428 



NATURE 



\_Atigust 28, 1879 



add the matter necessary to bring his work up to date in science, 

 within square brackets (as in Stephen's edition of " Blackstone's 

 Commentaries"), or as notes, or even as an appendix, the whole 

 work to be in the hands of an efficient commit'ee. The propo- 

 sition was very cordially received, and I should like to hear what 

 English men of science think of the matter. The book is of 

 the freshest, brightest nature ; even as a small boy I delighted in 

 it • and my own idea is that de Saussure, though necessarily 

 behind the giant strides of modern knowledge, made so very few 

 mistakes that re-publication would not have the same dangers 

 for his reputation as it might for that of a mere mediocrity. 



JlARSHAi.L Hall 

 Vernex-Montreux, Canton Vaud, Switzerland, August 19 



"Report of an Unusual Phenomenon Observed at Sea" 



I CAN supply a second instance of the "uimsual phenomenon 

 observed at sea," communicated by the Hydrographer of the 

 Navy to Nature, vol. xxi. p. 291. 



One night in April, 1875 (I cannot give the exact date, as my 

 notes were lost in the ship) H.M.S. Bulldog was lying becalmed 

 in a glassy sea off a point of land a few miles north of Vera 

 Cruz, when a line of light appeared along the northern horizon, 

 and unaccompanied by the least breath of wind, swept towards 

 and past the ship, in a series of swift luminous pulsations, 

 precisely similar to those described by Mr. Pringle. Acting 

 on the old sea formula, "observed a phenomenon, caught a 

 bicketful," we dipped up some of the water, and found noc- 

 tiluca; and crustaceans in it. . These' may have supplied the 

 luminosity, but if so, the exceedingly swift travelling cruse of 

 their stimulation would still remain unaccounted for. 



A squall accompanied by incessant thunder and lightning over- 

 took the ship the same night. Edward L. Moss 



Rathgar, Dublin, August 19 



Boring Molluscs 



The following extract from Prof. Joseph [Leidy's paper on 

 " Vertebrate Remains, chiefly from the Phosphate Beds of South 

 Carolina," which appeared in Nature, vol. xx. p. 354, will serve 

 in aid of the solution of the still open question. By what means 

 do the boring molluscs penetrate hard rocks? — "The fossils 

 mainly consist of the harder parts of the sl.eleton and of teeth, 

 usually more or less water-worn, indicating shallow seas and an 

 active surf to which they were exposed. Many of them exhibit 

 the drilling effects of boring molluscs, especially those which are 

 supposed to have been derived from the tertiary marl rock, the 

 operation of drilling apparently having been performed both 

 before and during the time the fossils were imbedded in the 

 rock. Only enamel, or the enamel-like dentinal layer such as is 

 found investing the crown of the teeth of sharks, appears to 

 have been a protection against the drilling power of the borers." 



Were the burrows produced by the solvent action of an acid, 

 there is no reason why the enamel should have arrested the sol- 

 vent rather than the dentine, although it miglit yield more slowly 

 to it ; but its refractory behaviour under friction accounts for the 

 Pholades and Teredines being nonplused ; w^hile their desistance 

 from fruitless efforts affords an instructive example of pure in- 

 stinctive action, i.e., reflex action "the prompting to which is 

 given by sensations." Paul Henry Stokoe 



Beddington Park 



Intellect in Brutes 



A CORRESPONDENT of yours tells a tale (NATURE, vol. xx. 

 p. 338) about a cat ringing a bell to be let in. Without any 

 wish of " topping " this tale, I think the following will go far to 

 demonstrate the existence of a thinking power in the brute 

 brain, if indeed that fact is ever doubted : — 



Some relatives of mine living in Sussex ow ned a very intelligent 

 dog of somewhat doubtful breed, having, however, a decided touch 

 of the French poodle in his composition. In addition to this animal 

 they also had a favourite cat. For some time they were bothered 

 in the way your correspondent describes by runaway knocks, 

 instead of rings, as in his case ; however, they discovered that the cat 

 had learnt to stand on her hind legs and reach the knocker which 

 was low on the door, and to knock distinct and separate double 

 knocks until she was admitted. This in itself was curious, but a 

 short time after they discovered this fact they oiscovered another 

 still more curious. They were in the habit of turning the dog 



out every evening for an airing. It invariably happened that if 

 the cat was out of the house at the same time, that a short time 

 after the dog was turned out they would hear a knock at the 

 door. On its being opened both animals would be found outside 

 and would immediately come in, the dog always allow ing the 

 cat to precede him. There seems to Ije no doubt that the dog 

 finding out that the cat could obtain entrance was in the habit 

 of searching for her when he wanted to come in, and either 

 waiting till she was ready to knock at the door, or of inducing 

 her to do it to please him. I can myself vouch for the above 

 facts. W. H. Kesteven 



HoUoway, August 13 



Mr. Layard's letter mentioning the bell-ringing cat leads me 

 to send the following account of a wise old Scotch collie with 

 which I was personally acquainted. Toby, belonging to my 

 friend Mr. T. F. Hancock, formerly of Tyes Place, Staplefield, 

 Sussex, was passionately fond of his vocation, but at the same 

 time made much of in the parlour. On one occasion, while 

 lying in front of the fire in 'the dining-room, he heard sheep 

 going by the house along the farm-road. He ran to the window- 

 seat and then to the door, at the same time looking imploringly 

 at my friend's sisters, as if to beg them to let him out. This, 

 however, they declined to do, and after one or two journeys 

 between window and door, he ran to the long, old-fashioned 

 bell-pull, rang the bell, stood at the door, and bolted out and 

 round into the kitchen as soon as the servant appeared. 



After this Toby was constantly employed during meals to ring 

 the bell, and I have myself often made him perform the opera- 

 tion, which was always accompanied by a good deal of barking. 

 My friend has a more than life-sized painting of this wise dog, 

 painted by the late Charles Hancock, the animal-painter. 



One more instance of reasoning I will relate. A few momis 

 ago my wife and I were bathing a cocker dog in the stream 

 flowing through the grounds of St. Helen's, Cockermouth. We 

 threw a croquet-ball into deep water, and the dog was to bring 

 it to sljore. But the ball was rather large for the size of her 

 mouth, and as often as she snapped at it the ball glided away. 

 After vainly endeavouring to grip the ball, we watched her sud- 

 denly give over, and begin pawing it with her fore-feet until she 

 brought it into shallow water, when she easily made the capture, 

 and brought the ball to the bank. The same was repeated several 

 times. It is unnecessary to say that this w as not the result of 

 teaching. J. CLIFTON Ward 



Keswick, August 14 



As your pages have for some time drawn attention to such 

 inquiries, I wish to ask if any one ever saw a favourite dog, or 

 other animal, stop to gaze at a rainbow ? We have never hetird 

 of such a case ; but if ever encountered a record in your page . is 

 invited. Benj. Alvord 



Washington, August 7 



CONTENTS Pace 



The BitiTiSH Association AT Sheffield . . . . • • • •. • „• t'3 

 Section A— Mathematical and Physical— Opening Address by (j. 

 Johnstone Stoney, M.A., F.R.S,, Secretary to the Queens Uni- 

 versity in Ireland / -rCu ' • ; ' " ■*"' 



Section D— Biology— Department of Anatomy and Physiology- 

 Address by P. H. Pye-Smith, B.A., M.D., Vice-President of the 



Section * 



Denartment of Anthropology— Address by Edward B. Tylor, 



DC.L, F.R.S •. ■ • '" 



Section G— Mechanical Science— Opening Address by J. Robinson, 

 Pres. Inst. Mech. Eng., President of the Section , • • • • • 117 

 On Radiant Mattkr. By William Crookes, F.R.S. {Wtth lUuf 



inttifns) ^^-^ 



Notes 4-.> 



Our Astroxo.mical Column:— 



Dr. Johann Lament 4^5 



The Satellites of Mars 4»5 



Geographical Notes 4=3 



Letters to the Editor :— „ , . t^ c r r\ ■ 



How did Eozoon Originate, ard is Graphite a Proof of Organic 



Beings in the Laurentian Pe ■ J J— Otto Kuntzk 423 



Unobserved Impressions.— C, . Monro 42* 



InsectSwarms.— J. Clarke 11.VWKSHAW . . . ... ■ • ■ 426 



Animal Rights.— Edward B. Nicholson; George J. Romanes, 



F.R.S ^^^ 



Alpine Clubs.— Capt. -Marshall Hall . ... . • • ■ : 4^7 

 '■ Report of an Unusual Phenomenon Observed at Sea. —Edward 



Boring Mo11uscs.-^Pau'l Henry Stokoe ..... • • • ■ 4=8 

 Intellect in Brutes.-Dr. W. H. Kesteven; Rev. J. Clifton 

 Ward ; Benj. Alvord ^ 



