162 Scientific Intelligence. 



there could not be said to be anything like a comparative histol- 

 ogy, in our sense of the term, and it has been continued through 

 years which have given to us, on every hand, contributions in 

 every department of the subject. We can imagine, therefore, the 

 satisfaction which the author takes now in noting the general re- 

 sults obtained by himself and by others who have worked in the 

 same field, in establishing a comparative histology for technical 

 and morphological ends. Even if the author did not inaugurate 

 the movement, he has participated in it from the very outset. 



G. L. G. 



5. M. Lucien Daniel (Comptes rendus, Sept. 21, 1891), sums 

 up the results of his experiments on root-grafting as follows: — 



(1) we can often obtain grafts on the roots of closely allied plants. 



(2) The graft may succeed without bringing the generative layers 

 in contact. (3) Sometimes we can gralt a plant on the root of 

 another belonging to an entirely different family; Saponaria on 

 an Onagracea, for example. (4) The lack of success in most 

 cases can be explained by the obstacle which the membranes of 

 the graft present to the passage of nutritive matters. g. l. g. 



6. Two communications in recent numbers of Comptes rendus,. 

 are of considerable interest to vegetable physiologists, but of 

 greater importance to Horticulture. Lechaktier (Oct. 12, 1891), 

 shows that the leaves of artichokes which turn yellow and then 

 darker, fading away and wilting, towards the close of the season, 

 yield up their food to the ripening parts in a very steady manner. 

 Henri Becquerel (Oct. 19, 1891), gives the results of his exam- 

 ination of soil temperatures during the winter of 1890-91. 



7. Botjrquelot (Comptes rendus, Nov. 23, 1891), has examined 

 the different parts of Boletus eclulis and aurantiaeus, with refer- 

 ence to the distribution of the nutritive matters therein contained. 

 These fungi agree in this ; they contain most of their food in the 

 forms trehalose and glucose, mostly the former, in the stalk, and 

 rim, and not in the so-called tubes. The foot or stalk contains 

 about twice as much as the rim. g. l. g. 



8. Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien. — This admirable treat- 

 ise by Engler and Prantl, which has been often mentioned in 

 this Journal, has now proceeded as far as Numbers 68 and 69. 

 The typography is as good as at the outset, and the illustrations 

 as excellent and abundant. The disorder attending the method 

 of publication by detached numbers is likewise as great as at first, 

 and leaves much to be desired. There seems to be no reason why 

 a work of this high character should be marred by defects observ- 

 able in cheap subscription books. There is, however, little doubt 

 that the completed treatise will be, in every way, one worth wait- 

 ing for. G. L. G. 



9. Work of Lobxoorms in bringing Sand to the Surface. — 

 Prof. Charles Davison, of Birmingham, England, in a paper 

 published in the Geological Magazine of November, 1891, gives 

 the results of his observations on the work of the Lobworms in 

 the " Holy Island Sands," between Holy Island and the opposite 



