392 



NATURE 



[July 



1918 



Prof. RalUiet on oxyurosis in the horse. After giving- 

 an account of the history and characters of the genus 

 Oxyuris, the author describes the cosmopolitan species, 

 O. equi (cttrvtila). He holds that there is no warrant 

 for referring to different species, as Jerke has done, 

 the short-tailed and . long-tailed females, for these 

 gradually merge, and they agree in all other essential 

 characters, and the males are identical. In Prof. 

 Railliet's opinion the correct view is that O. equi has 

 polymorphic females. A summary of the pathogenic 

 effects of these worms is given, and observations on 

 the life-history cited, which indicate that the species 

 has a direct development. 



Dr. J. ScHWETZ contributes to the Annals of 

 Tropical Medicine and Parasitology (vol. xi., No. 4) 

 observations on the habits of three species of tsetse- 

 flies — Glossina hrevipalpis, fusca, and pallidipes — in 

 the Belgian Congo. These three and two other im- 

 portant species — palpalis and morsitans — select as 

 resting-places the trunks and larger branches of trees. 

 In regions where they exist hrevipalpis and pallidipes 

 are not restricted to limited belts, but, like morsitans, 

 are found uninterruptedly over large stretches of 

 country. Brevipalpis accommodates itself to forest, 

 park land, and wooded savannah, but pallidipes (like 

 morsitans) does not inhabit the forest, whereas fusca 

 occurs only in the forest, and, in fact, only in moder- 

 ately dei)se forest belts. Where it does occur fusca 

 is not uncommon and is sometimes even abundant; 

 Dr. Schwetz states that his two trained native boys 

 collected more than 500 specimens in a few weeks. 

 This species does not fly during the day, like mor- 

 sitans and palpalis, but remains motionless on tree 

 trunks, being only occasionally stimulated into flight 

 by the passing of men and animals. Its definite 

 period of activity is an hour or two after sunset, and 

 anyone passing then through a haunt of this fly is sure 

 to be attacked by numerous specimens. The haunts of 

 brevipalpis. pallidipes, and fusca are almost exclusively 

 along roads and paths. 



We have received a pamphlet on the Rockefeller 

 Foundation compiled by its president, Mr. George E. 

 Vincent, ' being a review of its war-work, public 

 health activities, and projects for medical education in 

 19 17. The war- work includes a military base hospital 

 of seventy beds erected in the grounds of the Rocke- 

 feller Institute in New York City, which embodies 

 features which French and British practice has 

 proved essential in a base hospital ; here military and 

 naval medical officers are sent for study and experi- 

 ence, A tuberculosis campaign has been instituted in 

 France. The training of sanitary medical ofificers is 

 being promoted by the foundation and maintenance of 

 a school of hygiene at the Johns Hopkins University. 

 Public health work is being carried out in many lands. 

 The control of hookworm disease (anchylostomiasis) 

 is being studied in several States of the Union, in 

 Brazil, Siam, Fiji, and China. Malaria is being dealt 

 with in some of the southern States, vellow fever in 

 South America, medical education is being aided in 

 China, anji contributions of funds and material have 

 been given to the American Red Cross. Truly a fine 

 record, which has been rendered possible mainly by the 

 princely donations of the founder, Mr. John D. 

 Rockefeller. 



The phenomena of concretionary growth receive 

 discussion in two recent memoirs of the Canadian 

 Geological Survey. In Memoir loi Mr. W. A. John- 

 ston refers to the importance of elevation above the 

 local water-table in promoting the formation of con- 

 cretions in certain marine Pleistocene clays. In 

 Memoir 102 Mr. T. T. Quirke discusses clay-balls In 

 NO. 2542, VOL. lOl] 



fluvioglacial clays in the Espanola district of Ontario, 

 giving useful references to the analogous '^marlekor" 

 or Imatra stones of Fennoscandia. 



When Dr. L. L. Fermor showed, in 1906, that a 



crystalline form of psilomelane existed in Central 



India, he was without evidence of the system to which 



it should be referred. He now (Records Geol. Survey 



of India, vol. xlvili., p. 103, 1917) shows from a care- 



I ful investigation that hollandite crystallises in the 



I scheellte class of the tetragonal system, a bipyramidal 



class without vertical planes of symmetry, here stvled 



i "pyramidal" without further qualification. "Dr. 



: Fermor regards romanechlte, which was named but 



, not described by Lacioix in 1900, as a hollandite 



j with more water and less ferric oxide. Since the 



accents vary in the paper, it may be remarked that 



the grave accent Is correct, as in the village name 



of Roman^che. 



Mr. p. W. Bridgman {Amer. Journ. Science, 

 vok xlv., p. 243, 1918) has prepared a number of 

 cylinders of rocks and crystals with central cavities 

 drilled in them. These have been subjected in a 

 jacketing cylinder of chrome-nickel steel to pressures 

 up to 12,000 kg. /cm. 2. Disintegration takes place 

 from the walls of the cavity, and It gradually becomes 

 filled with flakes and sand. In the case of crystals,, 

 the splinters have no obvious connection with the 

 crystalline symmetry. Even the flaws in the original 

 specimens appear to play no part In this secondarv 

 fracturing; they are probably already closed tightly 

 by natural pressure. The author concludes that 

 "minute crevices, at least large enough for the per- 

 colation of liquids, exist In the stronger rocks at 



! depths corresponding to 6000 or 7000 kg. /cm.-, and 



j possibly more." 



A _ CONTRIBUTION to the question of the origin of 

 kaolin in deeply seated rock-masses Is made by 

 I Messrs. S. Paige and George Stelger of the U.S'. 

 j Geological Survey (Journ. Washington Acad. Scl.^ 

 ! vol. vlli., p. 234, 1918). In connection with the chal- 

 : cosine deposits of Tyrone, New Mexico, even quartz 

 I has become replaced by kaolin. It Is suggested that 

 I sericite, which occurs abundantly as an alteration- 

 product of felspar In the local porphyries, has become 

 decomposed by solutions containing sulphuric acid 

 from the copper ores. Fluorine, which Is shown to 

 exist In the sericite, is thus set free, and this has 

 enabled the quartz to disappear in solution. Kaolin, 

 ! resulting from the attack made upon the sericite, 

 takes the place of the quartz In the final mass. The 

 eff'ect of descending solutions from sulphide ores 

 In promoting the kaollnisatlon of sericite is also 

 referred to by Mr. J. Coggin Brown in his recent 

 description of the mines of galena and zinc-blende at 

 i Bawdwin in the North Shan States (Records Geol. 

 Survey of India, vol. xlvili., p. 171). 



The French are turning their attention just now to- 

 the Pyrenean region, where considerable water-power 

 Is available for Industrial purposes. A number of 

 chemical factories have been, or will be, installed in 

 the region. Of special importance {according to an 

 article in La Nature for June 29) is the manufacture 

 of calcium carbide, artificial fertilisers, and cyanates, 

 while It Is also hoped to develop the mineral deposits 

 and treat them cheaply In the large factories, which 

 I will give ample power for the purpose. The bauxite 

 ! deposits will be exploited for the production of 

 aluminium, and the artificial fertiliser industry is sure 

 to receive an impetus when the water-power still avail- 

 able is harnessed. At present only about one-fifth of 

 i that which can be produced Is utilised. The article 



