Miscellaneous. 391 



by which from the clear protoplasm the formation of the actual 

 digestive ferment as a regular series of constructive and destruc- 

 tive processes, takes place. Recently, J. R. Green has shown that 

 in the germinating seeds of plants, there is a ferment similar to the 

 'proteolytic ferment of the pancreas ; it exists in resting seeds in the 

 form of a zymogen or mother-ferment, but in the germination of 

 seed, it becomes an active ferment. 



The reserve proteid of the seed is converted probably into pep- 

 tone, but the nitrogen is carried to the growing points of the young 

 embryo as a crystalline amide, e. g. leucin, asparagin, etc. 



Now, it is well known that the pancreatic ferment differs from 

 the gastric in its power to carry the digestion of proteids on to the 

 stage of formation of crystalline nitrogeneous bodies. (Proc of 

 Roy. Soc.) 



Catalogue of Canadian Plants. — This important addition to 

 Canadian Botany is issued by the Geological Society, and has been 

 completed so far as to embrace I. Polypetalse ; II. Gamopetalae; III. 

 Apetalee. This is the most important of the publications relating 

 wholly to Canadian Botany since the appearance of Hooker's Flora 

 Boreali Americana in 1840, and it supplies to the student a wealth 

 of information which has long been a serious want. 



From his extensive travels through a large part of the Dominion , 

 and his intimate acquaintance with the flora from personal observa- 

 tion, Prof. Macoun has been able to " speak with accuracy and deci- 

 sion in many points which a more limited knowledge of distribution 

 would preclude." But, as he says, " the present work is by no means 

 final," and the co-operation of botanists in making known those 

 species, which for any reason may have been overlooked, or in more 

 exactly defining doubtful limits of distribution, would be a real 

 service to Canadian Botany. The appearance of this catalogue gives 

 promise that a complete Flora of Canada may be forthcoming before 

 many years, the obstacles to the preparation of which have hitherto 

 been many, but are now chiefly removed. 



Isaac Lea, L.L.D., the well-known publisher and naturalist, died, 

 at Philadelphia, Dec. 8th, 1886, at the age of ninety-five years. He 

 was born at Wilmington, Delaware, in 1792. From 1858 to 1863, 

 he was president of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and in 1860, 

 president of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. Dr. Lea's scientific work chiefly related to fresh water 

 and land shells- He began a complete work on the Unionidce of 

 the United States, and prepared to expend much time and money 

 in its elaboration, but a fire destroyed all his valuable plates and 

 caused a termination of the work. 



The Amount, op Caffeine in Various Kinds of Coffee. — From 

 the following quotations it will be seen that great discrepancies 



