October 3, 1895] 



NATURE 



549 



* Means that these lines are out of the range of my observations. 



NO. 1353, VOL. 52] 



In the tables, under " .Sun," C, followed by a number, 

 indicates the frequency as given by Young ; E indicates 

 the lines photographed during the eclipse of 1893. Under 

 "star or nebula " the references are to the tables given 

 in my memoir on the nebula of Orion {Phil. Trans, vol. 

 clxxxvi. (1895), p. 86 t/ seq. N = Nebula of Orion). 



Hydrogen, helium, and gas X are thus proved to be 

 those elements Avhich are, v\e may say, completely repre- 

 sented in the hottest stars and in the hottest part of the 

 sun that we can get at. Here then, in 1895, we have 

 abundant confirmation of the views 1 put forward in 1868 

 as to the close connection between helium and hydrogen. 



J. NOR.M.\N LOCKVER. 



RESEARCH IN ZOOLOGY AT OXFORD} 



"T^HE second volume of the Linacre Reports, which has 

 •*■ lately been printed, shows that the zoological 

 laboratory at Oxford continues to be a source of pro- 

 duction of many interesting and valuable contributions 

 to knowledge. 



In the course of a little more than one year the 

 colleagues and pupils of Prof Lankester have published 

 a number of memoirs and essays, which, when collected 

 together, form a bulky octavo volume, illustrated by 

 numerous lithographs and woodcuts. 



There is, as might be expected, considerable range in the 

 interest and importance of the several items composing 

 the \ olume, but not one of them could have been omitted 

 without lessening its value to the zoologist. At least four 

 of the memoirs are of such importance that they may be 

 considered to be standard works to which reference must 

 be frequently made in future by naturalists of all nation- 

 alities. Of these, perhaps, the most important is I'rof 

 Poulton's memoir on the structure of the hair and bill of 

 the duck-billed Platypus, which contains not only an 

 excellent account of certain histological features of this 

 rare animal, but some extremely suggestive remarks, 

 derived from this research, on the relations of hairs and 

 scales. 



Dr. Benham's beautifully illustrated essay on the brain 

 of the interesting Chimpanzee " Sally," which recently 

 lived and died in the Zoological (hardens in London, 

 forms an important chapter in " Man's place in Nature." 

 The careful comparison which Dr. lienham gives of the 

 large and valuable scries of anthropoid and human brains 

 which he has examined, makes this memoir one of special 

 interest and importance. 



Mr. Bourne's monograph on the post-embryonic 

 development of Eungia gives us, at last, detailed informa- 

 tion and good illustrations of a subject which has long 

 interested zoologists. 



The description of Prof Lankester's collection of the 

 species of .Amphioxus and the genera allied to it, which 

 has been carefully and ably written by Miss Kirkaldy, 

 forms a memoir which will be welcomed heartily by 

 zoologists in all civilised countries. 



The other contributions to this volume are of less 

 importance, perhaps, than those referred to above, but 

 they are all useful additions to our knowledge of many 

 widely separated branches of zoology, and being carefully 

 written, and the result of work done under excellent 

 advice and guidance, cannot be neglected by those who 

 arc specially interested in the branches of zoology of 

 which they treat. 



With such a volume of good useful work tefore us, it 

 is truly lamentable to read in Prof Lankester's editorial 

 preface of the general indifterence prevailing m the 

 governing bodies of the Oxford colleges towards the 

 progress of natural knov.ledge. The L'niversity of Oxford 

 and the colleges together are the possessors of very large 

 endowments for the cultivation of learning in all its 

 branches. No university in the empire is so fortunately 



1 *' The Linacre Reports." Vol. ti. 



