90 



NA T.URE 



[November 28, 189; 



the climate of eastern equatorial Africa was more humid 

 than at present ; he now attributes the change to artificial 

 deforestation of the country. The most interesting paper in 

 the number is one by St. Paul Hilaire, which gives an 

 account of the laws of inheritance of the different tribes on the 

 ■coast near Tanga. In the actual coast towns the people are 

 ■either Mohammedan, or under Mohammedan influence, and the 

 author has little new to record, except a list of native writings. 

 The Bantu people of the district considered belong to four 

 tribes, of which the report deals only with the Wa digo, one of 

 the most intelligent people on the East African coast. St. Paul- 

 Hilaire first states the laws on the inheritance of property, which 

 passes to the relatives of the mother. Thus a man's wives and 

 children are inherited by the nearest male maternal relative. 

 The rest of the report summarises the rules in regard to marriage. 

 The last article in the volume continues the publication of 

 Dr. Steinbach's important meteorological observations on the 

 Marshall Islands. 



For several years the American'Public Health Association has 

 had a special committee on pollution of water supplies. At the 

 meeting of the Association in Montreal, this committee re- 

 commended that a co-operative investigation be instituted with 

 regard to the bacteriology of water supplies, and, as an outcome 

 of this proposal, a convention was held in New York, in June 

 last, to consider methods and elaborate a standard scheme of 

 work which would secure some sort of uniformity in the 

 differentiation of species of bacteria. The verbatim report of 

 the proceedings of this convention (which was attended by most 

 of the prominent American bacteriologists), together with the 

 papers presented, make up the October y<?Mr«a/ of the Associa- 

 tion. The subjects considered relate almost exclusively to 

 certain technical matters, which required elucidation before a 

 satisfactory scheme of work could be drawn up ; among these 

 questions being : colour nomenclature for bacteriologists ; how 

 variability is to be regarded ; the methods to be followed in 

 determining the relation of bacteria to temperature ; methods 

 for the separation of bacteria into groups, and for the identifica- 

 tion of species ; the nature of the flagella, and their value in 

 the systematic classification of bacteria ; the grouping of water 

 bacteria, and the influence of variations in the composition of 

 nutrient gelatine upon their development. No decision was 

 reached on any of the questions discussed ; but the whole series 

 was referred to a committee, with the understanding that the 

 convention would accept its decision, and that its members 

 would modify their laboratory methods in accordance therewith. 

 The decisions of this committee have not, however, yet been 

 published. 



The literature of marine biology has just been increased by 

 the publication of the fourth volume of " Reports upon the 

 Fauna of Liverpool Bay and the neighbouring Seas," written by 

 the members of the Liverpool Marine Biology Committee and 

 other naturalists, and edited by Prof W. A. Herdman, F.R.S. 

 The volume commences the record of the investigations carried 

 on at the committee's biological station at Port Erin, Isle of 

 Man. At this station, which was opened in 1892, several im- 

 portant investigations have already been carried out, and there 

 is every reason to believe that the work will develop in the 

 future, as the facilities for observations are increased. We notice 

 among the papers included in the volume, one on the vascular 

 systems of the Starfishes, by Mr. H. C. Chadwick, and another 

 on the Cerata of Nudibranchs, by Mr. J. A. Clubb. There are 

 also reports on Turbellaria, by Mr. F. W. Gamble ; on Cope- 

 poda, by Mr. Isaac C. Thompson ; on Nemertines, by Mr. 

 J. H. Vanstone and W. I. Beaumont; on Medusae, by Mr. 

 E. T. Browne ; and on Amphipoda, by Mr. A. O. Walker. 

 These, with a valuable paper, by Dr. R. Hanitsch, on the 

 NO. 1361, -S'OL. ^l\ 



nomenclature and classification of British sponges, and three 

 reports, by Prof. Herdman, upon the work of the Liverpool 

 Marine Biology Committee and their biological station, make 

 up a very creditable volume. The Liverpool naturalists deserve- 

 to be congratulated for accomplishing so much work in a modest 

 establishment, and without any funds except those raised by 

 private subscriptions. 



Two memoirs on Entomophyteshave recently been published. 

 The one is by Mr. R. H. Pettit on " Studies in Artificial Cul- 

 tures of Entomogenous Fungi," and emanates from the Cornell 

 University Agricultural Experiment Station, U.S.A. The other 

 is by Mr. A. S. Olliff on " Australian Entomophytes, or Ento- 

 mogenous Fungi, and some account of their Insect-Hosts," and 

 is issued by the" Department of Agriculture, Sydney, N.S.W. 

 Both are well illustrated, and deal largely with Cordyceps and 

 Isaria. The loose, white, cottony growth which sometimes en- 

 velopes dead insects is a familiar sight, and Mr. Pettit, in dis- 

 cussing the possible use of entomogenous fungi for insecticidal 

 purposes, refers to the suggestion that has been made to employ 

 Sporotrichiiiii globuliferimi. against the chinch-bug. Mr. Ollifi' 

 is prepared to make the assertion that all the larger fungi of the 

 genus Cordyceps live upon, and at the expense of, subterranean 

 larvae and pupae, in proof of which he points to the fact that all 

 the bulky species of which the hosts are definitely known have 

 been found upon root-feeding insects. Of Hyphomyceteat; there 

 are various minute entomogenous forms recognised as Australian. 

 Some of these are variously found on aphides infesting pumpkin 

 leaves, on dead ants, and on red scale of the orange. Botrytis 

 tenella, Sacc. {Isaria densa), on larvae and pupae of Diptera, 

 wasps, and cockchafers, has been introduced into Australia from 

 Europe for the purpose of killing Lamellicorn larva;, but the at- 

 tempts have not succeeded. Mr. Olliff adds that in view of the 

 large numbers of Cordyceps Gunnii, and C. Selkirki that are 

 found in a limited area, and of the extensive injuries to useful 

 timber and shade trees which often result from the attacks of the 

 subterranean larvae of Pielus and Trictena, the hosts of these 

 parasitic fungi, it is evident that the native species of Cordyceps 

 have a considerable economic value. He hopes that the De- 

 partment of Agriculture at Sydney will shortly be able to make 

 investigations to test the possibility of utilising these fungi 

 artificially for the destruction of injurious root-feeding insects. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus sinicus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. V. Roger ; a Smooth-headed 

 Qz.'^wf^m {Ccbiis monachus) from South-east Brazil, presented 

 by Major F. A. White ; a Kittiwake {Rissa tridaciyla), British, 

 presented by Mr. Walter Butters, jun. ; three Poe Honey Eaters 

 {Frostheinadera nova-Zealandm) from New Zealand, presented 

 by Mr. Morton Campbell ; a Bearded Lizard {Amphibohirus 

 barbatiis), a Diamond Snake {Morelia spilotes) from Australia, 

 presented by Mr. Frederick G. Aflalo ; a Four-lined Snake 

 {Coluber quadrilineatus), European, presented by Captain Allen 

 Keys ; a Poe Honey Eater {Prosiheiiiadera novcc-Zcalaiidiic) from 

 New Zealand, deposited. 



OUR AS TRONOMICAL COL UMN. 



A New Comet. — A bright comet was discovered by Mr. 

 Brooks, at Geneva, on November 21, in R.A. gh 52m. and 

 Decl. 17" 4' S. An observation of the comet at Copenhagen 

 shows that it is moving northwards at the rate of nearly three 

 degrees per day. On November 24, at I7h. 37m. 9s., it was in 

 R.A. 9h. 42m. 33s. and Decl. 10° 40' 32" S. The comet is not 

 far from a Hydra;, and rises about 12.30 a.m. 



Comet Perrixe. — The comet discovered by Mr. Perrine at 

 the Lick Observatory, on November 16, was observed by Dr. 

 Lamp at Kiel, on November 18, its position at I7h. 34"2m. Kiel 

 mean, time being R.A. I3h. 48m. 8s., Decl. o" 50' 24" N. 

 Edinburgh Circular No. 47 reports that the comet was also 



