l82 



NATURE 



[June 25, 1903 



ha^ seen light of one wave-length," and even in the 

 narrowest band obtainable by a pure spectrum, differences 

 of frequency amounting to many millions of wave-lengths 

 may occur. Mr. Chant, on the other hand, refers to the 

 experiments of Rowland, Michelson and Morley, Perot and 

 Fabry in obtaining interference effects with very long 

 differences of path (other experiments in this direction were 

 recently noted in Nature), and to the fact that not only was 

 there no sign of the colour disappearing when the light 

 approached perfect homogeneity, but the intensity of the 

 sensation was slightly increased. 



The article on the infection-power of ascospores in the 

 Erysipheaj is continued in the Journal of Botany (June) by 

 Mr. E. S. Salmon. The ascospores of Erysiphe graminis 

 growing on barley were found to be capable of infecting 

 two allied species, but failed when sown on four other 

 species of Hordeum, as well as on wheat, oats and rye. 

 This establishes the existence of biologic forms in the 

 ascospore stage similar to those known for the conidial 

 stage. In the case of the form under investigation, the 

 same species of Hordeum are proof against infection 

 whether by ascospores or conidia. 



The announcement was recently made of the discovery 

 of a new source of indiarubber, the peculiarity being that 

 the latex, which has been found to yield a good market- 

 able caoutchouc, is obtained from the underground portion 

 of the tree, a Landolphia. The genus is confined to Africa, 

 more especially to the tropical regions, and is characterised 

 by the presence of latex in the stem, but the latex only 

 furnishes caoutchouc in a few species. Of these the three 

 best known, Landolphia Kirkii, L. owariensis, and 

 L. florida, are llianes climbing by means of tendrils. 

 Recently the new species Landolphia Thalloni has been 

 exploited in the French Congo ; the aerial portions of this 

 species persist only for one or two seasons, and the latex is 

 stored in the rhizome. 



The whole of vol. Ixxiv. part ii. of the Zeitschrift fUr 

 wissenschaftliche Zoologie is occupied by the first instal- 

 ment of a dissertation, by Prof. A. Schuberg, on the nature 

 of intercellular tissue. Among other results, it is demon- 

 strated that the tissue between the cells of the epidermis 

 is readily distinguishable from the corresponding structure 

 in the true skin. 



In the April number of the American Naturalist, Prof. W. 

 Patten describes certain fragmentary remains which, in 

 his opinion, justify the conclusion that the primitive fish- 

 like creature Tremataspis (previously known only by the 

 dorsal shield) was furnished with a pair of oar-like swim- 

 ming appendages attached to. the head, and resembling 

 those of Pterichthys and Bothriolepis. If this be so, it is 

 probable that similar appendages likewise existed in 

 Pteraspis, Cyathaspis, and Polyaspis. 



In an article entitled " The Ways of Nature," published 

 in the June number of the Century Magazine, Mr. J. 

 Burroughs discourses in a popular style on the question 

 whether the lower animals really possess self-consciousness. 

 Probably, he argues, they think without knowing that they 

 think, and thus the faculty in question is restricted to man. 

 Later on reference is made to incidents quoted in well- 

 known works which seem to show that animals are really 

 possessed of reasoning powers, but it is pointed out that 

 since these incidents were, in most cases, at any rate, not 

 recorded by trained scientific observers, their value must 

 be largely discounted. 



NO. 1756, VOL. 68] 



In the report of the Marlborough College Natural History 

 Society for 1962, the secretary states that, notwithstanding 

 the season having been unfavourable for field-work, there 

 are no reasons to be dissatisfied with the results of the 

 year. The collections which have been most largely in- 

 creased are those of the various groups of insects, especially 

 Diptera. The members, it is stated, have been urged to 

 specialise their studies, as it is considered that by this 

 method the best results are ensured for future years. 

 Whether this is really so there may, however, be two 

 opinions. 



According to the annual report of the Cambridge 

 Museums and Lecture Rooms Syndicate for the past year, 

 considerable progress has been made in transferring the 

 collections of the Woodwardian Museum to the Sedgwick 

 Memorial Museum in Downing Street, where the geo- 

 logical lectures have been delivered. Amongst the more 

 important additions to the University collections, special 

 attention is directed to a valuable series of human skulls 

 obtained from various sources, also to the skeleton of 

 a humpback whale, presented by Mr. Rothschild, and to 

 specimens of the whale-headed stork (Balaeniceps rex), the 

 gift of Sir Reginald Wingate. During the twelvemonth 

 the Zoological Museum has likewise been enriched by the 

 gift, from Prof. Newton, of several collections of birds and 

 eggs of exceptional value. 



M. 6. Reclus has reprinted his interesting little book 

 " Les Primitifs, " which was originally published in 1885. 

 The book is well known to English readers under the title 

 " Primitive Folk : Studies in Comparative Ethnology " 

 (The Contemporary Science Series) ; it deals with the 

 Eskimo, Apaches, and various tribes of southern India. 

 Nothing new has been added to the original edition. 



Dr. Franz Boas has published as Bulletin 27 of the 

 publications of the Bureau of American Ethnology the 

 Tsimshian texts he collected at the mouth of the Nass River 

 in 1894 while he was engaged in researches under the 

 auspices of the British Association Committee on the North- 

 western Tribes of Canada. By far the greater number of 

 these are myths of the tribes in which the miraculous is 

 blended with the actual ; it is not difficult to eliminate the 

 former. The remainder gives a good insight into the 

 everyday life of the people. The texts are printed as they 

 were taken down by Dr. Boas from his informants, and 

 a literal word for word translation is given, as well as a 

 more free rendering. In addition to their linguistic value 

 these texts afford the reader a good idea of the literary 

 style and the sentence-building of the Tsimshian Indians 

 without a previous knowledge of the language being 

 necessary. 



A REPORT on the Kangaroo Hills Mineral Field, by Mr. 

 W. E. Cameron, has been issued by the Queensland Geo- 

 logical Survey. The district is one of altered sedimentary 

 rocks and granite, in which tin, copper, and silver mining 

 has been carried out. A report on Yorkey's Gold Field 

 and the Marodian Gold and Copper Field in the district 

 of Wide Bay, Queensland, has been prepared by Mr. L. C. 

 Ball. Yorkey's Gold Field lies in an area of slates assigned 

 with doubt to the Gympie (permo-Carboniferous) form- 

 ation, with intrusive masses of granite and diorite, and 

 the auriferous quartz reefs occur in or adjacent to the 

 diorite. The other districts referred to are in the pro- 

 specting stages. A report on the west coast of the Cape 

 York Peninsula and on some islands of the Gulf of Carpen- 

 teria has been drawn up by Mr. C. F. V. Jackson. In- 

 teresting particulars and photographic views are given of 



