May 27, 1897] 



NATURE 



of leftward electric forces on the six electrions 

 above rightward electric forces on the five ponderable 

 atoms. Kelvin. 



London, May 22. 



NEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE LARVA OF 

 THE COMMON EEL} 



IN our last note we announced that we had succeeded 

 in following the transformation of Leptocephalits 

 brevirostris into An^uilla vulgaris, and that the proof 

 had been repeated by Prof. Ficalbi. 



Our discovery was thus also confirmed by experiment. 

 We were therefore ready to publish our work in exienso, 

 and only regretted that we were unable to supply figures 

 of the intermediate stages between the transparent 



Anterior extremity of the dorsal fin. 



Anus. 

 Fig. -i.—Leptocefhalus brezurostris, with its larval teeth still intact (enlarged). 



(blind) .^nguillina and the Leptocephalus breinrostris with 

 its larval teeth still intact. The only example of this 

 Leptocephalus obtained in a fit condition to survive and 

 undergo its transformations in aquaria — that is to say, 

 one uninjured and sufficiently advanced in its develop- 

 ment (already deprived of a considerable proportion of 

 its larval teeth), had already been made the subject of 

 the above-named experiment. 



An unexpected chance has, however, fortunately pro- 

 cured us a Leptocephalus brevirostris which had acquired 

 such characteristics as to convince anyone of the reality 

 of the metamorphoses dis- 

 covered by us. We think 

 it desirable to give a pre- 

 liminary notice of this 

 precious specimen, by pub- 

 lishing an illustration of it 

 by the side of that of 

 another Leptocephalus bre- 

 virostris still having its 

 larval teeth intact. 



The present specimen 

 was captured, last January, 

 by Dr. Silvestri in the 

 Straits of Messina. 



Its total length is 71 

 mm. The anus is at about 29 mm. from the apex of the 

 snout, the anterior extremity of the dorsal fin being about 

 25 mm. from the apex of the snout. 



The head and the point of the tail have already notice- 

 ably acquired the known special characteristics of the eel. 



The larval teeth have totally disappeared, while the 

 distinctive ones seem still entirely absent. 



It lacks all traces of pigment. 



We will not proceed to further particulars, reserving 

 them for qur larger work. 



1 " Description of a Leptocephalus brn'trostris in process of transforma- 

 tion into /<«^«///a vulgaris." Preliminary Note by G. B. Grassi and Dr. 

 S. Calandruccio. Translated from the Atti della Reale Accademia del 

 Lincei, vol. vi. pp. 239-40, 1897. 



TORONTO MEETING OF THE BRITISH 

 ASSOCIATION. 



II.— Local Arrangements, 



THE material for the " Handbook of Canada," which 

 is being prepared for the meeting, under the 

 direction of the Publication Committee, is now complete, 

 and there is every ground for believing that a large 

 number of copies of the book will be ready about July 

 15, for distribution in England amongst the members of 

 the Association who propose attending the Canadian 

 meeting. The aim of the handbook is to give informa- 

 tion on the Geography, Geology, Natural History, and 

 Economic Resources of Canada. It will embrace 

 chapters also on Public Administration and on the 

 History of the Dominion. The Chairman of this Com- 

 mittee, Prof. Ramsay Wright, has succeeded in enlisting 

 in the preparation of this 

 work the aid of the most 

 expert Canadian authori- 

 ties, and there is no doubt 

 that the publication, when 

 if appears, will be re- 

 garded as a valuable 

 guide to the Dominion. 



In all probability the 

 meeting will have a spe- 

 cial distinction in the 

 very large attendance of 

 foreign men of science, an 

 attendance larger than 

 that of any previous 

 meeting. The presence 

 of the Presidents of a number of the leading American 

 Universities, with a very large representation of the 

 scientific members of their Faculties, will make the 

 occasion one of very great interest to both nations. 

 Out of this has again risen the suggestion to form 

 an International Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, and it has been pointed out that the nucleus 

 of such an organisation can be formed at Toronto from 

 the representative men from Europe and America in 

 attendance here. The first meeting, according to this 

 proposition, would be held in Paris in 1900. 



Anterior extremity of the dorsal fin. 



Anus. 

 L. brevirostris captured by Dr. Silvestri (enla ged on the same scale ; 



the preceding). 



NO. 1439, VOL. 56] 



His Excellency, the Governor-General of Canada, and 

 Lady Aberdeen have accepted the invitation to be pre- 

 sent at the meeting, and have arranged to hold a special 

 Reception for the members of the Association, probably 

 in the new Legislative Buildings, during the evening of 

 August 19. His Excellency takes a deep interest in the 

 coming meeting, and has expressed a wish to do what is 

 possible to make it a success. The Lieutenant-Governor 

 of Ontario, the Hon. G. A. Kirkpatrick, and Mrs. Kirk- 

 patrick have also graciously offered to hold a reception 

 for the members. 



The Local Committee recognise how interesting the 

 country about and near Toronto is from a scientific point 

 of view and they have made arrangements whereby the 



