434 



NA TURE 



[Sept. 24, 1874 



three-furrowed form, and where every point of the structure of 

 the style and stigma is favourable to fertilisation by bees ; the 

 other, the section to which I '. tricolor belongs, where they are 

 very much larger and either pentagonal or hexagonal, and the 

 style and stigma are adapted for fertilisation by Thrips. In aU 

 Crucifers hitherto known the pollen has the most common form. 

 Priitglia antisavlmticii, the " Kerguelen's Land cabbage," has 

 been shown by Dr. Hooker to be winJ-fertUised, from the fol- 

 lowing considerations: the absence of petals, the absence of 

 honey-glands, the e.vserted style, and the stigma being covered 

 wath long papilla-. The form of the pollen supports the same 

 view, bemg very small and perfectly spherical, extremely dif- 

 ferent therefore from every other plant of the order. In the 

 cowslip and primrose there is a uniform difference in size between 

 the pollen belonging to the two dmiorphic forms, that of the 

 short-styled being always considerably larger than that of the 

 long-styled form. An interesting discussion followed, in which 

 Dr. Hooker, Prof. Dickson, Sir J. Lubbock, Prol. Balfour, and 

 Mr. W. E. Hart took part. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Mcmorie ddla Socida degli Spetlroscopisti Italiani, June.— 

 This number contains a very interesting account of tlie theories 

 of the cause of formation of comets' tails, by Schiaparelli. The 

 author seems to have no doubt that a repulsive force is in action, 

 and that the only two acceptable theories are that the force is 

 due to electricity or the repulsive power of the sun's heat. — 

 Tacchini contributes a note on the polarisation of the zodiacal 

 light, in which he corroborates Wright's observations of polari- 

 sation, and the presence of reflected sunlight. He also adds 

 position observations of Coggia's comet in June. — Prof. Loren- 

 zoni contributes a paper On some theoretical researches for a 

 manner of rendering the whole of the solar chromosphere visible 

 at once. 



Bulletin de V Acadanie KoViik de Bd^iijue, tome 37, No. 6. — 

 This number contains an article by M. P. I. Van Beueden, On 

 the whales of New Zealand. He refers to the fact that Dr. Gray 

 of the British Museum has recognised three species in tlie New 

 Zealand district, Nivhalu-na niarginata, Captrea antipodmiit, and 

 Madcayius austtalieiisis, aud urges that among the right whales 

 there should be but one genus, Balaiui. Those genera were 

 established on imperfect data, and now that we have more 

 material, several supposed diagnostics are found not to exist, and 

 those that are established are of no great importance. As regards 

 the skeleton at the Museum at Paris, studied by Prof. Lilljeborg, 

 being without the ear-bone, that had been removed to be figured, 

 and had not at the time been replaced. It is reported, however, 

 as safe. Dr. Gray, believing that Van Beneden's drawing ol the 

 ear-bone was from some other source, erected it into a new genus. 

 — MM. Cornet and Briart draw attention to some little known 

 beds of phosphate of lime in the cretaceous beds of Hainault, and 

 urge their being worked commercially. — M. Gluge gives a short 

 note on tonic muscular contraction being converted into 

 rhythmic contraction. His observations were on the sphincter 

 ani muscles of rabbits, and he refers to similar experiments by 

 M. Goltz on a dog. He believes that sucli experiments may 

 lead to the explanation ol the rhythmic contraction ol the heait. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, Sept. 14. — M. Bertrand in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Science before 

 grammar, by M . F,. Chevr""ul. A considerable portion of the 

 paper (which is but an abstract of a more lengthy memoir) is 

 dt^voted to a discussion ot the word ^^ fact" The author also 

 d aws a parallel between psychic and chemical analysis, the 

 lurmer separating simple ideas perceptible by the mind, and the 

 latter ponderable simj^le substances perceptible by the senses. 

 Ttie difference between the moral and political sciences and the 

 sciences of the domain of natural philosophy is pointed out, and 

 in an appendix the author states his reasons for dissenting from 

 scepticism and materialism. — On a particular toxic action exer- 

 cised at a distance by Colchicum aiitiinniate at the time of flower- 

 ing ; extract from a letter from M. Is. Pierre to M. Dumas. The 

 band, vfhen held near the anthers ot the flowers without coming 



into actual contact with them, 'changes in a few seconds to a livid 

 greenish-yellow colour. The natural colour returns about ten se- 

 conds after the removal of the hand. The author believes that this 

 remarkable action is cliiefly exerted durmg or near the period of 

 fertilisation, and proposes to examine further the nature of the 

 substance emitted. — New conditions for the production of the 

 silent electrical discharge ; its influence on chemical reactions ; by 

 M. A. EoiUot. The author concludes, from his experiments, 

 that the space traversed by the silent discharge can be con- 

 siderably augmented without a diminution in the chemical 

 effects produced. — On some tungsten minerals from Meymac 

 (Corr.;ze), fourth note, by M. Ad. Carnot. The minerals now 

 described are wolfram (containing Fe\V04 and MnWOj) cal- 

 careous scheelite (containing Ca\\'04), and hydrated tunstic acid, 

 to which the author assigns the formula2 WO^, 5 HO, or \V03,2 HO 

 (old notation),— On the supposed migration ol \s'vaf^Q.i. Phylloxera 

 tj Qitercns cocci/era, by M. Balbiani. The author states his belief 

 that the species seen by M. Lichtenstein on this tree is not identical 

 with Pliylloxcra vastcitrix. The following species of Phylloxera are 

 recognised in addition to vastatrix : — P. qiiercus, especially inha- 

 biting Qiierais pediiiicidata, and P. cocciiia, inhabiting Q. robitr. 

 The species found by M. Lichtenstein on Q. coccifira it is pro- 

 posed to name P. lich/ci/stdiiii. —'Expenmenls on the employment 

 of alkaline sulpho-carbonates for the destruction of Phylloxera ; 

 a letter from M. MouUlefer to M. Dumas.— On new pomts at- 

 tacked by Phylloxera in Beaujolais ; a letter from M. Rommier. 

 — On the actual state of the invasion of Phylloxera in the 

 Cliarente provmces ; extract from a letter from M. Maurice 

 Girard. — Employment of the water used in purifying gas for the 

 destruction ol J'hylloxera ; a letter from M. G. Beaunie. — Note 

 on the action exercised by the soil of vine fields on sulphuretted 

 g'.ses, and memoir On the propagation of Phylloxira, by M. 

 Cauvy. — Other communications were received on the same sub- 

 ject from various authors, and JI. Dumas gave a tesitmc of M. 

 Balbiani's observations, and stated that in future the sending of 

 living specimens of the insect to Paris would be interdicted. — 

 The Minister of Foreit.'n Affahs forwarded to the Academy a 

 communication from the French Consul at Messina, relating to 

 the opening of new vents of eruption in Etna, and on some 

 earthquakes felt at Messina. — On a transformation of the equa- 

 tions of celestial mechanics, by M. AUegret. — On the causes 

 which modify the setting of plaster, new cements with plaster 

 and lime bases, by M. Ed. Landrin. — Action of heat on phe- 

 nyUylene, by M. P. Barbier. The products are anthracene, 

 benzene, and xylene, produced thus — 



ZC14II14 = CijIIiu + C|jHu -t- CgHn, -^ Hj. 

 — On a case of decomposition of chloral hydrate, by M. Tauret- 

 By the slow oxidation of this substance, carbonic oxide is libe" 

 rated. The author thinks this furnishes a new explanation of 

 the action of chloral upon the system, and accounts for the acci- 

 dents occaoionaliy resulting from its use. — On the development 

 01 red vapours during the boiling of saccharine juices in manu- 

 facture, by M. E. J. Maumene. The author attributes these to 

 the action of nitrates. On the role played'by gns in the coagula- 

 tion of the blood, by MM. E. Matthieu and V. Urbain. — Syn- 

 thesis of purpuriiie, by M. F. de Lalande. This was effected by 

 tire action of oxidising agents on pure alizarine. — During the 

 meeting, a communication was read from his Majesty the 

 Emperor of Brazil, offering his thanks to the Academy for 

 adding a young Brazilian astronomer to one ol the Transit ol 

 Venus expeditions. 



CONTENTS 



Pagr 



TheMkjkationof BruDS. Hy Prof. .Alfred Nlwto.v:, F.R.S. . . 415 



C'oMi'p.TiTivK Examinations 416 



MKTEnROI.OGV IN MaUKITIUS 41S 



Our Book Shelf 418 



Lhttrrs TO THK Editor; — 



Tossils in 'I'rap. — E. A. Wi'NSCH 419 



Chrysomela Banksii. — H. Power . . . . i 419 



Meteor. — G. H. Hoi'KiNS 419 



The iNTEnNAiioNAL Congress OF Orientalists 419 



Common Wild I'i.oweks considered in Relation to Insects, 11. 



liy Sir John LuuuocK, bart., F.R S. (IK«M /^/7*j//-rt/*<7/w) . . . 422 



Notes 426 



Maritime CoNFMENCB.—R.H. Scott, F.R.S 428 



The British Association. Reports and Pkmceeuinus .... 4^0 



Scientific Serials • ... 434 



Societies AKD Academies 434 



