;40 



NATURE 



\Feb. 24, 1876 



noticing, however, its four instead of five pseudambulacra. The 

 author then notices at some length the species he proposes to 

 call A. Bemiiei, which appears to differ much from Austin's A. 

 ietragonus. The body or calyx of A. Bennui is tetraradiate, 

 having four convex lobes, three of which are alike, the fourth 

 differing considerably from the others, the deep re-entering 

 angles between the lobes are occupied by the pseudambulacra, 

 the dorsal surface is densely covered with closely-set tubercles, 

 but shows no point of attachment, the ventral surface is flat- 

 tened, having a large central aperture, from which radiate the 

 four pseudambulacra ; excentric as compared with the ambu- 

 lacral system is a second and pyriform aperture of complex 

 structure. The component parts are then minutely described, 

 followed by careful descriptions of the pseudambulacra, aper- 

 tures, and ornamentation, also a discussion as to the presence of 

 a madreporiform tubercle. The second part of the paper treats 

 upon the affinities of A, Benniei (Ether.) with A. ietragonus 

 (Austin). Part the third enters fully and critically into the syste- 

 matic position of Astocrinites amongst the Cystoidea and Blas- 

 loidea. In the concluding and fourth portion of the paper, the 

 localities and geological horizons are given. Twenty-seven 

 figures, occupying three plates, accompanied the paper. — On 

 the genus Merycochcerus (family Oreodontidse), with descriptions 

 of two new species, by Mr. G. T. Bettany, B.A. Communi- 

 cated by Prof. T. McKenny Hughes. An account was given of 

 remarkable vertebrate tertiary skulls and other remains brought 

 from Upper Oregon by Lord Walsingham, in 1872, and pre- 

 sented by him to the Woodwardian Museum, Cambridge. The 

 characters of the family of Ungulates (Oreodontidae), to which 

 they belong, and of the genera of the family, were referred to, 

 and supplemented from examination of these remains. The 

 genus Merycochitrus, previously known only from teeth and por- 

 tions of jaws, was further defined and described from large 

 skulls and portions of skulls. The remarkable size of the tem- 

 poral fossae, the form of the zygoma, and especially its great 

 posterior transverse crest, are special points of interest. Fmally 

 two new species, M. teviporalis and M. Leidyi, were defined and 

 described. 



Meteorological Society, Feb. i6.-^Mr. H. S. Eaton, pre- 

 sident, in the chair. — Frank C. Capel, Zophar Humphreys, 

 Edward Mawley, Rev. George H. MuUins, William H. Watson, 

 and C. Theodore W^iUiams were elected Fellows of the Society, 

 — The following papers were read : — On an improvement in 

 aneroid barometers, by the Hon. R. Abercromby. The im- 

 provement consists in jewelling the ends of the arbor of the 

 index hand like the ordinary pivots of a watch, and making the 

 hand work under the cap instead of in the usual manner. The 

 advantages gained are : (i) increased sensitiveness ; (2) increased 

 definiteness of the indications ; and (3) diminished influence of 

 weather on the bearings. — Meteorology in India in relation to 

 cholera, by Col. J. Puckle, M.S.C. The author in this paper 

 lays before the Society some facts in connection with several 

 serious outbreaks of cholera in different parts of the Mysore 

 country during the last fifteen years, and draws attention to the 

 similarity of the abnormal meteorological conditions that existed 

 on each occasion. Except in a few of the largest towns in India 

 there are no sewers, and no sewer gas proper. Even in these 

 exceptional towns the drainage is incomplete. The general 

 sanitary arrangements are of the most primitive character. In 

 the rural districts the inhabitants adhere to the Mosaic law, in so 

 far that they go forth to the fields, but they do not carry the 

 ' ' paddle " with them for the purpose that was the exponent of 

 the " dry earth " system ; that necessary portion of the work is 

 left to the drying action of a powerful sun, to the kites and other 

 carrion birds, and, horribilc dictu, to the pigs and poultry that 

 afterwards are doubtless turned into food. In this way it is not dif- 

 ficult to conceive that sewage of the direst and most unadulterated 

 kind may possibly be taken into the system through poisoned 

 meat, or during rainfall it may find its way to open reservoirs or 

 wells ; from which two sources the inhabitants depend for their 

 water supply. At other times during the hot, dry weather, when 

 no rain falls, malaria may arise and be'distributed through the 

 agency of the atmosphere. Notwithstanding all that has been 

 said and done, the clue to the mystery of the origin of the 

 disease remains undiscovered. It is the same with the treat- 

 ment. Remedies that at one time appeared to be most effectual 

 have, at another, most signally failed. Even during the same 

 attack, the same remedy that cured one person would fail in 

 another, even where the same conditions apparently existed. 

 Failure of the usual rainfall at the proper time, and abnormally 



high and harsh temperature, have been concurrent with several 

 attacks in Mysore and Southern India. At such times the open 

 reservoirs or lakes and wells are much below the usual spring 

 level, and any contamination received at such a time is obviously 

 much less diluted, and more harmful. The author then gives an 

 account of several attacks that have come under his own personal 

 knowledge, which shows beyond doubt that the disease has been 

 arrested by change of air and surroundings, and that ordinary 

 sanitary practice has prevented a possible outbreak. After re- 

 ferring to the recent outbreaks at Bangalore and Madras the 

 author says that everywhere the same story is told of the occur- 

 rence of cholera coincident with long absence of rain and a tem- 

 perature abnormally high. — On sixteen months' rain at Bristol, 

 by W. F, Denning. 



Entomological Society, Feb. 2.— Sir Sidney Smith Saunders, 

 C.M.G., vice-president, in the chair. — Mr. McLachlan directed 

 attention to an article by M. Flaminio Baudi in the Petites Nou- 

 velles Rntomologiques, respecting the habits of Cychrus cylindri- 

 collis, which he had taken on Monte-Codeno, feeding on the 

 body of a snail {Helix frigidd), into the spiral of which the beetle 

 was enabled to enter by means of its long prothorax. Some 

 interesting remarks were made by Mr. Bates and others on the 

 peculiar structure and habits of the insect, which appeared to 

 have been found only on a very sterile portion of the plateau of 

 the mountain, and in no other part. — A valuable paper was 

 communicated by Dr. D. Sharp, entitled " Contributions to an 

 Insect-Fauna of the Amazon Valley (Staphylinidae)." Of this 

 important group of Coleoptera, 487 species were enumerated as 

 inhabiting the valley, of which 463 were described as new ; sug- 

 gesting forcibly how little is really known of the Staphylinidse of 

 Tropical America. Dr. Sharp also stated that he had devised a 

 method of covering and hermetically sealing the type specimens 

 which, he believed, would accomplish their almost complete 

 preservation, and that he hoped soon to be able to publish a 

 description of the method. The author concluded with remark- 

 ing on the great importance of certain sexual characters in dis- 

 tinguishing the species. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, Feb. 15.— Mr. Geo. Robt. 

 Stephenson, president, in the chair. — The paper read was on 

 estimating the illuminating power of coal gas, by Mr. William 

 Sugg, Assoc. Inst. C.E. 



Edinburgh 



Royal Society, Feb. 21. — Prof. Kelland, vice-president, in 

 the chair. — The following communications were read : — On the 

 structure of the body-wall in the Spionida?, by Dr. W. C. 

 M'Intosh. — On circular crystals, by E. W. Dallas.— Preliminary 

 note on the flame produced by putting common salt in the fire, 

 by C. M. Smith ; communicated by Prof. Tait. 



CONTENTS Pack 



Report of the Vivisbction Commission 321 



The " Geological Record." By J. W. J 322 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Pirie's " Lessons on Rigid Dynamics " 323 



Carrick's " Secret of the Circle " 323 



Eden's "Australian Heroes" 323 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Dr. Bastian and Prof. Tyndall on Spontaneous Generation. — Prof. 



E. R.\Y Lankester, F.R.S 324 



Radiometers and Radiometers. — T. N. Hutchinson 324 



The Sailing Flight of Birds.— By R. A 324 



The Use of the Words "Weight" and " Mass." — J. T. Bottomley 325 



Seasonal Order of Colour in Flowers. — G. E. Heron Rogers . . 326 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



Variable Stars 326 



Minor Planets 326 



The Saturnian Satellite, Hyperion 326 



The Date of Easter 326 



HuNTERiAN Lectures on the Relation of Exti-nct to Existing 



Mammalia, IL By Prof. Flower, F.K.S 327 



The Effects of the Sun's Rotation and the Moon's REvon'tio-v 



ON THE Earth's Magnetism. By J. Allan Bkoln, F.RS. . . 328 

 Physical Science in Schools. By James AL Wilson ; Linnaeus 



Gumming 3=9 



The Organic Impurities of Drinking Water. ByProf. Frank- 

 land, F.R.S 350 



Relation between the Limit of the Powers of the Micro- 

 scope AND the Ultimate Molecules of Matter. By H. C. 



SoRBY, F.R-S 332 



The Tufted Deer of China 334 



Notes A ' ' ^^^ 



The Industri.\l Applications of Oxygen, IL By Dr. A. Oipen- 



heim , 330 



Societies and Academies ■. ■ • 3.39 



