256 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIF. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



iN^the " English Mechanic " a series of articles on 

 "^Botany for Students" is appearing, by Edward 

 Aveling, D.Sc. Lond. These are on the lines of the 

 Science and Art Department and London University 

 Matriculation Examinations. 



Botanists and geologists are now fairly alive to the 

 significance of what were formerly called lusi natiinv. 

 It may fairly be claimed for the doctrine of evolution 

 that, if it had achieved no other practical result than 

 in philosophically explaining so-called monstrosities, 

 it would have proved its right to a high place amongst 

 philosophical speculations. Every geologist is aware 

 that we divide herbivorous animals into two great 

 classes, termed relatively the Artiodactyles and the 

 Perissodactyles. These hard words are only Greek 

 coined terms for even-toed and odd-toed animals. 

 At what period and under what conditions herbivorous 

 animals nearly allied to each other acquired these 

 distinctive feet-characters we cannot say, but it was 

 probably in the early part of the Tertiary period. 

 Considerable light, however, is thrown upon their 

 differentiation by the rare occurrence of horses having 

 two toes and pigs having solid hoofs. Solid-hoofed 

 pigs were reported from Texas by Dr. Coues as long 

 ago as 1878 ; and now Mr. R. C. Auld, in the last 

 number of the "American Naturalist," gives an 

 account and an illustration of a solid-hoofed hog 

 variety which is now being bred at Sioux City, Iowa, 

 which the breeder asserts is the best hog known for 

 the healthy growth of pork. This variety of solid- 

 hoofed pig is frequent enough to go by the name of 

 the " mule-footed hog." Mr. Auld gives an account 

 of several cases of extra-toed horses, particularly of 

 a male colt whose feet were cloven like those of a 

 cow. Any one who is acquainted with the osteology 

 of the horse's foot, or so-called leg, is aware that the 

 two splint-bones are nothing more . nor less than 

 disused and aborted digits. 



It would seem as if the influence of bacteria and 

 micro-organisms generally upon higher forms of life 

 was only just beginning to be understood. The 

 researches of naturalists are constantly bringing new 

 and unexpected facts to light. For instance, there is 

 nothing better known that the frequent phosphor- 

 escence exhibited by marine animals, and especially 

 the Crustacea. This phosphorescence is frequently 

 infectious— that is to say, it can be communicated 

 by touch. A French naturalist, M. Giard, has just 

 made known the results of some observations and 

 experiments he has been making with Talitms and 

 other Crustacea. On microscopically examining a 

 brightly phosphorescent specimen he found walking 

 slowly on the beach instead of leaping, as its habit 

 usually is, he traced the phosphorescent light to the 

 presence of bacteria in its muscles, which were greatly 



altered. On inoculating other and healthy individuals 

 of this and other species the same disease was pro- 

 duced amongst them, and M. Giard says that his 

 laboratory was quite lit up at night with these 

 diseased but luminous Crustacea. The inoculation 

 was continued to the sixth generation apparently 

 without any attenuation of the microbic action. The 

 disease seems to follow a regular course, and the 

 crustaceans died in three or four days. The phos- 

 phoresence, however, always lingered a few hours 

 after death. Crabs were inoculated in the same way. 



Wallace's new book on Darwinism has already 

 passed into a second edition. We don't know how 

 many of our readers have read the same author's 

 " Island Life," which has always seemed to us one 

 of the most brilliant of this author's works. We are 

 reminded of this by observing that an American 

 geologist, Mr. Baron, expressed his belief, derived 

 from a personal examination of its flora, that Mada- 

 gascar was separated from the African mainland 

 before or during the early Pliocene epoch. This 

 agrees with one of Wallace's most striking generaliza- 

 tions, given in the work above referred to. Mr. 

 Baron shows that, while five-sixths of the plant-genera 

 of Madagascar occurred elsewhere, only four-fifths of 

 the species are peculiar to it. The central part of the 

 island is composed of metamorphic rocks, which run 

 more or less parallel to the crystalline rocks of the 

 adjacent continent. The sedimentary strata of 

 Madagascar lie chiefly in the west and south, and 

 comprise lias, oolite, cretaceous, and eocene forma- 

 tions. The highest elevations attained by these beds 

 are usually capped with lava, although there is now 

 no active volcano on the island. 



Messrs. Dulau & Co. announce for publication 

 early in December, " A Catalogue of British Fossil 

 Vertebrata," by A. Smith Woodward, F.G.S., &. 

 Charles Davies Sherborn, F.G.S. The published 

 price will be \2s. 6d. net ; but those subscribing 

 before December ist will obtain the work for los. 6d. 

 post free. - ' " 



Mr. Bussey, Museum Works, Peckham, has 

 brought out " Bussey's Patent Ophthalmic Um- 

 brellas," sunshades, walking-sticks, fans, &c., each 

 having eye-glasses, either single or double, fitting into 

 the handle. They can hardly help being appreciated, 

 by people who suffer from defective sight. 



The "Catholic Truth Society" is publishing a 

 series of papers on Natural History by the Rev. 

 John Gerard, S.J. No. I., entitled "Mr. Grant 

 Allen's Botanical Fables," is well worth the penny 

 charged for it, if only to show what the other side 

 has to say on the matter. 



The " Entomologist " for October has a very inter- 

 esting article by the editor, Mr. J. T, Carrington, on' 



