August 20, 1903] 



NATURE 



375 



their way to Kerguelen Island. This, it is argued, in- 

 dicates that islands were formerly more numerous in the 

 Antarctic than at present. Among the illustrations in the 

 number before us, one plate shows a native high up in a 

 gum-tree taking the nest of the white-tailed cockatoo, and 

 a second the countless swarms of sooty terns which haunt 

 the Great Barrier Reef in the breeding season. 



In an article entitled "The Genesis of the Kangaroo," 

 a correspondent of the Newcastle Daily Journal of August 4 

 seeks to obtain credence for a view, current among 

 Australian settlers, as to the early stages of development 

 in these animals. Briefly stated, this view is to the effect 

 that " after impregnation, the mingled germs find their 

 way from the womb, or receptacle answering to such, 

 through a duct or channel straight to the point of the 

 teats," and that consequently the whole of the development 

 takes place while the embryo is attached to the summit of 

 the nipple. Nothing is said with regard to the position of 

 the mysterious duct or channel alluded to in the quotation, 

 while the commonly accepted view, namely, that the mother 

 transfers the embryo from the vagina to the nipple, is dis- 

 missed with the statement that this is nol supported by 

 direct observation. Apparently the author is unacquainted 

 with a note published some years ago in the Zoologist (and 

 referred to in our columns at that time), in which Mr. D. 

 le Souef describes this transference in considerable detail, 

 and states that it is effected solely by the maternal lips. 



The report of the British Museum for the year ending 

 on .March 31 last has been published as a Blue-book. In 

 the natural history section the director records an increase 

 in the number of visitors, and likewise in the list of 

 donations. Attention is directed to the completion of the 

 Nile Fish Survey, and to Dr. Andrews's geological e.x- 

 plorations in Egypt, funds for which have been generously 

 provided by Mr. W. E. de Winton. It is satisfactory to 

 learn that the whole of the collections to be made by the 

 National Antarctic Expedition are to come to the museum, 

 and that the trustees have agreed to publish an account 

 of the natural history results of the voyage. As regards 

 the new section of economic zoology, a summary is given 

 of work accomplished in advising the Board of Agriculture 

 in regard to insect ravages and kindred subjects, and of 

 visits paid in connection with the Board. A long list of 

 correspondence in connection with mosquitoes and malaria 

 indicates the energy with which these investigations are 

 being pushed. Some progress has been made with the ex- 

 hibition of economic zoology in the north hall, and collec- 

 tions of insects affecting economic products have been 

 received from various parts of the world. 



Dr. Henry Hoek, of Davos, has issued separate copies 

 of a detailed paper on the geological structure of the central 

 " Plessurgebirge " in the neighbourhood of Arosa (Berichte 

 der Naturforschenden GeseUschaft zu Freiburg-im-Breisgau). 

 Inspired by Prof. G. Steinmann, the author has sought 

 to work out in detail the complex features of the district, 

 which is well known in its general aspect to visitors to 

 the Engadine. In so doing, he gives considerable credit 

 to the observations of the English geologist, the late Mr. 

 A. V. Jennings. The overfolding and repetition of strata 

 by thrust-faults are well shown in numerous sketches and 

 diagrams, and plate xiv. gives us a broad landscape, with 

 the geology marked out on it in the clear and effective 

 manner of Murchison and the early authors. Dr. Hoek 

 concludes by supporting the views of Steinmann and 

 Jennings in opposition to those of Rothpletz and Lugeons, 

 and affirms that the main range, including the Briigger- 

 NO. 1764, VOL. 68] 



horn and the Hornli, is a mountain-mass of eastern Alpine 

 type, pushed up from the south-east over a " Vorland " of 

 Flysch. This Flysch, it is argued with reason, is entirely 

 of Cainozoic age, and the mass of older rocks has been 

 pushed across it for a distance of some 4 kilometres. 



Prof. L. Plate's memoir " Uber die Bedeutung des 

 Darwin 'schen Selectionsprincips," which was reviewed in 

 Nature of May 16, 1901 (vol. Ixiv. p. 49), has reached a 

 second edition. The new edition contains nearly one hun- 

 dred pages more than were included in the original work, 

 and the words " und Probleme der .Artbildung " have been 

 added to the title. 



The sixth edition of Prof. R. Hertwig's " Lehrbuch der 

 Zoologie " has been published by Herr Gustav Fischer, 

 Jena. The work originally appeared in 189 1, and was 

 favourably noticed in these columns (vol. xlviii. p. 173). 

 The present edition has been enriched with many new 

 illustrations, and the text has been revised in the light of 

 recent theory and investigation in zoological science. 



Two useful volumes have been published by the Treasury 

 Department of the United States Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey. One is a list and catalogue of the publications 

 issued by the survey from 1816-1902, and has been com- 

 piled by Mr. E. L. Burchard ; the other is a second edition 

 of a bibliography of geodesy, by Prof. J. H. Gore. This 

 bibliography has been carefully revised to 1902, and deals 

 with all books and papers on the subject in every language. 



The " List of Publications of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, 1846-1903," by Mr. William J. Rhees, a copy of which 

 has been received from the institution at Washington, will 

 prove of great assistance to all readers who have access 

 to the volumes indexed. The " list " consists of two 

 parts ; the first is a complete list of Smithsonian publica- 

 tions in numerical order, which is also approximately 

 chronological ; the second part contains a list of publica- 

 tions, available for distribution, arranged under subjects 

 and authors. In this list are included the papers and 

 addresses by eminent men of science which have appeared 

 in the appendices to the annual reports of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



The extension section of the Manchester Microscopical 

 Society has issued a revised list of fifty-four lectures 

 arranged for delivery by its members during the coming 

 winter. The work of lecturing is voluntary and gratuitous 

 on the part of the members, but hire of slides, travelling, 

 and out-of-pocket expenses are charged. The purpose of 

 the lectures is to bring scientific knowledge, in a popular 

 form, before societies unable to pay large fees to pro- 

 fessional lecturers, but in all cases where lectures are given 

 before societies which are commercial undertakings, or are 

 subsidised by grants, a fee is charged. The subjects of the 

 lectures are varied and well chosen, and this pioneer work 

 of the Manchester scientific workers deserves wide appreci- 

 ation. 



We have received a reprint of an article, from vol. ix. 

 of the decennial publications of the University of Chicago, 

 on " New Instruments of Precision from the Ryerson 

 Laboratory," by Mr. R. A. Millikau. The instruments de- 

 scribed are a substitute for Atwood's machine, a Young's 

 modulus apparatus, a " moment of inertia " machine, and 

 a vapour-tension device. The pieces of apparatus are in- 

 genious and likely to prove useful in the teaching of 

 practical physics, but two at least can hardly be described 

 as new. The substitute for Atwood's machine is merely 

 a slightly modified form of the familiar smoked glass plate 



