Professor A. Vogel has observed that plants do not always contain their characteristic alkaloids when grown under other than natural conditions. Hemlock does not yield conine in Scotland, and cinchona-plants are nearly free from quinine when grown in hothouses. Tannin is found in the greatest quantity in trees which have had a full supply of direct sunlight.
The severe weather of the early days of March in parts of England was very fatal to birds of the thrush tribe, many of which died from starvation and weakness. A total change of scene followed the turn of weather to warm, and the bird-life became one of general vigor and activity, with mating and singing, and nest-building constantly going on.
Dr. C. Blarez says that the materials used for coloring wine, such as sulpho-fuchsine, are capable of setting up a great deal of gastric disturbance in persons having weak digestion.
Werkhojanck, in Siberia, latitude 6712° north, still maintains its position as the coldest place on the earth. A Russian Government surveying expedition reporting to the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, concerning its temperature observations there in 1885, gives the mean temperature of the year as 17° C, or 1° Fahr., the mean temperature of January of that year as -49° C, or -56° Fahr., and the minimum for the same month as -68° C, or -90° Fahr.
M. Jules Célestin Jamin, one of the most eminent French physicists, died in Paris on the 12th of February. He was born in 1818, and spent most of his active life in scientific professorships. He was intrusted by Minister Duruy with the duty of opening the public lectures of the Sorbonne. He was made a member of the Physical Section of the Academy of Sciences in 1868, and was elected perpetual secretary, succeeding Dumas, in 1884. His most important scientific labors were in the field of optics. He also made investigations in capillarity, devised a new method of preparing magnets, introduced modifications into the Jablochkoff system of electric lighting, and at a later period devoted his attention to the hygrometer.
Professor Heinrich Fischer, of the University of Freiburg in Baden, who died last February, was a diligent student of microscopic mineralogy, and distinguished himself by his investigations on the origin and character of jade, concerning which he published, in 1875, the book "Nephrite and Jade."
Mrs. Erminnie A. Smith, who was a student of American anthropology of growing fame, died at her home in Jersey City, New Jersey, June 9th. She was born at Marcellus, New York, in 1838, and was taught in Mrs. Willard's Seminary at Troy. As President of the Jersey City Æsthetic Society, which she formed in 1876, it was her privilege to entertain many literary persons. In 1880 she was engaged by the Smithsonian Institution to investigate the folk-lore of the Iroquois Indians, and went among them, becoming a member of the tribe. At the time of her death she was employed in preparing a dictionary of the Iroquois language. She was a member of Sorosis, the New York Historical Society, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the London Scientific Society.
Dr. Julius Adolph Stöckhardt, the eminent chemist, died at Tharandt, in Saxony, June 1st, in his seventy-seventh year. He was best known by the services he rendered to agricultural chemistry. He was the originator of the system of agricultural experiment stations now become so general, and was for many years director of the establishment of that character at Tharandt. He was successively editor of the "Polytechnisches Centralblatt," the "Zeitschrift für deutsche Landwirthe," and "Der chemische Ackersmann," and aided in the establishment of the journal "Die Landwirthschaften-Versuchs-Stationen." His writings were usually intended to make chemistry intelligible to lay minds; and one of them, translated and published as "Stöckhardt's Principles of Chemistry," has found much favor in this country as a text-book. A sketch by Professor Atwater and portrait of Professor Stöckhardt were given in the "Monthly" for June, 1881.
Dr. E. Linnemann, Professor of Chemistry at Prague, died April 27th. He had prepared a communication, which was found among his papers, announcing the discovery, in the orthite of Arendal, of a new metallic element, which he called Austrium. M. Lecocq de Boisbaudran has, however, suggested that this metal is probably gallium, of which orthite contains a small quantity.
A. Von Lasaulx, Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Bonn, who died in January last, was one of the most active of German workers in mineralogy and petrology. He was forty-six years old.
Dr. Charles Upham Shepard, formerly of Amherst College and the South Carolina Medical College, died in Charleston, S. C, May 1st. He was the owner of extensive collections in mineralogy, which he gave to Amherst College a few years ago.
