160 Scientifie Intelligence. 
the window. Stahl concludes that the meridional position of the 
leaves of Lactuca Scariola is due to the common athena 
observed in most leaves, and that these leaves differ from those 
other plants only in their greater sensitiveness to intense light. 
In Silphium there is a torsion of the petioles as in Lactuca; and, 
if the petioles are fastened so that they cannot bend, the blade of 
the leaf itself twists. Stahl — that a meridional position of 
the leaves can be seen clearly in Aplopappus rubiginosus and to 
some extent also in Lactuca Stas and Chondrella juncea, and 
he believes that many other examples os be ieand, — ally 
among the plants of dry and e gion 
n a number of the Pokasiea! Magazine, published paki the 
ast yee in which the American Compass-plant is illustrated, it is 
recorded that I noticed, during the preyious year, in a plant grow- 
ing in the. Botanic Garden of Harvard Univer sity, one leaf in 
which there was an abrupt torsion of 90° in the middle of the 
blade. I cannot now ey whether or not the basal portion was 
free to change its directio A. G 
4. The Brain of the Cat, Felis domestica, by Burr 
Proc. Amer. : Phil. Soce., 1881.—An elaborate’ memoir occupying 
40 pages and illustrated by 4 fine lithographic plate 
IV. ASTRONOMY. 
fauaeaat ‘to retain after the year has pass ed. Two notations so 
similar tend to confusion. Until the order. of the perihelion a 
sage is determined the comets can be readily distinguished by t 
_names of their discoverers, adding the date of range if eee 
anys so Be the notation by le letters is superfiuo H. 
Astronomische Nachrichten, begriindet von H. C. aoe 
er.—This veteran Journal has just completed its handsedth 
vee Dr. A. Krueger, who has succeeded the late Dr. Peters 
as Director of the Observatory at Kiel, has also sueceeded him in 
the editorship of the Journal. By an understanding with the 
Prussian Government the Council of the stronomische Gesell- 
schaft promises assistance and countenance in order that the 
pry feseiaescsy Na chrighten vera be the central and scsi _— 
