FEBRUARY 29, 1884. ] 
Expulsion of water from a growing leaf. 
My attention was some time ago called to an inter- 
esting and remarkable fact in connection with the 
expulsion of water from the tip of a growing leaf. 
It is well known that drops of water are often found 
on the margins and apices of growing leaves. It is 
readily observable in corn and other grasses (see 
Sachs’s text-book, p. 676); but the phenomenon to 
which I wish now to call attention is of another 
character. The circumstances were as follows: — 
A lady had growing in her house a strong and 
thrifty Caladium with three or four large leaves. 
A new leaf being ready to 
expand alongside of an old b 
one, this last was cut off i. 
at a@ inthe figure. It was a 
noticed soon afterward, at | 
about half-past ten A.M., 
that from the apex of the 
new leaf (b) there was be- 
ing shot out, for a distance IN 
of about an inch, a jet of TY | 
water, falling in the shape ih 
of very fine spray on the ih 
cut surface of the other Vi 
leaf. ‘The jets were count- WT } 
i 
} 
HA 
Wi 7 
| Hi} i 
ed, and it was found that i 
there was a regular pulsa- / 
tion of about a hundred and Mi Hl 
eighty per minute ; that is LA f 
to say, three jets of water Hy} ] | 
were forced from the apex | 
of the leaf every second. | 
It was observed from time if 
to time until five p.m., and | 
but little cessation of the 
rate of motion was seen. il 
At eight the next morning Ht 
the pulsations were about il 
a hundred and twenty per 
minute; and they gradually decreased, until, on the 
third day, drops of water would accumulate at the 
apex, and be expelled with some force at a rate of 
about ninety per minute. 
It is to this regular pulsating movement of the 
water that I wish to call attention. I cannot find, in 
any of the books accessible to me, any account of any 
such motion in the water of plants. Sachs does not 
mention it; and, if any of your readers know of the 
mention of any such motion, I should like to know 
where it is to be found. We know that the exuda- 
tion of water from cut surfaces, or newly-expanding 
leaves, is often caused by the taking-away of an 
evaporating surface (say, a large leaf) while the root is 
still absorbing a large amount of moisture from the 
soil (see Sachs’s text-book, p. 689); but why this pul- 
sating movement? There can be no doubt as to the 
accuracy of the observation, as it was seen by several 
persons besides the owner of the plant. Prof. J. 
W. Lloyd of this city has informed me that some 
years ago he made the same observation, but he has 
not been able to give me an exact statement as to 
what took place. 
JOSEPH F. JAMES. 
Cine. soc. nat. hist., Cincinnati, O. 
| This interesting phenomenon has been described 
by Musset, who states that water was forced from 
the leaf-tips of Colocasia antiquorum, another plant 
of the Aroid family, with such force that the jet was 
three inches and three-quarters high (Comptes ren- 
SCIENCE. 
245 
dus, 1865, 683). Professor Pfeffer, to whom we are 
indebted for this reference, calls attention to a sin- 
gular communication by Munting (1672), who de- 
scribes the emission of a fine stream of water from 
the leaves of certain Aroideae, resembling a foun- 
tain. ] 
A scientific swindler. 
A few weeks ago a man calling himself N. R. 
Taggart, and claiming to be a member of the Ohio 
geological survey, visited Philadelphia. He called on 
the principal scientific men of this city, and attended 
one of the regular meetings of the Academy of natu- 
ral sciences. He seemed to have an extended ac- 
quaintance with scientific men all over the country, 
talked very glibly about fossils, and claimed to be 
preparing a report on the Productidae for the Ohio 
survey. He is about five feet eight inches in height, 
a hundred and sixty pounds in weight, heavy set, 
heavy featured, with light hair, and rather deep-set 
eyes, sShabbily dressed, and wore an old gray overcoat. 
He had an adroit way of ingratiating himself into the 
confidence of his intended victims; and then, if he 
could not steal, he would, under some plausible pre- 
text, borrow valuable books or specimens to take to 
his hotel, and forget to return them. His victims 
are to be found scattered all over the country. In 
New York he was E. D. Strong of Fort Scott, Kan., 
and claimed to be employed by the Kansas Pacific 
railway to collect statistics of coal production. In 
West Philadelphia he gave his address as E. Douglas, 
Columbus, O., member of the State survey. In Au- 
burn, N.Y., he was a deaf-mute, under the name of 
E. D. Whitney, U.S. geologist, Denver, Col. There 
he obtained a large quantity of valuable books and 
fossils from the family of Professor Starr, in the ab- 
sence of the owner. In Harrisburg, Chambersburg, 
Columbus, and Indianapolis he was a deaf-mute. He 
swindled the state geologist of Indiana out of over 
a hundred dollars’ worth of scientific books. From 
the Cleveland historical society’s rooms he obtained 
Indian relics of great value, and in Cincinnati, min- 
erals and fossils which he converted into cash. He 
has been permitted access to several museums, pub- 
lic and private, from which he has succeeded in ab- 
stracting valuable specimens, and sold them. Any 
information in regard to the real name and residence 
of this man is much to be desired. 
F. V. HAYDEN. 
AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AS- 
TSOCTATION: 
THe coming of the British association in 
August next to this continent to hold its meet- 
ing will result, it is hoped, in bringing the 
scientific representatives of two great nations 
twice together, — once at Montreal; and later, 
again, at Philadelphia. The interest felt in 
these two gatherings is very great, and rapidly 
increasing as the time approaches for their 
occurrence. It is realized that they will be 
very important and delightful. Both meetings 
will be international in character; and the 
pleasant anticipations formed in regard to them 
suggest the advisability of establishing some 
permanent organization which may insure 
