SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
427 
Signijicance of Adnation ” in the Coniferce. — A paper of some import- 
ance was read before the American Association for the Advancement of 
Science by Mr. T. Meehan, and was published in the volume of Transactions. 
The author shows that the true leaves of coniferae are adnate with the 
branches. 
The Devehpment of Mucor Mucedo. — In the Monthly Microscopical 
Journal for September there appears a most valuable paper by Dr. R. 
Maddox, detailing the different stages in the development of this easily 
accessible fungus. It is accompanied by a plate giving numerous figures 
sketched by the author, and drawn on stone in Mr, Tuffen West’s best style. 
Structure of Fossil Exogenous Ste?ns is the title of a recent important 
communication by Professor Williamson, of Manchester. The author enters 
on a critical examination of the opinions of Endlicher and Brongniart, and 
figures and describes the structure of Dadoxylon and Dictyoxylon and other 
genera. The paper is of some length, and deserves the attention of palaeon- 
tologists. The author thinks that no determination of fossil plants can be 
made with accurac}’’ without the aid of the microscope. Vide Monthly 
Mid'oscopical Journal, August. 
CHEMISTRY. 
The Homologous Carburets of Naphthaline. — This was the title of a paper 
presented recently to the Society of Sciences of Gottingen by Herr Fittig. 
Having referred to his former paper showing how, beginning with benzol, 
all the homologues may be formed in a simple manner therein described, he 
stated that he obtained good results by the application of this method to 
the aromatic series. By it alone have he and his colleagues been enabled 
to obtain the homologues of benzol in a state of purity j except toluol, the 
carburets previously obtained from tar were but a mixture of carburets in 
juxtaposition, and very difficult to separate. In the paper read, he detailed 
how, with M. Remsen, he has been trying this method with naphthaline, 
and how he has obtained very good results. In this way he has obtained 
many homologues of naphthaline. The following reactions were then de- 
scribed in detail : (1) A mixture of monobromated naphthaline and iodide of 
methyl, and (2) a mixture of monobromated naphthaline and iodide of ethyl 
diluted with ether, upon sodium in a state of fine division. He described 
two new carburets. He thinks it probable that the homologues of naphtha- 
line are found only in those portions of tar which boil at a high tempera- 
ture. He thinks, therefore, that the reason why they have been hitherto 
overlooked is that they are liquid at ordinary temperatures. 
What to he looked for in examining Water. — In summing up the results 
of his observatious (published in a series of long papers in the Chemical News) 
Dr. Angus Smith thus formulates what data are required for sanitary pur- 
poses. 1. Quality of the organic matter. 2. Condition of the gases of 
decomposition. 3. Organic matter : easily-decomposed organic matter, and 
slow to decompose. 4. Nitrates as remnants of organic matter. 5. Nitrites. 
6. Chlorides, with precautions, as indicating animal sources when greater 
