May 30, 1 901] 



NA TURE 



113 



We have received from Messrs. Friedlander the second part of 

 their valuable International Zoologist's Directory, containing 

 the emendations and additions necessary to bring the issue of 

 1895 "P '° date. These emendations include a list of zoologists 

 deceased since that date, as well as a record of all changes of 

 address that could be ascertained. The lists of the staflfs of all 

 the more important zoological institutes and museums form a 

 feature of this part ; and, so far as we have been able to test it, 

 the work is comprehensive and singularly free from errors. 



The only original article in the May issue of the Zoologist is 

 a continuation of Mr. E. Selous' observations on the habits of 

 the great crested grebe. The author expended a vast amount 

 of time and trouble in watching a pair of these beautiful 

 birds during the breeding season. Attention is drawn to the 

 circumstance that the male bird takes a considerable share in the 

 duties of incubation ; and it is suggested that it likewise con- 

 structs a platform for its own use in the neighbourhood of the 

 nest. This leads the author to formulate a theory as to the 

 origin of the " runs" of the Australian bower-birds, which, in 

 opposition to the views of other naturalists, he regards as 

 specially modified nests. 



Dr. a. Appellof sends us the first fasciculus of a new work 

 under his editorship, entitled " Meeresfauna von Bergen," now 

 in course of publication by the Bergen Museum. The systematic 

 investigation of the marine fauna of Bergen was commenced 

 many years ago, and since the establishment there of a marine 

 biological station has advanced with great rapidity. Many 

 interesting problems are connected with the fauna of the sea of 

 this district, which is now to be described in considerable 

 detail. The work will include a map showing the different 

 faunal zones and dredging stations. In the present fasciculus 

 Mr. K. Bonnevie, of Christiania, treats of the hydroid polyps, 

 Dr. R. Hartmeyer of the holosomatous ascidians, and Mr. E. 

 Arnesen of the calcareous sponges. The first two subjects are 

 illustrated with plates or figures, and the names of the authors 

 afford a sufficient guarantee of the manner in which each is 

 treated. 



We have received numbers 6 and 7 of the Liverpool 

 Marine Biological Committee's Memoirs, both of which main- 

 tain the high level of their predecessors. The first of these, 

 by Mr. A. Scott, is devoted to the fish-parasites of the 

 genera Lepeophtheirus and Lerncea. These crustacean (cope- 

 pod) parasites are almost wholly restricted to portions of 

 the fish they infest which are in direct communication with 

 the exterior, such as the skin itself, the fins, mouth, gill- 

 chamber and gills, nostrils, or even the eye. The full life- 

 history of both the types mentioned is given in considerable 

 detail ; and it is shown that while in the former development 

 takes the form of steady progression, in the latter it assumes an 

 equally marked degradation. Indeed, so strange are the phases 

 assumed by Lernzea (as is well shown in the plates with which 

 the memoir is illustrated), that there is little wonder that the 

 older naturalists, when its life-history was still unknown, were 

 puzzled as to its .serial position, and failed to recognise its near 

 kinship to the other genus described in the present fasciculus. 

 The second of the two Memoirs, by Mr. R. C. Punnett, deals 

 with the genus Lineus, as exemplified by that common British 

 nemertean worm, L. gesserensis, notable, if for no other reason, 

 on account of having, in its difierent phases, received no less than 

 ten generic and thirteen specific titles. Varying between 6 and 20 

 centimetres in length, and displaying two distinct colour phases, 

 this worm occurs abundantly underneath stones between tide- 

 marks and also in the laminarian zone, frequently occurring 

 in tangled masses. Its distribution is also large, extending 

 from Greenland to Madeira on one side of the Atlantic and to 

 Florida on the other. In addition to a careful and well-illus- 

 trated description of its anatomy and life-history, Mr. Punnett 

 NO. 1648, VOL. 64] 



furnishes his readers with an elaborate table, showing at a glance 

 the exact systematic position of this curious worm. 



The Summary Report of the Geological Survey of Canada 

 for 1900 has a melancholy interest for geologists owing to 

 the recent death of Dr. G. M. Dawson, the Director. It is 

 a clearly printed work of 203 pages, w'ith a colour-printed map 

 of the Atlin gold-fields, and its price is ten cents. As usual, 

 while due attention is given to the scientific work the 

 practical subjects are treated as exhaustively as possible, and 

 general observations on natural history are included. So many 

 different topics are discussed that jf is impossible to give any 

 condensed account of them ; suffice it to say that the Yukon 

 district with its gold and coal workings, the coal of British 

 Columbia and Nova Scotia, the lakes of Ontario and New 

 Brunswick, the finding of natural gas in borings in the valley of 

 the Nation river, the anorthosite of Quebec, and numerous other 

 matters are dealt with. 



We have received from Messrs. Merck a pamphlet upon 

 " Tannoform," an antiseptic which has lately been very much 

 employed in veterinary practice. This substance was first pre- 

 pared about six years ago, and is a condensation product of 

 tannic acid and formaldehyde, its composition being repre- 



yCijHgOi, 



sented by the formula C\\/ . Tannoform is a buff- 



'^CijHgOs 



coloured powder and is odourless and almost tasteless. It is 

 insoluble in water, but fairly soluble in alcohol and ether, also 

 in caustic alkalis and ammonia. Formaldehyde is one of the 

 most powerful antiseptics and germicides which we have, but 

 being at the same time a strong irritant it can only be used in 

 very dilute solutions. Tannoform appears to possess all the 

 antiseptic properties of formaldehyde, but is free from its un- 

 pleasant smell and irritating action, beside which the well- 

 known astringent properties of tannic acid are also retained. 

 Owing to its anhydrodic action, this substance was at first chiefly 

 employed as a remedy for excessive perspiration of the feet and 

 other parts of the body. Tannoform appears to have been first 

 employed for veterinary purposes in the veterinary college of 

 Berlin, when it was found that, not only could it be employed 

 in place of the unpleasant smelling and expensive iodoform, but 

 that wounds treated with it healed more rapidly than when 

 iodoform was used. In cases of purulent and malodorous 

 wounds, tannoform is said to be very beneficial, because of its 

 antiseptic and deodorising properties. When taken internally, 

 this substance appears to be quite harmless, even when large 

 doses are administered. It has been found of special value in 

 cases of diarrhoea and intestinal catarrh. Most antiseptics carry 

 with them an odour — not usually pleasant — by means of which 

 l,heir presence can be detected. In tannoform we have an 

 odourless and powerful antiseptic. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey (Macacus cynoinolgus i ) 

 from India, presented by Mr. T. J. Erroll ; a Guinea Baboon 

 {Cynocephahts sphinx i ) from Africa, presented by Mr. C. W. 

 Fowke ; a Grey Ichneumon {Herpestes griseus) from India, 

 presented by Lord Hindlip ; a Guilding's Amazon (Chrysolis 

 guildingi) from St. Vincent, presented by the Earl of Crawford 

 and Balcarres ; a Woolly Opossum (Didelphys lanigera) from 

 Colombia, a Violet-necked Lory {Eos ricinata) from Moluccas, 

 a Razor-billed Curassow (Mitua lubcrosa) from Guiana, de- 

 posited ; a Demoiselle Cxasie (Anihropoides virgo) from North 

 Africa, two Summer Ducks (.•£> sponsa 6 6 ) from North 

 America, two Mandarin Ducks (^■Ex gatericulata i ? ) from 

 China, an African Elephant (Elephas africanus i ) from Abys- 

 sinia, purchased ; a Duke of Bedford's Deer (Cervits xatitho- 

 pygitts 9 ) a Japanese Deer {Cervus sikai ) a Thar (Hcmitragus 

 jemlaicus $) born in the Gardens. 



