June i 8, 1903] 



NATURE 



161 



favourable weather, during three months, the number of 

 admissions to the gardens shows a steady increase through- 

 out the year. A number of species of animals have been 

 -exhibited for the first time in the menagerie during the 

 year. 



" Sawdust and Fish Life " is the title of an article in 

 a recent issue of the Transactions of the Canadian Insti- 

 tute. From the result of experiments in aquariums, the 

 -author, Dr. A. P. Knight, gives reasons for the belief that 

 the sawdust thrown in large quantities into the Canadian 

 rivers is very harmful to fish ; but from actual observations 

 in the rivers themselves, it does not appear that the de- 

 struction is as great as might have been expected. 



We have received a copy of an " Outline of Special 

 Course in Natural History for Training Colleges and 

 King's Students," just issued by the Marischal College, 

 Aberdeen. It contains outlines for demonstrations on 

 1 lassification, the adaptation of animals to their surround- 

 ngs, and examples of the leading types of animal life, con- 

 luding with suggestions for seasonal studies in natural 

 history. Although the illustrations are somewhat crude, 

 ihe pamphlet seems well adapted to its purpose. 



The Liverpool Marine Biology Committee is to be con- 

 ^gratulated on the issue of the tenth fasciculus of the well- 

 known " L.M.B.C. Memoirs," this part, of which Prof. 

 J. R. A. Davis and Mr. H. J. Fleure are the joint editors, 

 being devoted to the common limpet (Patella). The mode 

 of treatment of the subject follows the line of the earlier 

 issues, and the illustrations are numerous. The authors 

 believe that, although limpets are rightly included among 

 the lower gastropods, yet that they form an isolated type, 

 which has been specialised in connection with their adop- 

 tion of the habit of adhering to exposed surfaces, and 

 making limited excursions for the purpose of feeding. 



The report on the examination of food, drugs and public 

 water supplies reviewing the work of the Laboratory of 

 Hygiene of the State of New Jersey, U.S.A., has reached 

 us. It deals especially with the analytical methods em- 

 ployed in testing foods and drugs ; these are detailed, and 

 should be of considerable service to public analysts in this 

 country. 



We have received the " Year Book " of the Livingstone 

 College. The College trains missionaries in the elements 

 of medicine and hygiene, the curriculum extending over a 

 period of nine months. During this time the students are 

 systematically trained in the elements of anatomy and in 

 hygiene, nursing, cooking, &c., suitable to tropical 

 climates, as well as in the prevention and treatment of the 

 ailments they are likely to meet. 



A COPY of the report of the Medical Officer of Health for 

 *he City of London for 1902 has been received. It contains 

 an account of the procedures adopted by the Corporation 

 •of London for the sanitary protection of its citizens, some 

 ■of which have already been noticed in these columns, e.g. 

 the prohibition of spitting, and condemnation of typhoid- 

 contaminated shell-fish. A point of interest is that, though 

 the day population of the City probably exceeds 359,000, 

 ■only 339 births were registered during 1902. 



The geology of the country near Leicester is the title of 

 a memoir, by Mr. C. Fox-Strangways, lately issued by 

 the Geological Survey. It is accompanied by a colour- 

 printed map of the area, which includes Mount Sorrel and 

 Leicester on the west, and parts of Rutlandshire on the 

 east. Excepting for the granite quarries at Mount Sorrel, 

 tiumerous brick-yards, sand and gravel pits, and occasional 



NO. 1755, VOL. 68] 



lime-works, the country is essentially one of meadow and 

 pasture, and a famous hunting ground, the subsoil being 

 for the most part clay — Boulder-clay, Lias-clay, Keuper 

 Marl, and Alluvium. As most of the area is drift-covered, 

 this new map differs very largely from the old series geo- 

 logical survey map, on which only the " solid " geology 

 was depicted. In addition this new map has alongside it 

 a colour-printed section which gives an excellent and in- 

 structive view of the structure of the ground. In the 

 memoir Mr. Strangways gives full particulars of the strata, 

 a catalogue of the fossils from the Trias and Lias of 

 Leicestershire and Rutland, and numerous records of 

 borings and well-sections. A photographic plate shows the 

 weathered crags of granite at Mount Sorrel, grooved by 

 the erosive power of wind-drifted sand in Triassic times, as 

 pointed out by Prof. W'atts. The price of the memoir is 

 3s., and of the map is. 6d. 



A " Subject List of Works on Architecture and Build- 

 ing Construction, in the Library of the Patent Office," has 

 been published in the Patent Office library series. The 

 subject list consists of two parts, viz. a general alphabet 

 of subject headings, with entries in chronological order of 

 the works arranged under these headings ; and a key or 

 summary of these headings shown in class order. Copies 

 of the publication can be obtained at the Patent Office, 

 Chancery Lane, W.C., price sixpence. 



A SECOND revised edition of the " Smithsonian Physical 

 Tables," prepared by Prof. Thomas Gray, has been pub- 

 lished by the Smithsonian Institution. This edition differs 

 from that issued in 1897 in a few particulars only, the chief 

 alteration being that the table of electrochemical equiva- 

 lents now contains columns showing atomic weights with 

 = 16 and H = i based upon the report of the International 

 Committee on Atomic Weights. The table giving values 

 of the density and volume of water between — 10° C. and 

 100° C. needs revision, the volumes from 46° to 100° being 

 obviously wrong in the second decimal place. This, however, 

 is a small point, and can be easily corrected by anyone using 

 the tables. By issuing works of this kind, which are very 

 valuable to teachers and investigators, but for which the 

 demand is necessarily limited, the Smithsonian Institution 

 is doing great service to science. 



The first number of the " Year Book " of the Carnegie 

 Institution of Washington contains detailed information of 

 what has already been accomplished for the encouragement 

 of scientific research as the result of the munificence of Mr. 

 Carnegie. Upwaids of 38,000/. has been voted to assist 

 a number of men of science in their investigations, but the 

 fund, large as it is, has proved inadequate to meet all the 

 requests for aid received by the trustees. As a consequence 

 it has been found necessary to limit the activities of the 

 institution — ground already occupied will be avoided, the 

 systematic education of students will not be undertaken, 

 and sites and buildings for other institutions will not be 

 provided. It is to be understood, the " Year Book " states, 

 that apparatus and materials purchased to assist investi- 

 gators are to be regarded as the property of the Carnegie 

 Institution. The persons assisted are expected to report 

 upon the methods toUowed and the results obtained, and 

 to state in the published results that aid was received from 

 the Institution. Appropriations are to be made from time 

 to time for the printing of papers of acknowledged im- 

 portance To secure the counsel of e.xperts, special 

 advisers have been, and will be, invited from time to time 

 for consultation. The first appendix, which runs to 238 

 pages of the " Year Book," consists of reports of eighteen 

 advisory committees on the chief branches of scientific 



