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[May, 
NOTES. 
Biology. 
In a paper on the development of the ovaries in female mam- 
mals after birth, read before the Academy of Sciences, M. Ch. 
Rouget states that his researches have led him to conclusions 
agreeing with those of Kolliker. His observations support the 
theory of primordial hermaphroditism. 
M. Chatin describes, in the “ Comptes Rendus,” the special 
nutritive apparatus of phanerogamic parasites. He finds that 
the suckers of such parasites are morphologically and physio- 
logically analogous to the roots of ordinary plants. 
Sarracenia purpurea contains a proximate principle closely 
analogous to that of the Colchicaceae, although belonging to a 
remote family bordering on the Papaveracese. 
M. Maxime Cornu points out the existence in the Crassulaceae 
of cortical woody bodies agglomerated together, and apparently 
serving to strengthen the fragile stems destined to support an 
efflorescence consisting of numerous flowrets. 
M. Dareste has observed, in the yolk of egg, certain granules 
which have generally been supposed to be lecithine, but which 
in their physical and chemical chambers agree rather with 
starch. 
M. Couty has made known the results of observations on the 
non-excitability of the grey cortical substance of the brain, which, 
he finds, takes no part in the phenomena produced by exciting 
the surface of the brain. These phenomena remain the same 
whether the grey layer is intadt or paralysed by an anaesthetic. 
M. Arm. Moreau infers, from experiments performed on dogs, 
that the analogy supposed to exist between the phenomena in- 
duced by the presence of certain saline solutions in the intestinal 
canal and the phenomena which have been studied outside the 
animal system by the aid of the endosmometer cannot be main- 
tained. 
MM. Bergeret and Moreau propose water slightly acidulated 
with nitric acid as a remedy for the Peronospora infesting the 
lettuce. 
M. A. Certes recommends the vapours of osmic acid for the 
preservation of Infusoria. 
According to M. S. Jourdain, in Arion rufus the arterial blood 
issues into the visceral cavity from funnel-shaped orifices at the 
extremities of the minute arteries, and is afterwards taken up by 
