540 



NA TURE 



[September 28, 1905 



way in spring. Tine only practical remedy, especially 

 where the first two species are concerned, is to spray in 

 autumn, and a heavy paraflin emulsion is recommended, 

 as injury to the leaves is not a serious matter at this 

 season. The work is troublesome but effectual. In many 

 cases it may be possible to collect and burn affected leaves 

 in autumn, and this is recommended. Prunings should 

 also be burnt before March. In the same report Prof. 

 Theobald mentions a case in which honey-comb was de- 

 stroyed by the maggots of the window fly (Rhyplnts 

 fenestralis). The window fly is a very common insect, but 

 has never before been reported as an enemy of the bee, and 

 the case is mentioned as showing how a harmless insect 

 may suddenly change its habits and become a pest. 



Two recent botanical parts, Nos. 9 and 11, of vol. xii. 

 of the Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts atid 

 Sciences deal with systematic work. In the one number 

 Mr. B. L. Robertson collates some American EupatorieK, 

 and Mr. J. M. Greenman presents a list of new flowering 

 plants from Me.\ico and the south-western United States. 

 In addition to the new species, Mr. Greenman proposes 

 two new genera, Lozanella, near to Trema, of the order 

 Ulmaces, and Mimophytum, a borraginaceous genus allied 

 to Omphalodes and Cynoglossum. The other part contains 

 the sixth and last of the preliminary diagnoses by Prof. 

 R. Thaxter on new species of Laboulbeniaceae, a specialised 

 group of minute ascom)'cetous fungi which live para- 

 sitically on insects. 



Several points of interest are noted in a phyto- 

 geographical sketch by Dr. L. Cockayne of the vegeta- 

 tion of the two Open Bay islands, which lie close to the 

 shore of South Westland, a county in the southern island 

 of New Zealand. Characteristic liane formations occur on 

 both islands ; on the larger northerly island the dominant 

 liane is a screw-pine, Freycinetia Banksii, and in some 

 parts, MuchUnbeckia adpressa, of the order Polyonacese, is 

 associated with it or takes its place ; on the smaller 

 island the Freycinetia is absent, and the Muehlenbeckia 

 forms pure scrub or grows w-ith a large-leaved variety of 

 Veronica ellipiica. The account appears in the Trans- 

 actions of the New Zealand Institute (vol. xxxvii.), as also 

 a list of newly-recorded habitats for New Zealand plants 

 by the same writer. The identification of a Carex from 

 Chatham Island, as a variety otherwise only recorded from 

 Patagonia, adds another to the list of plants which con- 

 nects the floras of New Zealand and South America. 



At the age of four score years. Dr. v. Neumayer has the 

 satisfaction of issuing the third edition of his " Anleitung 

 zu wissenschaftlichen Beobachtungen auf Reisen." It is 

 appearing in parts (Jaennecke, Hanover) at a price of 

 36 marks, and will comprise two volumes, the first deal- 

 ing with geography and inanimate nature, the second 

 with plants, animals, and man. More than thirty experts 

 are collaborating under Dr. v. Neumayer 's editorship, so 

 that each subject will be treated by an expert. The first 

 two parts have already appeared, and contain articles on 

 geographical observations, directions for somatological 

 observations, an anthropological questionnaire, which 

 seems to be identical with that issued by the Berlin 

 Museum for Africa, and, finally, the commencement of 

 an excellent article by Dr. v. Luschan on field work in 

 archrcology. No provision seems to be made for an article 

 on a traveller's outfit or general hints; but it would not 

 materially increase the size of the book to do so, and 

 probably its general usefulness would be much increased 

 by the addition. The last edition appeared in 1S88, and 

 NO. 1874, VOL. 72] 



in many branches of knowledge the advance since that 

 date has been immense. It is therefore a matter for con- 

 gratulation that Dr. v. Neumayer has been able to supervise 

 the re-issue and gather around him so many able 

 coadjutors. 



A COMMISSION has been appointed by the Lieutenant- 

 Governor of the Transvaal to consider the question of the 

 safety of persons travelling in shafts. It will inquire into 

 the structure, material, preservation, and examination of 

 winding ropes and the adaptability of safety catches. 



Me.s.srs. Percival, Marshall and Co. have published 

 a useful little guide to standard screw threads and twist 

 drills by Mr. George Gentry. Tables are given of the 

 Whitworth standard thread, the British Association 

 standard, bicycle screw threads, the V standard thread, 

 the L'nited States standard thread, the international 

 metric standard thread, watch and clock screws, and twist 

 drills. The guide, which is published at 6d. net, is 

 specially designed to meet the needs of the model engineer, 

 and shows in a striking manner the necessity for the 

 general adoption of standard threads as advocated in an 

 article recently published in Nature (.\ugust 31). 



The current issue of the Bulletin de la Societc 

 d' Encouragement contains an important memoir by a 

 Swedish engineer, Mr. Hjalmar Braune, on the influence 

 of nitrogen on iron and steel. That metalloid exerts an 

 influence more harmful even than that of phosphorus, and 

 appears to be the chief cause of the fragility of mild steel. 

 Its presence in iron is not due to the direct combination 

 of the metal with the nitrogen of the air; the intervention 

 of basic slag is necessary. Metal made by the Thomas and 

 Gilchrist process contains more nitrogen than steel made 

 by the acid process, and this explains the inferiority 

 generally ascribed to the former material. 



The annual report on the mineral resources of the 

 United .States for 1903 has been issued under the able 

 editorship of Dr. David T. Day. It forms a bulky volume 

 of 1204 pages, and contains, in addition to statistics of 

 production, a large amount of descriptive and technical 

 matter. In 1903, for the fourth time, the total value of the 

 United States mineral production exceeded 200,000,000!., 

 iron and coal being the most important of the mineral 

 products. The L'nited States in 1903 were the greatest 

 producers of iron, coal, copper, lead, petroleum, and salt 

 in the world. Tin, it is interesting to note, has been 

 found in commercial quantities in South Carolina, and the 

 mines were actively worked in 1903. The manufacture 

 of arsenious acid, a new industry in the LInited States, 

 is carried on at Everett, Washington. The production of 

 gypsum continues to show a remarkable increase, owing, 

 doubtless, to the use of plaster of Paris in large modern 

 buildings. There was, too, a notable increase in the pro- 

 duction of the ores of nickel, cobalt, chromium, tungsten, 

 molybdenum, vanadium, titanium, and uranium owing to 

 their use for steel-hardening purposes. A great advance 

 in the lapidary industry is also reported. The fact that 

 larger establishments have been formed, which are able 

 to purchase the rough diamonds in greater quantities, has 

 placed the American diamond-cutters in a position equal 

 to that held by those of Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Paris. 

 The cutting of American gems has also assumed large 

 proportions, notably in the cases of the beryls and 

 amethysts of North Carolina and Connecticut, and of the 

 turquoises, sapphires. tourmalines, chrysoprascs, and 

 garnets of other States. 



