March 



15. 1900] 



NA TURE 



477 



temperature in the first ten or fifteen minutes ; in from one to 

 two hours the temperature reaches its maximum, and remains 

 constant or elevated for an interval of time varying with the 

 amount of sugar introduced. This effect of sugar is most marked 

 after a long fast when the temperature is lowest. The action of 

 bread is, in some respects, opposite in character. The temper- 

 ature rises more slowly after the introduction of bread than after 

 sugar ; and the rise in this case is most rapid for animals whose 

 period of starvation has been short, and whose temperature is 

 not too low. These results are in accordance with the view that 

 sugar is more readily assimilated by a starving animal than bread. 

 Indeed, Prof. Mosso states that with sugar he has succeeded in 

 restoring the vitality of dogs in a serious state of hypothermia, 

 while the administration of albumen to others failed to save 

 their life. 



The Anntiaire of the Royal Observatory of Belgium for the 

 year 1900 contains an interesting article on the employment of 

 kites in meteorology, by J. Vincent. The paper is divided into 

 several sections and includes : (i) a description of the different 

 kites in use, with particulars relating to their construction, 

 accompanied by diagrams, and a discussion of the objects to be 

 attained by the ascents ; (2) a chronological list of the ascents 

 made since 1749 ; and (3) a bibliographical sketch containing 

 over 100 references to articles which have appeared in various 

 journals from 1896-9, and other useful information. The paper 

 is also reprinted separately in pamphlet form. 



We have received from the Manila Observatory a discussion 

 of the typhoons of the Philippine Archipelago and adjacent seas 

 for the years 1895 and 1896, by the Rev. J. P. Djyle. The 

 experience gained at the Observatory shows that these cyclones 

 have a distinct zone of origin, and that the tracks follow an 

 average definite course according to each of the following three 

 groups of months in which they occur: — (i) December to 

 March ; (2) April, May, October and November ; (3) June to 

 September. The three zones in which the storms originate are 

 included between lat. 4° and 20° N., and long. 129° and 144' E., 

 and these have been accordingly discussed with reference to those 

 groups of months, especial attention being given to those storms 

 which have particularly affected the Archipelago. The dis- 

 cussions are accompanied by maps showing the tracks, and the 

 whole work is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of 

 tropical storms and to maritime meteorology. 



In a paper published in the Bollettino of the Italian Seismo- 

 logical Society, Dr. E. Oddone discusses the long-period 

 oscillations of distant earthquakes. lie considers that the 

 problem of their origin is still unsolved. We have not yet 

 succeeded in deducing with certainty the true movement of the 

 ground from the diagrams supplied by microseismographs. The 

 suggestion that they are slow undulations of the earth's surface 

 is not universally accepted ; but, on the other hand, the attempt 

 to explain the records by horizontal movements only has also 

 failed. 



The Journal (vol. xi. part iv.) of the College of Science, 

 Imperial University, Tokyo, has been received. It contains 

 three papers, the first, by Dr. K. Honda, on the mutual influence 

 between longitudinal and circular magnetisations in iron and 

 nickel. The other two papers, by the late Prof Sekiya and by 

 Prof. Omori, deal with the catalogue of Japanese earthquakes 

 prepared by the Earthquake Investigation Committee, and have 

 been noticed already in these columns (p. 282). 



Any information about the natives of the mysterious Easter 

 Island is welcome, and we note with pleasure a paper by Dr. 

 H. Stolpe, on their tatuing. In this paper {Abhandl. u. Berichte 

 . K. Zool. u. Ah'.Ii. zu Mils. Dresd'.n, 1899. BJ. viii 



NO. 1585, VOL. 61] 



Festschrift fUr A. B. Meyer. Nr. 6)\the author brings together 

 all that is known on the subject. This consists mainly of some 

 original observations made when Dr. Stolpe was voyaging in 

 the Pacific, and he also gives details of a remarkable tapa 

 figure which was in the museum of the Lit. and Phil. Society of 

 Belfast, but is now in the British Museum. A degraded humai> 

 face and a bird enter into the scheme of tatuing, but there is- 

 no information as to the signification of the ornamentation. In. 

 the same volume is a list of words relating to Philippino ethno- 

 graphical and zoological objects, by Prof. F. Blumentritt ; and' 

 some ethnographical notes, by R. Parkinson and Dr. W. Foy, 

 on the natives of " Neu Pommern," New Britain. Drs. W. 

 Foy and O. Richter have prepared a memoir on the decorative 

 art of Timor, illustrated with 38 figures ; this is a usefu^ 

 addition to the literature on the decorative art of Malaysia. 

 The authors trace the degeneration of one or two simple 

 patterns, and they demonstrate the presence of a lizard or 

 crocodile motive; but in all such investigations it is highly 

 desirable to obtain information on the spot as to the sig- 

 nificance of local designs, for otherwise one is working very 

 much in the dark. 



To the Biologisches Centralblatt for March, Dr. von Linden^ 

 contributes a paper on the developmental history of the newts 

 and salamanders of Germany, in which the various larval stages, 

 and in some cases the adults, of the different forms are illustrated. 

 Especial attention is directed to the development of the spotting,, 

 which always commences as longitudinal lines. 



The last two parts of Indian Mtiseuin Notes for 1899 are 

 just to hand. No. 4 should attract a more than ordinarily wide 

 share of interest from the fact that the greater portion of it is^ 

 devoted to a report on Indian insect-pests by Mr. E. Barlow, of- 

 the Museum. It includes notes on insects harmful to tea, 

 cereals, cotton, poppy, indigo and sugar-cane, as well as- 

 locusts, insects infesting fruit-trees, «S:c. Very serious damage 

 appears to have been done to the tea industry in the Darjiling 

 district, in the spring of 1897, by the caterpillars of a moth 

 which appeared in millions and stripped the bushes of their old 

 leaves. Although the species is fully diagnosed in his report, 

 Mr. Barlow, as in the case of other pests, has omitted to suggest 

 any remedy for its devastations. 



Judging from its sixty-eighth Annual Report, which has- 

 just been issued, the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 

 appears to be in a flourishing condition, the receipts for the 

 past year showing a noticeable increase over the average. The 

 lion-breeding, which forms such a notable feature in the 

 menagerie, was at one time in a somewhat unsatisfactory con- 

 dition, but by the importation of fresh blood and the assistance 

 of foster-mothers in cases where the female parents would not 

 nurse their o-vn cubs, the difficulties have been overcome. It 

 is satisfactory to note that the Cape Hunting-Dog bred in the 

 menagerie the previous season is growing apace, and will soon 

 rival its parents in size. A feature of the Report is the inclusion- 

 of photogravures of several of the more interesting animals now 

 living in the Society's gardens. 



We have received from the Royal Dublin Society a memoir, 

 on Jamaican Actiniaria, by Mr. J. E. Duerden, who was, if we 

 mistake not, a student at the Royal College of Science, London,, 

 and afterwards one of Prof. Haddon's pupils or assistants at 

 Dublin. Since his appointment as curator of the museum at 

 Jamaica, Mr. Duerden has published quite a series of papers oi> 

 the zoology of his neighbourhood^papers ranging over a wide 

 field, from sea-anemones to the mongoose. The present memoi» 

 is the second part of a systematic account of the Actiniaria ot 

 the seas around Jamaica, and it deals mainly with the Sticho- 

 dactylinie, of which seven species are described. Part i.,. 



