572 Chronicles of Science. [Oct., 



aid of heat has heen carried out by J. B. A. Daubie. The chief point 

 of interest is that the tinning of iron in the cold cannot succeed at 

 all, unless the bath used for that purpose contains in solution or 

 suspended an organic substance like starch or glucose, although no 

 precise scientific explanation of this indispensable condition has been 

 hitherto given. The author employs the following bath : To 100 

 litres of water are added 3 kilos, of rye meal ; this mixture is boiled 

 for half an hour, and next filtered through cloth. To the clear but 

 thickish liquid are added 106 kilos, of pyro-phosphate of soda, 

 17 kilos, of protochloride of tin, 100 to 120 grammes of sulphuric 

 acid ; this liquid is placed in well-made wooden troughs, and serves 

 more especially for the tinning of iron and steel wire for the use of 

 cardmg-machines. When instead of the two salts of tin just named 

 cyanide of silver and cyanide of potassium are taken, the iron is 

 perfectly silvered. 



12. ZOOLOGY AND MOEPHOLOGY. 



The Zoological Position of the Brachiopoda. — Leuckart, Haeckel, 

 and Gregenbauer do not include the Polyzoa among the Mollusca, 

 as is done by Huxley, but class them as also the Tunicata among 

 the great heterogeneous group of Vermes. Mr. Morse, an American 

 naturalist, who has devoted much study to the Molluscoida, pro- 

 poses to turn over the Brachiopoda into the same position. In 

 doing so he unconsciously meets an argument advanced in favour 

 of the retention of the Polyzoa among Mollusca by Professor 

 Kolleston, viz. that they present close affinities to the Brachiopoda, 

 especially to the larval Brachiopod described by Fritz Muller. 

 Mr. Morse has by perseverance obtained the great advantage of 

 studying living specimens of Bingida, a species of which he obtained 

 in quantity on the North Carolina coast. He compares the setae 

 which fringe the mouth of Bingida to those of Annelids (in this 

 he is probably misled), the lophophor with its cirrhi to the cephalic 

 appendages of tubicolous worms, the oviducts with their trumpet- 

 shaped openings to the funnel-like oviducts of many worms ; the 

 embryo of Thecidium, with its four segments and eye-spots, is 

 adduced, as also the embryo of Biscina, which, according to Fritz 

 Miiiler, has projecting bristles like the temporary bristles of some 

 Annelid-larvae. Mr. Morse says it is a startling discovery that the 

 vascular fluid of Bingula is red, and seems to think that this 

 colour gives this Brachiopod some affinity to worms. It is, how- 

 ever, not at all surprising, though Bingula is an interesting 

 addition to the category of invertebrata with red blood, including 

 as it does already the molluscs Planorois and Area. Probably 



