Fkbbuaky 20, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



307 



of the atomic weights of the elements, their 

 grouping and classification, suggest that ele- 

 ments merely mark stable points in a process 

 of change; but the investigations are still 

 in a nebulous condition. The phenomena of 

 Eontgen rays and Becquerel rays enter into 

 this conception. After all, the modern chem- 

 ical problem bears only a superficial resem- 

 blance to the alchemical quest for the ' One 

 Thing.' 



' The Story of Alchemy ' is not a history of 

 the pseudo-science, but rather a philosophical 

 examination of its true significance and aims, 

 told in an attractive, interesting manner by 

 a competent scholar. The title of the book, 

 which is necessary as one of a series, is mis- 

 leading; the work makes no attempt to depict 

 the sociological influence of alchemy by de- 

 tailing its fortunes and misfortunes, but this 

 does not detract from its value to students and 

 the general reader. 



It is interesting to note that ' sulfur ' is 

 spelled throughout in the manner recom- 

 mended by the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science in 1891. 



Henry Oabeington Bolton. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 

 The Botanical Gazette for January contains 

 the twenty-fourth installment of ' Undescribed 

 Plants from Guatemala and other Central 

 American Republics,' by John Donnell Smith, 

 Thirteen new species are described by the 

 author and the specialists to whom particular 

 groups have been referred. Zamia Tuerck- 

 heimii is illustrated upon a double lithograph 

 plate. — Professor J. C. Arthur, of Purdue 

 University, reports upon the third series of 

 ' Cultures of TJredinese,' which were made dur- 

 ing the season of 1902. One hundred and 

 twenty-three collections of material were em- 

 ployed, and 327 cultures attempted, repre- 

 senting 43 species of rusts and using 102 spe- 

 cies of hosts. In no case was success in con- 

 necting the generations of these puzzling 

 plants attained where definite clues derived 

 from field observation were lacking. Fourteen 

 species tried. by the guessing method were in- 

 volved in these failures. Twelve that had 

 been studied with success before were again 



successfully grown and the confirmatory re- 

 sults are recorded. Seven species of rusts were 

 successfully cultivated and the connection be- 

 tween the secidial and teleutosporic genera- 

 tions established. Three new names are pro- 

 posed. — Arthur L. Dean, of Yale University, 

 gives an account of his ' Experimental Studies 

 on Inulase.' This enzyme, found in Asper- 

 gillus and Penicillium, does not diffuse into 

 the culture medium. It acts most vigorously 

 at a temperature of 55° C. and in a medium 

 containing .0001 normal H,SO.; .01 normal 

 destroying it. — Dr. B. E. Livingston discusses 

 ' The Distribution of the Upland Plant So- 

 cieties of Kent County, Michigan.' The cli- 

 matology and geology of the county are de- 

 scribed and the vegetation of the uplands clas- 

 sified into five societies, whose distribution 

 is shown upon a map of the county. A list 

 of the plants constituting these societies is 

 given and the relative frequency of the differ- 

 ent species is indicated. The writer holds that 

 the controlling soil factor in distribution is 

 one of drainage. While the present observa- 

 tions seem to justify the hypothesis that physi- 

 ography determines vegetation, the writer 

 thinks that the main question with which we 

 have to deal lies still untouched, namely, 

 ' What is it in the nature of the soil which 

 determines the distribution of plant societies V 

 He offers the hypothesis that ' The decisive 

 factor in plant distribution on a small upland 

 area is in most cases the moisture-retaining 

 property of the soil.' Of course the historic 

 factor must also be taken into consideration. — 

 Professor Albert Schneider, of Northwestern 

 University, contributes a second paper on the 

 'Biology of Rhizohia' in which he corrects a 

 previous statement that Rhizohium mutahile 

 is absolutely non-motile, showing that while 

 this is true of the species in most neutral 

 media, espcially in solid ones, it is decidedly 

 motile in acid media, the growths being gray- 

 ish to light gray and brownish-gray in color, 

 and the motile forms much smaller and more 

 uniform in size than the non-motile ones. — 

 The number closes with twenty-two pages of 

 notices of current literature and news items. 



C. R. B. 



