Nov. 30, 1876] 



NATURE 



1 1 1 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



RIorphologiscJus yahrbuch, vol. ii. Part 2. — On the structure 

 of the toes of Batrachia, &c., by Dr. Y. Leydig (32 pages). — On 

 the valvular apparatus in the conus arteriosus of Selachians and 

 Ganoids, by Dr. Stohr. — Contribution to the anatomy and his- 

 tology of Asteroids and Ophiuroids, by Wichard La.nge (46 pages, 

 3 pla'.es). 



Reichert and Du Bois Reymond's Archiv, September, 1876. 

 — Studies on animal heat, Part 3 (conclusion), by Dr. A. Adam- 

 kiewicz. — Contribution to the theory of the growth of bone, by 

 Dr. I.. Lotze. — On the negative variation of the muscular current 

 during contraction, Part 3 (conclusion), by Du Bois Reymond. 



Archiv fitr mikroskopiscke Anatomie, vol. xiii. Part I, July, 

 1876. — Rhizopod studies. No. vi., by F. E. Schulze. — On the 

 anatomy and liistology of the Coccida;, by E. L. Mark. — Studies 

 of the development of Gastropods, by N. Bobretzky (75 pages), 

 with 6 plates illustrating the development of Nassa mutabilis, 

 Natica, and Fusus. — On the hypothesis of discharge and the 

 motor end plates, by W. Krause. 



Bulletin de I' Acadimie Impa-iale des Sciences de St. Petersbourq, 

 t. xxii., No. 2. — This part contains the following papers of 

 interest : — Diagnoses plantarum novarum Japoniae et Mandshu- 

 riae, decas xx. (continued from last vol.), by C. J. Maximovicz. 

 — On the plants of the bear period found in the deposits of the 

 Ogour liver, a tributary to the Jenissei, in Siberia, by J. Schmal- 



lusen. — Preliminary communication by the same, on a micro- 

 topical examination of the food-remains of Siberian fossil rhi- 

 noceros, viz., Rhinoceros antiquitatis sen tichorinus. — Onthesup- 

 ])osed satellite of Procyon (a Canis min.), by O. Struve. The 



ther contents are only of archaeological and philological interest. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Linnean Society, November 16. — Prof. Allman, president, 

 in the cha'r. — Messrs. J. C. Oman, R. H. Peck, and D. G. 

 Rutherford were duly elected fellows. — Mr. H. N. Moseley, of 

 II. M.S. Challenger, read a paper on the flora of Marion Island. 

 This island possesses considerable interest from its isolation and 

 being within the Antarctic drift. It is about 1,000 miles from 

 the African Continent, 450 frcm the Crozets, 1,200 from the 

 desolate Kerguelen Island, above 2,000 from Tristan D'Acunha, 

 and 4,500 from the Falklands, to which, nevertheless, its flora 

 appears related. It is of volcanic origin and snowclad. The 

 rocks at half-tide are covered with Darvilea uttlis, above high 

 tide Tdhca tnoschnta is found in abundance, and beyond the 

 beach a swampy peaty soil Covers the rocks, where there is a 

 thick growth of herbage ; this is principally composed of species 

 of Acceiia, Azorella, and Festuca, the first ol these three being the 

 most abundant plant on the island, though the latter grass is by no 

 mean) scarce. The cabbage-like plant Pringlea antiscorbutica 

 is less profu'e than at Kcrguelen's Land. Some of the ranun- 

 culus group are met with at water pools near the sea ; four 

 kinds of ferns were obtained, Lomaria Alpina being tlse most 

 numerous. Lichens are scarce, but mosses in plenty form 

 yellow patches, which stand out conspicuously midst the 

 green vegetation, which rises to an altitude of probably 

 2,000 feet. From the occurrence of Pringlea on Marion 

 Island, the Crozets, and Kerguelen Island, and the existence 

 cf fo sd trte-trunks on the two latter, the author surmises 

 an ancient land connection between them. — A memoir on 

 ■he birds collected by Prof. Steere (U.S. P4ichigan) in the 

 : h.lippine Archipelago was read by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, 

 and copious coloured drawings of the new and rare forms exhi- 

 bited and commtnte.i on. Although it is but lately that Lord 

 Tweeddale's (President Zool. Soc.) remarkable monograph on 

 the Philippine birds was published, with immense additions to 

 the avifauna, yet Steele's collection has yielded over sixty 

 hitherto unknown species. Many novelties may therefore still 

 be expected as further exploration proceeds. The recorded 

 species of birds from the Philippines at the present now amount 

 to 2S5.— A letter containing observations on the Ameiican 

 Grasshopper {Caloptenus femur -ruhruni), with remarks on the 

 same by Mr. Frederick Smith, was noticed.— Mr. Moseley exhi- 

 bited some insular floral collections in illustration of his paper 

 and of the various parts touched at by the Challenger. He also 

 called attention to a series of volumes and pamphlets, &c., on 

 natural history obtained by him in Japan. 



Zoological Society, November 21. — Prof. Flowers, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. The Secretary read a report on the 

 additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during 

 the month of October. — Mr. Sclater exhibited and made remarks 

 on the skin of a young rhinoceros (iV. sondaicus), belonging to 

 Mr. W. Jamrach, which had been captured in the Sunderbunds, 

 near Calcutta, in May last. — The Secretary exhibited on behalf of 

 Mr. Andrew Anderson, a coloured drawing ofa specimen of ^//yx 

 haviiltoni, lately captured at Futtehgurh (Ganges). The occur- 

 rence of this Einys, chiefly confined to Lower Bengal, sd far west 

 as Futtehgurh, was considered as of much interest. — A letter 

 was read from Count T. Salvadori, containing remarks on some 

 of the birds mentioned by Signor D'Albertis, as seen by him 

 during his first excursion up the Fly River. — A communication 

 was read from Mr. G. B. Sowerby, jun., containing descriptions 

 of six new species of shells, from the collections of the Marchio- 

 ness Paulucci and Dr. Prevost. — Mr. Edward R. Alston read a 

 paper containing the descriptions of two new species of liesper- 

 omys from Central America, which he proposed to call respec- 

 tively Hesperomys teguina and //. couesi. — A paper was read by 

 Prof. Garrod, F. R.S., on the Chinese Deer, named Lophotragus 

 michianus, by Mr. Swinhoe, in which he showed that the species 

 so called was identical with Elaphodus cephalophus (A. Milne 

 Edwards), obtained by Fere David in Moupm. The close 

 affinity between the genera Elaphodus and Cervulus was demon- 

 strated, the latter differing little more than in the possession of 

 frontal cutaneous glands not found in the former. — Mr. Arthur 

 G. Butler read a paper containing descriptions of new species of 

 Lepidoptera, from New Guinea, with a notice of a new genus, — 

 A communication was read from Dr. J. S. Bowerbank, being 

 the eighth of his series of ' * Contributions to a General History 

 of the Spongiadse." 



Meteorological Society, November 15. — Mr, H. S. Eaton, 

 M.A., president, in the chair. — Messrs. R. A. Allison, John 

 Evans, F.R.S., Dr. W. Marcet, F.R.S., Rev. T. G. P. Pope, and 

 Mr. G. Washington were elected fellows. — The following papers 

 were read : — Results of meteorological observations made at 

 Rossiniere, Canton Vaud, Switzerland, during 1874 and 1875, 

 by Mr. William Marriott. Rossiniere is situated in a valley 

 running north-east and south-west, about three quarters of a mile 

 broad, the mountains on the north being 3,000 to 4,000 feet above 

 the valley of the Sarine, and those on the south, 1,000 to 3,000 

 feet. The valley is shut in at either end by a gorge, that on the 

 east being about one mile, and that on the west about two miles 

 distant. The observations were all taken by Col. M. F. Ward, 

 F. R.A. S. The mean temperature, as deduced from the mean 

 of the maximum and minimum readings, was 43°'4 for 1874, and 

 43°'5 ^'^^ ^^IS- The monthly means ranged from 20°"0 for 

 December, 1874, and 20°'5 for December, 1875, to 64° "9 for 

 July, 1874. The highest temperature in 1874 was 89° on July 3, 

 and 1875, 85° on August 18 ; the lowest in 1874 was — 4" on 

 December 24, and in 1875 — 7° on January i. Owing to the 

 situation of Rossiniere, the prevailing winds are those from 

 north-east and south-west. In the winter months the air is for 

 the most part calm, and it is owing to this absence of wind that 

 the intense cold is not so severely felt as it would otherwise be. 

 Tne total rainfall for 1874 was 54'282 inches, and for 1875, 

 55870 inches. The months of greatest rainfall are July and 

 November, and those of the least February and March. Thunder- 

 storms occur frequently from May to August, as many as five being 

 sometimes recorded in one day. The number of thunderstorms ob- 

 served in 1874 was forty-five, and in 1875, f.>rty-three. No thunder 

 was heard or lightning seen in the months of December to March. — 

 The climate of Fiji, by Mr. R. C. Holmes. This paper contains 

 the results of meteorological obseivations taken at Delanasau, 

 Bay of Islands, north coast of the province of Bua, Fiji, during 

 the five years ending 1875. The average annual mean tempera- 

 ture is 79° I. The highest temperature recorded was 9 7° 7 on 

 January 12, 1871, and the lowest 58°"5 on August 20, 1875, the 

 extreme range in the five years being 39° '2. The average annual 

 rainfall is I24"I5 inches, and the number of rainy days 170. The 

 greatest fall in 24 hours was 14 '95 inches, which occurred on March 

 19, 1871. After describing somewhat fully the chief characteristics 

 ol the montlis and seasons, hurricanes and storms, earthquakes, 

 waterspouts, &c., the author concludes with the question, "Is 

 the climate of Fiji a healthy one ? " In reply he says that, con- 

 sidered as a tropical country, an affirmative answer may be given 

 without hesitation. Those fatal diseases so common in tropical 

 countries, fevers of various kinds, cholera, and liver complaints, 

 are almost unknown. This is owing partly to the geographical 



