i8 



NA TURE 



[November 5, 1891 



to one another, as well as to the vessels, nerves, and bones, 

 remain completely unaltered. The only racial character- 

 istics, therefore, which are dwelt upon are those of the 

 skeleton, and especially of the skull, in illustration of 

 which the authors reproduce some of the excellent figures 

 of Nathusius. 



Classifying them with regard to their racial peculiari- 

 ties, the skulls of dogs are divided into two large groups, 

 viz. (i) Dolichocephalic, to which belong such dogs as the 

 greyhound, collie, poodle, St. Bernard, and Newfound- 

 land ; and (2) Brachy cephalic, including, amongst others, 

 the pug and bulldog. These groups, however, do not 

 include all dogs, some varieties being intermediate. The 

 difiference depends upon the relative development of the 

 face as compared with the brain-capsule, for in the doli- 

 chocephalic the face is about two-thirds as long as the 

 brain-capsule, while in the brachycephalic it is only about 

 one third as long. The former have a strongly marked, 

 bony sagittal crest and a narrow brain-capsule ; in the 

 latter the sagittal crest is absent, and the brain-capsule 

 wide. The jaws and dental arches are straight and 

 extended in the dolichocephalic ; short and rapidly con- 



FlG. 4. — Dog's heart, viewed from the left side, a, left ventricle ; b, right 

 ventricle ; c, left auricle; d, its auricular appendage ; e, right auricle ; 

 f, groove between right and left ventricles ; g, coronary groove ; h, 

 aorta ; z, ligaraentum Botalli ; k, pulmonary artery ; /, innominate 

 artery ; vi, left subclavian ; n, pulmonary veins. 



verging in the brachycephalic ; in the former the pre- 

 molars are set straight, with well-marked intervals ; in 

 the latter they are closely packed, and set obliquely. The 

 racial peculiarities of all the several bones of the skeleton 

 are referred to, and a comprehensive table of pelvic 

 measurements of the different races is given. 



It would carry us too far to draw attention to all 

 the details of a work like this, but there are certain 

 points which deserve special mention. Amongst these 

 may be enumerated the exact manner in which each indi- 

 vidual bone is described and illustrated ; the descriptions 

 of the teeth, short but sufficient, including their dates of 

 eruption ; the account of the individual muscles and 

 groups of muscles, with their action ; the descriptions of 

 the viscera and of the vascular and nervous systems ; and 

 last, but not least, the general excellence of the illustra- 

 tions, in which the muscles, the blood-vessels, and the 

 nerves are shown up by the aid of colours and differences 

 of shading in a manner which gives a diagrammatic clear- 

 ness to what appear to be drawings made from actual 



NO. 1 149, VOL. 45] 



dissections. Special mention may also be made of the 

 section devoted to the cerebral hemispheres, the convolu- 

 tions and fissures of which are minutely described and 

 illustrated both by diagrams and artistic representations. 

 The diagrams which are used to elucidate the distribution 

 of the vagus and sympathetic nerves are a model of 

 clearness ; a reference to recent observations on the distri- 

 bution of white and grey fibres in these and other nerves 

 would, however, have added much to the physiological 

 value of this section. It is also to be remarked that the 

 sense-organs are somewhat lightly touched upon ; but in 

 the case of the eye and its connections with the brain, 

 the student is enabled to supplement the account given 

 by the authors by a bibliography of the subject extending 

 over the last twenty-five years. 



A table showing the arterial and nervous supply of all 

 the organs of the body, including each muscle and the 

 several parts of the skin, occupies about twenty pages at 

 the end of the book, and will add greatly to its value. 

 An excellent index must also be mentioned, especially as 

 an index is often conspicuous by its absence in German 

 scientific works. In its printing and general get up the 

 book is worthy of the pains which have been bestowed 

 upon it by its authors and of the distinguished physio- 

 logist. Prof. Carl Ludwig, to whom they have inscribed 

 a dedication. It is to be hoped that we may soon be 

 able to welcome this work in an English form. 



NOTES. 



A COMMITTEE has been formed at Cambridge to raise a fund 

 to obtain a portrait of Prof. Michael Foster. The portrait will 

 be presented either to the University or to Trinity College, as 

 the subscribers may decide. Among the members of the com- 

 mittee are the Vice-Chancellor, the Provost of King's, the 

 Masters of Trinity, Jesus, and Downing Colleges, Sir George 

 Stokes, M.P., Sir George Paget, Sir George Humphry, Prof. 

 Jebb, M.P., Prof. Darwin, Prof. Newton, Prof. Roy, Prof. 

 Stanford, Prof. Stanton, and Prof. Thomson. Dr. Lea, of 

 Gonvilie and Caius College, is the treasurer of the fund. 



The celebration of Prof, von Helmholtz's seventieth birthday, 

 deferred from August 31, was held on Monday last at Berlin. 

 He was congratulated in the warmest terms by the Minister of 

 Educadon, and by representatives of many scientific Societies. 

 Prof, du Bois Reymond, acting on behalf of the Helaiholtz 

 Medal Committee, handed to Dr. von Helmholtzthe first medal, 

 and said that numerous contributions to the Helmholtz Fund 

 had flowed in from all parts of the world, and that the Berlin 

 Academy of Science, with the Emperor's permission, had 

 undertaken the trusteeship. In the evening over 500 guests 

 attended a banquet at the Kaiserhof Hotel. 



We regret to have to record the death of Dr, H. K. H. Hoff- 

 mann, one of the most distinguished German botanists. He died 

 on October 27. He had been for many years Professor of 

 Botany at Giessen and Director of the Botanic Institution there. 

 Prof. Hoffmann was in his seventy- third year. 



With reference to the article on "Existing Schools of 

 Science and Art" in Nature of October 8 (vol. xliv. p. 547), 

 Mr. O. S. Dawson writes :— "It was stated at the meeting that 

 the St. Martin's School of Art ' had closed its doors.' I find this to 

 be incorrect. Certain changes have been made, but I am glad to 

 be able to state that this school (one of the oldest and best known 

 in the country) is flourishing under the new head- master, Mr. 

 Allen." 



The interest excited by the question of the compulsory study 

 of Greek brought to Cambridge on Thursday, last week, the 

 largest number of members of the Senate ever gathered in the 

 Senate House. The proposal that the question should be made 

 a subject of official inquiry was rejected by 525 votes against 

 185. 



