244 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



I almost started at finding in the large instrument every member of 

 its long rain-band group, unless it were a vanishing trace of one or two 

 of the strongest, utterly gone; while the two D-lines were in their 

 accustomed strength, but far greater clearness, for now they were all 

 alone in the field save the ultra-thin solar nickel line between them 

 and one or two others, equally thin and solar on their blue side. The 

 stages of perceptible shade of water-vapor lines which had thus been 

 swept away, between their this day's invisibility, and their tremen- 

 dous strength no longer before than the previous Friday, might have 

 been expressed by a scale not divided into three parts only, but into 

 thirty; and implied such a very unusual amount of absence of water- 

 vapor, that I not only felt sure of no rain falling either next day, or 

 perhaps for several days after, but that the weather must also be 

 coming on colder as well. Therefore it was that I took the step of 

 instantly writing as I did to a local paper, promising the perplexed 

 farmers dry weather at last, though probably sharp and cold, to get in 

 their crops. 



And how was that expectation fulfilled ? Various meteorologists 

 in different parts of the country have already declared themselves 

 well satisfied with it. But I would now beg further attention to the 

 little daily register already quoted, showing that from and including 

 that day, Monday, September 4th, up to and including the next Sat- 

 urday, not a drop of rain fell at the observatory. Between the follow- 

 ing Sunday and Monday, a drizzle, but only amounting to O04 inch, 

 occurred, and after that there were three more days equally dry with 

 the preceding ones. But on Thursday, the 14th, the rain-band reap- 

 peared in both spectroscopes in all its force ; rain began to fall the 

 same day, and next day's measure at the observatory amounted to 

 more than half an inch. Wherefore it is to be hoped that the farmers 

 had busied themselves effectively while the dry weather lasted, for 

 the return of these spectral lines of watery vapor showed that their 

 autumn opportunity was then gone by. London Times. 



-*- 



CKIMDTALITY 1^" ANIMALS. 



By A. LACASSAGNE, 



PROFESSOR OF LEGAX MEDICINE IN THE FACTTLTT OF LYON. 



IT is a recognized fact that the anatomy and physiology of animals 

 have afforded valuable help in the study of the human constitu- 

 tion. We might, indeed, say that physiology, toxicology, and thera- 

 peutics are based upon exj>eriraents which have been made on animals. 

 Why, then, have we halted at this stage ? Why has it not occurred 

 to medical experts in criminal law to study the phenomena of crimes 



