Dec. II, 1873J 



NATURE 



115 



The little town of Massa Marritima (Tuscany), says the Journal 

 of tlic Society of Alls, sets an example which would be well to be 

 followed by many larger and better known towns, both in Italy 

 and this countiy. In 1867 the municipality of Massa purchased 

 ■the interesting collection of minerals, models of mining machi- 

 nery, and specimens of tools used in mines in various coun- 

 tries from Signor Teodoro Haupt, a well-known mining engineer 

 of Florence, together v> ith a complete series of maps and plans 

 of most of the mines in Tuscany. This forms the nucleus of the 

 museum, which has since been enriched by a collection of the 

 birds and animals found in the province, the donation of a medical 

 man residing in the town, and their value is considerably enhanced 

 by being well arranged and tabled with both common and scien- 

 tific names. The library now contains about 6,000 volumes, 

 some of which are of great value, as being extremely rare, and 

 relating to the history of the republic of v.'hich Massa was once 

 the capital. The archaeological department contains a very 

 beautiful Etruscan funeral urn. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the last week include four Bull Frogs [Rana mugiens) from 

 Nova Scotia, presented by Dr. B. Sanderson, F.R.S. ; two 

 white-handed Gibbons (Hylobatcs lar) from the Malay Penin- 

 sula, presented by Sir H. Ord, C.B. ; two (Griffin Vultures 

 (Gyps fulus) and a Golden Eagle [Aquila clirysaetos), European, 

 presented by Mr. A. J. White ; two Rough-legged Buzzards 

 (Archibuko lagopiis), European, presented by Mr. A. B. 

 Hepburn ; a Green Monkey {CcrcofitluYtis callitnc/iiis) from 

 India ; and a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus radialus) from India, 

 presented by Miss Bradshaw ; a Barasingha Deer [Cervus 

 di(vaucelii) from the Himalayas, received in exchange ; and a 

 Hairy Armadillo (Dasypns villost(s) from La Plata, deposited. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 

 Da- N'alnrforsclu-r, Oct. 1873. — Among the abstracted matter 

 in this number we find an account of recent experiments by M. 

 Exner, to determine the "reaction time" of the sensorium. 

 Some part of the body having been stimulated, the per.«on imme- 

 diately made a signal by pressing a key with the right hand. 

 Marks were produced on a blackened cylinder, both at stimula- 

 tion and at signalling, and the interval was noted. The reaction 

 time (which ranged between o'i295 and 03576 sec. in 7 persons) 

 seems independent of age, and is shortest in those who have the 

 habit of concentration. The tables also show it to have been 

 shortest in stimulation of the eye with an induction shock ; then 

 follow, in order, electric shock to finger of left hand, sudden 

 sound, electric shock to forehead, shock to right-hand finger, 

 sight of an electric spark ; and lastly, shock to toes of left foot. 

 M. Exner analyses the reaction time into 7 "moments." — In 

 chemistry we have some important observations on the non- 

 luminous flame of the Bunsen burner, by M. Blochmann, and 

 on vinegar-ferment and its cause, by MM. Mayer and Knierim, 

 who think the action of mycoderma aceti probably physiological, 

 and that it is a kind of bacterium which shows a mobile and an 

 immobile state ; the latter producing rapid acetification. Further, 

 the vinegar-production occurs without the presence of nitro- 

 genous substances, though less slowly than where they are pre- 

 sent. — An interesting question in plant-geography is that as to 

 the transport of seeds by ocean-currents, and in other ways inde- 

 pendent of human agency. M. Thuret has been experimenting 

 on this in Antibes. Having tried 251 diflerent species, he 

 knows of only two kinds of bare seed which are capable of float- 

 ing, Maurandia and Phormium. A long immersion in sea-water 

 does not always destroy the vitality of seeds. Out of 24 species 

 immersed more than a year, at least 3 germinated afterwards as 

 vigorously as seeds kept quite dry. — We find astronomical notes 

 on the spectra of the two new comets, IH. and IV., of 1873, 

 and on the connection of solar protuberances with auroras 

 (Tacchini) ; and in meteorology there is a notice of Dr. Koppen'a 

 valuable researches on an eleven years' period of temperature. — 

 In physics, the subjects are : short galvanic currents and elec- 

 trical discharges (Edlund), armatures of magnetic bundles 

 (Jamin), and molecular rotatory power of vinous acid and its 

 salts (Landoll). — A review of l\^c\i.c\i Die- Kalisc/iwammi; by 

 M. V. Martens, is worthy of notice. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Zoological Society, Dec. 2.— Dr. A. Giinther, F.R.S. 

 vice-president, in the chair. A communication was read from 

 Dr. James Hector, containing an account of the complete skele- 

 ton of Cncmioyuis cakitrans, Owen, and showing its affinity to 

 the Natatores. — Prof. Owen, F.R.S., read a paper containing a 

 restoration of the skeleton of Cnemiornis calcitrans, Owen, with 

 remarks on its affinities to the Lamellirostral group, and forming 

 the twentieth part of his series of memoirs of extinct birds 

 of the genus Diiiornis and its allies. —A communication was read 

 from Mr. W. H. Hudson, containing an account of the habits of 

 the Pipit [Anthtis coi-rciulcra) of the Argentine Republic. — A 

 communication was read from Mr. A. G. Butler, containing a 

 revision of the species of the genus Protogonitis. — A communi- 

 cation was read from Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S,, on the skulls of 

 some seals from Japan, with description of a new species, pro- 

 posed to be called Eitmelopias clongata. — Mr. P. L. Sclater read 

 a paper on some birds collected in Peru by Mr. H. Whitely, 

 being the seventh of the series of articles upon this subject. — A 

 communication was read from Mr. Henry Whitely, containing 

 additional notes on humming-birds collected in High Peru. — A 

 communication was read from Mr. R. Swinhoe, containing re- 

 marks on the Black Albatross with flesh-coloured bill, of the 

 China Seas. — Mr. Garrod read a paper on the visceral anatomy 

 of the Ground Rat {Aulacodiis szainderiamis). 



Linnean Society, Dec. 4. — Mr. G. Bentham, president, in 

 the chair. — Revision of the genera and species of Tulipea;, by 

 Mr. J. G. Baker. In this tribe of Liliacea; the author includes 

 the caulescent capsular genera with distinct perianth-segments 

 and leafy stems bulbous at the base, viz., Fritillaria, Tulipa, 

 Lilium, Calochortus, Erythronium, and Lloydia. The cha- 

 racters presented by the different orders were described seriatim 

 in the paper. In the structure of the underground stems there 

 are four leading types, viz., (i) a squamose perennial bulb, con- 

 sisting, when mature, of a large number of thin flat scales tightly 

 pressed against one another, and arranged spirally round a cen- 

 tral axis which is not produced cither vertically or horizontally, 

 as exemplified in all the Old-world species of Lilium ; (2) in 

 most of the species of Fritillaria we have a pair only of hemis- 

 pherical scales, half as thick as broad, pressed against the base 

 of the flower-stem, these scales being the bases of single leaves 

 which die down before the flower-stem is produced ; (3) an 

 annual laminated truncated bulb occurs generally in Tulipa, Calo- 

 chortus, and Eu-Lloydia ; (4) in thefjseclion Cageopsis of Lloydia 

 we have a truncated"corm. The leaves are very uniform through- 

 out the tribe, with the exception of a section of Lihuin, Cardio- 

 crinum, with long clasping petioles. The perianth leaves are all 

 coloured except in Calochortus, when the three outer segments 

 are sepaloid and lengthened into points. The stamens are al- 

 ways six in number and nearly equal in length, hypogynous, and 

 the dehiscence of the anther never properly introrse, but lateral, 

 exactly as in Colchicum. In the capsule, Calochortus differs from 

 the other genera in its septicidal dehiscence. As regards the 

 connection between Liliacije and Colchicacea; Mr. Baker is dis- 

 posed to lay less stress than before on the evidence of any sharp 

 line of demai'cation between the orders, all the characters usually 

 ascribed to the latter order being found in some of the genera of 

 Liliacea;. In its Geographical Distribution the tribe is spread 

 throughout the north temperate zone ; only one species, Lloydia 

 scrotina, is really boreal and Alpine ; the southern limits are 

 Mexico, the Philippines, South China, the Neilgherries, and the 

 southern borders of the Mediterranean ; the principal concen- 

 tration of species is in California and Japan ; nearly all are hardy 

 in this climate. Lilium with 46, and Fritillaria with 55 species, 

 have the distribution of the tribe ; the latter stopping eastwards 

 at the Rocky Mountains, while the former reaches the Atlantic 

 sea-board ; Tulipa, with 48 species, is restricted to the Old 

 World, reaching Irom Spain, Britain, and Scandinavia to Japan 

 and the Himalayas ; Calochortus, with 2 1 species, is confined to 

 Mexico and the west side of the Rocky Mountains ; of the 5 

 species of Erythronium, i is confined to the Old World and 4 to 

 the New ; the 3 species of Gageopsis are Oriental and Siberian ; 

 while Lloydia scrotina is the most widely spread of all the Lili- 

 aciea;, and a unique instance of a petaloid Monocotyledon of 

 the North Temperate Zone with almost universal high moun- 

 tains and Arctic distribution. 



Chemical Society, Dec. 4, — Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., vice- 

 president, in the chair.— A paper entitled Mineralogical Notices, 



