Oct. 19, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



415 



Fluid (iodised zinc chloride). Observe that the air- 

 passages extend continuously through the leaf and leaf 

 stalk. Gather a long-stalked leaf, e.g., of buttercup ; 

 put the leaf into the mouth, close the lips upon it, 

 and pass the cut end into a beaker of water. Blow 

 hard, and a stream of small bubbles will issue from 

 the end of the stalk. At the base of the leaf stalk may 

 often be seen a pulvinus, or cellular cushion, which 

 causes the daily movements of erection and drooping. 

 Under the stimulus of light the cells become turgid, and 

 erect the leaf. In the dark, water is given off, and the 

 leaf droops. The interesting chapter on the " Sleep of 

 Leaves," in Darwin's "Movements of Plants," should be 

 consulted on this point. In the sensitive plant, large 

 pulvini are found, not only at the base of every leaf, but 

 of every leaflet, and mechanical irritation, as well as 

 darkness, can excite the unequal turgescence which 

 makes the whole arrangement collapse. 



The different sorts of specially modified leaves cannot 

 be described in our brief notes, but we may at least 

 enumerate the leaves which serve as traps to digestive 

 organs (pitcher-plants, sundews, pinguicula, utricularia), 

 and the leaves which become transformed into tendrils, 

 spines, or glands. Leaf-arrangement, leaf-folding, leaf- 

 colours are mentioned only to show how inexhaustible is 

 the subject. 



Planetary and Stellar Studies; or, Short Papers on the 

 Planets, Stars and Nebula:. By John Ellard Gore, 

 F.R.A.S., M.R.I.A., F.R.G.S.I. ' Londvn : Roper 

 and Drowley. 



Mr. J. E. Gore, who mustnot be identified with another 

 scientific author, Dr. Robert Gore, F.R.S., has here fur- 

 nished us with an exceedingly able account of the 

 heavenly bodies, and certain collateral subjects. 



In the brief Introduction the author refers to the 

 accuracy of the observations of the ancient Chaldean and 

 Egyptian astronomers, who, though not possessed of 

 telescopes, had the advantage of an atmosphere far more 

 transparent than that of Western Europe. He then 

 proceeds to a description of the planets. When speaking 

 of Venus, he refers to the strange notion prevalent in 

 November and December, 1887, that this planet was a 

 return of the " Star of Bethlehem." He concludes that 

 Venus has no satellite of a size sufficient to be visible 

 with our telescopes. On the alleged mountains of Venus 

 the author is silent. 



Next comes Mars, a planet which has lately excited much 

 attention on account of his " canals." On their nature Mr. 

 Gore gives no opinion. He mentions that the areas of 

 land and water on the surface of this planet are about 

 equal, and he is of opinion that from the close proximity 

 of the satellites to the body of the planet they will have 

 little efficacy as illuminators, and from their small size 

 they can produce but feeble tides in the seas. 



In considering the planet Jupiter we find mention of 

 the probable high temperature of this planet, of the red 

 — possibly incandescent — spot on its disc, of the 

 enormous depth of its atmosphere, and of the coincidence 

 in time of occurrence between its spots and those of the 

 sun. 



Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are all noticed in due 

 course, but there is no mention of the suspected existence 

 of one extra-Neptunian planet if not more. 



It will be noticed that in his account of the solar 

 system, Mr. Gore makes no mention of the two, to us, 

 most conspicuous bodies, the sun and the moon. 



In his eleventh chap ter the author examines the double, 

 triple and multiple stars, the number of which is now 

 found greater than it was formerly supposed. The 

 phenomena of the variable stars are next considered, and 

 the current explanations are mentioned, none of which 

 the author thinks fully satisfactory. Under " nebulae " 

 the author recognises the fact that spectroscopic observa- 

 tion proves many to be accumulations of glowing gas, 

 thus giving strong confirmation to the celebrated " nebular 

 hypothesis." 



In speaking of the distance of the fixed stars, the 

 author refers to the opinion of the late Mr. Proctor, that 

 the brilliancy of a star is no test of its distance, and that 

 the more conspicuous of these bodies owe their greater 

 brightness, not to relative proximity to the earth, but 

 to real superiority in size. 



One of the most interesting sections of this work is 

 that dealing with the " Great Pyramid and the Precession 

 (erroneously written procession in the Table of Contents) 

 of the Equinoxes." Certain "astronomers and physicists, 

 including the Abbe Moigno (the late distinguished editor 

 of Cosmos and Mr. Piazzi Smyth), contend that the 

 builders of the pyramid ascribed to Cheops, embodied 

 in this vast structure a number of the most important 

 scientific data. Among other things, it is said that the 

 precession of the equinoxes is indicated by certain of the 

 measurements of the pyramid. This phenomenon, i.e., 

 the rotation of the pole of the equator round the pole of 

 the elliptic in a period of 25,000 years, is due to the 

 revolution of the sun around some central body in that 

 period of time. This supposition the author shows to 

 be erroneous. 



Under " Changes in the Stellar Heavens," Mr. Gore 

 treats of the observed motions of the so-called fixed 

 stars, and also of the appearance, often sudden, of stars 

 periodically unnoticed. Thus, that observed by Tycho 

 Brahe in 1573, was visible even in daylight, but within 

 five months it disappeared to the naked eye. Its light 

 was at first white and extremely bright, then in suc- 

 cession yellowish red, and lastly, of a pale-livid colour. 

 Similar, if less striking, cases have repeatedly been ob- 

 served by eminent astronomers. 



We regret that we cannot, on account of space, pro- 

 long our examination of this most interesting work. We 

 must regard it as at once readable and accurate, and we 

 most commend especially the author'sjudicial reserve on 

 points not proven. 



Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society. New 

 Series, Vol. V., Part 3 (1887-8). Bristol : The 

 Society. 



This volume contains much matter which was well 

 worth putting on record. Professor C. Lloyd Morgan 

 contributes an interesting memoir on " Elimination and 

 Selection." A propos of Mr. A. R. Wallace's critique of 

 the phrase " natural selection," Professor Lloyd Morgan 

 suggests provisionally the use of the phrase " natural 

 elimination." He remarks that " too little importance 

 has, perhaps, been attached of late years to the mental 

 element in evolution. In Lamarckism it took a foremost 

 place. In the reaction against Lamarckism the mental 

 element fell into the background. But those naturalists 

 who have kept abreast of philosophy are more and more 

 coming round to the view that mind and body are indis- 



