Miscellaneous Intelligence. 335 



11. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutsche?! Zentral-Afrika- 

 Fxpedition, 1907-1908, wnter Filhrung Adolf Friedrichs, Ilerzogs 

 zu Mecklenburg. Band II. Botanik. Edited by J. Mildbraed. 

 Leipzig (Klinkhardt & Biermarm). — The present publication, 

 devoted to the botanical results of the German expedition into 

 Central Africa, is issued in separate parts. Five of these, dated 

 1910-1912, have already appeared, and others are apparently 

 to be expected. The first part, comprising 87 pages and 10 plates, 

 treats the Pteridophyta, the Coniferae, and the Monocotyledons; 

 the second part, 88 pages and 5 plates, describes the Cryptogam® 

 Thalloidea?, and the Bryophyta; the third part, 94 pages and 15 

 plates, includes a portion of the Dicotyledonse-Choripetalse; 

 the fourth part, 150 pages and 16 plates, describes a portion of 

 the Dicotyledona3-Sympetala3 ; while the fifth part, 87 pages and 

 11 plates, contains a second series of the Dicotyledonse-Chori- 

 petalae. In addition to the plates the second part is illustrated 

 by 47 text-figures and the fourth part by 8 text-figures. With 

 the exception of a short paper on poisoned arrows from Kilo, 

 the contributions are entirely taxonomic in character and are 

 the work of numerous specialists, most of whom are resident in 

 Berlin. A large number of new species are described, and 

 these, as well as many of the species already known, are accom- 

 panied by critical remarks. Even in its incomplete form the 

 work represents a valuable addition to the numerous publications 

 on African plants which we owe to German investigators. 



a. w. E. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. Transactions of the Astronomical Observatory of Yale 

 University, Vol. II, Farts III and IV. Parallax Investiga- 

 tions of Ifl Southern Stars mainly of large proper motion ; by 

 Frederick L. Chase, Acting Director, and Mason F. Smith, 

 Assistant. New Haven, 1912 (Published by the Observatory). — 

 The work on parallax with the heliometer of the Winchester 

 Observatory up to the resignation of Director Elkin was confined 

 to the Northern Hemisphere, and has already been noticed in 

 detail in this Journal. 



The present volume presents the results of a campaign planned 

 to occupy two years, and completed precisely within that limit ; 

 consisting of measures of 41 stars between the equator and lati- 

 tude 13° south. For most of these stars no measurements for 

 parallax had ever been made when this work was undertaken. All 

 have proper motions of 0'5" or more except five of the second mag- 

 nitude. Sixteen complete sets of observations have been taken 

 upon each, distributed in groups of four, eight and four, except 

 that in three cases, two sets are lacking from the middle group. 

 The results obtained seem even more consistent and free from 

 suspicion of systematic error than the previous results of the 



