-74 



NA TURE 



[January 17, 1895 



ance of "abnormal distributions." Well and good, if the 

 S. P. R. have rot underestimated the importance of examining 

 the actual distribution of cards cut and of cards guessed, they 

 will have kept a record of each card cut and each card gues-ed, 

 card for card. If they have not done so, then their experiment 

 is scientifically of no value ; if they have done so, then the 

 analysis of the distributions of the cards cut and the cards 

 guessed ought to have accompanied any publicaiion of these 

 experiments. It is an obvious, but by nc means suffuient, 

 condition for a proper experiment. If the Secretary of the 

 S.P. R. will place in my hands the actual analyses of the cards 

 cut and the cards guessed made by a competent mathematician, 

 fiefon the publication in their PivceeJiiigs of the card guesses, 

 and proving that they did at that time fully consider the point, 

 and take this obvious precaution against deception, my estima- 

 tion of the "scientific acumen " of the S.P. R. will at any rate 

 on this point be modified. 



I, of course, do not refer to my friend Prof. Edgeworth's 

 investigations, which do not touch the question of the distribu- 

 tions of cards cut and cards guessed. Kaki. I'karson. 



May I call attention to Prof. Lodge's method of "silencing" 

 me in your issue of January lo. It bears very closely upon this 

 question of the effect of psychical research upon the investigator's 

 reasoning. He quotes the preface of Mr. Podmore's book to 

 show that that gentleman is not a "bigoted upholder of the 

 certainly of telepathy, " and the casual reader would scarcely 

 guess that, in truth, I never asserted that he was. I complained 

 of the very air of ojien-mindedness in that preface to which 

 Prof. Lodge's quotation witnesses, and showed by an instance, 

 that in the body of the book question-begging occurred 

 which was all the more dangeio.is on account of the liberal 

 tone of the opening portion. I made no o'ljection to the 

 individual prosecution of psychical research — only to its public 

 recogtiition before it has produced more definite results than it 

 has done so far. So much for the " silencing. " It shows either 

 that I'rof. Lodge has not read my review, or that he has mis- 

 understood it ; and in either case it enforces my contention that 

 these investigators are over-hasty. The phrase "irresponsible 

 detractor," points in the same direction. H. G. Wells. 



The Suspended Animation of Snakes. 



In Naturi; of December 6, p. 12S, Mr. G. E. Hadow asks 

 whether the snakes feign death for protective purposes, with 

 intent to deceive, or whether the strange action is the result of 

 a general nervous inhibition, produced redexly by the action of 

 flight, which would render it more or less analogous to a 

 faintingfit. He and others of your readers will be interested 

 in an additional observation that, in a measure, answers his 

 question. The snake, a "hognose," "spreading adder," or 

 "blowing viper," IletcroJon flalyrhinus, upon which Dr. L. 

 C. Jones based his note in Naturk, November 29, p. 107, the 

 origin of the discussion, was presented to me about live months 

 ago. While in my possession it has repeateily verified Dr. 

 Jones's statements ; and, besides, it has proved that it does 

 not depcml upon the feint alone. The latter is preceded by 

 another action that apparently has not been published hitherto. 

 After being teased a little, the animal, vigorously bending from 

 side to side, the tail abruptly raised and the vent slightly pro- 

 truded, begins to smear itself over the back with urine and 

 excrement, the odour of which is so excessively nauseous that 

 observcfs are quickly driven back, the better satisfied if they 

 escape without a spatter in their faces. If the teasing stops 

 with thi<, the victim glides away lo hide ; but if still more 

 worried, it lakes up the contortions that end in the trance-like 

 condition, lasting ten minutes lo half an hour, or until the 

 creature feels that it may safely revive. The specimen still 

 lives, and does not discard its filihy habit on prolonged ac 

 quaintance Much handling and familiarity with annoyance 

 make little difference in behaviour, or in disposition lo take 

 advantage of the peculiar tactics. In the inception of the 

 habiti lliesc actions most likely were >lae to terror ; possibly the 

 trance was a real faini ; but, however their utility may have 

 been diicovere<l, it is evident at the present time th.at confidence 

 in them as means of securing immunity from torment induces 

 their practice on occasions when the existence of actual fright 

 is hardly possible. At such times it would be difficult to 

 <:onvince witnesses that the <.nakc is not intelligently employing 

 what i( knows lo be its best mciliKiK of protection. 



Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 27. 1894. S. Garman. 



NO. 131b, VOL. 51] 



I DO not think that Mr. Vincent can be right in supposing 

 that the suspended animation of grass snakes has nothing to 

 do with simulation. I have never observed it in the c.ise of a 

 snake when unmolested in a glass case (as he has), though I 

 have kept hundreds so, but noticed it first when catching snakes 

 in the New Forest. After much struggling and the usual offen- 

 sive methods of defence had proved vain, one has, in several 

 instances, suddenly hung limp and apparently lifeless on my 

 hand. It could hardly be a faint or anything but death-feign- 

 ing, for as soon as I put it on the ground, or allowed it no 

 longer to feel my hand, it recovered at once, and was off like a 

 shot. I took particular pains to test this, as I was much sur- 

 prised at the circumstance, which I did not lemeuiber having 

 seen mentioned in any book. In all cases it w.as a dernttr 

 ressort, the ejection of food and the effusion of smell having 

 preceded. W. Kknnedy. 



"Finger-Print" Method. 



Is my letter on the subject (Nati'RE, December 27, 1S94, 

 p. 199), I have introduced my assertion of the old Japanese 

 usage of the " thumb. stamps " on legal papers, with a qualifying 

 clause — " although at present I have no record to refer to. 

 Continuing in my search, I have come across a passage which 

 gives confirmation to the statement. It is in the /■'liw/.'ii Gu'ahi\ 

 No. 50, p. 6, 1 okyu, February 10, 1893, where the details of 

 the bastinado inflicted on criminals during the ancicii rfgime 

 are given, and reads as follows : — " When the criminals* guilt 

 was ascertained, aiW they signed with ' thiimh-stamps ' on papers 

 in the Court, they were sent to prison with the m.agistrate's 

 words, 'Sentence shall follow,' which they used to understand 

 as the signal of the approach of the day of punishment." 



December 31, 1S94. Kumagusu Minakata. 



A White Rainbow. 



The white rainbow is so rare as to deserve noting. One 

 was visible at Westnewton, Aspatria, for more than half an 

 hour on Saturday, January 5. The band was much broader 

 than in the ordinary bow, and the arc w,-is formed in the upper 

 intermediate cloud drift. This drift consisted of a light 

 pallium of irregular cirro cumulus. It is important to observe 

 that cumulus was forming, from above, at the time ; i.e. the 

 cirro cumulus was melting and descending into ordinary 

 cumulus. A patch of this cumulus formed (under observation) 

 and crossed beneath the bow. It then became coterminous 

 with the western section of the arc, which blended with the 

 cloud, and was of similar tint. Hard, dry frost continued and 

 lasted till January 13. Uarometer steady at time. 



Samuil Harber. 



Westnewton, Aspatria, January 9. 



P. S. -Connote with the above the condition of the weather 

 on the Continent ; also violent thunderstorms on following day 

 in Cornwall ; also snowstorms in Cumberland and Scotland 

 within few days. — S. H. 



AMERICAN TOPOGRAPHY} 



■VVTE have it on the authority of Prof. Gannett that, at 

 ' "^ the present rate of progress, the series of topo- 

 graphical maps of the United States, which was com- 

 menced in 1.S82, will require no less than fifty years for 

 completion, and that the cost of this great undcrt.iking 

 will not fall f.ir short of twenty million doll.irs. The map 

 is primarily intended to meet the needs of the geologists 

 of the Survey ; but it has been thought economical to 

 make such arrangements tliat the resulting map may be 

 ade(|iiate to serve all purposes for which general topo- 

 graphic maps are used. Its scope is limited to the 

 representation of the larger natural features, and the 

 artificial features which are of general or public interest, 

 to the exclusion of those which are purely of a private 

 character, and therefore liable to rapid changes. 



In the vast area covered by the I'nited .Slates, there 

 is a great diversity both of natural and cultur.il features, 

 and the e.xtent of the survey and the scales of the maps 



' " United Slalei Geological Survey. A Manual of I'opoKravhic Mclhods." 

 By Henry <j.inncll. Cliief TupDuraphcr. (Waihinijion : Government 

 Prinlins Ollice, 1893.) 



