Apri 18, 1907] 
NATURE 
591 
Mrazek contributes an account. of a_ polypharyngeal 
planarian from Montenegro, this being the second repre- 
sentative of that group from this country. 
No. 93 of the Bulletin de l'Institut Océanographique, 
published at Monaco, contains an illustrated account, by 
Mr. E. L. Bouvier, of the Paris Museum, of zoological 
observations made during a cruise in the Atlantic in 1905 
on the Prince of Monaco’s yacht Princess Alice. After 
briefly referring to the cetaceans and pelagic fishes 
Observed, the author devotes considerable space to the 
invertebrate fauna of the Sargasso Sea, which he de- 
clares to be of surpassing interest to the naturalist. 
Among the numerous species figured, one of the most 
striking is a copepod crustacean (Copilia vitrea), in which 
the eyes are unusually large, while the swimming-limbs 
are richly garnished with feather-like expansions. In the 
latter respect this crustacean presents a curious analogy 
to the well-known Sargasso fish Antennarius marmoratus. 
Other Sargasso invertebrates, like a species of Sagitta, 
obtain protection by means of the pellucid nature of their 
tissues. Considerable interest attaches to the observation 
that the hemipterous insects Halobates differ from all 
other pelagic forms in not seeking shelter below the 
surface in stormy weather. A second chapter is devoted 
to the deep-sea fauna, among which the author directs 
special attention to the remarkable holothurian Pelago- 
thuria bouviert. 
Tue Irish Naturalist for April contains the report of an 
address on the problems of an island fauna delivered by 
Mr. C. B. Moffat, as president, to the Dublin Naturalists’ 
Field Club on January 8. Starting with the fact that the 
modern fauna of Ireland is poorer than that of Great 
Britain, and the latter inferior in richness to that of the 
Continent, the author raises the question whether the 
theory that this poverty is due to animals having been 
unable to effect an entrance into these areas affords a 
satisfactory solution. The idea that oceanic islands have 
received their faunas by dispersive agencies is held to be 
untenable, such faunas, it is argued, being merely 
remnants of larger ones derived from ancient continental 
connections. On this hypothesis, there would seem to be 
grounds for the belief that island faunas have an inherent 
tendency to self-effacement, and it is suggested that this 
tendency may be in part due to weakness in those members 
of a species which inhabit the peripheral zone of its dis- 
tributional area. ‘‘ Both Great Britain and Ireland,’’ it 
is urged, ‘‘ certainly have lost, within times that were at 
least subsequent to the beginning of the ice-age, a con- 
siderable number of species, which are shown by the 
explorers of our caves to have flourished here when we 
had still a continental connection. How they came to die 
out... we cannot say. But I do think it is a mistake 
to assume that the insulation of the British and Irish areas 
has affected our fauna and flora in no other way than by 
preventing the advent of new species. We have to explain 
how we have lost as well as how we have failed to gain.” 
Now ©2; of /the 
with ~polypodi- 
IN an account, 
Philippine Journal 
forming — vol. 
of Science, 
Lies 
dealing 
aceous ferns collected from one locality, San Ramon, 
on the Philippine island of Mindanao, Mr. E. B. 
Copeland discusses their distribution in the different 
vegetative zones and their structural adaptations. The 
collection amounted to the large number of 184 species, 
of which one-seventh were local and the rest Malayan. 
In addition to the ecological notes, that are very interest- 
ing but too detailed for summarising, the author has 
NO. 1955, VOL. 75 | 
essayed the difficult task of formulating a taxonomie group- 
ing of the order that is illustrated in a genealogical tree. 
Lastraea is regarded as a central type from which many 
branches, e.g. Microlepia, Polystichum, and Goniopteris, 
have sprung; Polypodium, Athyrium, and Acrophorus are 
associated with Lastraa as primitive forms. 
Tue third number of the Kew Bulletin for the current 
contains a list of flowering plants and cryptogams 
sent from Labrador by Sir William McGregor. Special 
interest attached to the lichens, as it was suggested that 
an attempt would be made to naturalise the reindeer if 
the food material it requires was available in sufficient 
quantity. According to the notes accompanying the speci- 
mens, Cladonia rangiferina appears to be abundant, and 
with it are commonly associated Cetraria aculeata and 
Platysma nivalis. An article, ‘‘ Alpine Notes from 
Sikkim,’’ is extracted from a letter written by Mr. I. H. 
Burkill describing a tour in search of Aconite tubers; an 
illustration shows Aconitum spicatwm and a hybrid Aconite 
in flower. A new genus of Composite is defined from 
Tibetan material by Mr. J. R. Drummond under the name 
of Chlamydites, having affinities with the Tibetan plant 
Cremanthodium. Deasyi. Two economic articles provide 
information on the distillation of camphor and the cultiva- 
tion of ginseng, a variety of Aralia quinquefolia, in Korea. 
year 
In the Journal of the Franklin Institute (vol. clxiii., 
No. 3) Prof. Oscar C. S. Carter describes in detail the 
Government irrigation project at Yuma. The project con- 
templates diversion of the waters of the Colorado River 
about ten miles north-east of Yuma, Arizona, into two 
canals. In Arizona these canals will irrigate all the 
bottom lands of the Colorado and Gila rivers between 
the Laguna dam and the Mexican boundary, an area of 
84,000 acres, and in California the bottom lands in the 
Yuma Indian Reservation, an area of 17,000 acres. 
Engineering skill of the highest order will be required. 
The Roosevelt dam in the Salt River Canon, Arizona, will 
be solid masonry 285 feet high, and, joining the canon 
walls several hundred feet apart, will form a lake twenty- 
five miles long and 200 feet deep. The details given 
tend to show that the United States will soon take the 
lead as the foremost country where irrigation is practised 
‘on a large scale. 
Tue Transactions of the Institution of Engineers and 
Shipbuilders in Scotland (vol. 1., part v.) contain a sug- 
gestive paper on the mechanism of power transmission 
from electric motors, by Mr. Wilfrid L. Spence. He 
brings forward’ possible alternatives to the commoner 
Direet 
methods, with typical applications of each system. 
coupled drives are to be preferred to all others whenever 
Belt drives are to be preferred to any form 
of strictly positive connection between constant speed 
motors and fly-wheel operated machinery. A fly-wheel is 
quite useless with a constant speed motor positively con- 
nected to its load. Single reduction spur gear may be 
regarded as the standard gear transmission for ratios up 
to 5 or 6 to 1. When the distance between centres is 
great, the idler spur gear (cast-iron pinion, raw-hide 
idler, and cast-iron wheel) is a substitute for plain single 
reduction gear. Chain gear may, as a rule, also be used, 
but only for ratios up to 5 or 6 to 1. For ratios up to 
30 to 1, and where space is not of much account, double 
reduction spur gear is applicable. As treble reduction spur 
gear, which is applicable for reduction between 40 and 
150 to 1, takes up much space and is costly, it is not to 
be recommended. When extreme compactness is desirable, 
practicable. 
