Nature . to carry weevils if coming from infestedareas. The report also shows another important point,namely, that the pilosity of the plant affects the progressof the weevil. Parasites do not seem to be of much use.Doubt is cast by the authors upon the benefit ..I Pedi-culoides ventricosus. Mention is also made of the possibleuse of the Mexican ants (Ectotomma tuberculata), &c.Of great importance to those who import seed is the resultshowing that bisulphide of carbon is the best substanceto clean the seed. Fred. V. Theobald. THE GREAT GNOMON OF FLORENCECATHEDRAL.A LTHOUGH numerous Christian c

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Nature . to carry weevils if coming from infestedareas. The report also shows another important point, namely, that the pilosity of the plant affects the progressof the weevil. Parasites do not seem to be of much use.Doubt is cast by the authors upon the benefit ..I Pedi-culoides ventricosus. Mention is also made of the possibleuse of the Mexican ants (Ectotomma tuberculata), &c.Of great importance to those who import seed is the resultshowing that bisulphide of carbon is the best substanceto clean the seed. Fred. V. Theobald. THE GREAT GNOMON OF FLORENCECATHEDRAL.A LTHOUGH numerous Christian churches are eitheroriented or adorned with reference to some astro-nomical phenomenon, there are few of such direct interestto the astronomer as the magnificent cathedral of Florence, which contains a gigantic contrivance for determining theadvent of the summer solstice. We refer to the famousgnomon, placed in the dome of that cathedral by PaoloToscanelli about the middle of the fifteenth century, and. described and illustrated by Mr. W. A. Parr in theDecember number of Knowledge and Scientific News. Lalande in 1765 referred to this instrument as lameridienne que 1on voit dans la Cathedrale de Florenceest le plus grand monument dAstronomie quil y ait au NO- I! VOL. 73 January i i, 1906J NA TURE 259 monde, but at that time the astronomical significance ofthe Egyptian temples, or even of our Own less pretentiousStunth, -ngc, had nut been demonstrated. Sir Norman Lockyer has shown in * The Dawn ofAstronomy that the enormous edifice at Karnak, thetemple of Amen-Ra, was oriented fur a similar purpose, so that at the setting of the sun on the day of the solstice, ai.d at that time only, the solar beam flashed along thedarkened axis of the temple, some 500 yards long, andilluminated the holy of holies wherein the priest wasread) to fulfil the rites of the Manifestation of Ra. Hehas also shown that Stonehenge was erected for a similarpurpose about the year 10S0 B.C., but in this case theli