(General and physiological.) Effect of electric light on vegetation. - From experiments conducted at the Palais d'industrie during the electric exhibition of August, 1881, P. P. Déhérain concludes that the electric arc emits some rays injurious to vegetation, which are, for the most part at least, arrested by colorless glass. The light is sufficient to maintain mature plants in vegetation for two months and a half, and is decidedly beneficial to plants which obtain only diffuse daylight, but cannot effect the ripening or germination of seeds. (Electrician, Feb. 10.) J. T.

[554

The formation of starch out of sugar. It is not yet known with certainty what is the first product of assimilative activity in a vegetable cell containing chlorophyll. Among the views most widely held may be cited those of Sachs and of Boehm. The former regards it as highly probable that the first and direct product is starch, while the latter holds that it is one or more of the sugars. As is well known, starchgrains are found in chlorophyll-granules after exposure to light. But Boehm thinks that the presence of starch in the granules of chlorophyll is no proof that this is the first product of assimilation, since it might have been formed there by the changes in other and simpler carbohydrates. That such changes may take place is rendered more than possible by his discovery that starch can be made in chlorophyll-granules out of sugar artificially furnished the plant. Nor does it, according to him, make much, if any, difference which of the sugars is used for the experiment. His method of experiment appears to be open to criticism, but is simple and ingenious. In the main, it consists in supplying to cut surfaces of herbaceous parts a dilute solution of sugar, being careful to avoid too great concentration of the liquid. The result of this administration of elaborated food is immediate. Starch-grains appear at once in the chlorophyll-granules, and the leafy shoots keep fresh and active for six weeks. (Bot. zeit., Jan. 19 and 26, 1883.) [557

G. L. G.

(Systematic.)

A new Oxytheca.- An Oxytheca from the Mohave region, California, described by Dr. Parry, is the eighth of that genus, which is now quite polymorphous in its character. This species is especially distinguished by the spreading, several-flowered involucre, which is cleft nearly to the base, the segments

New Passifloreae. - Dr. Masters proposes a new genus (Mitostemma), remarkable for its peculiar corona, consisting of numerous thick thread-like processes arranged in a triple series at the throat of the very short flower-tube, and having the hypogynous stamens separate from the gynophore. Two species are described, from Brazil and British Guiana; also a new species of Tacsonia, and five of Passiflora, one of the latter from Mexico, the rest from tropical South America. — (Journ. bot., Feb., 1883.) s. w.

Permian Ginkgos and other fossil plants. — Saporta describes a Salisburia, or Ginkgo, from specimens communicated by M. Grand'Eury from the Permian of Russia. The author considers the plant as a representative of the most ancient species of Ginkgo, and calls it Salisburia primigenia; remarking, that, until now, the Ginkgo has not been known lower than the Rhetic. This is contradicted by the discovery made by Profs. Fontaine and White, in the Permo-carboniferous of Virginia, of fine large leaves, very similar to those of Salisburia, described and figured under the name of Saportea Salisburioides and S. grandifolia (Second geol. survey Penn., PP, pl. 38). If M. Saporta has not seen the specimen, he has at least seen these figures of the leaves, and admitted their close affinity to Salisburia, an affinity supported by the presence of leaves of Baiera in the same strata. The memoir describes also a new species of Nelumbium, from the lignites of Fuveau, Bouches du Rhône, and mentions a number of plants discovered under the volcanic ashes of Kantal, lower pliocene. Some of the specimens represent tertiary types, like Abies intermedia, a new species; Corylus insignis, Heer; Planera Ungeri, Ett.; Acer pseudo-campestre, Ung.; Tilia expansa, Sap.; and Pterocarya denticulata, Web. Of species living at the present epoch, he quotes Salix mauritanica, Def.; Viburnum pseudo-tinus, Sap., nearly identical to Viburnum rugosum, Per. ; a Ruscus, like R. aculeatus; a Ranunculus, like R. philonotis; and Fagus sylvatica-pliocenica, whose organs of fructification have been found. The leaves show a gradual passage to the European species, while they are evidently related to the American Fagus ferruginea, Michx.-(Comptes rendus, April 3, 10, 1882.) L. L. [562

eral of their reports have appeared. The last is that of H. Friele on the mollusks, including those belonging to the Buccinidae. It is printed in parallel columns of Norwegian and English, and illustrated by six quarto plates and a map. The paper is practically a monograph of the Buccinidae of the arctic part of the north Atlantic and its shores. The new genus Jumala is described for Fusus Turtoni Bean and Neptunea Ossiani Friele. It is founded on important differences in the dentition. Several species, which had been before but briefly described, are here figured and characterized in detail. Siphonorbis Dalli, S. undulata, Buccinum nivale, B. sulcatum, new species, and a large number of new varieties, are described,

not merely the shell, but, in a majority of cases, the embryo, oötheca, operculum, and dentition, with various anatomical and biographical details. Friele finds, like others who have studied large series, that species, in the old-fashioned sense, can hardly be said to exist in the genus Buccinum; and, indeed, Neptunea is not much better; but the author considers that a certain part of this confusion is caused by hybridization. [563

- W. H. D.

Worms.

North-sea annelids. — G. A. Hansen, in Norwegian and English (in parallel columns), gives an account of the annelids collected by the Norwegian North-sea expedition of 1876-78 (Christiania, 1882, 53 p., 7 pl., map, 4°). He criticises Malmgren's method of distinguishing and delimiting genera, of which he thinks Malmgren has made far too many on unimportant characters. He points out the constancy of the bristles: "The type of the bristles is the same in all Polynoae, with the exception of Melaenis Loveni and Polynoe scolopendrina.' The scales, in Hansen's opinion, are much more valuable, being characteristically constant in each species. Möbius and Tauber have gone too far in the opposite direction, of 'lumping' Malmgren's species and genera. Tables of distribution are given, from which it is evident that few families are absent from the frigid area, and the species are the same as those found in temperate waters. P. globifera alone indicates that its favorite, if not its sole, habitat is the cold bottom-strata. A number of new species are described. - (Journ. micr. soc. Lond., Feb., 1883, 60.) c. S. M. [564 Australian Aphroditea.-W. A. Haswell publishes a monograph of the Australian species of this annelidan family, wherein he gives descriptions of about thirty species, of which more than half are new. There appear to be two entirely distinct provinces of distribution, the northern intertropical shores of Queensland, and the temperate coasts of New South Wales and Victoria. As compared with the same group in northern seas, there is no marked distinction of the forms: the species are different, but the genera the same or nearly related. The first part of the paper is anatomical, and contains interesting notes on the structure of the scales. He corrects Williams's mistake of describing the intestinal coeca as segmental organs, a mistake repeated by Ehlers, -and himself describes the true segmental organs in Polynoe. They are ciliated tubes, opening in a tubercle at the base of the parapodia. Some observations on the sexual organs, the coeca of the intestine, and the pseudhaemal system, are also recorded. The form of the coeca is described. "The interior of the coecum is lined here and there with hepatic cells.' These are large spherical or oval cells, with a delicate... membrane, and golden-yellow, oil-like contents, with a nucleus, or, more frequently, two or three." Among these yellow cells are others of the same size, but of very different character, containing numerous cells,

Third corpuscle of the blood. - Dr. Richard Norris of Birmingham, Eng., claims to have discovered that the white corpuscles of the lymph peel off the body of the cell, setting the nucleus free. The latter then enters the circulation as a colorless disk, which is ordinarily invisible, having the same refractile index as the liquor sanguinis. The disk gradually becomes colored by the endogenous secretion of haemaglobin. He then applies this history to set aside a good many established views concerning the physiology and pathology of the blood. He has presented his opinions in an octavo volume illustrated with numerous plates, forming a revolutionary publication (London, 1882). We should a priori give little credence to these surprising conclusions, which have been subjected to telling criticisms by Mrs. Ernest Hart. Norris's principal observation was, that, by certain methods of treatment, colorless disks could be found in the blood, and photographed. Mrs. Hart has repeated his numerous and varied experiments, and shows that the methods employed create the colorless disk out of the red corpuscle by removing, in one manner or another, the haemaglobin. The basis of Norris's theories is thus taken away, and with the base fall all the far-reaching deductions built on it. Nevertheless, although Dr. Norris's interpretations cannot be accepted, it should be remembered that he has published a series of careful and useful observations.- (Lond. med. rec., Oct. 15, 1882.)

Nerves of the bile-ducts. - Variot has confirmed and extended Gerlach's observations (Centralbl. med. wiss., xxxvi). The author first gives a brief account of the structure of the bile-ducts and gallbladder. The nerve-fibres on the ducts are rarely medullated. In gold-chloride preparations one sees the large meshes of the submucous nervous plexus of naked fibres. The ganglion-cells lie mostly in the nodes of the plexus, but are also found elsewhere between the fibres; now and then they are clustered into a little ganglion. A second intermuscular plexus, such as Gerlach described, could not be observed. Nothing was learned of the ultimate terminations. The distribution of the ganglia was studied in longitudinal sections through Vater's ampulla and the neighboring part of the ductus choledocus. At the point of junction is found an extension of Auerbach's plexus. Between the two muscular layers lie the ganglia; but nothing corresponding to Meissner's plexus was found; although, at the junction of the intestinal and ductal mucosa, there is a mass of ganglia. The observations were made on man, dogs, and cobayas. (Journ. de l'anat. physiol., xviii. 600.) [568 Salivary alkaloids. - Gautier found in normal human saliva an alkaloid-like non-nitrogenous substance, forming a crystallizable compound with chloride of gold and platinum. In its physiological actions this alkaloid resembled the post-mortem alkaloids (ptomaines): injected into animals, it acted like snake

C. S. M.

poison, especially on birds. The directions given for preparing the alkaloid, and information as to the quantity of it necessary to produce lethal results, have, however, been very deficient. Budwin, desiring to obtain further information on the latter point, arrives at results which throw doubt on the whole matter. He finds that fresh extract of 100 cub. cm. of human saliva subcutaneously injected does no harm to frogs, moles, or pigeons. (Arch. path. anat. phys., xci., 1883, 190.) H. N. M. [569

The influence of heat and cold upon muscles poisoned by veratria. — It has for some time been known, chiefly from the work of V. Bezold, that veratria exercises a remarkable influence upon muscular contractions. A rapid and powerful contraction is followed by an extraordinarily slow relaxation. In the hope that closer study of the veratria musclecurve might throw some light upon the nature of a muscular contraction, Lauder Brunton and Cash have made a fresh study of it, especially investigating it under different temperatures. Their work, while not giving much information in regard to this primary point, has led to some interesting results. They find that the influence of veratria varies much with the temperature of the muscle experimented upon. Up to a certain limit, heat increases the effect of the drug; cold diminishes it. Exposure to extremes of heat or cold not sufficient to kill the muscle prevents entirely the manifestation of the usual veratria symptoms. The authors point out, that the modifications which temperature-changes bring about in the action of veratria on muscle suggest that temperature may modify the influence of other drugs, not only on muscles, but on nerves and nerve-centres. Accordingly the different action of drugs on different animals, or on the same animal in various physiological and pathological conditions, may be due in part to temperature differences, physiological or pathological, of the organisms to which they are administered. -(Journ. of physiol., iv. 1.) H. N. M.

-

[570

Conditions influencing the amylolytic action of saliva.-Working with saliva previously carefully neutralized, a precaution which has not been always taken by previous observers, but which is clearly necessary on account of the variable acidity or alkalinity of different specimens of saliva, - Langley_and Eves arrive at the following conclusions: 1o. Neutralized saliva converts starch into sugar much more actively than unneutralized. 2°. .0015 per cent H Cl distinctly diminishes the amylolytic action of ptyalin. 3°. Sodium carbonate also diminishes the activity of previously neutralized saliva, and more the more of the alkaline salt is present. 4°. .005 per cent H Cl has a very obvious destructive influence on ptyalin. 5°. Sodium carbonate has a very slight destructive power, but greatly retards the action of the salivary ferment. 6°. Neutralized saliva converts starch into sugar more quickly in the presence of neutral peptone than in the presence of peptone plus dilute HCl. 7°. The larger the percentage of acid in proportion to the peptone, that is to say, the more acid unemployed in combining with the peptone,- the more marked the injurious influence of the acid. Even before the peptone is completely saturated with acid, the injurious effect, due apparently to the presence of acid-peptone, becomes obvious. 8°. Ptyalin is destroyed by acid combined with peptone much more slowly than by the same amount of acid without the peptone. 90. When peptone is present, the deleterious influence of sodium carbonate is greatly diminished. Not merely peptone, however, but myosin, alkali albumen, and acid albumen act in the same protective manner. The authors conclude that all ptyalin is

destroyed in the stomach very soon after that first brief stage of gastric digestion in which no free acid is present. (Journ. of physiol., iv. 18.) H. N. M. [571 Mammals.

Caudal end of vertebrate embryos. In his studies on the development of Melopsittacus, Braun observed that a constriction is formed around the end of the tail, which leads to the construction of a terminal knob, connected by a thin stalk with the base of the tail. Into this nodulus caudalis the chorda and medullary tube originally extend; but they afterward withdraw from it, leaving the nodulus, a ball of mesoderm covered by ephithelium, to be finally resorbed. This discovery led Braun to search for similar structures in mammals, and he now publishes his results. His investigations were made principally on sheep embryos, and observations were also made on those of other species. He finds an homologous structure, having, however, more usually a thread-like form. In sheep it may be readily seen in most cases when the tail is from 1.5 to 3 mm. long. His general results are: 1o. The tail of mammalian embryos consists of two parts, - an anterior or basal vertebrate; and a posterior invertebrate and smaller portion, which, from its usual form, may be called the caudal thread. 2o. The vertebrate portion may be partly or wholly embedded in the body (internal tail), and terminates at the sacral vertebrae in front; the division of the tail which protrudes is the external tail. 3°. The caudal thread contains originally the terminal portions of the chorda dorsalis, the medullary tube, and the caudal gut (schwanzdarm). These are the first parts of the thread to be resorbed; the rest disappears later, the epidermal covering lasting longest. 4°. The caudal gut is a rectal coecum; before it is resorbed, it breaks up into single parts, of which those in the tip of the tail endure the longest. 5°. The chorda dorsalis projects beyond the last vertebra, its ending being often forked or contorted. 6°. The medullary tube reaches to the tip of the tail or the base of the caudal thread, and its posterior end is probably resorbed. Braun further believes that he has found traces of a neurenteric canal in sheep embryos. He adds a discussion of the tail in human embryos. Finally he homologizes with the embryonic caudal thread, the soft coccygeal appendix of Innus pithecus, and similar structures found abnormally in the chimpanzee, orang-outang, and man, and gives citations to prove that the caudal thread exists in human embryos. (Arch. anat. physiol., anat. abth., 1882, 207.) o. s. M. [572

Mucous layer of the skin.- Ranvier has made sections of the human skin, hardened in bichromate of ammonia (2%) for two or three months, and then with gum and alcohol. In these the intracellular network is well shown by haematoxylin. The fibres of the network project beyond the cell, and establish the union between the cells. In the intercellular spaces these fibres are thicker than within the cells: they have therefore acquired an additional envelope. Ranvier further argues against considering the threads as protoplasm, but maintains that the clear substance in which they are embedded is the true protoplasm in all cells derived from the ectoderm. This is especially maintained for the central nervous system. (His arguments do not appear convincing). (Comptes. rend., xcv. 1374.) C. S. M.

ANTHROPOLOGY.

[573

The archeology of Russia. Count Ouwarof of Moscow published, in 1881, a work on the prehistoric archeology of Russia. As to paleolithic man,

the author sums up the result of his researches in a few sentences. 1. His existence is completely demonstrated. 2. He had spread himself to the north as far as 33° 35'. 3. The Chelléenne epoch of Mortillet has not yet been met with in Russia. 4. The Mousterian epoch, on the contrary, is well represented, as well in Poland (Zawisza) as in the Crimea (Mérejkowsky). 5. The epoch of Solutré has not been observed. 6. The epoch of La Madeleine has been well identified in Poland and in the Crimea. garding the neolithic age, the author believes that in Russia there is no such hiatus separating it from the paleolithic as seems to have existed in France and Belgium. Count Ouwarof has enjoyed and utilized rare opportunities for extensive researches over the vast Asiatic and European territory under the domination of the Czar.-J. W. P. [574

Re

[577

architectural characters, are divided as follows: 1. Cave-dwellings; 2. Cliff-houses; 3. One-story buildings of stone, forming scattered villages; 4. Large houses with retreating stories. "There appear to be, in fact, but two types of aboriginal architecture in New Mexico, the many-storied communal house and the one-story building of stone. The latter is either found in villages on the level ground and on gradual slopes, or clustering on rock-shelves, and scattered in recesses like the so-called cliff-houses. The cave-dwellings appear as an incidental form, resulting from the ease with which the rock was hollowed out, or from the existence of natural cavities, which, from their size and the security of their position, afforded advantages superior to those of independent buildings." (Bull. arch. inst. Amer.. No. 1.) J. W. P. [576 Mohammedans in the world. - A writer in the Missionary herald makes the following calculation of the Mohammedans in the world: Turkish empire, 20,000,000; Persia and the Caucasus, 12,000,000; India, 41,000,000; East Indies, 23,000,000.; China, 5.000,000; Egypt, 8,000,000; Morocco, 2,750,000; Algiers, 2,920,000; Tunis, 2,000,000; Tripoli, 750,000; Sahara, 4,000,000; Soudan, 38,000,000; Zanzibar, 380,000; Central Asia, 14,000,000; total, 173,800,000. (Miss. herald, March, 1883.) J. W. P. The manuscript Troano.- - After the brilliant feats in paleography of Grotefend and Champollion, the former in deciphering the cuneiform; the latter, the hieroglyphics of Egypt, -nothing seems too hard for the student of philology. Of all the outstanding languages, the Maya of Yucatan presents the greatest temptation to the decipherer. In the forthcoming fifth volume of Contributions to North-American ethnology, published by Major J. W. Powell, Dr. Cyrus Thomas presents a monograph upon the Manuscript Troano, already published separately, and occupying 237 quarto pages, illustrated by 31 plates and 101 figures. This volume is the result of years of study, and the last word in an elaborated form of many preliminary utterances and publications. In typography, illustrations, and indexes, it realizes our ideal of a book, yielding the maximum of information and pleasure for the minimum of effort on the part of the reader. In an Introduction, by Dr. Brinton of Philadelphia, are clearly set forth the phonetic system of Central-Americans, the description thereof by Spanish writers, references to Maya literature in the native language, the existing codices, and the previous efforts at interpretation that have been made. Dr. Thomas clearly defines his method in his preface: "I have studied the manuscript somewhat in the same way the child undertakes to solve an illustrated rebus, assuming as a stand-point the status of the semi-civilized Indian, and endeavoring, as far as possible, to proceed upon the same plane of thought." The results attained are as follows: 1. The work was a ritual or religious calendar. 2. The figures in the spaces are symbols, or pictographs, relating to religion, habits, occupations, and customs. 3. It was prepared for people living away from the sea. 4. They were sedentary, agricultural, and not warlike. 5. The evidences of human sacrifice are very meagre. 6. The cross was a religious emblem. 7. Although the figures move from right to left in pairs, the characters are in columns, to be read from the top downwards, columns following each other from left to right. 8. There is no rule for the arrangement of parts in compound characters. 9. The characters are not true alphabetic signs, but syllabic; some are ideographic; others abbreviated pictographs. 10. The work was written

about the middle or latter half of the fourteenth century. 11. The Ahau, or Katun, was a period of twenty-four years; and the great cycle, of three hundred and twelve years; also the series commenced with a Cauac instead of a Kau year. 12. Brasseur was right in supposing that the work originated in Peten. In a future issue we hope to present a review of this work. -J. W. P. [578 Craniometry for general use. Confusion of the worst kind exists among the craniologists in the following particulars, - the base line or orienting of the skull, what marks or characters have anthropologic significance, and the comparative value of the various parts. We have even a French school and a German school. Both of these have been simplifying their methods of late. The Germans held a craniometric conference at Munich in 1877 (Corr.blatt., 1878, No. 7), one in Berlin in 1880 (Corr.-blatt., 1880, 104-106), and finally came to an agreement at Frankfort in 1882. The result of the last meeting now appears (Corr.-blatt, No. 1, 1883), signed by the most distinguished craniologists in Germany. A model-chart in blank accompanies the report, with spaces for number, source, sex, age, skull, countenance, and indices. The number of measurements required are very reasonable, and they are not difficult to make. (Corr.-blatt. deutsch. ges. anthrop., xiv., No. 1.) J. W. P. [579

EGYPTOLOGY.

Art in Egypt. — In a discriminating review of Perrot's great work, Miss A. B. Edwards says, M. Perrot "has so thoroughly entered into the spirit of ancient Egyptian culture, so firmly grasped the central idea of ancient Egyptian belief, that he has been enabled, not only to trace those influences through every ramification of Egyptian art, but, from a purely philosophic stand-point, to survey and treat his subject as a co-ordinate whole. This it is which gives pre-eminent value to the present work. This it is which we here find attempted and achieved for the first time. And, in truth, it is only within the last few years that such a work has become possible." (Academy, Feb. 17.) H. O. [580 Pithom-Succoth. The Egyptian exploration fund of England has signalized its advent to Egyptian soil by a discovery promising great results. M. Naville, on the suggestion of Maspero, director of the Boolak museum, began exploration at Tel-el-Maschu

ta, - a heap of ruins beside the Sweet-water Canal, south of the railway, east of and near Mahsamah, and about fifteen miles west of Ismailia. He writes, Feb. 12, 1883, "I have a piece of good news to begin with. Tell-el-Maschuta is Pithom, or, in other words, the temple of Tum, in the city or region of Thuku, which Dr. Brugsch has identified with Succoth. I can give it for certain from the inscription of a statue belonging to a priest of the temple." M. Naville also found a Roman milestone with the inscription,

DD NN VICTORIBVS
MAXIMIANO ET SEVERO
IMPERATORIBVS ET

MAXIMINO ET CONSTANTI..
NOBILISSIMIS CAESARIBV.

AB ERO IN CLVSMA
MI VIII P.

'Ero' would be the transcription of Ar (Ari or Aru), which means the storehouse, and which is found on the statue of the priest. His titles are "the chief of the storehouse of the temple of Tem [Tum] of Theku [Thuku]." Reginald Stuart Poole and Miss A. B. Edwards regard this as a momentous discovery.(Academy, Feb. 24, March 3.) H. 0.

[581

Love-songs. How the ancient Egyptian young men and maidens confessed their love, and rejoiced or mourned, may be learned from Maspero's translation of the hieratic papyrus of Turin, published in facsimile by Pleyte and de Rossi, pl. 79-82. This had been translated by Fr. Chabas (Rec. of past, vi. 156); but a rearrangement of the broken parts of the papyrus has enabled Maspero to gain a clearer view of the whole. Maspero sees a clear resemblance between the Hebrew and the Egyptian conception of love, and suggests that a comparison of the Hebrew with the Egyptian language, of love would explain some points now obscure. - (Journ. asiatique, Jan.) [582

H. O.

Geographical lists of Karnak. - The only text of these lists open to students is the very faulty one in Les listes géogr. des pylones de Karnak, etc., edited by Mariette in 1875. În an open letter to Brugsch, which is accompanied by two pages of facsimiles, Golenischeff offers many corrections of these lists. He says, "While these lists are of the greatest importance, the study of them in the faulty copies in Mariette's Karnak is not to be recommended." (Zeitsch. ägyp. sprache, 3 heft, 1882.) H. O.

[583

From a mound opened in Wisconsin, a copper kettle, silver bracelet, silver rings, and a silver locket were taken, indicating its modern origin. Two new localities of Indian pictographs were found, and the drawings copied.

Besides stone implements, pottery, pipes, and other evidences of aboriginal art usually found in mounds, two very nicely carved statuettes were obtained in Mississippi. Mr. Norris's collection consists of nearly a thousand specimens.

Professor Cyrus W. Thomas is in immediate charge of these mound-explorations; and the work of the past season is represented by a collection of nearly three thousand five hundred specimens.