September 27, 1900] 



NATURE 



33 



tion of invisible radiations of great wave-length in connection 

 with the study of phosphorescence. Among other experiments 

 performed with this lamp, the following is very striking : — In an 

 absolutely dark room, a dark lamp is placed on a table, this 

 lamp not transmitting any trace of visible light. In front of it, 

 M. Le Bon places a statuette covered with sulphide of lime that 

 has been left in darkness for several days, and consequently 

 retains no trace of phosphorescence. After about a couple of 

 minutes the statuette becomes luminous, and appears to emerge 

 from the darkness. 



The director of the Meteorological Observatory at Ponta 

 Delgada, St. Michael, has published an interesting report on 

 the proposed establishment of an international meteorological 

 service at the Azores, including a history of the observations in 

 those islands, and a chart showing the tracks of a number of 

 storms which have visited that part of the North Atlantic 

 daring the last five years. The first regular observations were 

 made at Angra (Terceira) in 1864. at Ponta Delgada in 1865, 

 and at Santa Cruz (Flores) in 1897. The observations at Ponta 

 Delgada are now regularly published in the Daily Weather 

 Report issued by the Meteorological Council. Since the year 

 1893 six of the islands have been in telegraphic communication 

 with Lisbon, and eventually cables will be laid to England, 

 Germany, and the United States, and Flores will be connected 

 with the other islands. The direct communication of observa- 

 vations between America, the Azores and this country cannot 

 fail to be most useful both to science and to shipping ; and, 

 although the chart above referred to shows that most of the 

 depressions passing the archipelago strike the coasts of Europe 

 considerably south of the British Islands, a knowledge of the 

 positions and movements of the larger areas of high and low 

 barometric pressures in the North Atlantic must be of prime 

 importance for the purpose of storm prediction. 



It is well known that while country-folk adhere to the old 

 idea that adders when frightened are in the habit of protecting 

 their young by swallowing them, a large number of naturalists 

 regard the feat as an impossibility. In the September number 

 of The Zoologist Mr. G Leighton, a well qualified anatomist, has 

 set himself the task of ascertaining whether there is any founda- 

 tion for the objection. And he arrives at the conclusion that 

 there is no anatomical reason why the oft-repeated statement of 

 country observers should not be founded on fact. The author 

 concludes by stating that the objection raised on the ground that 

 the swallowing is unnecessary is a mere matter of opinion, adding 

 that all that is now necessary is for a competent authority to 

 dissect an adder which has been observed to swallow its young. 

 " Until this is done scientific naturalists will continue to regard 

 the question as one capable of proof, if true, but hitherto 

 unproved." 



The eminent physiologist Dr. Gustave Loisel has communi- 

 cated CO the Revue genh- ale des Sciences of September 15 a long 

 and able letter urging the importance of establishing a course of 

 instruction in practical embryology in the new French Universi- 

 ties. For a considerable time it appears that this subject has 

 been taught to a certain extent in some of these institutions ; 

 but, for various reasons, it has not hitherto been made a part of 

 the regular curriculum in all. After pointing out its extreme 

 importance to students of medicine, anatomy, and gynaecology, 

 Dr. Loisel formulates his appeal as follows : (i)That a single 

 course of elementary embryology, embracing both that of man 

 and of other vertebrates, should be established in each Uni- 

 versity, and that the necessary apparatus should be provided ; 

 (2) that this course should be instituted in a manner which 

 would serve the needs of all students to whom a knowledge of 

 this subject is of importance in their future career. These reso- 

 lutions, we are glad to see, have been unanimously adopted by 

 NO. 1613, VOL. 62] 



the Section of Medicine at the recent Congress, and we may 

 therefore hope that this important addition to the teaching of 

 the Universities may shortly be in working order. 



We have received vol. vii. pt. I of the Transactions of the 

 Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, which contains a 

 number of papers on local topics. 



In the Victorian Naturalist iox August, Mr. A. J. North 

 describes a new genus and species of Australian Passerine bird 

 as Eremiornis carteri, while Mr. R. Hall continues his 

 valuable notes on the distribution of the birds of Australia. 



We have received the autumn number of Bibhy's Quarterly^ 

 a journal issued at Liverpool ostensibly for the advertisement of 

 certain agricultural and other commodities, but which contains 

 a number of very interesting and well illustrated articles dealing 

 with stock-raising and kindred subjects. Among these, one 

 treating of ostrich-farming should attract general attention. 



The September issue of the Annals of the South African 

 Museum is devoted to the commencement of a synopsis of the 

 moths of South Africa, by Sir G. F. Hampson. South Africa 

 is the oldest British possession of any considerable size which 

 has hitherto never had a catalogue of its indigenous moths, 

 and as there are now many collectors in the country. Sir George 

 Hampson has been well advised in endeavouring to supply an 

 acknowledged want. 



The "British Anti-Dubbing Association" has forwarded to 

 us an influentially signed letter respecting the cruel practice of 

 cutting the combs and wattles of game-fowls. In spite of the 

 fact that the practice is already illegal, and that birds which 

 have been "dubbed" are ineligible for prizes at the British 

 Dairy Farmers' Association show, it is still largely prevalent. 

 It is now hoped that by bringing the matter into prominent 

 notice, the pressure of public opinion may be brought to bear 

 upon the promoters of poultry-shows, so as to disqualify all 

 mutilated birds from being classed. 



The present boundaries in North-west Bohemia between the 

 districts in which pure German, pure Tschech (Chekh), and the 

 various mixtures of these languages are spoken, are clearly 

 indicated by Dr. J. Zemmrich on a map in Globus (Bd. Ixxviii. 

 p. loi) which illustrates his paper on that subject. 



The disposal of the dead is an important subject of ethno- 

 graphical inquiry ; therefore thanks from students are due to Mr. 

 W. Crooke for his paper on " Primitive rites of disposal of the 

 dead, with special reference to India," in the Journal of the 

 Anthropological Institute (vol. xxix. p. 271). Nearly every 

 form of burial is practised in India, and Mr. Crooke has given 

 full references for every statement he has made. 



From Dr. Thurston's report on the administration of the 

 Madras Museum for the year 1899-1900,- we learn that the 

 general progress of that institution is satisfactory. Anthropo- 

 logists will be pleased to hear that the superintendent has 

 found time to continue his valuable investigations concerning 

 the various races met with in the Presidency, those which have 

 recently engaged his attention being the Pathan, Sheik and 

 Saiyad Muhamadans of Madras city. 



In the Abhandlungen der Naturwiss. Gesellsch,, /sis, 1900, 

 Prof. J. Deichmliller describes a find of three broken urns and a 

 stone axe of Neolithic age from near Dresden ; these urns 

 and two others described in the paper are decorated with incised 

 lines. The same author also describes a late Slavic cemetery at 

 Niedersedlitz of a date about iioo of our era. The single 

 measurable skull was meso-orthocephalic, with a cephalic index 

 of about 787. 



