;oo 



NA TURE 



[August 26, 1922 



urea starting with carbon dioxide and ammonia. 

 Applying the device of the hot and cold tube, carbon 

 dioxide in presence of ammonia in excess and with 

 thoria as catalyst, gave a 19 per cent, conversion into 

 urea. — M. Gignoux and P. Fallot : 

 The marine Pliocene on the Medi- 

 terranean coasts of Spain. — A. 

 Guilliermond : Remarks on the 

 formation of chloroplasts in the 

 bud of Elodea canadensis. — G. 

 Andre : The filtration of plant 

 juices. Comparative analyses of 

 juice expressed from the potato, 

 after clarification by the centrifuge, 

 filtration through porous porcelain 

 filter, and filtration through collod- 

 ion. In the last case, the proportions of nitrogen and 

 phosphorus present are reduced. — Gabriel Bertrand 

 and B. Benzon : The importance of zinc in the food of 

 animals. Experiments on mice. — H. Vallee and H. 

 Carre : The degree of infection of aphthous fever. — 

 Georges Bourguignon : Double chronaxy and a double 

 motor point in certain human muscles. 



Sydney. 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, June 28. — 

 Mr. G. A. Waterhouse, president, in the chair. — 

 W. F. Blakely : The Loranthaceae of Australia, Part 

 ii. A revised classification of the Loranthaceae, based 

 on that of Engler, is put forward. The most notable 

 changes in the nomenclature affect the genus Atkin- 

 sonia which is displaced by Gaiadendron, while the 

 species under Loranthus, with versatile anthers, are 

 transferred to Phrygilanthus. — Dr. R. J. Tillyard : 

 Some New Permian Insects from Belmont, N.S.W., 

 in the collection of Mr. John Mitchell. Nearly half 

 the insect wings discovered at Belmont belong to the 

 family Permochoristidae. In association with these 

 are two other Mecopteroid types, viz., Belmontia and 

 a new type, described in this paper, which stands in 

 the same relation to the Order Diptera that Belmontia 

 does to the Trichoptera and Lepidoptera. In addition 

 the first discovery of a true Lacewing (Neuroptera, 

 Planipennia) of Palaeozoic times is recorded. The 

 remainder of the fauna consists of Homoptera, both 

 Auchenorrhyncha and Sternorrhyncha, a new genus 

 of the latter being described. — j. Mitchell : A new 

 Gasteropod (fam. Euomphalidae) from the Lower 

 Marine Series of New South Wales. Description of 

 a new species of Platyschisma from Allandale, where 

 it occurs associated with P. oculus, Eurydesma 

 cordatum, and Aviculopecten mitchelli. — Vera Irwin- 

 Smith : Notes on Nematodes of the genus Physal- 

 optera. Part iii. The Physaloptera of Australian 

 Lizards. This paper deals with specimens of Physal- 

 optera contained in three collections. They were 

 found to consist of two forms, one of which has been 

 identified as P. antarctica Linstow var. typica. The 

 other has been treated as a new variety of the same 

 species. Linstow's brief and inadequate diagnosis of 

 the species has been supplemented by a detailed 

 description. The rest of the paper is devoted to a 

 special study of the female reproductive organs, in 

 which it is pointed out that the practice of helmin- 

 thologists of basing specific distinctions, in this group, 

 upon the dimensions and arrangement of these parts 

 is not reliable, since very considerable variations have 

 been found within the one species. — J. McLuckie : 

 Studies in Symbiosis, i. The Mycorhiza of Dipodium 

 punctatum R.Br. 



Royal Society of New South Wales, July 5. — Mr. 

 C. A. Sussmilch, president, in the chair. — A. R. 

 Penfold : Observations respecting some essential oils 



from Leptospermum Liversidgei. 

 the essential oils obtained from ; 

 Tree {Leptospermum Liversidgei) 

 follows : — 



The variation in 



1 well-known Tea 



is tabulated as 



The author is inclined to the opinion that there are 

 probably three forms of this shrub, and points out 

 that the types " b " and " c " are of great economic 

 importance. The type "a" (the original one) is of 

 very little commercial value, hence the importance of 

 the other types, particularly as botanical diagnosis 

 has so far failed to distinguish them. — A. R. Penfold 

 and F. R. Morrison : Preliminary note on a new 

 Stearoptene (probably a phenol ether) occurring in 

 some essential oils of the Myrtaceae. The authors 

 announced the isolation of a beautifully crystalline 

 solid of a yellow colour from the essential oils of 

 Bcekea crenulata and Darwinia grandiflora. It has 

 a melting-point of 103-104° C, molecular formula 

 Ci3H, 8 4 , and contains two methoxy groups. It is 

 apparently a phenol ether. It has, so far, only been 

 obtained in small quantity, amounting to 6 per cent, 

 in the former, and 2 per cent, in the latter oils, but 

 it is anticipated that other essential oils at present 

 being investigated will yield it in greater amount. — 

 J. K. Taylor : A chemical and bacteriological study 

 of a typical wheat soil of New South Wales. Monthly 

 determinations of soil moisture, bacterial numbers, 

 nitrates, and nitrifying power were made in soil from 

 various plots at "Wagga Experiment Farm. The 

 bacterial numbers, nitrates and nitrifying power were 

 greater in summer than in winter in spite of the 

 partial drying out of the soil. The general order of 

 merit of the plots for bacterial activity and accumula- 

 tion of nitrates was cultivated fallow, cropped land, 

 uncultivated fallow, and grass land. The bacterial 

 numbers are comparable with those from soils from 

 similar climatic regions but the nitrifying power is 

 not particularly good and fluctuated curiously from 

 month to month. 



Official Publications Received. 



Annals of the Astrophvsic.il observatory of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion. Vol. 4. (Publication Xo. 2f.l>l.) Pp. xii + 390. (Washington: 

 Smithsonian Institution.) 



Tin- British Myi-ulogioal Society. Transactions, 1920. Vol. 7, 

 Part 4. Edited by Carleton Rea and J. Hamsbottom. Pp. 221-324. 

 (London: Cambridge University Press.) 12s. 6d. 



Memoirs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Vol. C : Zoological 

 Results of a Tour in the Far East. Edited by Dr. X. Annandale. 

 Part 7. Pp. 397-433 + plates 15-17. 2 rupees; 3s. Part 8. Pp. 

 435-459 + plates 18-21. 2 rupees ; 3s. Vol. 7, Xo. 4: Introduction 

 to the Study of the Fauna of an Island in the Chilka Lake. By Dr. 

 X. Annandale. Pp. 257-319 + plates 7-11. 3 rupees; 4s. 6d. (Cal- 

 cutta : \-lalli Society "I liengal.l 



The V iwcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering 

 and Technology. Transactions, Vol. 1, 1920-1921. Pp. 88 + 18 

 plates. (London: Newcomen Society.) 20s. 



University of Colorado Bulletin. Vol. 22. Xo. 3; General series, 

 Xo. Iso: Catalogue, 1921-1922. Pp. 426. ( Hoiilder, Colo.: Uni- 

 versity of Colorado.) 



Experimental Researches and Reports published by the Department 

 of class Technology, The University, Sheffield. Vol. 4. 1921. Pp. 

 ii+118. (Sheffield: The University.) 



NO. 275b, VOL. I io] 



