74 Scientific Intelligence. 



coarse pegmatite vein, composed of quartz, ortboclase or micro- 

 cline, albite, and muscovite, with occasionally garnet and black 

 tourmaline. Some of tbe crystals of mica, which is of excellent 

 quality, are of very large dimensions ; the albite exhibits a beau- 

 tiful play of color and some ol tbe crystals of tourmaline, without 

 being of a great diameter, are of remarkable length. A nodular 

 fragment of uraninite was found, weighing about one pound. The 

 specific gravity was 9*055. The specimen, to which was attached 

 a little muscovite, had on one portion of its surface a moderately 

 thick incrustation, the prevailing color of which was yellowish red 

 to scarlet red, a small portion of the same had, however, a pure 

 sulphur-yellow color; this material, which is most probably gum- 

 mite, had a specific gravity of 3*78. 



The specimen of monazite was in the form of a rounded mass, 

 to which was attached a little muscovite and feldspar; it weighed 

 not less than twelve and a quarter pounds; structure compact, 

 without any indication of crystalline form ; color, reddish brown ; 

 lustre, resinous; specific gravity, 5*138. Its blowpipe characters 

 and general composition are those of monazite. The junior 

 assistant, under my supervision, made a quantitative analysis, 

 the results of which are only approximate ; he found it to 

 contain phosphoric anhydride 26*95, oxides of metals of the 

 cerium gi*oup (precipitated as oxalates) 64*45 per cent; also silica 

 5*85 per cent. The loss on ignition was 1*39 per cent; water, 

 direct estimation 0*91 per cent. 



III. Botany and Zoology. 



1. Die natilrllchen Pflanzenfamilien nebst ihren Gattungen 

 und wichtigeren Arten, insbesondere den Nutzpflanzen bearbeitet, 

 tenter Mitioirkung zahlreicher hervorragender Fachgelehrten, von 

 A. Eistgel und K. Prantl. — The scope of this work renders it one 

 of the most welcome recent contributions to botanical literature. 

 The aim of the projectors is to furnish a comprehensive handbook 

 of systematic botany, supplementing the Genera Plantarum. 

 Such a work is adapted to the wants of special students, and also 

 meets the needs of pharmacists, physicians, foresters and teach- 

 ers. It is furthermore designed to answer the questions which are 

 constantly coming up in general reading, and can be widely used 

 as a book of reference. 



It is to consist of about 100 numbers, each having 48 octavo 

 pages, to be illustrated by several thousand figures on wood. 

 The editors ai*e well known for their good judgment and discrimi- 

 nation : the list of contributors contains the names of a large 

 number of specialists. The name of the lamented Eichler appears 

 in this list; from a fragment of his study of Coniferse, given in the 

 prospectus, it would seem that this important part might have 

 been finished by him before his fatal illness had pronounced it- 

 self. 



The first installment comprises a part of the true Palms. This 

 has been done by Professor Drude. The text gives a full presen- 



