ALBERT

Description: Corophium arenarium was first described by CRAWFORD in his excellent review of the entire genus, in 1937. In the description, the author expressed his doubt already whether it might be a distinct species or merely a variety of C. volutator. CRAWFORD\xe2\x80\x99S observations on the variation of the number of spines on antenna II, segment 4 and 5, suggest that it is only a variety.\nCHEVAIS, 1937, does not give a definite opinion, whether he considers the species distinct from each other or not. For biometrical reasons, as well for reasons of variation observed by other authors, he suggests, however, that C. volutator and C. arenarium are only local races of one species.

Description: One of the specimens dealt with in the present paper has been described in previous papers, in which it appeared under three different names, all of which for different reasons eventually proved to be erroneous. The present identification as Sacculina cordata Shiino at last seems to be definite. The second specimen, as the first from the material collected by the Siboga Expedition, belongs to the species Sacculina papposa V. K. & B., of which up till now the type specimen only was known; the parasite dealt with here is interesting because the excrescences of its external cuticle are of a structure slightly different from that of the corresponding parts in the type; moreover, in this specimen retinacula were found, yielding an additional character for the definition of the species. The remainder of the material dealt with here proved to belong to a new species, characterized in the first place by the peculiar excrescences of the external cuticle.

Description: Scientific research concerning growth inhibitors, which has been pursued for several decades already, dealt mainly with the effect of these substances on the germination process. WIESNER (1894) demonstrated the presence of a growth inhibitor in the slime of the mistletoe (Viscum album) which prevented the germination of a great variety of seeds. OPPENHEIMER (1922) supplemented the analysis by placing seeds on the pulp of ripe tomatoes and he observed a strong inhibitive effect as a result of this treatment. In addition, however, he found that the inhibiting substance is thermolabile and insoluble in ether or alcohol. REINHARD (1933) corroborated Oppenheimer\xe2\x80\x99s results for the most part. According to this author, however, the inhibiting agent in tomato juice is thermostabile, and it is not destroyed by boiling, neiher by neutralisation or by diluting the juice 50 times. In other fleshy fruits such as apples, pears and quinces K\xc3\x96CKEMANN (1934) detected inhibiting substances capable of preventing the germination of Lepidium seeds. These substances were reported to be sensitive to peroxide and to alkali, thermostabile and soluble in water and in ether, but insoluble in petroleum ether. On the other hand, the inhibiting agent extracted by LEHMANN (1937) from the exocarp if buckwheat is thermolabile. In Helianthus annuus and Avena sativa, finally, RUGE (1939) demonstrated the presence of an inhibitor that reduces the speed of germination to a considerable extent. FR\xc3\x96SCHEL\xe2\x80\x99S investigations on Trifolium and Beta will be dealt with in 4.\nThis survey is not quite exhaustive, but clearly demonstrates that the inhibiting agent should not be regarded as a definite, well-defined chemical substance which is always the same in every individual case, but as a group of substances with analogous activities but most probably with widely divergent physical and chemical properties. Following K\xc3\x96CKEMANN (1934) we can classify the inhibiting substances into two groups, as follows : 1. inhibiting substances in the testa or in the seed, and 2. inhibiting substances in the mesocarp of pulpy fruits.

Description: In January 1949 Professor H. J. Lam, director of the Rijksherbarium, Leyden, on his way to the 7th Pacific Science Congress in New Zealand, spending some time in Fiji, was shown by Mr B. E. V. Parham, Department of Agriculture, Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, a slender tree, cultivated in the Agricultural Experimental Garden Naduruloulou. The tree was unidentified and of unknown origin. Some flowering material was collected and at our request Mr Parham was good enough to send some ripe fruits in liquid for an investigation I was entrusted with.\nAdditional material was studied from the herbaria at Brisbane, Kew, Leiden, Melbourne and Paris. It is my pleasant duty to tender my best thanks to the directors of these institutes for the loan of this valuable material, among which the type.

Description: Up till now the lower deposits of peat (in Dutch: veen-op-groterediepte = peat at greater depth) have been investigated in the Netherlands mainly in the Western part of the country, viz. in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Zeeland. The analyses have shown that the development of this, now comparatively well known peat layer must have begun either in the second half of the boreal period or else in the beginning of the atlantic one, and that it must have come to an end in the first half of the latter. Among the earlier investigators the botanist Mrs VERNEER-LOUMAN and some geologists had arrived at the conclusion that the sudden transgression of the North sea which made an end to the formation of peat, took place in the boreal period, and hat the whole lower deposit of peat, therefore, was of boreal age (lit. 7). This opinion, however, was sufficiently disproved by FLORSCH\xc3\x9cTZ, and all subsequent analyses have confirmed the view that the peat formation must have stopped early in the atlantic period (lit. 2, 3, 4). The same conclusion was arrived at by GODWIN as a result of his investigations of the lower peat found in SE England (lit. 5, 6) and by several German investigators as a result of their analyses of the lower peat, found in NW Germany.\nOnly one analyses of the lower peat in the province of Friesland, in the Northern part of the Netherlands, has sofar been published. The geologist VAN ANDEL found near Kiesterzijl, at a depth of only 3.50 m a thin layer of peat. He identified it with the lower peat from the W part of the Netherlands which occurs several meters deeper. His two diagrams show a boreal age for the basal layers and an atlantic age for the top ones and they confirm therefore the conclusions,obtained in the W part of the country (lit. 1).

Description: Flora of Okinawa, Riukius. Dr E.H. Walker made a collecting trip in the Riukiu islands; associated with him were the Japanese botanists S. Tawada, T. Amano and S. Sonohara. This collection was obtained to help substantiate a MS-Flora of Okinawa prepared by these Okinawan botanists. Duplicate specimens of the collection will be distributed by the Smithsonian Institution of Washington.\nAddress lists of botanists. In the Yearbook 1950-1951 of the American Botanical Society, Misc. Per. Publ. 138, 1951, an address list of American botanists has been published.

Description: Some news was received on the revegetation of Krakatau, and the small new cone, Anak Krakatau (Krakatau Jr) as visited by a party in August 1951.\nKrakatau. The camp was made in the SE.corner of the island. In several places the old substratum has been traced, and in the basal layer of the ash covers, which attain sometimes 30 m thickness, remains are found of former woody share vegetation. Bases of tree trunks have partly been buried in their upright position. Some of these are charred, and have apparently been burned during the eruption; others are not charred, or have been charred only very superficially.

Description: Among the main events for the Foundation in 1951 was the completion of the Trustees which now consist of: Prof. Ir Kusnoto, Bogor, president Prof. Dr H.J. Lam, Leyden, 1st deputy president Dr M.A. Donk, Bogor, 2nd deputy president Prof. Dr E.D. Merrill, Jamaica Plain (Mass.), U.S.A., member Prof. Dr C. Skottsberg, Stockholm, member Drs C.A.C.M. van Oppen, Djakarta, member The Trustees of Leyden University officially recognized the Foundation to work in the Rijksherbarium at Leyden. In addition to the Constitution a draft has been prepared of the By-Laws. In December 1951 the third part of volume four of Flora Malesiana was issued.

Description: We are very sorry to learn that Mr J.M. Black, the father of South Australian botany, passed away suddenly but in full harness after a short illness in his 97th year, medio December 1951. Dr Black was born in Wigtown, Scotland, and received his early education there, finishing in Dresden, Germany. He arrived in South Australia in 1877 and farmed for 5 years. Between 1883 and 1902 he held varied and finally important positions on the staff of \xe2\x80\x9dHansard\xe2\x80\x9d, \xe2\x80\x9dThe Register\xe2\x80\x9d, and \xe2\x80\x9dThe Advertiser\xe2\x80\x9d. Having achieved the highest position possible in this field he retired to devote full time leisure to the study of native and naturalised plants growing in S. Australia. He achieved considerable fame for by 1929 he had completed his four part work \xe2\x80\x9dFlora of South Australia\xe2\x80\x9d, one of the most critical Floras of that continent. In 1930 he attended the International Botanical Congress and the Linnean Society made him an associate. During subsequent years he was awarded many honours by various Australian scientific associations some of which include the Sir Joseph Vercoe Medal, Mueller Medal, Natural History Medallion, and the Clarke Memorial Medal. He was awarded an M.B.E. in 1942.\nIn 1927 he was appointed honorary lecturer in systematic botany at the University of Adelaide. At the age of 80 he produced part one of the 2nd edition of his Flora, part two coming out in 1948.

Description: Alphen de Veer, E.J. & M. Sudiro: Observations on the attack of Zeusera coffeae Nietn. on Balsa (Tectona 41, 1951, 137-8, photos).\nBorers in Ochroma lagopus at Bogor.