62 The West American Scientist. 



4024. Essay on the Use of Nitrate of Soda for Manure, and the 

 Best Mode of Its Employment. By Joseph Harris, M. S., More- 

 ton Farm, Monroe Co., N. Y. Copyright 1890. Octavo, 96 pp. 

 Price 10 cents. From the author. 



4025. The Sugar-beet Industry. Culture of the sugar-beet 

 and manufacture of beet sugar. By H. W. Wiley, chemist U. 

 S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 1890. Divi- 

 sion of chemistry, bulletin No. 27. Octavo, 255 pp., 11 plates. 



4026. Notes on Some Species of Gall-gnats (Cecidomyiae). 

 By T. D. A. Cockerell. Reprinted from the Entomologist, Lon- 

 don, 1890, pp. 278 — 282. The notes are based on gall-gnats 

 found in Colorado. From the author. 



SAN FRANCISCO MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 

 At the regular meeting of the society held at its rooms October 

 1st, Carl H. Eigenmann, Ph. D., called attention to the results of 

 some recent investigations in cell division made by Dr. S. 

 Watase of Clarke University, which the speaker illustrated with 

 drawings on the black-board. The observations noted were 

 somewhat at variance with those formerly observed by scientists, 

 and led to some new theories. Previous researches have shown 

 that the nucleus in the tissues of the higher class of plants and 

 animals consists of a capsule containing a plasma cf "achromatin" 

 not deeply stained by reagents, ramifying in which is a reticulum 

 of ''chromatin," consisting of fibers which take a deep stain. 

 When the cell is about to divide into two, definite and remark- 

 able movements take place in the nucleus, resulting in the disap- 

 pearance of the capsule and the arrangements of its fibers first in 

 the form of a wreath and subsequently in the form of a star. 

 Dr. Watase's observations have been made chiefly on the embry- 

 onic cell, and he finds that the phenomena are quite different 

 from what have previously been accepted as the mode of separa- 

 tion and division of these fibers. Instead of assuming the form 

 of a wreath, the fibers form a longitudinal zone, gradually sep- 

 arating at the terminal and finally through the whole mass of 

 protoplasm, when complete division takes place. Each of these 

 bundles then arranges itself, together with the associated achro- 

 matin into a nucleus such as was present in the mother cell to 

 commence with. This Phenomenon is termed "Karyokinesis." 

 Dr. Eigenmann' s remarks were attentively listened to, and called 

 forth questions and remarks from members. 



Dr. J, M. Selfridge presented to the society, on behalf of Dr. 

 C M. Selfridge of Port Townsend, a small quantity of mud 

 dredged from the bottom of the sea off the coast of Queen Char- 

 lotte's Island at a depth of 1,566 fathoms, by the scientific corps 

 of the steamer Albatross. 



Mr. Riedy exhibited a beautiful slide of Bacillus Tuberculosis 

 from sputum, prepared and stained by Dr. Sherman of Merced. 

 The bacilli were very numerous and well developed, and the 

 work of the preparer was very favorably commented on. 



