Nov. 1 8, i8So] 



NA rURE 



71 



evidence oftered in support of Dr. Kuntze's views is at present 

 incomplete, and that further researches into the life-hirtory of 

 these plants must he made before these views can be generally 

 accepted. 



After an elaborate systematic revision of the genus, Dr. 

 Kunt/e goes on to discuss the Sarga>;o Sea. He draws atten- 

 tion to the wide divergences which exist between the accounts 

 given of it by different travellers. Thus Humboldt and Maury 

 speak of it as a mass of gulf-weed having an area of thousands 

 of square miles, whereas others — Sir Wyville Thomson, for 

 instance^escribe it as consisting of small scattered patches. 

 Dr. Kuntze concludes that there is no reason for assigning a 

 definite and constant area to it. It appears that the patches of 

 weed occur more frequently in the region of calms, but at times 

 it is either absent or present only in small quantities even there. 

 A wind blowing for a considerable time in one direction might, 

 under certain circumstances, cause the aggregation of patches 

 into a mass of some extent, such as is to be found, for instance, 

 in the neiijhbourhDod of the Bermudas in spring after the 

 equinoctiar gales, but even this would be but small when 

 compared with Humboldt's estimate. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 

 i O.KFORD. — The following gentlemen have been nominated by 

 ;the Vice-Chancellor as examiners for the Degree of Bachelor of 

 Medicine. In the first examination for M. B. :— S. H. West, 

 M.A., M.B. Christ Church; J. A. Dale, M.A. B,alliol; A. G. 

 Vernon Harcourt, M.A. Christ Church. In the second examina- 

 tion for M.B. : — T. K. Chambers, M.D., Christ Church ; James 

 Andrews, M.D., Wadliam ; T. P. Teale, M.A., M.B., Brase- 

 nose. In the examination in Preventive Medicine : — W. Ogle, 

 M.D. Corpus; G. W. Child, M.D. Exeter; W. F. Donkin, 

 M.A. Magdalen ; Douglas Galton, Capt. R.E., Hon. D.C.L. 



A Fellowship will shortly be offered by University College 

 for proficiency in biology. The details are not yet announced. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Annalcn dcr Pliysik and Chemie, No. 10.— On the influence 

 of curvature of the wall on the constants of capillarity in wetting 

 liquids, by P. Volkmann. — Constructions for anomalous disper- 

 ^ion, by E. Ketteler. — On Newton's dust-rings (continued), by 

 K. Exner.— On calculation of the correction for temperature in 

 calorimetric measurements, by L. Pfundler.— Chemical energy 

 and electromotive force of various galvanic combinations, by J. 

 Thomsen. — On the photo- and thermo-electric properties of fluor 

 spar, by W. Hankel. — On electrical elementary laws, by E. 

 Riecke. — Remarks on some recent electro-capillary experiments, 

 by E. Lippmann. — Experimental researches on weakly magnetic 

 substances (third part), by P. Silow. — Researches on the height 

 of the atmosphere and the constitution of gaseous heavenly bodies 

 (continued), by A. Ritter. — Reply to Ilerr Herwig "On the 

 Heat-Conductivity of Mercury," by PI. F. Weber. — Reply to 

 jllerr Winckelmann's remarks in a recent number, by the same. 



Arcfiivcs des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, October 15. — 

 Contributions to a study of the colouring-matters of plants, by 

 J. B. Schnetzler. —Practical study of marine zoology ; the zoo- 

 logical station of Naples, by E. Yung. — Sixty-third session of 

 the Helvetic Society of Natural Sciences, held at Erigue on 

 September 13-15, 1880; Proceedings in the departments of 

 Physics and Chemistry, Geology, Botany, Zoology and Medicine. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Linnean Society, November 4. — Prof. Allman, F.R.S., 

 jiresident, in the chair. — The session opened by Mr. H. C. 

 Sorby showing drawings of some British sea-anemones, with 

 habitat on the upper fronds of long seaweeds in deep water ; and 

 he recorded having seen a solitary cream-coloured cetacean on 

 the English coast. — Mr. Arthur Bennett drew attention to a new 

 Briti^h Chara (C. steHigera), remarkable for the presence of stel- 

 late bulbils on the stems. — Mr. E. M. Holmes exhibited two 

 marine algce new to Britain, viz., Dasya gibbcsii, from Bervvick- 

 on-Tueed, and Ectocarpus tcnninalis from Weymouth ; and also 

 species of Callilhamnion, with antheridia and trichophore on the 

 same branchlet. — Prof. T. S. Cobbold exhibited a remarkable 

 trematode from the horse. It was di-'covered by Dr. Sonsini at 



Zagazig during the Egyptian plague, with which outbreak, how- 

 ever, the parasite had no necessary connection. The worm 

 [Gasfrodisciis sonsiiiojiis) appeared to be an aberrant amphistome 

 furnished with a singular ventral disk, Mhose concavity was lined 

 with about 200 small suckers having a tesselated aspect. In this 

 respect its nearest approach was a worm infesting a genus of 

 spinny-finned fishes [Catapkraclus) belonging to the Triglidie. 

 According to Prof. Leuckart's recent anatomical investigation, 

 however, doubts are thrown on its amphistomoid affinities. — Mr. 

 G. F. Angas showed the leaf of Hennas gigantnr, an umbelli- 

 ferous plant of the Cape used as tinder by the Hottentots. — Mr. 

 E. A. Webb exhibited a monstrous bramble (Ruhns fruticostis) 

 with flowers represented by elongated axes covered with minute 

 pubescent bracts and apices fasciated. — A communication by 

 Dr. G. Watt was read, viz., contribution to the flora of North- 

 west India. The geogi-aphieal features of the district are noted. 

 He divides it into three areas: the first range, Ravee-Basin, 

 with magnificent forests of Ccdriis diodara on its northern slopes, 

 has on the southerly ones vegetation with an Indian facies, being 

 barely outside the humid influence of the tropical rains of the 

 plains ; the second range, comprising Pangi, Lower Lahore, and 

 British Lahore, has a flora altogether changed, dry short 

 summers and snow-clad mountains giving a climate and plant- 

 life of quite a different cast ; the third range evinces still further 

 change of fljra, this assuming a Thibetan type. Some 300 species 

 of plants are noted, four being new. — A paper on the PapilionidK 

 of South Australia, by J' G. OttoTepper, was read. The butterflies 

 of this part of Austral - are comparatively few in numbers, and 

 sombre colours prevail thus seemingly in harmony with the sur- 

 roundings of their habitat. The paucity of numbers the author 

 attributes to the dryness of the climate. Notes on the habits 

 accompany the descriptions of the species. — Note^ on a collection 

 of flowering plants from Madagascar were read by Mr. ]. G. 

 Baker. The flowering plants are less known than the ferns 

 from this interesting island ; two new genera are denoted, viz. 

 (i) Kitchingia, belonging to the Crassulaces, a succulent herb 

 with fleshy sessile leaves and large bright red flowers in lax 

 terminal cymes ; (2) Rodocodon, a liliaceous plant w ith red flowers 

 and peculiar spuned bracts : it comes between Rluscaria and 

 Ui-^iiiea. Thirty new species are described. — Messrs. Edw. 

 Brown, H. E. Dresser, and T. F. Pippe were elected Fellows 

 of the Society. 



Mathematical Society, November n. — Mr. C. W. Merrifield, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — The Treasurer's and Secretaries' 

 reports were read and adopted. —After the ballot had been taken, 

 the gentlemen whose names are given on p. 614 of the last volume 

 were declared duly elected as the Council for the present ses.-ion. 



Mr. S. Roberts, F.R.S., the new president, having taken the 



chair, Mr. Merrifield read his valedictory address, "Considera- 

 tions respecting the Translation of Series of Observations into 

 Continuous Formula-."— On the motion of Prof. Cayley, F.R.S., 

 the address \\as ordered to be printed in the Proceedings.— Vir. 

 H. M. Jeffery, F.R.S., then read a paper on bicircular quartics, 

 with a triple and double focus, and three single foci, all of them 

 collinear. — Mr. Tucker (hon. sec.) communicated parts of a 

 paper by' the Rev. C. Taylor, further remarks on the geometrical 

 method of reversion. 



Geological Society, November 3.— Robert Etheridge, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Bernard Barham Woodward 

 was "elected a Fellow of the Society.— The President announced 

 that the original portrait of Dr. William Smith, painted by M. 

 Fourau in Ihe year 1S3S, had been presented to the Society by 

 Mr. William Smith of Cheltenham.— The following communi- 

 cations were read : — On the sei-pentine and associated rocks of 

 Anglesey, with a note on the so-called Serpentine of Porth- 

 dinlleyn (Caernarvonshire), by Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S., 

 Sec. G.S. Several patches of serpentine are indicated on the 

 Geological Survey map on the western side of Anglesey, near 

 Tre Valley Station, and a considerable one on Holyhead Island, 

 near Rhoscolyn. These really include three very distinct varie- 

 ties of rocks: (i) compact green schistose rocks, (2) gabbro, 

 (3) true serpentine. The author described the mode of occur- 

 rence of each of these, and their relations, the serpentine being 

 almost certainly intrusive in the schist, and the gabbro in the 

 serpentine. The microscopic structure of the various rocks was 

 described in detail, especially of the last. It presents the usual 

 characteristics, and is an altered olivine rock which has contained 

 bronzite. One or two varieties are rather peculiar ; an ophicalcue 

 and a compact chloritic schist containing chromite are also noticed. 



