SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
199 
■of observations, that, if any, only the slightest and uncertain indications of 
periodicity are exhibited.” 
Oppositions of Jupiter and Mars . — On April 27 Jupiter will be in opposi- 
tion to the sun ; on June 20 Mars will be in opposition, but not at all favour- 
ably placed for observation, having great southerly declination. 
BOTANY. 
A Fungus Show. — According to a late number of “Grevillia,” an 
■exhibition of Fungi at Munich took place in the “ Crystal Palace” some 
time ago, and was visited by nearly 50,000 persons. Of species, 141 
were represented by means of 1,033 specimens. The arrangement was a 
systematical one, and every species had its Latin and vulgar name, and 
other notes, written on a ticket. The edible fungi had white tickets, 
the venomous sorts green ones, and the indifferent red ones. A lecture, 
or demonstration, was also given on edible and venomous fungi, their 
cooking, and what to do in a case of poisoning by them. There were also 
joined to the exhibition a great many microscopical specimens of para- 
sitical fungi, which do damage in the rural economy. Drawings of the 
growth and development of these minute plants were made by Professor 
Engler. The list of fungi exhibited is published in full in the “Gar- 
deners’ Chronicle.” The absence of such species as Agaricus arvensis, Russula 
Jieterophylla , Agaricus personatus, Marasmius urens , Ramis stypticus , Polyorus 
. squainosus , Craterellus cornucopioides , was very singular and inexplicable. 
Variation in the Water contained by a Plant . — At the late Botanical Con- 
gress which was held at Florence, M. Galeznoff gave the result of his re- 
searches in calculating the amount of water contained in the different parts 
of a plant. By dividing a trunk into a number of pieces from the base 
upwards, he found invariably that the quantity of water increases from the 
base towards the summit. Of the four species studied by him, he found 
Pinus sylvestris contained most moisture in the trunk, and Acer the least. 
Betula and Populus tremula were intermediate. In Pinus the bark is drier 
than the wood, and in Acer more moist. In Betula it is drier in the winter 
and spring, and more watery in summer and autumn. The contrary takes 
place in the case of the poplar. In the branches the same law holds good, 
but their bases are drier than the portion of the trunk from which they take 
their rise ; and the petioles are more watery than the leaves. In the flowers, 
the perianth, the filaments and the styles contain more water than the 
anthers. 
A new Edition of an old Work on Uymenomycetous Fungi: Fpicrisis 
Plymenomycetum . — It is stated in Mr. Cooke’s journal, “ Grevillia ” (Decem- 
ber 1874), that the publication of the new and revised edition of this work 
will be hailed with pleasure by all mycologists, inasmuch as the course of 
time had deprived the former edition of much of its original value. Al- 
though confined exclusively to European species, this work will be indis- 
pensable to all who pursue the study of fungi with assiduity. We could 
have wished for more of the synonymy of the species, and a more extended 
