460 



NATURE 



\ April 16, 1874 



go even further, and substitute, for instance, iodethane 

 for the famihar ethyl iodide, &c. 



As constitutional or structural formula: are intended to 

 assist the student m the study of organic chemistry, we 

 should have preferred if the well-understood abbreviations 

 for compound radicals, advocated by some of our most 

 eminent chemists, such as Et. for ethyl, Ay. for amyl, had 

 been used. We observe, on p. 53, that Cfy. and Cfdy. are 

 use d for the compound cyanogen radicals ; why should 

 not constitutional formuke generally be simplified by the 

 use of abbreviations ? The task of deciphering certain 

 complex organic formute is already heavy enough, and 

 some such shorthand expressions as the above will soon 

 become all but indispensable. We do not for a moment 

 blame the author alone for these sins of omission and 

 commission. Our nomenclature and terminology are in 

 such a state of confusion that a bold reformer should be 

 welcomed rather than discouraged by every lover of our 

 science. 



We notice a few slips : On p. 7 " C„ H., + „" should be 

 C H, + ^; on p. 13 "monad and triad radicals cannot 

 be isolated ; " but at top of p. 14 we are told that " methyl 

 combines with methyl, and we obtain ethane or ethyl 

 hydride." Why methyl, &c., should not exist in a free or 

 molecular state as much as hydrogen we are unable to 

 see. On p. 67, the oxygen in the formula for guanidine 

 should be omitted. On p. 72, "methyl iodide 2CH3" 

 should be 2CH3I. On p. in, "The vapour of ether is 

 2-557 times heavier than water." On p. 112 "triacetyl 

 chloride " should be trichloracetyl chloride. On p. 135, 

 " Q Hi2 N " is given in the equation, instead of C^ Hi-, N,. 

 On p. 309, " C, H3 NH^" should be C, H5 N Hj ; and others 

 which we will not mention. 



We freely admit many commendable features in 

 Mr. Schorlemmer's new book, which will render it ex- 

 tremely useful, especially to the student engaged in 

 tracing the various isomerides, but we cannot help thinking 

 that in some respects it does not come up to some works 

 on organic chemistry which we already possess. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Dahomey as it Is; being a Narrative of Eighl Months' 

 residence in that country, luitli a full account of the 

 notorious Annual Customs and the Social and Reli- 

 gious Institutions of tlie Ffons; also an Appendix 

 on Ashantee, and a Glossary of Dahoman Words and 

 Titles. By J. A. Skertchly. (London : Chapman and 

 Hall, "1874). 

 Mr. Skertchly left England in 1871 for the purpose of 

 making zoological collections on the West Coast of 

 Africa. On his arrival at Whydah he was induced to go 

 up to Abomey, the capital of Dahomey, for the purpose 

 of instructing the king, Geleld, in the use of some guns 

 that had arrived, on the promise that he would be back at 

 Whydah in eight days. The king, however, detamed 

 Mr. Skertchly as an unwilling guest for eight months, 

 treating him with the greatest consideration and kmd- 

 ness, and creating him a prince of the country. The 

 greater part of Mr. Skertchly's work is occupied with a 

 description of the protracted annual " customs," as they 

 are called, of Dahomey, which consist of elaborate and 

 harmless trivial ceremonies, mixed up with much that is 

 revolting and cruel ; the details of these ]\Ir. Skertchly 

 describes in minute and often tiresome detail. We do 

 not think there was any need for Mr. Skertchly making so 

 large a book on what he saw, especially as the Dahomans 

 and their " customs " are pretty well known through pre- 



vious travellers. He often questions the accuracy of 

 Burton, who is quite able to defend himself if he feels 

 aggrieved at Mr. Skertchly's criticisms. The author 

 succeeded, during his stay at Abomey, in doing but little 

 in the way of collecting, and in this work there is 

 scarcely any details as to the natural history of the 

 country. He has evidently a considerable admiration 

 both for the Dahomans and Ashantees, especially for the 

 former, whom he considers not nearly so cruel as the 

 latter, though both equally brave and remarkably well- 

 disciplined as soldiers. In a short Appendix on the 

 Ashantees, he prophecies that our recent expedition to 

 the Gold Coast would find them formidable enemies, 

 which prophecy can hardly be said to have been fulfilled. 

 He defends the Dahomans from the charge of intentional 

 cruelty in the barbarously performed human sacrifices 

 which form so important a part of their customs, and we 

 think he succeeds ; the victims, who arc all either cri- 

 minals, or prisoners of war, are sent as messengers to 

 deceased kings. The work is illustrated with a number 

 of gorgeously coloured plates, which no doubt show 

 faithfully the dresses and manners of the people, though 

 some of the pictures which exhibit the method of sacri- 

 ficing the human victims are simply revolting, and ought 

 to have been confined to the author's portfolio. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous 

 communications. ] 



Fertilisation of the Fumariacese 

 I BEG permission to make a few remarks on Mr. J. 

 Traherne Moggiidge's statement (Nature, vol. ix. p. 423) 

 that the flowers of Fumaria caprcolata are at first pale or 

 neaily white, and only attain their brightest colouring, 

 becoming even crimson, after the ovaries are set. He then 

 adds : — " If the reveise had been the case there is little 

 doubt that we sliould have regarded the bright colouring as 

 specially adapted to attract insects." But does Mr. Moggridge 

 know that these flowers are visited chiefly by diurnal insects ? 

 It has often been observed that flowers which are visited by 

 moths are commonly white or very pale ; but if they are odori- 

 ferous, tliey may be of any tint, even very dark or green. If 

 therefore the flowers of the above Fumaria are visited by moth?, 

 it would be an injury to the plant had the flowers been from 

 the first of a fine crimson. I have often seen bees sucking the 

 flowers of the fumariaceous genera, Corydalis, Didytra, and 

 Adlutnia ; but many years ago I watched perseveringly the 

 flowers of Fumaria officinalis sxidpanijlora, and never saw them 

 visited by a single insect ; and I concluded from reasons which 

 I will not here give (as I cannot find my original notes), that 

 they were frequented during the night by small moths. Insects 

 are not necessary for the fertilisation oi Fumaria officinalis ; fori 

 covered up a plant, and it produced as many seeds as an uncovered 

 one which grew near. On the other hand, with some species of 

 Co/rdalis, the aid of insects is indispensable. With respect to 

 the flowers of /•. caprcolata becoming brighter coloured as they 

 grow old, we see the same thing in some hawthorns, and with 

 the double rocket in our gardens. But is it surprising that this 

 sliould sometimes occur with flowers, seeing that the leaves of 

 a multitude of plants assume, as they become oxygenised, the 

 most splendid tints during the autumn ? 

 Down, Beckenham, Kent, April 6 Charles Darwin 



In the vegetable kingdom we meet very commonly with gaily- 

 coloured chemical products, essentially connected vith the 

 nurmal processes of development (the clilorophyll of most non- 

 parasitic plants, the splendid rose pigments of I'loridea;, the 

 many lively-coloured pigments of lichens and fungi), and origi- 

 nating from venomous infection by insects (red-coloured galls of 

 oak-leavos) or from decomposition (red pigments in autumna' 

 leaves). In all these cases these colours appear to us to be 

 merely an accidental quality of the chemical products, and 

 we do not feel induced to start the question of what use any 

 particular colour may be to the plant producing it. But it is quite 

 otlierwise with the gay colours of flowers. Briglit colours 

 ill flowers which especially attract our attention and admiration 

 are in most cases beneficial to the plant itself which produces 



