Feb. 21, 1889] 



NATURE 



405 



nounces that he is about to incorporate them in a chart for 

 France. Three memoirs have already been published as parts 

 of this inquiry, embracing Tunis, Denmark, and Pointe du Raz 

 in France. Among various other interesting results the curious 

 fact has been deduced that where the race is of a mixed blonde 

 and brunette character the hereditary blonde colouring is espe- 

 cially manifested in the eyes, while the brunette element has a 

 tendency to reappear in the hair. — On the origin and intellec- 

 tual evolution of the pointer dog, by M. C. A. Pietrement. 

 1 his is a resume by the author of a special section of his great 

 work regarding the legislative enactments in force under the 

 Frank kings of the two earliest dynasties, concerning domestic 

 animals. Beginning with a notice of the fourteen species of 

 house and sporting dogs to be recognized on the monuments of 

 Egypt, Assyria, and Nineveh, he goes on to the references in 

 Greek and Roman writers to the dogs known in their time, in 

 which he finds no indication that pointers and setters existed in 

 their present stage of development as sporting dogs before our 

 era ; while, on the other hand, he proves by extracts from the 

 lists of birds and other animals used in the chase, given in the 

 capitularies of Dagobert, that falconry, whose introduction into 

 Western Europe is usually ascribed to the Crusaders, was prac- 

 tised in Gaul as early as the seventh century. The article 

 although long and verbose, contains much interesting informa- 

 tion regarding sport among the Franks and Gauls since the 

 time of the Romans. — On the long bones found at Spy, by M. 

 Topinard. The sudden angular deviation of the tibial bones 

 leads to the inference that the lower extremities of the men of 

 Spy were half-flexed, as is generally the case in the arboreal An- 

 thropomorpha. — Cut flints found at Pierrefitte, by M. Simoneau. 

 These finds were taken from the lime-beds of Toucy, and were 

 obtained through the agency of shepherd-boys, successfully 

 enlisted in the work of collecting. — On the grouping of pyra- 

 midal cellules in the motor region of the limbs, by M. Mahou- 

 deau. These researches prove the existence of microscopic 

 functional centres in certain parts of the brain, which may be 

 regarded as the true physiological elements of the cerebral 

 organ. — Replies made by M. Bink, while stationed in New 

 Guinea, to the Society's printed category of questions regarding 

 sociology and ethnography.— Report of M. Nicolas on the 

 graves found in the gravel beds of Gadagno (Vaucluse), which 

 he assumed to be of the Stone Age, but which are now shown 

 to have a Ligurian character. — On the dolaiens of Kergo, Car- 

 nac, by M. Gaillard, who, in another communication, treats of 

 a curious circumstance in regard to the system of arrangement 

 followed in the lines of menhirs in Morbihan. Here he found that 

 a single stone, having a rounded top, was interposed at irregular 

 distances between the regular lines of menhirs, which it always 

 exceeded in height. Continued observations showed that on dif- 

 ferent and special days of the year, the sun appeared, at its rising, 

 to rest upon the summit of one or other of these isolated menhirs. 

 — On graves containing cinerary vessels belonging to the Polished 

 Stone Age, in the commune of Montigny-l'Engrain, by M. Vau- 

 ville. — Observations on the restoration of the tumulus of Ker- 

 lescan, by M. Gaillard. The cromlech, which has here been 

 readjusted, consists of twenty-nine of the ancient menhirs, which 

 had escaped destruction. — On the form of the wrist in supination 

 and pronation, and on the differences of outline exhibited by the 

 metacarpal bones when observed on the skeleton, or when the 

 cuticle has been removed, and the muscles have been laid bare, 

 by M. Cuyer, who writes for the artist rather than the anatomist, 

 and illustrates his remarks by various useful woodcuts. — On the 

 relative length, among various peoples, ancient and modem, of 

 the index and ring finger, by Colonel Duhousset. — On the rela- 

 tive length of the two first toes in the Mongolian races, by Dr. 

 Maurel. — On the significance of the practice of measuring the 

 throat of young women, common among the peasantry of Brit- 

 tany, as well as various Kabyle tribes, by M. Letourneau. Among 

 these remotely separated peoples, similar notions prevail as to the 

 connection between the volume of the neck in women and the 

 age of puberty. The practices that have arisen from a popular 

 belief in regard to this relation are so nearly alike in both in- 

 stances as to suggest some common origin. — The importance of 

 studying the character of the masticatory process and apparatus, 

 in judging of the nature and habits of mammals, when consi- 

 dered from an anthropological point of view, by Dr. Fauvelle. — 

 On the survival of communal proprietorship in the Morbihan, 

 by M. Letourneau. In this district, various ancient customs 

 still prevail, and in the Islands of Hcedic and Houat, the cur^, 

 assisted by a council of notables, governs the islands after a 



patriarchial or fatherly fashion. — A communication, by M. 



Variot, concerning a new method of effacing the traces of 



tattooing. 



Nivista ScientificoTndustriale, December 31, 1888. — The 

 Chladni figures and Wheatstone's methods, by Prof. Lodovico 

 Malavasi. Here the author proposes to apply Wheatstone's 

 theory on the acoustic vibrations of square plates to the explana- 

 tion of the figures observed by Chladni in rectangular plates. — 

 The same number contains some remarks by G. Cariati on Mr. 

 Edison's perfected phonograph ; and on the solar photographs 

 taken by Prof. Ricco at the Observatory of Palermo. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Linnean Society, February 7.— Mr. C. B. Clarke, F.R.S., 

 Vice-President, in the chair. — The Rev. E. S. Marshall exhibited 

 several interesting varieties of British plants collected by him in 

 Scotland, and made remarks thereon. — Mr. E. M. Holmes ex- 

 hibited a new British seaweed from Bognor, Rhododermis elegans, 

 van polystromatica, a variety new to science. — A paper was then 

 read by Mr. A. D. Michael on three new species of parasitic Acari 

 discovered by him in Derbyshire during the autumn of 1888. 

 These were a Myocoptes, proposed to be called M. tenax, para- 

 sitic on the field vole, Arvicola agrestis ; a Symbiotes, proposed 

 to be called S. tripilis, parasitic upon the hedgehog ; and 

 Goniomerus masculinus (gen. et sp. nov.), a minute parasite 

 found on the ear of the field vole. Specimens of all three 

 were exhibited under the microscope, and a discussion followed, 

 in which Profs. Mivart, Stewart, and Howes took part. — Prof. 

 Martin Duncan then gave the substance of an important paper 

 which he had prepared, entitled " A Revision of the Families and 

 Genera of the Echinoidea Recent and Fossil." Reviewing the 

 labours of his predecessors, Prof. Duncan traced the growth of the 

 literature of his subject, and showed that, although many lists and 

 papers had been published from time to time, no general review 

 of the class Echinoidea had been attempted since 1846. Dealing 

 with all the material at his command, he found it necessary to 

 propose certain alterations in the classification, and to dispense 

 with a good many genera and sub-genera which he considered 

 had been needlessly founded. Above all, he had set himself the 

 task of revising the descriptions of the genera, giving positive 

 instead of comparative characters, a course which he believed 

 would prove of great utility to students. The paper was criticized 

 by Mr. Sladen, Prof. Stewart, and Mr. Breeze, all of whom 

 testified to the necessity which had arisen for some authoritative 

 revision of the subject such as had been undertaken by Prof. 

 Duncan, whose researches would undoubtedly lighten very 

 considerably the labours of future inquirers. 



Physical Society, February 9. — Annual General Meeting. 

 — Prof. Reinold, President, in the chair. — The Reports of the 

 Council and Treasurer were read and adopted. From the former 

 it appears that the number of members has only slightly increased 

 during the year, due, it is supposed, to the advantages offered 

 by the Society not being generally known, and a fly-leaf has 

 been prepared, giving a short account of the Society's objects 

 and procedure, copies of which may be obtained from the Secre- 

 taries. During the past year vol. i. Part i, of " Physical 

 Memoirs selected and translated from Foreign Sources," has 

 been printed and issued to members; and the translations of 

 important memoirs by Fourier, Hittorf, and Volta are well 

 advanced, and will be published shortly. The Treasurer's 

 Report showed the financial position of the Society to be very 

 satisfactory. Owing to the lamented death of Prof. Clausius, 

 a vacancy has occurred in the list of honorary members, to fill 

 which Prof. R. W. Bunsen was nominated by the Council and 

 duly elected. The following gentlemen were elected to form 

 the new Council :— President : Prof. A. W. Reinold, F.R.S. ; 

 Vice-Presidents : Dr. E. Atkinson, Prof. W. E. Ayrton, 

 F.R.S., Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S., the Right Hon. Lord Ray- 

 leigh, Sec. R.S., ; Secretaries: Walter Baily. Prof. J. Perry, 

 F.R.S. ; Treasurer: Prof. A. W. Rucker, F.R.S. ; Demon- 

 strator : C. Vernon Boys, F.R.S. ; other Members of Council : 

 Hon. R. Abercromby, T. H. Blakesley, W. H. Coffin, Conrad 

 W. Cooke, Prof. O. Lodge, F.R.S., Prof. W. Ramsay, 

 F.R.S., W. N. Shaw, Prof. S. P. Thompson, H. Tomlinson, 

 and Dr. G. M. Whipple. Cordial votes of thanks were passed (i) 

 to the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education for the 



