JuNE 13, 1912] 
NATURE 
391 
arising from the application of the Hofmann reaction 
to apoharmine.—H. Jacob de Cordemoy : The structure 
of two Melastomaceze with tuberised roots from the 
east of Madagascar.—Maurice Mangin: Contribution 
to the study of the disease of the pine supposed to 
have been caused by Rhizina inflata—M. Lecercle : 
Heat of the gases of respiration.—J. E. Abelous and 
E. Bardier: The mechanism of anaphylaxy. The 
immediate production of the anaphylactic shock with- 
out preliminary injection of antigen.—Raoul Bayeux : 
The anoxhemia of high altitudes and its treatment 
by hypodermic oxygenation. — N. A. _ Barbieri: 
Anatomical study on the aretinian of the optic nerve 
in vertebrates—A. Magnan: The growth of ducks 
submitted to four different methods of feeding.—E. 
Vasticar: The structure of Deiters’s  cell.—G. 
Rebiére : The properties and chemical composition of 
electrical colloidal silver precipitated from its solutions 
by electrolytes. Colloidal silver prepared electrically 
in pure water and precipitated by electrolytes is a 
mixture of silver and silver oxide in variable propor- 
tions.—C. Gerber: The hydrolysis of starch paste by 
hydrogen peroxide alone or in presence of the plant 
or animal amylases.—J. Giraud: The geology of the 
south of Madagascar.—A. Delage: The traces of the 
great quadrupeds in the lower Permian of Hérault.— 
J. Deprat: Two new genera of Fusulinidz of eastern 
Asia, interesting from the phylogenic point of view. 
—Ph. Glangeaud: Hydrographic changes produced by 
the voleanoes of the Puys chain. 
New SoutH WALES. 
Linnean Society, March 27.—Mr. W. W. Froggatt, 
president, in the chair.—The President delivered the 
annual address, which was devoted largely to a con- | 
sideration of the advances made in the study of insect- 
life from an economic point of view, including a 
summary of what the various nations are attempting 
to do in the way of protecting man and his belongings 
from the drawbacks resulting from the wholesale dis- 
turbance. of the conditions under which insect-faunas 
formerly locally attained something like equilibrium 
for each country, and what national efforts have now 
become necessary in order to cope with the depreda- 
tions of insects which have been unintentionally intro- 
duced, and flourish amazingly under new conditions, 
or of indigenous insects which assert themselves in a 
menacing manner under modified natural conditions. 
—Dr. H. L. Kesteven: The constitution of the gastro- 
pod protoconch : its value as a taxonomic feature, and 
the significance of some of its forms.—E. W. 
Ferguson: Revision of the amycterides. Part ii., 
Talaurinus. 
April 24.—Mr. W. W. Froggatt, president, in the 
chair.—J. M. Petrie: The chemistry of Doryphora 
sassafras, Endl. The D. sassafras tree is endemic 
to East Australia. Its bark contains 1-35 per cent. 
of _an essential oil, besides fixed oils, aromatic 
resins, tannin (1-38 per cent.), sugars, calcium 
oxalate, and 0-63 per cent. of an alkaloid. The 
essential oil is also found in the leaves (4-3 per cent.) 
and fruit (4 per cent.). The alkaloid is an amor- 
phous, grey powder, darkening when exposed to 
light and air. It is highly electric, and possesses a 
bitter taste, and alkaline reaction. It is concluded 
that the alkaloid is a new one, and the name “ dory- 
phorine” is proposed for it—A. H. S. Lucas: Sup- 
plementary list of the marine alge of Australia. 
By an oversight, the red alge of the. subfamily 
Dasyez were omitted from the list of Australian 
Floridez published in the Proceedings for 1909 (p. 9). 
This omission has been rectified, and the list 
amplified—P. Cameron: A collection of parasitic 
Hymenoptera (chiefly bred) from New South Wales, 
NO. 2224, VOL. 89] 
collected by Mr. W. W. Froggatt, with descriptions 
of new genera and species. Part iii. Four genera 
and thirty-seven species, referable to six families, are 
described as new.—P. Cameron: Description of two 
new species of Ichneumonidze from the island of 
Ard. A species of Suvalta and one of Erythromorpha 
are described as new.—Dr. J. M. Petrie: Hydrocyanic 
acid in plants. Part i. Its distribution in the 
Australian flora. The paper consists of a list of 
about 300 native plants, representing sixty-five 
natural orders. These plants were tested for the 
presence of cyanogenetic glucosides and of emulsin- 
like ferments. The table shows thirty-six plants 
giving positive results, in which hydrocyanic acid is 
liberated by a natural ferment in the plant. It 
includes also seven exotic plants, in which the 
presence of hydrocyanic acid is recorded for the first 
time. Hydrocyanic acid is now held to play an 
important part in the metabolism of those plants in 
which its compounds occur. 
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