January 4, 1894] 



NA TURE 



231 



Obrucheflf wrote that while crossing the plateau of Shan-si, he 

 was enabled to supplement to some extent the observations of 

 Richthofen ; namely, he has discovered some fossil plants in 

 the middle parts of the series of deposits which cover in China 

 the carboniferous formation, and which Richthofen had de- 

 scribed under the names of Ueberkohlen-sandsteine or Plateau- 

 sandsteine. The plants unearthed by Mr. Obrucheff would 

 indicate that the middle portions of this formation belong to 

 the Mesozoic age, and are Tiiassic or Liassic. This formation 

 spreads from Shan-si into the Shensi, the Alashan, andGan-su, 

 without losing in thickness, and probably represents an unin- 

 terrupted series of deposits from both the Mesozoic and the first 

 half of the Cainozoic times. 



We notice in the Memoirs ( Trudy) of the Kazan Society of 

 Naturalists (vol. xxvi. No. 2) a very interesting work by N. 

 Wnukow, on the bacilli of leprosy. In addition to his own 

 experimental researches, the author has carefully studied the 

 West European and Russian literature of the subject, and has 

 •divided his memoir into three parts : the localisation of leprosy 

 bacilli in the tissues of the human body ; the inoculation of the 

 bacilli to animals ; and the artificial culture of the bacilli. 

 The paper is accompanied by a coloured plate. The author's 

 conclusions are : — The Bacillus leprce is motile, and is found 

 both within and outside the cells ; but it has never been dis 

 •covered in the cells of the epithelial layers of the skin or the 

 mucous mem.hranes. In the wounds the bacilli are brought to 

 the surface, and undoubtedly may be transported on the skin of 

 other individuals, thus becoming a cause of infection. Neither 

 the injection of the pu5 containing leprosy bacilli, nor the graft- 

 ing of pieces of skin taken from leprous patients to rabbits, 

 could provoke leprosy in these animals. The bacilli intro- 

 duced from man into rabbits and fishes, diminish in numbers 

 after a time, and ultimately disappear. Most inoculated rabbits 

 contract tuberculosis, but the illness must be ascribed in such 

 cases to other causes than infection proper. As to the arti- 

 ficial culture of the Bacillus lepra, it has failed with all culture 

 media experimented upon by the author ; the culture of B. 

 Uffreduzzi, described by Eisenberg as leprosic, cannot be re- 

 cognised as such. 



An elaborate paper, entitled " Les Vibrions des Eaux et 

 I'Etiologie du Cholera," by Dr. Sanarelli, has recently appeared 

 in the Annates de V Instilut Pasteur, vol. vii. Numerous 

 bacteriological examinations were made of the river Seine water 

 above and below Paris, as well as of drain water, and the 

 effluent of sewage after irrigation. In all no less than thirty- 

 two vibrios were isolated, morphologically distinct, four of 

 which gave the indol reaction, and in their pathogenic action on 

 guinea-pigs could not be distinguished from the cholera-bacillus. 

 Dr. Sanarelli is of opinion that there exist many varieties of 

 vibrios, morphologically distinguishable, but capable of exciting 

 in man and animils a disease in its morbid and clinical aspects 

 identical with those regarded as typical of cholera, and that 

 the conception of a restricted monomorphism is no longer 

 tenable in the diagnosis of the cholera-vibrio. In all the more 

 or less contaminated waters which were examined vibrios were 

 present, finding in these surroundings conditions highly favour- 

 able to their existence and multiplication. It is possible that 

 although the larger number of such vibrios may exist in the 

 saprophytic or harmless state, yet probably pathogenic vibrios 

 are more frequently present in such waters than has hitherto 

 been suspected. Dr. Sanarelli points out that the saprophytic 

 condition of some at least of these vibrios is, in all probability, 

 due to the modification in and attenuation of their biological 

 i functions which residence in such media has produced. Thus 

 I an extremely virulent vibrio was reduced to a harmless sapro- 

 phyte deprived of its pathogenic properties and power of 

 NO. 1262, VOL. 49] 



producing the indol reaction, by being kept in boiled Seine 

 water for a month, whilst even after three months it had under- 

 gone no change in its morphological condition. In the same 

 manner that pathogenic organisms may be deprived of their 

 virulence, it is conceivable that circumstances may ari^e under 

 which they may recover their toxic character ; so far, however, 

 bacteriology has been unable to establish the correctness of this 

 hypothesis, either in the laboratory or in actual experience. 



For several years the State of Massachusetts has been 

 attempting to exterminate the Gipsy Moth, and a Bill has 

 recently been introduced into the House of Representatives to 

 appropriate 100,000 dollars to rid the State of that troublesome 

 insect. The American Naturalist points out, however, that 

 the desired end can never be attained by merely hunting the 

 moths in trees, hedgerows, and garden patches. In its future 

 work, the Gipsy Moth Commission of Massachusetts should 

 employ at its head a trained entomologist who should devote his 

 time to finding and introducing some natural enemy to the pest. 

 Moths, eggs, larvae, and cocoons will escape the most careful of 

 field agents, whereas insect parasites will keep the pest in con- 

 tinual check. 



Messrs. T. D. A. Cockerell and Walter E. Collinge 

 have published " A Check-list of the Slugs." It is a reprint 

 from the Conchologlst, vol. ii., 1893. The authority for the list 

 is the first-named author ; Mr. Collinge adds an appendix and 

 notes ; 628 species are recorded with very numerous varieties. 

 There would appear to be a very'^ardent discussion as to the 

 respective value of morphological and anatomical characters 

 for the due determination of the species and varieties among 

 these molluscs; but surely here, as elsewhere, the rational method 

 would be to employ all such points of difference, whether ex- 

 ternal or internal, as may be found constant. 



The Association for the Promotion of Home and Foreign 

 Travel has issued a programme of tours arranged for this winter. 



The December number o^ Insect Life is almost entirely taken 

 up with the proceedings of the meeting of the Association of 

 Economic Entomologists, held at Madison in August last. 



Mr. C. Meldrum, the Director of the Royal Alfred Obser- 

 vatory, Mauritius, has issued his report for the year iSgr. and 

 also the results ot meteorological observations made at the 

 Observatory during 1892. 



A paper on " Technical Education in Glasgow and the West 

 of Scotland : a Retrospect and a Prospect " read before the 

 Philosophical Society of Glasgow in November last, by Dr. 

 Henry Dyer, has been issued in pamphlet form. It is of interest 

 to all concerned with matters of technical instruction. 



Mr. W. Warde Fowler, a disciple of Gilbert White, has 

 put on record his observations of the Marsh Warbler {Aero- 

 cephalus palustris) in Oxfordshire and Switzerland, and the 

 differences between it and the Reed Warbler. His paper (issued 

 by Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.) will be read with pleasure by all 

 lovers of nature. 



The number just issued of the Journal of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society (vol. iv. part 4) contains several important 

 articles. Mr. Carruthers describes the ''Cross-fertilisation of 

 Cereals," and his paper is given additional interest by means of 

 seven good illustrations. " Water in Relation to Health and 

 Disease " is treated by Prof. J. Wortley Axe, and under the 

 title " Peat and its Products," Dr. Fream gives an account of 

 the occurrence and utilisation of peat in various peat-producing 

 countries of Europe. 



Messrs. BailliI-'RE and Son have recently added to their 

 series of works on chemical industries a volume entitled " Le 



