October 2, 1890] 



NATURE 



55, 



more clearly seen. A vvo^odcut of the pelvis of the same 

 species is especially valuable, and shows (as, indeed, had 

 been previously well displayed in Prof. Cope's figure of 

 the pelvis of Eryops) that the ossified pubis is very small, 

 and takes no part in the formation of the acetabular 

 cavity for the head of the femur. Another species of 

 this genus from the Muschelkalk and Lettenkohle is de- 

 scribed as M. gnifui/osiis, a second from the Lettenkohle 

 as M. acuminatus, and a third from the true Keuper as 

 M. keuperinus. 



The genus Capitosaurus was originally described upon 

 the evidence of a specimen of the skull from the Keuper 

 of Franconia, a second species being subsequently de- 

 scribed from the equivalent beds of Wiirtemberg as C. 

 robust us ; while C. nasuius and C.fronto are smaller forms 

 from the Bunter of Bamburg. (It may be observed, in 

 passing, that, in the Report of the British Association 

 Committee, all mention of these two species from the 

 Bunter is omitted, and it is thus only suggested that the 

 genus might possibly be represented in these beds.) Dr. 

 Fraas describes and figures a beautifully preserved skull 

 of C. robustus from Stuttgart, which exhibits the very 

 remarkable specific peculiarity that the epiotic gives off 

 a process to join the supra-temporal, and thus converts 

 the auditory slit into a foramen. The author would re- 

 gard this feature as of sufficient importance to form a 

 generic character, and he accordingly proposes to separ- 

 ate this species from Capitosaurus, with the appropriate 

 designation of Cyclotosaurus. We are, however, rather 

 inclined to agree with Prof, von Zittel, who regards the 

 feature in question merely as a well-marked specific one. 



Of still more importance are the skull and skeleton of 

 Metopias. Hitherto, the occipital region of the skull of 

 this genus has been undescribed ; and the magnificent 

 skull to which allusion has already been made shows 

 that the restoration of this part by the British Associa- 

 tion Committee was not altogether correct. The type 

 species of Metopias must have been a huge creature, 

 only second in point of size to Mastodo?tsaurus, its 

 skull being some 2 feet in length. In addition to 

 the skull, the affinities of this genus are illustrated by 

 a»slab showing both surfaces of the anterior half of the 

 skeleton. In this beautiful specimen the three plates of 

 the thoracic buckler are preserved in their natural posi- 

 tion, and show well-marked differences from the corre- 

 sponding bones of Mastodonsaurtis. Thus, the median 

 plate (interclavicle), instead of ending in a sharp posterior 

 process like the corresponding bone (entoplastral) of a 

 turtle, is rounded ; while the lateral plates (interclavicles) 

 meet in a long suture in advance of the median plate. 



In thus making accessible to the scientific world the 

 wonderful specimens of Triassic Labyrinthodonts pre- 

 served in the Museums of Germany, Dr. Fraas has laid 

 all students of this branch of zoology under a deep 

 obligation to him ; and his work forms a fitting com- 

 panion to the volumes containing Dr. Fritsch's descrip- 

 tion and illustrations of the smaller Labyrinthodonts of 

 the older Permian beds of Bohemia. R. L. 



NOTES. 



The proceedings of the Iron and Steel Congress seem to have 

 excited much interest in America. About four hundred mem- 

 bers of the Iron and Steel Institute and of the German Metal- 

 llirgical Association are in New York, taking part in the meetings. 

 The sittings of the American Institute of Mining Engineers 

 began on Monday, those of the Iron and Steel Institute on 

 Wednesday. According to the New York correspondent of 

 the Times, the foreign delegates are much pleased wiih the 

 arrangements made by the Americans for their reception. 



The Harveian Oration will be delivered by Dr. Andrew, 

 at the Royal College of Physicians, on Saturday afternoon, 

 October 18, at four o'clock. 



NO. 1092, VOL. 42] 



The eleventh annual " fungus foray " of the Essex Field 

 Club will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 10 and II, 

 in Hatfield Forest, near Great Hallingbury, a remnant of about 

 1000 acres of the great forest of Essex. The head-quarters for 

 the meeting will be at Bishop's Stortford. Papers will be read, 

 and an exhibition of fungi and other botanical specimens held^ 

 under the direction of Dr. M. C. Cooke and Mr. George Massee. 

 Any of our readers wishing to attend, should communicate with 

 Mr. W. Cole, Hon. Sec, Essex Field Club, Buckhurst HiU, 

 Essex. 



The Fruiterers' Company will hold an exhibition of fruit, at 

 the Guildhall, London, on October 6, 7, and 8. Their object* 

 are (i) to show what excellent fruit can be grown in this 

 country ; and (2) to afford information respecting the best sorts 

 to plant, and how to cultivate them advantageously. 



At the annual meeting of the friends of the Manchester 

 Technical School, held on Monday, it was resolved that the 

 property and effects of the school should be transferred to the 

 Whit worth Institute. A letter from Mr. Chancellor Christie, 

 one of the trustees of the late Sir Joseph Whitworth, was read. 

 In this letter he referred to the property of the Institute, and 

 said the trustees were prepared absolutely to give and convey 

 their property in Peter Street", of which at present the Technical 

 School has the use. Upon the representations made to then> 

 that it was impossible for the Technical School to be carried on 

 for the present unless it obtained from some source a subvention 

 of ;^iooo a year, or thereabouts, the legatees had undertaken to 

 provide that sum, if necessary, for a few years, and they had 

 already made some annual payments of this amount. As, how- 

 ever, the Corporation of Manchester, under the powers con- 

 ferred by the recent Act, had arranged for the payment of 

 ^2000 a year to the Technical School, the amount conditionally 

 promised by the legatees would not be required. They were 

 willing, in lieu of this, to contribute the sum of £$000 towards 

 the building fund. The writer added, that while he should like 

 to see a building in every respect adequate and satisfactory, he 

 thought it would be a mistake to contemplate the immediate 

 erection of a building on the scale of that of which plans were 

 prepared about a year since. "The design, indeed, should 

 embrace everything that could be needed for many years to 

 come, but it should be so planned that a portion only could, and 

 should, be immediately erected, leaving the rest for the future. 

 In fact, it would follow the lines upon which the Owens College 

 has been partially built. An expenditure of less than ;^ioo,ooo- 

 should, I think, be sufficient for all the immediate purposes of 

 the Technical School." 



Within the last few days, telephonic communication has been 

 established between London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Lan- 

 caster by the National Telephone Company, Limited. The line 

 is not yet open for use by the public, but it was placed at the 

 disposal of the Manchester Field Naturalists' Society on Mon- 

 day evening, when a discussion on the effects of fog and town 

 atmosphere on plant-life was held between members in Man- 

 chester and a number of corresponding members in London. 

 Dr. Bailey, of Owens College, proposed a scheme for the che- 

 mical examination of fog, with reference to its injurious effects 

 on animal and vegetable organisms. Colonel Mackenzie, Super- 

 intendent of Epping Forest, denied its evil effects as far as plants 

 were concerned ; Prof. R. Meldola thought that the atmosphere 

 of London was becoming more and more harmful to plants, and 

 that this effect was probably due to the absence of light ; Mr. 

 Philip Hartog suggested that an attempt should be made to 

 photograph the absorption spectrum of fog, and that a daily 

 analysis of the air in large towns should be made in laboratories 

 devoted to that purpose. A subcommittee was appointed to 

 consider the subject further. 



