28o 



NATURE 



{July 27, 1876 



mainland, although each of them has a ccniinental representative 

 more or less nearly related. Variation in Guadeloupe seems to 

 proceed at a rapid pace. 



We hare received the Ninth Annual Report of the Peabody 

 Institute of Baltimore, from which we are glad to see that all 

 departments of the Institute have been doing their work satis- 

 factorily during the past year. We notice, from the librarian's 

 report, that of the books tpken out of the library a large pro- 

 portion belonged to the various sciences. 



Messks. Stanley of New York and New Britain (U.S.), 

 have devised a metre diagram, intended to supply a want long 

 felt by all who undertake to study or teach the metric system. 

 The diagram contains a full metre, with its various divisions and 

 sub-divisions clearly indicated, and also an English yard with its 

 sub- divisions, so that the two measures can be at once compared. 

 To these are added explanations of the system, a variety of tables, 

 equivalents, rules, &c., the whole forming an excellent apparatus 

 lor the effective teaching of this scientific method of measure- 

 ment. 



The series of the Bulletins of the United States National 

 Museum, prepared at the request of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 and published by the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, 

 already embraces some very interesting and important memoirs 

 relating to the collections in the National Gallery. The first of 

 the series, by Prof. Cope, contains generalisations as to the geo- 

 graphical distribution of reptiles. The second Bulhtin, prepared 

 by Dr. J. H. Kidder, U.S.N., consists of a history of the birds 

 collected by him during the transit of Venus expedition on Ker- 

 guelen Island. This, besides describing new species, gives a 

 great deal of information as to the habits of the gulls, petrels, 

 penguins, &c., of that little-known region. The third Bulletin 

 completes the notices of the natural history of Kerguelen Island 

 by an article describing the eggs of the birds, together with a 

 list of the plants, rocks, mammals, fishes, molluscs, and other 

 representatives of the peculiar animal life of the South Seas. In 

 the pamphlet is also an enumeration of the specimens collected 

 by Dr. Kershner, of the navy, in New Zealand. The pamphlet 

 concludes with a critical investigation, by Dr. Kidder and Dr. 

 Coues, of Chionis minor, the lesser sheath-bill. 



The third edition of Prof. Snow's catalogue of the birds of 

 Kansas has lately been published by the Kansas Academy of 

 Science, and contains some important additions to the previous 

 list. The present enumeration amounts to 294 species, making 

 an addition of twenty-three species and one variety sines the 

 publication of the second edition in October, 1872. Tlie 

 number of species mentioned as breeding in the State is 136. 



Prof. Marsh continues to find objects of interest in the 

 immense collection o! fossil vertebrates gathered by himself and 

 his assistants in the West during the past ten years. We have 

 already referred to his discovery of a new form of pterodactyl, 

 characterised by the entire absence of teeth, and their probable 

 replacement by a horny sheath like that of the bill of modern 

 birds. He now announces two additional fossil birds possessing 

 teeth implanted in sockets. One is a new species of the first 

 division, Hespo-ornis, and the other forms the type of a new 

 genus, Lcstornis [L. crassipes), the remains of which indicated a 

 large swimming bird, fully six feet in length from the bill to the 

 end of the toes. 



The Catholic Universities seem to have been a failure in 

 France. According to an official account published by Govern- 

 ment, about a hundred pupils have been registered in law. The 

 number of medical students is limited to a few dozen in medicine, 

 and there are only eight in science. However, the Catholics are 

 collecting funds with unabated spirit, and 3,000,000 francs are 

 iaid to be in hand for opening a Law Academy at Marseilles. 



From the Report of the Auckland Institute (New Zealand) 



for 1875-76, we are glad to see that that society will soon have 

 a new Museum building of its own. The Report contains a 

 list of important papers which have been read at the Institute 

 during the session. From New Zealand also comes the Report 

 of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, which, amid many 

 discouragements, is doing good work by the introduction of 

 salmon, trout, and various birds into the country. 



The Report of the Rugby School Natural History Society 

 is the largest yet issued, and contains several papers highly 

 creditable to the young members, and showing that their writers 

 are in a fair way of training themselves to be good observers. 

 Among other papers worthy of mention, are the following : — 

 "On the Symmetry of Flowers and Inflorescence," by V. H. 

 Velej ; " On Drops," " On Sound," and " On Impressions," by 

 H. F. Newall ; "On the Effects produced by Shadows under 

 Water," by H. N. Hutchinson, Appended are various sec- 

 tional reports and ten plates illustrating the papers, eight of 

 which are drawn by members of the Society. Altogether the 

 Society is to be congratulated on the Report. 



A LIST of papers read before the Priestley Club, Leedp, 

 during its first session, October to June, 1875-76, has been pub- 

 lished. Thirty-six papers have been read, all of them on 

 subjects of great scientific importance. 



Mr. G. H. Kinahan has published in a separate form bis 

 paper on "The Lagoons on the South-east Coast of Ireland," 

 read before the Institution of Civil Engineers. 



The Proceedings of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club, for 

 1875-6, shows that that Society continues to do good and steady 

 work. There is an interesting address by the President, the 

 Rev. H. H. Higgins, on "The Names of Plants." 



Part 4 of Vol. I. of the Transactions of the Watford Natural 

 History Society contains a lecture, by Prof. Morris, on " The 

 Physical Structure of the London Basin considered in its relation 

 to the Geology of the neighbourhood of Watford ; " a paper by 

 Mr. R. A. Pryor on " The Supposed Chalybeate Spring at Wat- 

 ford, and on the Medicinal Waters in Herts," besides the rain- 

 fall in 1875, and miscellaneous notes and observations. 



In reference to Mr. C. G. O'Brien's letter (vol. xiv. p. 123), 

 on the beautiful spring-trap arrangement of the stamens of 

 Kalmia, a correspondent writes that the point has already been 

 noted by Dr. Robert Brown, in his " Manual of Botany," 

 p. 440. 



The following varieties have been added to the tanks of the 

 Royal Westminster Aquarium during the past week : — Toper, 

 or White Hound {Galeus cam's), Sting Ray {Trjygon pastinaca). 

 Red Mullet {Mullus surmulletui), Boar-fish {Capros aper). 

 Comber, or Smooth Serranus {Serranus cabrilla), Pope, or Ruff 

 {Acerina cernua). Barbel {Barbus fluviatilis), English Carp 

 {Cyprinus carpio), presented by Mr. W. R. KilHck ; Sea 

 Cucumbers {Hoiothuria niger). 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include eight Jameson's Gulls {Larus jamesoni) froai 

 Australia, presented by Mr. A. H. Jamrach ; a King Vulture 

 {Gyparchus papa) from Tropical America, two South American 

 Little Bitterns {Butorides cyanurus) from South America, a 

 Green-billed Toucan {Ramphastos discoltrus), four Sayaca Ti.- 

 nagers {Tanagra sayaca), six Festive Tanagers {Callisle /estiva), 

 six All-green Tanagers {Chiorophonia viridis), two Violet Ta- 

 nagers {Euphonia violacea) from Brazil, a Brown Howler 

 {Mycetes fuscus) from Panama, a Madagascar Squirrel {Sciurus 

 madagascarensis) from Madagascar, purchased ; two Australian 

 Bustards {Eupodotis austfalis) from Australia, deposited ; an 

 Eland (Oreas cannd), nine Amherst's Pheasants {Thaumalta 

 amherstice), thirteen Gold Pheasants ( Thaumalea picta), bred ir( 

 the Gardens, 



