184 Scientific Intelligence — Zooluyy. 



epidermis, pertains to the secretions, and not to the organic structure 

 proper. "For (1.) the quantity of each formed, corresponds very 

 nearly with that of the peripheric secretions, especially with trans- 

 piration, it increasing in summer, whilst, on the contrary, the growth 

 and nutrition of the body are most rapid in winter, so that the weight 

 of a man, as was observed by Sanctorius, Liennig, and Reil, is 

 greatest in winter ; (2.) the growth of the hair being least during 

 the night accords with the diminution of all the secretions, as that of 

 transpiration, the formation of carbonic acid, the urinary, lacteal, 

 and bilious secretions. 



10. Protection against Musquitoes. — On landing, I walked to- 

 wards the rapids, about a quarter of a mile up the stream. The 

 flies and musquitoes made their appearance as soon as I entered the 

 woods, and jumping down into the bed of the stream with the inten- 

 tion of sketching the mass of water that was foaming down over the 

 rocks, I was instantly surrounded by such swarms that there was 

 no getting on without a smudge. Even standing in the midst of the 

 smoke, so many still clung to me, that my paper was sprinkled with 

 the dead bodies of those killed, as I involuntarily brushed my hand 

 across my face. We took refuge on the sand, at a distance from the 

 woods, and here were comparatively free from them. But here their 

 place was supplied by sand flies, the brulots or *' nosee-ems," an insect 

 so minute as to be hardly noticeable, but yet more annoying where 

 they are found than the black flies or musquitoes, for their minute- 

 ness renders musquito-nets of no avail, and they bite all night in 

 warm weather, whereas the black fly disappears at dark. Such is 

 their eagerness in biting, that they tilt their bodies up vertically 

 and seem to bury their heads in the flesh. We found, however, 

 that an ointment of camphorated oil was a complete protection, 

 making a coat too thick for them to penetrate, and entangling their 

 tiny wings and limbs. — Agassiz on Lake Superior, p. 55. 



11. American Zoological Journal. — We take pleasure in announ- 

 cing the speedy appearance of a Zoological Journal at Cambridge 

 (Massachusetts), under the direction and editorship of Professor 

 Agassiz. Its memoirs will bear upon whatever pertains to animal 

 life, its development, anatomical structure, physiological relations, 

 &c., and hence those who may find profit in its pages are numerous 

 throughout this as well as other countries. It will mark the pro- 

 gress of this department of science over the world, and each number, 

 therefore, will be laden with new truths from the most recent studies 

 of animal life at home and abroad. — American Journal of Science 

 and Arts, vol. x., p. 287, 2d Series. 



1 2. External Symptoms of Starvation, as observed in the Famine 

 Districts of Ireland : — 



'* In grown-up persons, besides an amount of attenuation which 

 seems to have absorbed all appearance of flesh or muscle, and to 

 have left the bones of the frame barely covered with some covering 

 which has but little sembknce to anything we would esteem to be 



