ii8 



NA TURE 



[December 5, 1895 



definite direction, to other parts of the coast, and that the fish 

 supply of a given area of the territorial waters on the east 

 coast may be derived, not from the spawning areas ex adverse, 

 but from those situated further north. 



The Life-Histories and Development of the Food 

 Fishes. 



The report contains an important paper by Prof. M'Intosh, 

 giving the results of his continued investigations on the eggs, 

 young, and development of several of the food fishes, the work 

 having been carried on, as in previous years, at St. Andrews 

 Marine Laboratory. The principal investigation relates to the 

 development of the turbot, which has now for the first time 

 been elucidated, fertilised eggs having been procured from the 

 hatchery. The ripe egg of the turbot has an average diameter 

 of I -0287 mm. , and is perfectly buoyant, floating at the surface 

 of still water or suspended midway, and it possesses a prominent 

 oil-globule. The embryonic fish, which is of a reddish colour, 

 emerges from the egg about the sixth or seventh day, so that the 

 period is short before hatching occurs. The larvje in a few days 

 become active and dart rapidly through the water, and they are 

 hardy ; the yolk-sac becomes absorbed about the seventh day, 

 and thereafter they feed for themselves, being extremely quick 

 iti noticing the movements of the minute crustaceous and other 

 forms in the water around them. Prof. M'Intosh states that no 

 form hitherto observed at St. Andrews appeared to be more 

 hardy, or to undergo the vicissitudes of temperature and 

 manipulation with greater impunity than the young turbot ; 

 there are grounds, therefore, for expressing the hope that they 

 may yet be reared in great numbers from the post-larval to the i 

 adolescent and adult condition in suitable enclosures. The ' 

 various stages in the development of this valuable form are 

 described and figured. Another species whose development is 

 described is the long rough dab, the pelagic eggs of which are 

 found in considerable abundance in March and April. 



Mr. H. Charles Williamson contributes an elaborate paper 

 on the reproduction of the common eel, which has been, and 

 still is, in many respects, involved in considerable obscurity. 

 He gives a very full account of the reproductive organs, both as 

 described by other naturalists, and as observed by himself in a 

 number of specimens examined at St. Andrews ; and the paper 

 includes a description of the migrations of the eel, and all that 

 has been ascertained about its spawning. It is a remarkable 

 fact that the ripe egg of the eel has never yet been discovered. 



Mr. Williamson also gives a detailed account of the distribu- 

 tion of the pelagic eggs and larvse of various species of food 

 fishes, obtained in tow-nets, including those of the plaice, ' 

 haddock, cod, whiting, saithe, sprat, dab, turbot, gurnard, long 

 rough dab, flounder, &c. In another paper he describes the 

 variation in the size of the eggs of a number of the food fishes. 

 Dr. Fullarton has also furnished an elaborate description of the 

 larval and post-larval development of the brain in the lesser 

 sand-eel [Animodytes tobianiis), accompanied by illustrations. 

 The important subject of the rate of growth of fishes is at 

 present receiving considerable attention in connection with fish- 

 ing questions. In the present report Mr. Arthur T. Masterman 

 gives the result of his researches on the subject at St. Andrews, 

 dealing especially with the rate of growth of the plaice. 



Mr. Harald Dannevig also furnishes an account of the experi- 

 ments he has made in regard to the influence of variations of 

 temperature in accelerating or retarding the development of the 

 eggs of fishes. The species dealt with were the plaice, cod, 

 haddock, whiting and flounder. 



Finally, the report contains a paper, by Mr. Thomas Scott, on 

 the fauna of the Firth of Forth area and of inland waters ; Mr. 

 A. J. Herbertson contributes an elaborate paper, accompanied by 

 numerous tables, dealing with the physical observations on the 

 temperature and density of the sea ; and Dr. Wemyss Fulton 

 gives an account of the scientific fishery work and the condition 

 and regulation of the sea fisheries in other countries possessing 

 them, and of the principal methods employed to protect and 

 develop them. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 



INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge.— Dr. A. R. Forsyth, F.R.S., Sadlerian 



Professor of Pure Mathematics, has been appointed by the 



Council of the Senate a member of the Governing Body of Eton 



College, in the room of Dr. Ferrers, F.R.S., resigned. 



NO. 1362, VOL. ^2>] 



An Isaac Newton Studentship in Astronomy and Physical 

 Optics will be vacant in the ensuing Lent term. The student- 

 ship is of ^200 per annum for three years. Candidates must 

 he at least B.A.s of the University, and under the age of 

 twenty-five on January i, 1896. Their names should be sent to 

 the Vice-Chancellor between January 14 and 24 next, together 

 with statements as to course of study or research proposed ia 

 each case. 



The Observatory Syndicate report that they have abandoned 

 the expectation of receiving public subscriptions for the propo.sed' 

 photographic telescope. They now contemplate the erection of 

 a triple apochromatic telescope, the objective of which is to be 

 furnished by Messrs. Cooke, of York, at a cost of ;^550. The 

 tube of the instrument will be hinged, the larger part of the 

 tube with the eye-piece lying in the polar axis. The rays from 

 the objective at the end of the short movable part of the tube 

 will fall on a flat mirror at the hinge, and be thence reflected to 

 the eye-piece. The flat mirror will be furnished as a gift by 

 Dr. Common, and Sir Howard Grubb is to be entrusted with, 

 the construction of the tube at a cost of ;^iioo. The necessary 

 moneys it is proposed to draw from the Sheepshanks Funds, and: 

 the Syndicate ask the Senate to sanction this appropriation. 



Prof. Ewing, F. R.S., has been appointed Chairman of 

 Examiners for the Mechanical Sciences Tripos, 1896. Among; 

 the annual appointments of members of the various Boards and 

 Syndicates are the following : — Mr. Glazebrook, F.R.S.,, 

 General Board of Studies ; Mr. W. Gardiner, F.R.S., and Mr. 

 W. Bateson, F.R.S. , Botanic Garden Syndicate; Mr. Love,. 

 F. R. S., Library Syndicate and Observatory Syndicate; Mr. 

 Heycock, F.R.S., Museums Syndicate ; Dr. Hobson, F.R.S., 

 Proctorial Syndicate, and Mathematical Board ; Mr. Capstick, 

 Highest Grade Schools ; Prof. Bradbury and Dr. Shore, State 

 Medicine ; Dr. D. Hill, Agricultural Science ; Mr. Shaw, 

 F.R.S., Fire Prevention, and Board for Physics and Chemistry ;. 

 Dr. A. MacAlister, Special Board for Medicine ; Dr. Gaskell,. 

 F.R.S., Board for Biology and Geology. 



It is proposed to invite representatives of the chief educational) 

 authorities and institutions to meet in Cambridge during the- 

 ensuing Long Vacation, in order to confer on questions arising 

 out of the Report of the Royal Commission on Secondary Edu- 

 cation. The Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the University, will 

 convene the conference. 



The Calendar of the University College, Nottingham, for the 

 fifteenth session, 1895-96, has been issued. 



The following are among recent appointments : — Dr. J. 

 Munk to succeed Dr. Gad at the Berlin Physiological Institute p 

 Dr. Paul Kempf and Dr. Wilsing, of the Potsdam Astrophysicat 

 Observatory, to be Professors ; Prof. Theel, of Stockholm, tO' 

 be Director of the Natural History Museum there ; Dr. Strahl,. 

 of Marburg, has bee.i appointed to the chair of Anatomy iiL 

 Giessen University. 



The London Technical Education Gazette — the ofiicial orgarr 

 of the Technical Education Board of the London County Coun- 

 cil — contains the following satisfactory announcement: — "It 

 has been part of the policy of the Technical Education Board irv 

 connection with higher education, and will be, if possible, 

 through the proposed Teaching University of London, when 

 that University is established, to secure for students who can 

 devote their evenings only to study, a course of instruction of 

 the highest type in all branches for which provision is now 

 made for day students in the universities and university col- 

 leges, and to provide that the teachers of these classes shall be- 

 the same professors as take the day classes, or others of equal 

 standing. As a step in this direction the Board has arranged 

 with the authorities of University College for the conduct of 

 four courses of lectures and practical work in the departments, 

 of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, 

 and Applied Mathematics." 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Lo^DON. 

 Chemical Society, November 7. — Mr. A. G. Vernon Har- 

 court. President, in the chair. — The following papers were read '.■- 

 — -On flame temperatures and the acetylene theory of luminosity, 

 by A. Smithells. The author criticises adversely Lewes's theory 

 of the luminosity of hydrocarbon flames on the ground of ex- 



