( 564 ) 
; September* 
NOTE S. 
Note on the Action of Salts of Alumina on White Sweet Peas. 
By A. Anthony Nesbit, F.C.S. — During the prosecution of the 
experiments on flowers (some notes on which were published 
in the July issue of the “Journal of Science”) the following 
curious results have been obtained : — The stalks of some white 
sweet peas having been placed in a 10 per cent solution of 
potash alum, the petals after some hours turned a delicate pale 
yellow, and began to fade ; the flowers were then taken out of 
the solution and pressed, and as they dried the yellow colour 
deepened. Ten per cent solutions of chloride, acetate, and 
sulphate of alumina were next tried, and in each case the yellow 
colour was developed in the petals of the peas, it being, how- 
ever, strongest in the cases of the solutions of potash alum and 
the chloride of aluminium. White double primulas and white 
double stocks were then placed in 10 per cent solutions of the 
two first-mentioned salts ; but while in the case of the primula 
the yellow colour was developed, in the case of the stock it was 
not. On a little further investigation it was found that if the 
petals of the white pea, or the white double primula, were 
mashed and moistened with a solution of any of the above- 
named salts of alumina, a bright pale yellow colour was at once 
produced. Stocks treated in the same manner turned a greenish 
yellow, although their flower had not altered in colour when 
placed in the solutions as described above. A number of sweet 
peas were then crushed, and their juice expressed, warmed, and 
filtered, when it became clear and nearly colourless. Strong 
solution of potash alum was then added, and the liquid became 
yellow. On the addition of ammonia the hydrate of alumina 
was precipitated, carrying down with it the whole of the colouring 
matter. 
A report has been circulated that Sir David Lionel Salomons 
is the first inventor of the automatic elecftric system of railway- 
signalling. We beg to point out that he was in this matter 
anticipated by Mr. W. T. Whiteman, whose patent (No. 270, 
A.D. 1S74) is dated January 22nd, whilst that of Sir D. L. 
Salomons is dated October 13th, or eight months later. 
At the meeting of the Entomological Society, August 2nd, Mr. 
Pryer communicated a very important memoir on the butterflies 
of Japan with reference to seasonal, or rather temperature, varie- 
ties. Many species have two or three broods yearly, the speci- 
mens appearing in August being much iarker and larger — 
sometimes double the size — than the March brood, At the 
