42 



KN()\\i.i.i)(".i:. 



Jani;ak\. 1912. 



of Iho piiinitivc ik-iiticli-s, in aiUlilinii to llial funnitin the poiiil 

 of the lixilli. pi'isisliiii; ; ;iiul tlir prniliar iiiniliricalion of the 

 iiiaiidibtilar coiulyli-. ami tin- kI<'>><i><^I >""P '"'" "'"i^li •' I'ts. 

 has proceedt'd further." Mr. Iliiilou has paid considerable 

 atleiilion to the dentition of the shrews, and it may be useful 

 to note the formulae which he regards as most accurate:^ 



I'or Sorcx: — i. 



1.2.3 

 1 



I'or .Woiiiys : — i, 



1.2.3 

 1 



1 431 



pm. — 



c. — pm 



123 

 1 123 



4 . . 1 

 — n 

 1 



123 . 

 123' 



I)()|-'S .A SN.ML SEK? — I'ield observations on the \ine- 

 y.ird snail. Helix pnmutia, sui,'gcst that the aniin.il avoids the 

 lil^ht. WillemV laboratory c.vperiments. on the other hand, 

 suggest that it prefers the light. Professor ICniile Vutig, of 

 Geneva, has re-investigated the (|Uustion, and finds that both 

 these conclusions are wrong. He made over two thousand 

 observations on one hundred and seventy-si.x snails, and found 

 that they were <|uite indiflferent to all sorts of light-stinuilus, 

 that they do not prefer lighted or shaded areas, that they do 

 not see obstacles in front of thcni. and that their eyes have no 

 visual significance at all. 



i:X()TIC CKL'ST.ACE.A IN BO'IANIC C.AKDKNS.— 

 K. Menzel calls attention to the opportunities of studying 

 exotic animals without leaving home. In the palm-house tank, 

 in the Hot.anic Garden at Basel, he found an exotic Cypris (or 

 Steiiocypris^: Outside he found Cyprctta [Cypriciopsis^ 

 globulus Sars. which has been described from .Austraiia. 

 I'nder flower-pots with earth brought from Java, he foimd what 



seems to be .1 new species of Orclicstia (O. sciini). donbtle..;s 

 of e.xotic origin, and interesting in being thoroughly terrestrial. 



.ASSOCIATION or SLRKKITKS AND DKO.MIA.— 

 .\ bright orange sponge iSiihcritcs doniiiiiciild >. is often 

 found surrounding the gastropod shells inhabited by hermit- 

 crabs, but the association has not been sufhciently studied. 

 The sponge is unpalatable to many animals : it is full of 

 strong flinty needles, and it has a strong odour. .At the 

 Naples Zoiilogical Station Signor Polimanti has been recently 

 studying the associati(m between the Snberiles and a crab 

 iDroDiia vulgaris). He has made this much ipiife clear, 

 that the crab takes the initiative in getting the sponge on to its 

 back and that the sponge affords its partner an effective 

 protection against the appetite of cuttlefishes. 



SELF-CLOSING PLANKTON NET.— Professor C. A. 

 Kofoid describes a new model of Plankton net which he has 

 tested extensively. The advantages which it has over other 

 models are the following : — It can be opened or closed by the 

 operator at any desired level in the sea. and it is not liable to 

 interference from outside conditions. There is perfect and 

 continuous closure of the net during descent and ascent. 

 Nothing can enter, nothing can escape, unless the operator 

 opens the net. The possibility of horizontal towing makes it 

 feasible to effect a precise exploration of stratified waters. 

 The vertical migrations of pelagic organisms can also be 

 studied more elTectively than before. The opening of the net 

 is free from bars and ropes, which tend to ward off the more 

 active animals. Professor Kofoid also describes a new self- 

 closing water bucket, by which it is possible to collect twenty 

 litres from any desired depth. 



NOTICKS. 



A METEOROLOGICAL CATALOGUE. — We have 

 received from Messrs. H. Sotheran and Company, an interest- 

 ing catalogue of books on Meteorology and Terrestrial 

 Magnetism. This is a comprehensive list of books on the 

 subject, dated from the year 1269 to 1910. and includes the 

 works of such pioneers as Descartes. Gilbert. Boyle, and 

 Dalton. Some of the earlv books appear but seldom in 

 sale catalogues. In addition there is given a list of books on 

 .Aviation and of periodicals and publications of learned 

 societies. 



SECOND-HAND INSTKU.MENTS.— \Vc have received 

 Mr. C. Baker's January list of second-hand instruments for 

 sale or hire. It consists of ninety pages and from it luany of 

 our readers should be able to choose, at a reasonable cost, 

 apparatus for which they might not care to pay the full and 

 original price. This list deals with telescopes, microscopes, 

 objectives, cameras, and lenses as well as less generally 

 used apparatus, 



WHITAKER'S ALMANAC— We welcome the forty- 

 fourth annual volume which has appeared under the title of 

 " Whitaker's Almanac." As it is or should be on everyone's 

 writing table, we can say nothing which will make those who 

 know it appreciate it more, while to those who have not made 

 use of it we can only offer our respectful sympathy. 



/ADKIEL'S ALMANAC— This contains matters of 

 interest to our astronomical readers, though m.ainly devoted to 

 the astrology and predictions which may be based upim it. 

 Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall & Co. are the publishers. 



THE YEARBOOK OF SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED 

 SOCIETIES. — This, though primarily a book of reference, 

 is interesting to glance through, while the lists of lectures 

 given before the various societies offer useful suggestions to 

 officials of institutions, and to lecturers who are looking 

 out for new subjects. It should be on the shelves of evcrv 

 library and public institution, and is published by Messrs. 

 Charles Griffin it Company. 



Mi:TAI.LrK(;iCAL MICROSCOPES.— The microscopic 

 Lxaniination of metals now forms such a very important 

 branch of engineering industries that Messrs. R. and J. Beck. 

 Limited, have brought out a special catalogue dealing with the 

 examination and photographing of metals. The hst also 

 contains descriptions of cameras for taking photomicrographs, 

 and machines for grinding and polishing sections. A special 

 micro.scope is illustrated which has been designed for the 

 examination of the surfaces of the various kinds of blocks 

 used for printing with letterpress. 



"W IIOS WHO" AND ITS COMPANIONS.— The editor 

 of "Who's Who" continues each year to discover a number 

 of new people who are playing an important part in the world, 

 and as a result the annual volume which Messrs, A. & C. 

 Black publish becomes larger and more useful, while its price 

 remains the same. The " Who's Who " Year Book, con- 

 taining matters of interest crowded out of the original volume, 

 is still issued annually by the same firm, which publishes also, 

 for writers and authors, another annual volume with the 

 intention of helping those who are getting their living by 

 contributing " copy " or illustrations to the periodical press, 

 " The English Woman's " Year Book comes from the same 

 source and contains much general information, as well as a 

 great deal concerning education, occupation, and entertain- 

 ment of special interest to the gentler sex. 



SCIENCE REFERENCE BOOK AND DIARY FOR 

 1912. — Messrs. James Woolley. Sons & Co.'s Science Reference 

 Book and Diary has again been re\ised. Not only does it 

 consist of a diary, calendars for the past and coming years, a 

 dictionary of daily wants, a lighting-up time table, and list of 

 scientific societies, but it has a second part, with a dift'erent 

 opening, which contains a reference book on all matters 

 dealing with science, such as atomic weights, physical 

 constants, and test solutions, while scientific terms are 

 explained, and other matters considered of importance in 

 the everyday life of .scientific workers. The price is Is. 6d., 

 which is no greater than that of an ordinary diary got up in 

 similar stvle. 



