NATURE 
[JuLy 4, 1912 
462 
Deutsche Seewarte (1910).—The results of the valu- 
able observations made at the stations under the 
control of the Seewarte are published in practically 
the same form as in previous years. Part i. contains 
observations made three times daily at ten stations 
of the second order, monthly and yearly results, and 
five-day means of temperature. Part ii. contains 
hourly readings at four normal stations; the anemo- 
metrical velocities are obtained by a revised factor, 
determined experimentally. Part iii. gives very 
useful statistics of storms experienced at fifty-seven 
signal stations in each month, in the North and 
Baltic Seas. Only those cases are given in which 
storms were reported by at least three stations. An 
appendix gives the sunshine mallies for Hamburg 
during the year: 1441 hours, or 32:3 per cent. of the 
possible amount. 
Deutsche Seewarte, Hamburg (1911).—The thirty- 
fourth yearly report on the useful work of the See- 
warte shows, as usual, great activity in all its 
branches. On November 1 Captain Behm succeeded 
Admiral Herz as director. Among the principal 
publications relating to the marine branch may be 
mentioned the monthly meteorological charts of the 
North Atlantic, and the daily synoptic weather charts 
of the same ocean issued in connection with the 
Danish Meteorological Institute. Monthly charts 
for the Pacific Ocean are being prepared in view of 
the proposed opening of the Panama Canal. For 
the present they will be in manuscript only, for 
private use. During the year 87 complete meteor- 
ological logs were received from the Imperial Navy, 
1810 from the mercantile marine, and 2th shortened 
registers, containing altogether about 4585 months’ 
observations. 
Bombay and Alibag Observatories (1911).—The re- 
port shows that a considerable portion of the arrears 
of the usual publications has been disposed of, and 
that much time has been occupied in investigating 
discrepancies between some of the magnetic instru- 
ments. The mean temperature of the year at 
Colaba was 79:9", being 05° above the normal; the 
greatest maximum hourly temperature was g1-4° in 
May, and the least minimum 59:3° in February. 
THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MUSCLE.} 
N this brilliant monograph, which embodies the 
results of five years’ laborious and painstaking 
investigation and is a monument of ingenuity in 
devising and using new methods of technique, Dr. 
Vlés has made out a good case for revising our ideas 
Sones the nature of muscular striation. 
Viés believes that modern teaching loses sight 
of Sac big, broad facts of muscular structure, and 
has prevented their recognition hitherto by too much 
insistence on minute details, which are commonly 
and erroneously assumed to be material realities 
rather than merely optical illusions. By taking 
cognisance of well-known optical phenomena, and by 
employing such methods as spectroscopic and ultra- 
microscopic examination and polarisation, it is 
possible to disprove the reality of many apparently 
material features and appreciably to simplify the 
structure of muscle fibres. 
The most primitive muscular fibre is of the smooth 
variety, and contains a general substratum which 
can be recognised by its spectroscopic appearance. 
Superposed on this general substratum, and diffused 
throughout the fibre, are other molecular groupings 
comprising sarcoplasmic and hematogenous deri- 
vatives and doubly refracting substances. Smooth 
muscle possesses the contractile character just as does 
p 
“ Propriétés Optiques des Muscles.” By Dr. Fred Vles. 
(Pari A. Hermann & Fils, rgt1-) Price 15 francs. 
NO. 2227, VOL. 89| 
Pp. xviii+ 372. 
striated muscle, but its contractility is of a nature 
different from that of striated muscle. Dr. Vlés has 
quoted evidence to show that all muscle develops 
primitively as ‘‘smooth”’ fibres, but may later take 
on a striated appearance, exhibiting at the same time 
transformations in the nature of its contraction. 
He shows that the appearance of striation in 
muscular fibre is associated with increase in frequency 
or rapidity of movement, or with the occurrence of a 
regular rhythm in contraction. 
Any cause, such as immobilisation or injury of the 
muscle or nerve, which interferes with these condi- 
tions affects the striation of the muscle. The striz 
disappear, and the muscle undergoes hyaline de- 
generation. Should the conditions under which stria- 
tion normally occurs again obtain, the striz appear 
anew. The distinction between striated and smooth 
muscle appears to be due to the fact that in the 
former the superposed molecular groupings become 
localised to certain areas of the muscular fibre, which 
have received the name of the Q discs (Rollet) (see 
7) 
I 
Diagram to illustrate the nomenclature of the muscular strize in the 
four principal types of striation, The simplest variety of striated 
muscular fibre is shown on the left side of the diagram. The 
anisotropic disc Q differs from the isotropic band I in containing 
a greater number of molecular groupings. These molecular 
groupings are not localised in the “smooth” fibre but are dif- 
fused throughout its extent, and hence the disc Q of striated 
muscle is the physical analogue of the whole “‘ smooth” fibre. 
figure). The QO disc of the striated muscular fibre 
is therefore the physical analogue of the whole 
smooth fibre. The intervening I discs are of simpler 
molecular constitution, and correspond to the general 
substratum only of the smooth fibre. When move- 
ment is lost in striated muscle the superposed mole- 
cular groupings become diffused throughout the fibre 
exactly as in smooth muscle. 
Contrary to general opinion, there is probably no 
membrane present between the Q and the I discs. 
Dr. Vlés’s interpretation of the relation between a 
smooth and a striped fibre is that the latter corre- 
sponds to smooth fibre which has undergone localisa- 
tion of its molecular groupings. Striation is prob- 
ably only an expression of quite general laws of 
elasticity and hydrodynamics applied to the hetero- 
geneous complex of the muscular fibre. 
T. Wrncate Topp. 
