 described under the genus Eugenia. This is largely due 

 to the incorporation under Eugenia of the segregates 

 Jambosa and Syzygium, to which the greater number of 

 species belong. Fully half the species are new types, 

 and a considerable proportion of the remainder are 

 endemic. Most of the Eugenics are trees yielding timber 

 of value, although none supplies timber so commercially 

 important as the myrtaceous tree Xanthostemon verdii- 

 gcnianus. Outside the genus Eugenia the family is poorly 

 represented by a dozen species distributed over nine genera. 



A NOTE on Fomes lucidus, one of the Polyporaceae, con- 

 tributed by Dr. E. J. Butler to the Indian Forester (Sep- 

 tember), deals with the probable parasitism of this fungus, 

 as previously suggested by Dr. Raciborski. The author 

 mentions a number of cases of fungal diseases, reported 

 fiom different parts of India, on such different trees as 

 Casuarinas, betel-palm. Dalbergia Sissoo, in which the 

 source could not be definitely traced, but in all of which 

 Fomes lucidus was found to be present ; inoculation e.xperi- 

 ments are required to decide the question. In the same 

 issue there are good illustrations of hills in the north 

 Arcot division, Madras, showing the absence of tree 

 growth in unprotected and protected but grazed areas 

 as compared with the growth on a fully protected and 

 partially planted area. For reproduction Pterocarpus 

 santalinus. Red Sanders, proved to be better than 

 Tcrminalia tonientosa, teak, or other species that were 

 tried. 



.\ FINE catalogue of plants, bulbs, and seeds has been 

 Issued by Messrs. Kelway and Son, of Langport, Somerset. 

 The firm makes a special feature of hardy perennial plants, 

 and their list of species in this section may be regarded 

 as complete, but the catalogue is even more noteworthy in 

 the selection of varieties offered under those plants that 

 have been special objects of cultivation. The records of 

 the Royal Horticultural and Royal Botanic Societies bear 

 testimony to the splendid varieties of delphiniums, 

 gaillardias, pyrethrums, and gladioli raised by Messrs. 

 Kelway, and, above all, of peonies, herbaceous, 



imperial," and tree; the firm also raise their own forms 

 of other favourites, such as zonal pelargoniums, hollyhocks, 

 and phloxes. The catalogue cannot fail to arouse the 

 enthusiasm of all garden-lovers ; it is eminently practical 

 in arrangement, description, and directions, is illustrated 

 with choice photographic reproductions, and contains a 

 few coloured plates taken in colour direct from the object. 



.^N account of the Peruvian National School of .Agri- 

 culture is given in a new monthly publication entitled Peru 

 To-day. The country possesses a rich soil and a climate 

 enabling tropical products to be grown as well as those 

 of the temperate zones. The coast is said to be well 

 adapted to cotton raising ; sugar and rice are also grown 

 NO. 2089, VOL. S2I 



besides the ordinary cereal and other crops. .\ model 

 vineyard has been started, and also an experimental sugar- 

 cane station. 



We have received from Messrs. Pearl and Surface a 

 paper on selection index numbers and their use in breed- 

 ing, in which the authors discuss the case, commonly 

 arising in practice, where it is desired to improve two or 

 more features at the same time. Each of the several 

 characters shown by the plant or animal receives a certain 

 value, positive or negative. The sum of these values for 

 each individual constitutes its index number. Those in- 

 dividuals with highest index numbers are then selected and 

 used for breeding. 



In a recent number of the Journal of Economic Biology 

 Mr. Southern describes a new species of Rhabditis, 

 R. brassicae, discovered in a turnip in an advanced state 

 of decomposition. The nematode worms commonly known 

 as " eel worms " are found in water, soil, and decaying 

 organic matter, and are responsible for a certain amount 

 of damage to plants. Some genera, such as Tylenchus, 

 are provided with a spine, by means of which the epidermis 

 of the plant can be pierced and its juices sucked. In 

 Rhabaitis, however, this piercing apparatus is absent, and 

 the author kept large numbers of the worms on the surface 

 of a turnip for a month without the epidermis being 

 affected ; but once a way in was found, the worms were 

 enabled to feed on the juices by means of their powerful 

 sucking pharynx. 



Considerable attention is devoted to the culture of 

 maize by the Transvaal Agricultural Department, and an 

 account of the varieties most suitable is given by Mr. 

 Burtt-Davy in the Transvaal Agriculture Journal. Dent 

 maize is best for the main crops, as it usually gives the 

 best yields and is in greatest demand ; flint maize, on the 

 other hand, is more suitable for districts where the rain- 

 fall is limited. Of the different varieties of dent maize 

 Hickory King is most promising for the e.xport trade, as it 

 is purchased by corn-flour manufacturers, distillers, and 

 brewers ; by producing a choice grade of this variety still 

 more profitable results may be obtained. Yellow varieties 

 are grown for stock-feeding purposes. 



The quarterly issue of the Eugenics Review for October 

 maintains the standard of former parts. In addition to the 

 usual editorial notes and reviews, there is a short con- 

 tribution by the honorary president. Sir Francis Galton, 

 on the effects of small and persistent influences in mould- 

 ing public opinion, and special articles on various aspects 

 of eugenics. The note by Dr. Havelock Ellis directing 

 attention to the sterilisation, on social grounds, of four 

 mentally defective persons in Switzerland, and the Rev. 

 J. H. F. Peile's discussion of the relation of the Church 

 to the eugenic movement — a pressing and difficult problem 

 — are, perhaps, of* most general interest. It is to be re- 

 gretted that the article by Dr. Slaughter, on selection in 

 marriage, should be open to the criticism of Mr. Peile 

 that much of the literature of eugenics is unconciliatory 

 and dogmatic in tone. The adoption of a polemical style 

 is inappropriate in a scientific contribution to the discussion 

 of the subject, and defeats its own end in an article 

 written for propagandist purposes. 



The Century Magazine for November contains a popular 

 article, by Prof. Metchnikoff, on the utility of lactic 

 microbes in the diet, their mode of action, and an explana- 

 tion of the author's views on longevity. 



The winter session of the London School of Tropical 

 Medicine was opened on October 26 by Mr. Whitelaw 



