J40 



NA TURE 



[August 19, 1909 



of leaves. The leaves are to a large extent underground, 

 the exposed parts resembling small pebbles, so that this 

 plant niny be classed amongst the so-called " mimicry- 

 plants." The structure of the leaves is adapted to the 

 peculiar mode of life of the plant. The truncate apex is 

 without chlorophyll, thus forming a "window," through 

 which light can reach, by way of the central transparent 

 tissue, the assimilating tissue which extends to the under- 

 ground basal parts of the leaves. — The absorption of water 

 by the aerial organs of some succulents : Dr. S. Schon- 

 land. The author describes numerous experiments, from 

 which he has drawn the following conclusions : — 

 Mesembrianthenium barbatutn and Anacampseros flamen- 

 tosa cannot absorb any appreciable quantity of water 

 through their aerial organs. Crassula cymosa can do so 

 to a small extent, which, however, cannot be of any prac- 

 tical importance under natural conditions. The marginal 

 papillfe of this species are certainly not water-absorbing 

 organs. — Note on an abnormal seedling of W iddrin gtonia 

 cupressoides : E. P. Phillips, and a brief account of the 

 vascular system of the normal seedling : H. S. Morris. — 

 Some new South African succulents, part ii. : Dr. R. 

 Marloth. Among the succulents described in this paper 

 are a few with a very peculiar structure of their leaves. 

 Last year the author exhibited a species of Bulbine with 

 window-leaves, pointing out that such a structure had not 

 been observed as yet on any other plant. The very succu- 

 lent, nearly egg-shaped leaves of the plant remain embedded 

 in the ground, hence the blunt apex only becomes visible. 

 Here the green tissue is absent, being confined to the sides 

 of the leaf. As the sides are surrounded by soil, the light 

 cannot reach them in the ordinary way, but only by enter- 

 ing through the window at the apex, illuminating the 

 leaf from within. Since then the writer found five other 

 species of plants with such window-leaves. They are all 

 stemless succulents, their leaves remaining embedded in 

 the ground, and showing only the flat or convex apex, which 

 is entirely devoid of green tissue. Hence, as in the case 

 of the Bulbine, the light can reach the green tissue of the 

 leaf only through the window, illuminating the leaf from 

 within. It is considered that this structure is principally 

 a contrivance for the protection of the green tissue against 

 the destructive action of too severe sunlight. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, June 30.— Mr. C. Hedley, president, 

 in the chair. — Studies on Tunicata, No. i : H. L. 

 Kesteven. One genus allied to Polyclinum and Sidnyum 

 (Polyclinidae), and three species referable to the genera 

 Corella, Molgula, and Dendrodoa, from Tasmania or New 

 .'^outh Wales, are described as new, and detailed descrip- 

 tions are given of Ciona intestinalis, var. sydneicnsis, 

 Stimpson, and var. diaphnea, Quoy and Gaimard. — Second 

 supplement to the " Revision of the Cicindelidae of 

 Australia " : T. G. Sloane. — The hexone bases of egg- 

 white : Dr. J. M. Petrie and Dr. H. G. Chapman. 

 This paper deals with the separation and estimation of 

 the he.xone bases among the products of the hydrolysis 

 of the proteins of egg-white. By the method of Kossel and 

 Patten, arginin, histidin, and lysin were isolated and 

 identified from egg-white digested with 25 per cent. 

 H,SO,. The amounts of lysin, histidin, and arginin pre- 

 sent in 100 gm. protein of egg-white were : — Ivsin, 

 3-19 gm. ; histidin, 66 gm. ; and lysin, 2-39 gm. Certain 

 iniprovements in the method of separation are also 

 described. — Notes on the native flora of New South Wales, 

 part vii., eastern Monaro : R. H. Cambagre. The general 

 botany of the area lying chiefly to the cast of Cooma and 

 Nimitybelle is reviewed. The absence of forest growths 

 on the Monaro plains, which are largely basaltic, is a 

 striking feature, and it is suggested that the rigid winter 

 climate, dry summer atmosphere, moderate rainfall (being 

 less than 20 inches annually at Cooma), together with 

 the basic nature of the rocks, in view of the low rain- 

 fall, all contribute to hinder the growth of large trees. 

 Where the formation contains a high percentage of silica 

 forest trees are found, and this is thought to be possiblv 

 ovying to physical properties rather than to chemical con- 

 stituents, resulting in capillarity being induced by the 

 siliceous particles in the soil, thereby en.abling it to suppiv 

 moisture in dry times better than the soils formed from 

 NO. 2077, VOL. 81I 



the basic rocks. The unexpected occurrence of a rare 

 species of Eucalyptus, E. pulvigera, first discovered by 

 .Allan Cunningham nearly ninety years ago at Cox's 

 River, and now known to occur only in three localities, 

 was of interest. The abrupt change in the flora, where 

 the eastern and western aspects meet on the Main 

 Dividing Range near the head of the Kybean River, is 

 commented upon. — Description of a new species of Euca- 

 lyptus from the Monaro district, N.S.W. : R. H. 

 Cambage. This species, for which the name Eucalyptus 

 parvifoUa is suggested, has so far only been found neai 

 the head of the Kybean River, on eastern Monaro. I1 

 frequents the flats in company with E. stellulata, attain- 

 ing a height of from 20 feet to 30 feet, and having a 

 smooth gum-tree bark. Its most remarkable feature is 

 that it retains a large percentage of the juvenile foliage 

 until the trees are nearly full-grown, the length of these 

 leaves being rather less than i inch. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Oils, Fat', and Waxes. By C. Simmonds 211 



A Cytological Treatise 212 



Marine Propellers 213 



Studies on Immunity 214 



The Science of Education. By Prof. J. A. Green 214 

 Books of Reference in Organic Chemistry. By 



J. B. C 215 



Three Fish-faunas. By R. L 216 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Furlher Advances in Physiology" 21S 



Couturat, jespersen, Lorenz, Ostwald, Pfaundler : 



"Weltsprache und Wissenschaft " 218 



Edinger : " Einfiihrung in die Lehre vom Bau und den 



Verrichtungen des Nervensystems " . ... 219 



" Annuaire astronomique de I'Dbservatoire royal de 



Belgique, 1909." — W. E. R 219 



Letters to tde Editor ? — 



Mining Administration in India. — T. H. D. La 

 Touche, H. H. Hayden, P. N. Datta, E. 

 Vredenburg, L. L. Fermor, G. E. Pilgrim, 

 G. H. Tipper, H. Walker, K. A. K. Hallowes, 

 G. de P. Cotter, J. J. A. Page, H. C. Jones, 

 A. M. Heron, M. Stuart, N. D. Daru, W. A. K. 



Christie 219 



An Optical Phenomenon. — L. G. Hoxton . . . 220 

 A Question of Percentages. — Lewis Whalley; Prof. 



R. Abegg 220 



Kohlrausch's " Physical Measurements." — Dr. G. 



Rudorf 220 



A Kinematical Illusion. — C. S. Jackson 220 



Rontgen Rays in the Diagnosis of Disease. By 



A. C. J. 220 



The Cyanamide Industry of France 222 



The "Prehistoric Horse" of Bishop's Stortford. 



By Prof. J. C. Ewart, F.R.S 223 



Meteorological Studies at the Blue Hill Observatory 223 

 August Meteoric Shower. By W. F. Denning . . 224 



Notes. (Ilhistralcd.) 225 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Observations of Mars 229 



Re-discovery of Perrine's Comet 229 



The Number of the Stars 229 



The Faint Companions of Procyon and Sirius .... 229 



Prof. Lowell's New 4oinch Reflector 229 



Water Vapour in Sun-spots 229 



The Palisa and Wolf Celestial Charts 230 



The Pima and Tlingit Indians. {Illustrated.) By 



A. C. H .230 



Recent Publications on Agriculture from India and 



Ceylon 231 



Position Finding without an Horizon, (lllnslrated.) 



By C. V. B 231 



Archjeological and Ethnographical Explorations . 232 

 The Microscope and its Practical Applications. By 



J E. Barnard 232 



Recent Improvements in the Internal-combustion 



Engine. III. By H. E. Wimperis 234 



Osmotic Phenomena and their Modern Physical 

 Interpretation. By Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R.S. 235 



University and Educational Intelligence 239 



Societies and Academies 239 



