January 31, 1901] 



NATURE 



327 



of a structural differentiation of the shell-substance, 

 rendered pliable by a possible digestive action of the 

 snake's cesophagus or buccal glands. This idea, how- 

 ever, is at variance with the iact that for the second 

 shell (Fig. ii.) the chief lines are longitudinal, and the 

 lesser, so far as they can be recognised, transverse. Of 

 the whole series of lines, the longitudinal and longitudin- 

 ally spiral are much the more marked, the lesser of the 

 transverse series being much feebler and often incom- 

 plete — so much so that they mostly present the appear- 

 ance of mere superficial scratches, visible only in certain 

 lights, which, by thinning the shell, facilitate its distor- 

 tion without breakage underpressure. Over the flattened 

 area, however, they become actual " cracks," breaking 

 clean through. 



The question thus arises whether the main lines of 

 fracture, if predetermined by shell- structure, may not 

 involve the bird's oviducal wall, or whether the whole" 

 result may not be the work of the hypapophyses, under 

 a co-ordinated muscular action of the snake's oesophagus, 

 and it becomes necessary to inquire whether the rota- 

 tion within both this and the pigeon's oviduct may not 

 be a variable process, especially when it is found thai 

 in the shell of Fig. i., which is spirally fractured, there 

 are three longitudinal lines recognisable (/.) though of 

 variable extent. 



The most conspicuous feature of the main fracture-lines* 

 is their regular recurrence and intersection at right 

 angles — i.e. they are essentially cancellous. The regular 

 recurrence of the hypapophyses suggest an obvious 

 association with them, but this can only be determined 

 on the death of the snake. If, as seems most likely, the 

 distances between these and the fracture-lines will be 

 found identical, there will remain no question as to how 

 the latter arise. Spiral rotation of the egg beneath the 

 anterior hypapophyses might well produce, under pres- 

 sure, the spiral and transverse lines of both Figs. i. 

 and ii. Kathariner's description of the condition of 

 the parts, which gives us for each an elastic pad with 

 a central stiletto, are just such as would be required to 

 produce the result observed ; and if this be due to the 

 action of the anterior hypapophyses alone, the presence 

 of the lines over the flattened area will be explained, by 

 their being formed before the cutting " teeth " are brought 

 into action. 



The regularity of the fractures would seem to favour 

 this view, and if it be correct, one can only marvel at 

 the exquisite delicacy of the muscular apparatus con- 

 cerned and its co-ordinate activity ; but there still remains 

 a difiiculty in the case of the longitudinal lines, as it is 

 hardly conceivable that the snake's cesophagus, disten- 

 sible though it is, could accommodate so large an egg 

 transversely placed. 



The slight extent to which, where most fully frag- 

 mented, pieces of the shell may break away (as at (^, 

 Fig. ii.), is a striking feature, and it becomes the more 

 interesting by Kathariner's discovery that the head of 

 the intestine is so modified that it would oppose their 

 passage should they reach it. Both the main longi- 

 tudinal and spiral lines, as has been said, can be traced 

 into the flattened shell-area, despite the fragmentation of 

 that, and this would seem to justify the belief that the 

 expulsion of the shell-contents must be a slow process, an 

 inverted peristalsis, taking place during the egestive act. 



The whole matter bristles with interest and suggestive- 

 ness. Thanks to Dr. P. L. Sclater, I am assured the 

 shells which may yet be cast up by the snake now living 

 in the Zoological Gardens, and the carcass of the animal 

 when dead, for the further study of detail. I cannot, how- 

 ever, refrain from bringing to the notice of the scientific 

 public a topic .so fascinating as that herein dealt with, 

 since it is one of those exquisite things which only 

 organic nature reveals, and that but rarely. 



G. B. Howes. 



NO. 1631, VOL. 63] 



THE LIVERPOOL MUSEUM AND PROGRESS. 



OUR attention has been directed to a correspondence 

 now taking place in the Liverpool press, a propos 

 of a recent meeting of the Biological Society, at which 

 questions were raised as to the disposal of space in the 

 newly-erected extension of the city Museum and the re- 

 arrangement of the collections which must thereby 

 ensue. The subject was introduced by Mr. Isaac Thomp- 

 son, a past president, and continued at length by Prof. 

 Herdman, in his capacity as the founder and leader of 

 the Liverpool Biological School ; and the undisguised 

 theme was a protest against the non-communicativeness 

 of the Museum Director and his committee of manage- 

 ment, as to their intentions for the future development 

 of their work. These gentlemen, it appears, who, with 

 the sole exception of the Director himself, are in no way- 

 scientific, do not choose to consult Prof. Herdman and 

 his co-workers, by whose long years of devoted labour 

 the Liverpool School of Biologists have come to occupy 

 a foremost position among the schools of the United 

 Kingdom, more especially in matters pertaining to the 

 fisheries and of economic importance. The claim which 

 the local scientific men now raise is that their body shall 

 be adequately represented on the Museum Board, and 

 that immediate provision shall be made by this Board 

 for the establishment of collections bearing on the nature 

 and progress of oceanographic research and the fisheries, 

 as more particularly representing the Liverpool area, 

 regarded as a centre of local activity. And they also 

 desire the display of objects of local interest, which 

 shall in some measure reflect the latest advances in our 

 knowledge of nature's operations. 



The movement has been immediately taken up by the 

 Liverpool geologists, who have also held a meeting- 

 of protest ; and the general concern on the part of 

 the combined Liverpool natural history societies is, as 

 to whether the regime of the past, under which the 

 Museum, controlled by persons mostly destitute of 

 knowledge and experience of scientific affairs, shall 

 remain a general emporium, having for its object 

 the vain endeavour to fulfil the functions of a great 

 central national museum, or whether it shall be made 

 the centre of accumulation and display of all natural 

 objects of local interest, supplemented only by such 

 others as shall mark, in more especially its philosophic 

 and educational aspects, the groundwork and recent pro- 

 gress in the natural history sciences. General collec- 

 tions from afar and costly rarissimae will be forthcoming 

 so long as the exploring Liverpudlian and the enthusiastic 

 amateur exist, while the Directorate cannot be denied 

 the power of purchasing such things, within reason, 

 when so minded. It is with the work-a-day aspect ot 

 the Museum, as a rate-supported institution, that advance- 

 ment is now desired, and most assuredly the latter of the 

 afore-mentioned courses is, for this, the right one, as it is 

 that dictated by general progress in all that pertains to 

 museum work throughout the country, and by common 

 sense. And if this be so, the members of the Liverpool 

 Biological Society, the older and more experienced of 

 whom, under Prof. Herdman's guidance, have become 

 universally recognised experts, having by their labours 

 earned, as loyal citizens, a right of control, constitute a 

 very suitable and competent body of men available for 

 consultation, in itself the first necessary step for the 

 proper strengthening of the Director's hands, if he is to 

 be free and efficient as chief administrator. 



Z. T. GRAMME. 



MZENOBE THEOPHILE GRAMME, who died 

 • last week at the age of seventy-four, was one of 

 the pioneers of electrical engineering. He was born in 

 Belgium in 1826, and was brought up as a carpenter ; 

 a taste for mechanics led him to attend some scientific 



