374 



NATURE 



[August I, 187S 



movements with their pectoral and ventral fins, but hold them 

 spread out. In the outspread fins there may occur very rapid 

 vibrations. 



The hinder part of the body remains somewhat lower than the 

 fore part during flight. 



Directly against the wind they commonly fly further than with 

 the wind, or when their course and the direction of the wind form 

 an angle together. 



Most exocoeti which fly against the wind or with the wind 

 continue during their whole course of flight in the direction in 

 which they come out of the water. Winds coming laterally upon 

 the original course of the exocoeti deflect these into their 

 direction. 



All exocoeti which withdraw from ships fly during their whole 

 CDurse through the air, near the surface of the water. 



When with strong winds they fly against the course of the 

 waves, they commonly rise somewhat over each wave ; some- 

 times their tail dips slightly in the top of the wave. 



Only those exocoeti whose air-course is crossed by a ship rise 

 to considerable heights (at the most about five metres above the 

 surface of the sea). 



By day flying fish seldom light on the ship ; they mostly do so 

 at night, and never in calm, but only when the wind is blowing. 

 They mostly fall upon ships which lie not higher than two to 

 three metres above water, and when these are sailing on a wind 

 (the wind coming obliquely from beyond) or with half a wind 

 (the wind coming at right angles against the ship), and are 

 sailing rapidly. Flying fish never come on board from the lee 

 side, but always and only from the weather side. 



Not uncommonly when their tail has dipped in the water they 

 describe in the horizontal part of their course, a bow to the right 

 or to the left side. 



During wind and a rough sea they appear above the water 

 more frequently than in calm weather. 



Before ships, which come upon them in swimming, the 

 exocoeti escape into the air, just as they do before fishes of prey 

 and cetacea. 



Many authors have affirmed, in explaining the flying of fish, 

 that the pectoral fins operate like the wings of birds, bats, and 

 of insects. Prof. Mbbius, however, shows that both the anato- 

 mical structures of the pectoral fins and their muscles, and the 

 physiological relations of the position and size of the fins to the 

 volume and weight of the whole body, are against flight-like 

 movements of the pectoral fins. 



The movements occasionally observed in these organs during 

 flight are merely a vibration. 



The true cause of these movements of fishes through the air 

 are the spring-movements which they impart to their body by 

 means of their very strong side muscles, just as other fish propel 

 themselves powerfully tlirough water. They spring out of the 

 water with great velocity, because the air presents less resistance 

 than the water, and when after some time, they fall back into 

 the water, their outspread fins act like a parachute. 



It is easy to understand how the action of the wind combines 

 favourably or otherwise with their flight. By day the direction 

 of their spring is so chosen that the disturbing ship is avoided. 

 By night this orientation by the sense of sight is wanting, and 

 the animals fall into the ship. As any air in strong motion, 

 when it impinges against obstacles (a ship's side or waves), rises, 

 it raises also the fish, so that this flies over the wave, or may 

 come on board the ship. In short, as Prof. Mobius proves in 

 detail, all the phenomena observed may be fully explained by 

 the combined action of the oblique projection forwards and the 

 wind. It may further be mentioned that the flying fish has a 

 peculiar arrangement of the mouth, so that in this a portion of 

 water may be carried during flight for the process of respiration. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



The Kingdom of Portugal has for its 4, 7CX5, 000 inhabitants 

 but a single university — that of Coimbra, which was originally 

 founded at Lisbon in 1290. The university has a corps of 

 instructors numbering 70, is attended by 1, 1 00 students, pos- 

 sesses a library of 42,000 volumes, and is equipped with astro- 

 nomical and meteorological observatories, as well as natural 

 history collections. Advanced education is likewise provided 

 for by polytechnics, medical academies, and industrial institutes 

 in Lisbon and Oporto, and_an agricultural school. The elemen- 

 tary schools of the land number 2,450, and parents lose their 



political rights if their children cannot read and write at the ag^e 

 of 15. 



The University of Strasburg is attended at present by the 

 largest number of students recorded since its establishment, viz.„ 

 710, consisting of 45 in theology, 195 in law, 150 in medicine, 

 177 in philosophy, and 143 in science. 



The new regulations for medical study in France require a. 

 term of four years, five examinations, including one in physics, 

 chemistry, and natural history, practical work in the laboratories 

 and anatomical theatre, and two years visiting of the hospitals. 

 The sum requisite for this course of study is 1,360 francs — 520- 

 for lectures, and the remainder for examination fees, thesis, and 

 diploma. 



An examination will begin at Merton College, Oxford, on 

 Tuesday, October 15, for the purpose of electing to a Physical 

 Science Postmastership of the annual value of 80/., and tenable for 

 five years from election. After two years of residence the Col- 

 lege will raise, by a sum not exceeding 20/. per annum, the. 

 postmasterships of such postmasters as shall be recommended 

 by the tutors for their character, industry, and ability. Candi- 

 dates, if members of the University, must not have exceeded 

 six terms of University standing. Information may be obtained 

 from the tutor in physical science. 



Mr. Samuel Sharpe has promised to give 5,000/. towards 

 the building of the north wing of University College, London, so 

 soon as the Council are prepared to begin the work. It is ex- 

 pected that this liberal donation, together with others which 

 have been received, will enable the building to be very shortly 

 commenced. A sum of 50,000/. in all will, however, be required 

 to complete the extensions which are immediately contemplated. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Anthropological Institute, June 25. — Mr. John Evans,, 

 D.C.L., F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Dr. Paul Topinard, 

 of Paris, was elected an Honorary Member, and the election of 

 the following gentlemen as Ordinary Members was announced : — 

 The Rev. H. W. Watkins, Warden of St. Augustine's College, 

 Canterbury; Hy. Wm. Jackson, M.R.C.S., F.R.A.S., F.G.S., 

 of Lewisham, and Dr. Dunkley, of New Zealand. — A paper 

 was read on the ethnology of the islands of the Pacific, by the 

 Rev. S. J. Whitmee. This paper was chiefly intended to 

 explain an ethnographic chart of the Pacific, coloured according 

 to the author's own observations, and which, in the main, 

 followed the divisions of races in previous charts. In speaking- 

 of the people, he said the Melanesians, or black race, might be 

 regarded as the aboriginal people, 'and that they had affinities, more 

 or less remote, with the blacks found in the various parts of the 

 southern hemisphere. Probably these Melanesians once extended 

 further across the Pacific than they now do. The brown Malayo- 

 Polynesian race had, doubtless, entered Polynesia from the west.. 

 The difficulties of such a migration were not insuperable. An ex- 

 ample was given of a comparatively recent arrival of a vessel 

 thought to be Chinese or Japanese, at Fotuna, or Home Island, 

 containing forty people. There is a third people in Polynesia 

 differing considerably from both of the others. These are the 

 Micronesians. They probably are primarily from the Philip- 

 pines, or some other portion of the Indian Archipelago, but are 

 mixed with Melanesian and Malayo-Polynesian blood. There- 

 is also reason to believe they have had an admixture of Chinese 

 or Japanese blood derived from the occupants of junks which: 

 have been driven by adverse winds to this region. — Mr. Worth- 

 ington G. Smith read a paper descriptive of palaeolithic imple- 

 ments from the gravels of N.E. London, and a paper was 

 communicated by Mr. G. M. Atkinson on a new method of 

 finding the cephalic index. 



Entomological Society, July 3. — H. W. Bates, F.L.S.,- 

 F.Z.S., president, in the chair. — Mr. Basil G. Nevinson was 

 elected an Ordinary Member and Mr. John A. Finzi a Subscriber, 

 — M. Pascoe exhibited a number of insects he had collected 

 during a recent tour through Algeria and the south of Spain ; 

 with these there was a remarkable myriopod having the cylindri- 

 cal body of the Julidge, but with only one pair of legs to each 

 somite. — Mr. Boyd drew attention to the food plant of Eluchista 

 cerusella. This insect had always been considered to feed on 

 the leaves of Arundo phragmites, which Mr. Boyd doubted, as 

 he had lately found the larva feeding on Phalaris arundinacear 



