518 Scientific Intelligence. 



7. Si?iopsis Miner alogica b Catalog o descriptive* de los Min- 

 er ales 2j or Carlos F. de Landeeo. pp. 1-432. Mexico, 1888. This 

 is an alphabetical list of the various mineral species, giving brief 

 descriptions with also numerous synonyms. It will be useful 

 not only at home but wherever a knowledge of the Spanish 

 and local Mexican names of minerals is needed. 



8. Xew 3feteorites. — Mr. Edwin E. Howell gives descriptions 

 of a number of new meteorites in vol. i of the Proceedings of the 

 Rochester Academy of Science, illustrated by figures (part of 

 which have been used in this Journal, vol. xl, p. 223). They are 

 named the AVelland Meteorite, from Welland, Ontario, Canada; 

 the Hamilton County, from Texas ; the Puquios, from Copiapo, 

 Chili; the De Cewsville, from Ontario, Canada; two from Ata- 

 cama, Chili, called the Dona Inez and the Llano del Inca ; and 

 from Chili three others, the El Chanaralino, la Primitiva and the 

 Calderilla. The Hamilton County meteorite weighs 179 lbs., and 

 its largest diameter is 17-J- inches. A fine plate printed from the 

 iron exhibits grandly the Widmanstatten figures. 



9. Die Protoplasmai'erbinchingeu zicischen benachbarten Ge- 

 webeselementen in der Pflahze ; by F. Kiexitz-Geeloff. (Bot. 

 Zeit., 1891, Xrn. 1-5, Taf. I— II) . — The continuity of protoplasm 

 in adjacent cells of vegetable tissue has since its discovery been 

 a subject of the greatest interest and significance. Through this 

 new and unexpected feature of plant-anatomy it has been hoped 

 that light might be thrown upon a host of physiological processes 

 hitherto unexplained ; and the importance thus attached to the 

 histological fact has very naturally made the subject an alluring 

 one for original investigations. Perhaps, indeed, no point of 

 plant-anatomy has so often, within the last few years, been chosen 

 as a subject for special study, nor in most cases proved so barren 

 of new results. Since the appearance of Gardiner's papers a 

 number of new instances of the phenomenon in question have, it 

 is true, been observed and recorded. Few details, however, have 

 been added to our knowledge of individual cases, nor have the 

 methods employed in the treatment and staining of preparations 

 been essentially improved. Russow's highly interesting hypothe- 

 sis that the threads uniting the protoplasm in adjoining cells 

 arise from the delicate fibrillar observed between the nuclei in 

 cell-division, has been neither confirmed nor refuted; and in 

 regard to the physiological significance of the continuity of pro- 

 toplasm theories are as conflicting as ever. The present paper 

 by Kienitz-Gerloff, treating the subject both in its anatomical 

 and physiological aspects, is therefore especially welcome. 



After a brief historical sketch the author proceeds to consider 

 the different ways of treating sections to bring out clearly the 

 connecting threads of protoplasm, and states that he has met 

 with the best success by placing sections of fresh material in a 

 solution of potassic-iodide to fix the protoplasm with but little 

 contraction, before such reagents as sulphuric acid or chlor- 

 iodide of zinc are employed to act upon the cell-walls. This is 



