4o6 



NATURE 



[August 25, 1892 



hippocampal commissure and the anterior commissure. These 

 results support the conclusions of Owen, and are opposed to 

 those of Flower. 



(8) Prof. J. Playfair McMurrich, the Early Development of 

 the Isopods. The author described the structure and mode of 

 segmentation of the typical centrolecithal ovum of the Isopod 

 Jcrra, calling attention to the early differentiation of the germ 

 layers, which may be traced back to the eight-celled stage. The 

 mesoderm forms at first a band of cells surrounding the embryo, 

 and later concentrates towards the ventral surface to form the 

 blastodisc, behind which is the endoderm, these two layers be- 

 coming later enclosed by the ectoderm, which grows back over 

 them by teloblastic proliferation. 



(9) Dr. J. Beard gave some notes on Lampreys and Hag- 

 fishes. 



(10) Prof. G. B. Howres and Mr. J. Harrison, on the Skeleton 

 and Teeth of the Australian Dugong. The authors described the 

 process of vertebral-epiphysis formation, showing that epiphyses, 

 so far as represented, are formed late, and are rapidly merged 

 into the substance of the vertebral body. They described the 

 formation of structures which might, perhaps, be regarded as 

 anticipatory of supernumerary phalanges, and pointed out that 

 their observations lent no support to Kukenthal's view of the 

 epiphysial nature of such phalanges. Five mandibular teeth 

 were found to be present in the anterior region of each ramus in 

 the manatee, and one of these they claimed as a canine. They 

 recorded the discovery of milk predecessors to the first upper 

 and the four lower incisors (?) of the dugong, and of the two 

 anterior mandibular cheek teeth of the manatee ; and discussed 

 the bearings of these facts on the inter-relationships and affini- 

 ties of the order Sirenia. 



(il) Dr. H. C. McCook — Can Spiders Prognosticate Weather 

 Changes? Dr. McCook first stated briefly the widespread 

 popular opinion that spiders fairly indicate the weather by 

 ceasing to spin before foul weather, and weaving freely before 

 fine weather. He then gave a few extracts from his journal of 

 observations on this point extending over six years, the tenor 

 of which is that the popular opinion has no basis in fact. Many 

 species of orb-weavers, which were colonized and kept under 

 close observation, made snares freely before rains and storms, 

 frequently even in the intervals between heavy rains. 



(12) Mr. G. Swainson, some Notes on Marine and Freshwater 

 Chironomus. 



(13) Rev. Hilderic Friend, on British Earthworms; The 

 author distinguishes between the four genera — Lunibricus, 

 AUolobophora. Allurus, and Dendrobana — to which British 

 earthworms belong, and gives an account of the different 

 species, some of which are new to science. 



(14) Mr. H. Newman Laurence, the Human Body as a Con- 

 ductor of Electricity. 



(15) Prof. J. B. Haycraft, Fertilization of the Eggs of the 

 Stickleback. 



The two following papers, also on the programme, were 

 taken as read : — 



(16) Prof. Emile Yung, la Fonction Dermatoptique chez le 

 Ver de Terre, and 



(17) M. J. Richard, Note sur I'CEil Lateral des Copepodes du 

 genre Pleuromma. The lateral eye in Pleuronuna is variable 

 in position, but is more often on the right side than on the left, 

 and seems more constant in males than in females. 



The following demonstrations were also given during the after- 

 noon : — The Formation of Pearls (by Mr. Albert F. Calvert), 

 Interesting British Food Fishes (by Mr. E. W. L. Holt), and. 

 the Structure of Myeloxylon (by Mr. A. C. Seward). 



GEOGRAPHY AT THE BRITISH 

 ASSOCIATION. 

 'X'HE work of the Geographical Section was overtaken in 

 -*■ four meetings, the large attendance at which « as evidence 

 that the papers read met at least with popular approval. It is 

 more satisfactory to gather from the opinions expressed by 

 specialists that many of the papers were solid and original, and 

 that from the scientific standpoint the average work was of high 

 excellence. Without doubt the most important of the new 

 results announced to the Section was Dr. Schlichter's admirable 

 development of a photographic process for determining longi- 

 tude by the almost disused method of lunar distances. The 

 practical value of the invention is very great, especially with 

 regard to the mapping of partially known continents. 



Like all other departments of the Association, Section E 

 owed much of its success to the distinguished foreigners who 

 took part in its proceedings. The papers by the Prince of 

 Monaco and the occasional remarks of Baron von Richthofen 

 were much appreciated. Two ladies read papers, Mrs. Bishop 

 recounting her adventures on the borders of Tibet with her 

 well-known literary grace, and Mrs. Grove giving a short, 

 bright account of the rainless regions of Chile. 



Prof. James Geikie's presidential address, although based en- 

 tirely on geological reasoning, was truly geographical in so far as 

 it utilized geology only for the purpose of explaining the origin of 

 the existing surface conditions of the globe. As presenting the 

 only sound basis of physical geography, this opening address 

 proved to.be one of the best and most original with which 

 Section E has ever been favoured. Unfortunately, Prof. Geikie 

 was prevented by illness from presiding at all the meetings, but 

 his place was taken by the vice-presidents, Colonel Godwin 

 Austen, Mr. H. J. Mackinder, Mr. E. G. Ravenstein, and Mr, 

 Coutts Trotter. 



The First Ascent of Oraefa Jiikull. — In the absence of the 

 author, Mr. J. Coles read an account by Mr. F. \V. W. Howell 

 of the first ascent of Oraefa Jokull in Iceland. Mr. Howell suc- 

 ceeded in making the ascent on August 12 last year, after several 

 previous failures. Although only 6550 feet in height the moun- 

 tain presented remarkable difficulties on account of the irregu- 

 larity of the ice. 



Place Names. — Dr. J. Burgess, in the course of a paper on 

 place names, urged a uniform system of transliteration from 

 Oriental alphabets as more scholarly and more satisfactory than 

 any attempt to represent the sound of names phonetically. 

 In no other way could uniformity of spelling be arrived at, and 

 the diverse spellings now in use made the study of Asiatic geo- 

 graphy in particular very toilsome and irritating. With regard 

 to Gaelic names there were several serious errors in spelling on 

 the ordnance map, but at the suggestion of Sir Charles Wilson 

 a Committee of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society had 

 taken the matter up, and aided by local committees were intro- 

 ducing important corrections. A lively discussion followed the 

 reading of this paper, in which Sir Charles Wilson, Mr. 

 Mackinder, Prof. Thomas Smith, and others took part. A 

 Committee of the Association was formed to co-operate with 

 the Scottish Society, and received a small grant to aid in the 

 I thorough revision of the orthography of Gaelic place names. 



Effects of Rainfall in Formosa. — Mr. John Thomson, of 

 London, gave an account of the effect of rainfall on the scenery 

 of Formosa, illustrated by a number of fine photographs. The 

 situation of the island and its mountainous structure conspire to 

 give prominence to the effect of rain-action ; the wind blowing in 

 from the warm current of the Kuro Siwo strikes against a moun- 

 tainous ridge which runs the whole length of the island and cul- 

 minates in a summit 12,000 feet high. The mountain side to 

 windward is scored with deep ravines, and the streams choked 

 with huge boulders in course of transport to the coast-plains, 

 which are deeply covered by fine alluvium washed down from 

 the heights. 



The Windings of Rivers. — Mr. J. Y. Buchanan, in a short 

 paper, discussed the windings of rivers from the standpoint of 

 hydrodynamics. 



Lesser Tibet. — Mrs. Bishop (Miss Isabella Bird) described a 

 journey undertaken in 1889, on the borderland of Tibet, which 

 she approached from Leh, in Kashmir. The intensity of radia- 

 tion at great altitudes, giving very hot days and cold nights, was 

 observed to lead to a very rapid disintegration of the rocks, 

 resulting in the formation of immense fields of gravel. Although 

 presenting a vivid picture of the topography and scenery of the 

 trans-Himalayan borderland, Mrs. Bishop entered more fully 

 into the characteristics of the people, contrasting the false, sus- 

 picious, and cringing natives of Kashmir with the truthful, trust- 

 ful, and independent people of Tibet, who always welcomed her 

 warmly and dealt with her fairly. 



The North Atlantic. — The Prince of Monaco read two papers 

 on his oceanographical work, the first bearing on his experi- 

 ments with floats on the surface circulation of the Gulf Stream, 

 and its associated system of currents. About 10 per cent, of the 

 floats thrown over from the Prince's yacht have been recovered, 

 and by taking into account the position in which they were 

 found and the date, important confirmation of the theoretical 

 system of circulation was obtained. The current was found to 

 be a circular whirl, with its centre a short distance south-west of 

 the Azores. Floats thrown over near the centre were not re- 



NO. 119 1, VOL. 46] 



