SCIENTIFIC SUMMAEY. 
311 
tain about the spectrum of tbe luminous baze, as the night on which he 
observed the nebula was an imfavourable one. He thinks, however, that 
the spectrum of this part of the nebula is also continuous. 
The 98^/i asteroid has been discovered, so that we may soon expect to 
enter on the second hundred. Considering that the first of these new 
planets was discovered on the opening day of the century, we may consider 
that satisfactory progress has been made in the search for these objects. 
A clock movement is being prepared for the great Parsonstown reflector. 
When this work is complete it is intended that the enormous light-gathering 
powers of this noble instrument should be applied to experiments in lunar 
photography and stellar spectrometry. For the last-mentioned purpose, a 
fine spectroscope is now in course of construction by Mr. Browning. 
The results of the examination to which the great Orion nebula was sub- 
jected by the late Lord Rosse, have been published in the Philosophical 
Transactions of the Royal Society, and are illustrated by a large and valuable 
map of the nebula. The long series of observations of the same nebula 
which were made by the late G. P. Bond, and his careful measures of the 
stars scattered through the nebula, have been edited by Professor Safibrd, 
and form the fifth volume of the Annals of the Observatory of Harvard 
College.” 
BOTANY. 
Coelehogyne ilicifolia. — M. Baillon has transmitted a note on this re- 
markable plant to the French Academy of Sciences. The plant was intro- 
duced into England, from Australia, about 40 years since. By a peculiarity, 
long unexplained, all the flowers produced by it in the Botanic Gardens 
were female, and yet they bore perfectly normal seeds. Hence it was con- 
cluded that the Coelehogyne was a perfect example of a parthenogenetic 
plant, i.e, of a plant producing seeds without any previous fertilisation. 
But, as in other species of dioecious plants, supposed to be parthenogenetic, 
stamens have teen sometimes found when only female organs were ex- 
pected, botanists were led to ask, might not stamens also be found in 
Coelehogyne. Indeed, Herr Karsten was lead by his researches to affirm, that 
there may be seen a small stamen beside the pistil of the female flower, 
bearing pollen in very good condition. According to the German botanist, 
this occasional hermaphroditism would account for production of the healthy 
seeds. M. Baillon adds a new fact, to show that this plant is not dioecious. 
He placed before the Academy, at its meeting on May 6, two specimens of 
Coelehogyne, which had been sent from Australia by Dr. Ferdinand Muller, 
and in both of which might be seen, on different branches, numerous male 
and female flowers, many of them passing into fruit. Thus the plant must 
in future be considered monoecious, and not dioecious, as hitherto supposed. — 
Comptes Rendus, May 6. 
The Microscopical examination of Diatoms. — A paper read before the 
Societe Philomathique, of Paris, on April 18, on the above subject, contains 
one or two points of interest to our readers. The author, M. Freminau, 
makes the following remarks : — The ordinary method of examining the 
