August 19, 1897] 



NATURE 



385 



controversy ensued, which has at last been concluded by an 

 interesting paper by M. S. Arcidiacono in the Bollettino of the 

 Italian Seismological Society. The observations described in 

 this memoir were made for more than three years with two 

 normal tromometers at the observatory of Catania, one sus- 

 pended from a thick wall, the other from an isolated column 

 built on an old la^'a-stream. It was found that the mean dis- 

 placement of the former instrument almost invariably exceeded 

 that of the latter, though not differing greatly from it. l5oth 

 tromometers show a prevalence of north-and-south displacements, 

 <lue probably to the existence of Etna on the north ; but the 

 planes of oscillation coincided on only 381 days, while they 

 differed on 667 days. One important conclusion is that, so far 

 as regards magnitude of displacement, a normal tromometer 

 suspended from the wall of a building may give useful results. 



Au!;detn Anhivder DeutsckenSeewarte{nin&\.GGni)\ye?ir, 1896), 

 published under the direction of the Seewarte, contains four con- 

 tributions of interest. The first of these is by Herrn, E. Knipp- 

 ing, who points out the importance of examining minutely the 

 log-books of vessels with regard to the meteorological records, 

 and the publication of the chief and most important results 

 gained thereform. He gives also samples of how the observations 

 may be most simply printed and used as references. The appendix 

 contains an application of the method advocated, the log-books 

 employed being those that were contained in home-coming ships 

 during the month of January in 1894. The second article is an 

 addition to a previous one, which dealt with experiments relat- 

 ing to the "stopping down," or reduction in size, of the side- 

 lights carried by ships. " Tafeln fiir die Vorausberechnirng der 

 Sternbedeckungen " is the title of the third part, and is con- 

 tributed by Dr. Carl Stechert. This contains a description of 

 the formuliE and tables for the prediction of occultations of 

 stars, and a clear explanation as to how they should be used, both 

 as regards approximate and very accurate results. The fourth 

 and last part is perhaps the most important, and is by Herrn. 

 E Engelenburg, formerly Director of the Konigl. Niederl. 

 Meteorolog. Observatoriums in Utrecht. The subject dealt with 

 is the aerodynamic theory of storms, and is preceded by a 

 capital historical summary of the various theories propounded 

 down to the present day. The article is too long and important 

 to be discussed here, so we must simply refer our readers directly 

 to the original. We may mention that a very useful " Litteratur- 

 Nachweis " is attached. 



Ax interesting memoir, by C. T. Morner, has recently 

 appeared in the Zeitschrift fiir physiologische Chemie, dealing 

 with a method of preserving fish, much employed in many parts 

 of the northern districts of Sweden. The freshly-caught fish 

 are cleaned, washed, and placed in wooden casks, and are then 

 covered with brine. The casks are then closed and made air- 

 tight, and placed in the open air in a sunny place, and allowed 

 to remain there for from five to six weeks. The process of fer- 

 mentation, which soon ensues, is controlled by means of a small 

 vent-hole, which is opened from time to time. If the fermenta- 

 tion becomes too active the casks are placed in the shade, or 

 some cooler place is chosen for them. As soon as the requisite 

 stage in the process has been reached, the casks are opened, 

 and the now-finished article is packed in smaller vessels for 

 storage and distribution. This article of diet, known in Swedish 

 as "surfisk,"is eaten either raw or toasted. Morner has en- 

 deavoured to ascertain what is the nature of the chemical pro- 

 ducts elaborated during the process of fermentation to which the 

 fish are submitted. As accounting for the disagreeable odour 

 which characterises this preparation, Morner found amongst 

 the gases emitted during fermentation the offensive -smelling 

 methylmercaptan. Amongst the organic acids discovered in 

 the "surfisk," whilst absent in the fresh fish, succinic acid, 

 NO. 145 1, VOL. 56] 



butyric acid, formic, acetic, and valeric acids were detected, 

 whilst large quantities of ammonia and some ptomaines were 

 also found, amongst the latter being choline and leucine. 

 Curiously indol, skatol, phenol, putrescine and cadaverine, so 

 characteristic of putrefactive processes in general, were absent 

 in this preparation. 



The increasing interest taken in British bird-life has en- 

 couraged the editors of Knowledge to permanently devote a 

 considerable space in each number to notes on the habits, dis- 

 tribution, migration, and so on, of British birds. A number of 

 well-known ornithologists, including, amongst others, Messrs. 

 W. Eagle Clarke, J. Cordeaux, H. E. Dresser, W. Warde 

 Fowler, J. A. Harvie- Brown, and Thomas Southwell, have 

 promised contributions. The department will be conducted by 

 Mr. Harry F. Wilherby. 



The discovery of human and other remains in the Halber- 

 stadt Cave, Jamaica, and of rock-carvings at St. John's, aroused 

 considerable interest in the subject of aboriginal remains in the 

 island. An exhibition of such remains, illustrating the life and 

 customs of the aboriginal inhabitants, was held in the museum 

 of the Institute of Jamaica at the end of 1895, ^^^ it not only 

 brought to notice a number of relics not previously known, but 

 led to various discoveries and investigations of importance to 

 the anthropology of Jamaica and of the West Indies generally. 

 Mr. J. E. Duerden, the curator of the museum, has prepared 

 an interesting illustrated report upon these "Aboriginal Indian 

 Remains in Jamaica," and has included in it a note, by Prof. 

 A. C. Haddon, upon the craniology of the aborigines. 



The following are among the papers and other publications 

 which have come under our notice within the past few days : 

 Indian Museum Notes (vol. iv. No. 2), issued by the Trustees 

 of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Among the contents are 

 short papers on a new species of Buprestid beetle (/nlodis 

 atkinsont) ; two new species of gall-aphid ; the well-known 

 "Pipsa" ^y {Siinnlium indictun) ; and many useful notes on 

 insect pests and remedies. — The fifth part of Mr. Oswin A. J. 

 Lee's fine work, entitled ' ' Among British Birds in their Nesting 

 Haunts, illustrated by the Camera" (Edinburgh : David Douglas 

 has been published. Previous issues of this work have already 

 been noticed ; the present part contains the plates illustrating 

 the nests of the Corn Crake, Chaffinch, Capercaillie, Snipe, 

 Mute Swan, Golden-crested Wren, and Sandpiper. Brief de- 

 scriptions of the habits and haunts of these birds accompany 

 the plates. — A critical review of the methods of determining 

 minerals is contributed to the Journal of the Franklin Institute 

 (August), by Dr. Joseph W. Richards. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cynoinolgus, <J ) 

 from India, presented by Mr, Walter Chamberlain ; four 

 Common Hedgehogs {Erinaceus europceus), British, presented 

 by Mr. Evelyn Pelly ; a Slender-billed Cockatoo (Licmetis 

 nasicd) from South Australia, presented by Mrs. M. D. Vibart ; 

 a Matamata Terrapin {Chelys Jimbriata) from North Brazil, pre- 

 sented by Mr. W. J. Crummach ; two Ribbon Snakes {Tropi- 

 donotus saurita), seven Striped Snakes ( Tropidonotus ordinatus 

 sirtalis), four Dekay's Snakes {Ischnognathus dekayi), two 

 American Milk Snakes (Coronella triangulum), two Grass 

 Snakes (Contia vernalis) from North America, presented by Mr. 

 J. H. Fleming ; a Grey Lemur {Hapa/eniur griseus) from 

 Madagascar, three Altai Deer {Cervus sp. inc., i ? 9 ) from the 

 Altai Mountains, a Circasian Wild Goat {Capra cauiasica, <J ) 

 from Caucasus, deposited ; one Greater Vasa Parrot {Coracopsis 

 vasa) from Madagascar, purchased ; two Viscachas (Lagostontus 

 trichodactylus), three Barbary Wild Sheep {Ovis tragelaphus), a 

 Spotted Tinamou {Nothura tnaculosa), bred in the Gardens. 



