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SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



631 



Mr. Henslow showed specimens of Korsambi nuts, 

 received from Mr. Christy, of the seeds of Schleichera 

 Mjuga, of the order Sapindacece. It was supposed to be 

 the source of Macassar oil, but this was strongly doubted. 

 Mr. Morris observed that it is called the " Indian oak- 

 tree," and is abundant in India and Ceylon, and is valu- 

 able for its timber. 



A specimen of Jimiperus occidentalis (Hook), collected 

 in Eastern Oregon, U.S.A., by Mr.William Stewart, was 

 forwarded by him from Greenock, N.B. It was first found 

 by Douglass in the Story Islands, in the Columbia River. 

 It was also found in the Klamet Mountains, in the Oregon 

 territory, at 5,000 feet. It grows from 40-80 feet high, 

 and like other species, varies in foliage in passing from 

 the young to the older stages. The specimen sent was 

 spiny-leaved, or in the characteristic condition of the 

 young stage. It is remarkable for the strong and dis- 

 agreeable odour when bruised (Gordon's "Pinetum," p. 

 163). 



Mr. Henslow called attention to the fact that the year 

 1889, besides being the centenary of the chrysanthemum 

 in Europe, was also that of the dahlia in England. It was 

 introduced by the Marchioness of Bute in 1789, and 

 figured with single and double forms in Bot. Mag., vol. 

 xliv., t. 1885, and Bot. Reg., vol. i., t. 55. 



ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 At the first meeting of this Society for the present 

 session, held on the 21st November, Dr.W. Marcet, F.R.S. 

 President, in the chair, the following papers were read :— 



" Results of an Investigation of the Phenomena of 

 English Thunderstorms during the years 1857-59," by 

 Mr. G. J. Symons, F.R.S. This paper was written 

 nearly thirty years ago. It has now been communicated 

 to the Society at the request of the Thunderstorm Com- 

 mittee. The paper contains a summary, chiefly in 

 statistical form, of some of the results of an investiga- 

 tion into English thunderstorms and the accidents pro- 

 duced by lightning during the years 1857-59. The author 

 found that in sheet lightning the most prevalent colour 

 is white, then yellow, blue, and red. In forked 

 lightning the order is nearly reversed, blue being more 

 than twice as frequent as any other colour ; then red, 

 white, and most rarely yellow. Sheet lightning was 

 seen about twice as often as forked. 



" Notes on the Meeting of the International 

 Meteorological Committee at Zurich in September, 1888," 

 by Mr. R. H. Scott, F.R.S. The Committee recom- 

 mended certain rules for the publication of data by 

 travellers, etc., so as to ensure their being useful for the 

 advancement of sound climatological knowledge. The 

 proposals for an international cloud nomenclature, as 

 recommended by Mr. Abercromby and Professor Hilde- 

 brandsson, did not commend themselves to the Com- 

 mittee, who suggested that the subject should be further 

 studied. At the conclusion of the meeting the Committee 

 was dissolved. 



" On a Method of Photographing Cirrus Clouds," by 

 Dr. A. Riggenbach. The author exhibited some photo- 

 graphs of cirrus and other fine clouds which had been 

 obtained by using the surface of a lake as a polarising 

 mirror. 



Mr. A. C. Stratten exhibited some models of very 

 large hailstones-spheres about 2-J inches in diameter, 

 which fell at Montereau, about forty miles south-east of 

 Paris, on August 15th, 1888. 



BRISTOL NATURALISTS' SOCIETY. 

 At the meeting held on December 6th, the Rev. T. 

 Hincks, F.R.S., being in the chair, 



Dr. Burder exhibited specimens ot a rare fungus, 

 Sparta polymorpha, found in his garden, and Professor 

 Leipner commented upon the life history of this, and an 

 allied species, S. concenirica, which grows on some old 

 ash trees near the Westbury Road. 



Mr. C. J. Trusted then read a paper on the common 

 mole and its habits. After giving a brief description of 

 its structure, he said that their favourite breeding-places 

 were woods, and that the large mole-hills they make 

 their nests in are usually well hidden in briers and brush- 

 wood. Usually there are five young ones in each nest, 

 which is lined with dry leaves, and never with dried 

 grass or moss. Many galleries and passages run round 

 and to the nest. In some parishes there used to be a 

 regular annual charge for a mole-catcher, but the old 

 custom has died out. That there was some need for the 

 custom Mr. Trusted explained by telling of a disastrous 

 flood caused by moles piercing and undermining a river 

 wall put up to keep the river Wye from overflowing. 

 Moles require some depth of soil, and hence are never 

 found on the Downs, though Mr. Trusted has found two 

 colonies of the meadow-mouse. He said that though 

 weasels were sometimes caught in mole-traps, it was very 

 doubtful if they preyed on moles. One very interesting 

 point about moles is that they have a great intuitive know- 

 ledge of changes in the weather, being very active just 

 before a hard frost or the beginning of a thaw. This 

 may be due to their food being near the surface at these 

 times. He said that in some fields near a large wood in 

 which moles did a great deal of damage he shot nine in 

 one winter's day. Moles do a great deal of damage to 

 grass land, and also to corn crops, by raising the young 

 wheat or barley when it has just sprouted. Mr. Trusted 

 then mentioned the interesting fact that there are no 

 moles in Ireland, though very few authors mention the 

 fact. The mole is probably a long-lived animal. Its 

 chief enemy is man. Its structure and fur are particu- 

 larly adapted to its underground life. It is an extremely 

 voracious animal, as the following will show : A mole 

 was captured while trying to make its way into the hard 

 frozen ground, and put into its captor's pocket. Soon 

 afterwards a field-mouse was caught, and put in with the 

 mole. Very soon afterwards there was a considerable 

 disturbance, and when the narrator returned home he 

 found that the mole had eaten the whole of the mouse 

 except the head. 



Mr. Charles Jecks then read a paper entitled " Sugges- 

 tions as to Causes of the Difference in Colour between the 

 Flowers and Foliageof Tropical and of Temperate Regions." 

 He first said that it was certain that tropical flowers and 

 foliage are not so brilliant as those of more temperate 

 climes ; the opposite opinion being due to our seeing 

 tropical plants under exceptional conditions in green- 

 houses, and also plants collected from many regions 

 grouped together. Mr. Jecks then suggested that the 

 disparity of colour might be due to the great richness ot 

 the soil and the large amount of moisture in a tropical 

 forest, for with a bright sun and dry, poor soil we find 

 the flowers more brilliant, and he said that in our own 

 climate the same was true, a richer soil and a moist 

 atmosphere deepening the colours of the flowers ; and 

 further, in a dry season and with plenty of sunshine the 

 colours of the flowers were more brilliant. With re- 

 spect to some mountain flora, which seem an exception to 



