10 NATURAL SCIENCE [Janua.y 



are least six species, belonging t(j two genera, of what are ordinarily 

 called crickets in North America. Those good people who ask us 

 to use plain English names, instead of crackjaw Graeco-Latin com- 

 pounds, would, we imagine, be hard put to it to decide what Mr 

 Dolbear means by a cricket. The only sure thing is that he does 

 not mean the ' cricket on the hearth,' which is what we usually 

 understand by the cricket in England. Further, it would be of 

 interest to learn whether this regular relation to temperature is not 

 affected by moisture in the air, by altitude or barometric pressure, 

 by locality generally, or by other varying conditions of existence. 

 Until these questions are answered it is not likely that any species of 

 cricket will prove a serious rival to Fahrenheit, Celsius, or Reaumur. 



Dr William Francis and the " Annals " 



The December number of our venerable contemporary, TJic Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History, completes volume xx., the last 

 volume of the sixth series. This is the end of the 120th volume,, 

 and the 60 th year of the Annals existence, the first number having 

 been published in January 1 888 under the title " Annals of Natural 

 History ; or Magazine of Zoology, Botany, and Geology (being a con- 

 tinuation of the ' Magazine of Zoology and Botany,' and Sir W. J. 

 Hooker's 'Botanical Companion '), conducted by Sir W. Jardine, Bart., 

 P. J. Selby, Esq., Dr Johnston, Sir W. J. Hooker, Regius Professor 

 of Botany, and Richard Taylor, F.L.S. London : Printed and pub- 

 lished by R. & J. E. Taylor." The Annals is, therefore, the oldest 

 magazine devoted to the natural sciences existing in this country, 

 and we, as one of the youngest, offer to it our homage and congratu- 

 lations on this its Diamond Jubilee. 



Others who have assisted in the editorship of the Annals have 

 been David Don (1840), C. C. Babiugton (1842), J. H. Balfour 

 (1842), J. E. Gray (1858), A. Henfrey (1858), William Francis 

 (1859), W. S. Dallas (1868), A. C. L. G. Giinther (1875), W. Car- 

 ruthers (1878), Although the name of Dr Francis does not appear 

 on the title page until 1859, since when he has been the really 

 responsible editor, we learn from the preface to the second series 

 that he was intimately connected with the editorship from the 

 beginning. We doubt if there is anyone who can show a longer 

 record of unostentatious, unremitting work in the cause of science. 

 It is therefore not surprising to learn from an announcement in this 

 December number, that Dr Francis, to use his own language, avails 

 himself of this occasion to pass the responsible editorship over to his 

 son, who, for some years past, has largely assisted him in the man- 

 agement, and who is fortunate in retaining the co-operation of the 

 two co-editors whose names appear on the title page. The good 

 wishes of all working naturalists will follow Dr Francis into his 



