Miscellaneous Intelligence. 159 



his attempt to inoculate a thick leaved Crassulacea (Pachyphy- 

 ton bracteosum) with one of the microbes which cause suppura- 

 tion in animals. The effects depended largely on the amount of 

 infecting material used; the characteristic tints did not appear 

 where only a drop or two of the matter was employed; where 

 more was taken the destruction of tissue was marked and the 

 characteristic color was pronounced. There was a great accumu- 

 lation of germs in the tissues, especially the intercellular spaces 

 near the point of insertion, but the cells contained comparatively 

 few. There were noticeable chemical changes in the tissues 

 under observation, especially a diminution in tu. acidity of the 

 foliar tissue, amounting sometimes to the ratio 225: 120. 



By this new and interesting chapter of comparative pathology 

 it appears that in the vegetable as in the animal kingdom the 

 activity of microbes (taken from the anima^ depends on quantity 

 as well as quality, and that these organisms utilize their secre- 

 tions. They have the power of altering tissues, modifying their 

 surroundings and changing the reaction of the liquids in which 

 they act. In the two kingdoms there are many means of defence. 

 In the vegetable world the principal one is the resistance offered 

 by the cell wall to intracellular penetration, but in the plant 

 there is no phagocytic defence. On the other hand the toxines 

 are not effective to any great extent in the case of the plant, in 

 fact this amounts almost to complete immunity. g. l. g. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. The John Strong Newberry Fund. — The second joint 

 meeting of the various scientific societies of New York City — 

 the Scientific Alliance of New York — was held on March 27, 1893 

 and "had for its object the honoring of the name and fame of 

 the late Prof. J. S. Newberry." The printed Proceedings of this 

 meeting give the address of Prof. Fairchild, further a number of 

 commemorative letters, a list of Prof. Newberry's scientific writ- 

 ings edited by Prof. Kemp, and finally the report of the Commit- 

 tee on the establishment of the John Strong Newberry Fund for 

 Originial Scientific Research. 



The plan, as accepted by the Council of the Scientific Alliance, 

 contemplates the establishment of a fund of not less than $25,000, 

 the income of which shall be devoted to the encouragement of 

 scientific work in the departments with which Prof. Newberry 

 was identified, viz: Geology, Paleontology, Zoology and Botany. 

 Subscriptions large or small, are solicited and may be paid to the 

 Secretary of the Committee, Prof. N. L. Britlon. 



2. Cordoba Durchmusterung. Brightness and position of 

 every fivced star down to the tenth magnitude comprised in the 

 belt of the heavens betioeen 22 and 32 degrees of south declination. 

 John M. Thome, Director. Buenos Aires, 1892. — This volume 

 is the 16th of the Cordoba observations, and is the first part of a 



^Durchmusterung Catalogue. It contains 179,800 stars, and is a 

 A.m. Jour. Sci.— Third Series, Vol. XLVI, No. 272.— August, 1893. 

 11 



