AuGtiST 29, 1901] 



NA TURE 



435 



During the past few years a series of remarkable papers by 

 Prof. Karl Pearson and his coadjutors has been published by the 

 Royal Society in the Philosophical Transactions zxiA Pmeedings, 

 on the foundations of a very comprehensive mathematical theory 

 of evolution. Mr. R. Worthington {Journal Anal, and Phys. 

 vol. XXXV. 1901, p. 455) gives some account of that portion of 

 Prof. Pearson's work which bears an osteology as a branch of 

 physical anthropology, in such a manner as shall be intelligible 

 to non-mathematical readers. The application of mathematical 

 analysis to the problems of evolution was introduced by Dr. 

 Francis Galton and perfected by Prof. Karl Pearson, and the 

 results already obtained are of such importance that biologists 

 cannot afford to neglect them. 



That portion of the brain where " impulses of diverse nature, 

 coming from all regions of the body and from all the sense organs, 

 may meet and play upon each other, " that sensorium commune 

 for which the ancient philosophers sought in vain for so many 

 ages, is a region of the hemisphere which is surely worthy of a 

 distinctive name. Such is the plea of Prof. G. Elliot Smith 

 (Journal Anal, and Phys. vol. xxxv. 1901, p. 431), who 

 suggests that it might be called the pars cresccns (hemisphterii), in 

 reference to the peculiar characteristic of its rapid expansion 

 in the .Mammalia ; but instead of selecting a new phrase 

 he prefers to use the term neopallium, as at every epoch 

 in the history of the mammal this part of the brain shows a pro- 

 gressive increase in size, whereas the other superficial parts of 

 the hemisphere become relatively or actually smaller and may 

 even disappear almost entirely without any vital injury to the 

 individual. 



To the Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edin- 

 burgh for 1S99-1900, Dr. G. Wilson contributes a preliminary 

 notice of the first appearance of the lung in the Australian lung- 

 fish [Ceralodus), and a second on the embryonic kidney of the 

 same. Dr. D. Hepburn notices certain mammalian remains (all 

 referable to existing types) recently collected in a cave in Suther- 

 landshire. 



In the August number of The Zoologist, Mr. R. B. Lodge 

 describes an interesting arrangement by means of which he 

 obtained automatic photographs of the purple heron and spoon- 

 bill on the nest. A camera was fixed near the nest, provided 

 with a string and catch so arranged that when the bird alighted 

 it caused a " snap-shot " of itself to be taken. Curiously 

 enough, before the photo of the purple heron was obtained, one 

 of a marsh-harrier, which had come to rob the nest, was 

 taken. With the aid of a flash- light the arrangement would be 

 available for night use. 



The Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West 

 Indies issues a continuation of its publications relating to the 

 insects injurious to cultivators in these islands, in the form of a 

 pamphlet on the ''Scale Insects of the Lesser Antilles," of 

 which a second instalment is to follow. The West Indian scale 

 insect and allied members of the Coccidie form, in spite of their 

 minute size, some of the most troublesome pests against which 

 the West Indian planter has to contend. According to the 

 author, Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, various poisonous or resinous 

 washes, applied as spray, form the most efficient remedies ; a 

 list of those most suitable to each kind of crop is appended. 



To the January issue of the Proceedings of the American 

 Philosophical Society, Dr. R. W. Shufeldt contributes a further 

 instalment of his series of dissertations on avian osteology, this 

 contribution dealing with the skeleton of the cuckoos. Although 

 not committing himself definitely to any opinion, and dwelling 

 upon the imperfect state of our knowledge of the bony structure 

 of this large group of birds, the author is inclined to confirm 

 NO. 1 66 I, VOL. 64] 



the view of the near relationship of the cuckoos to the plantain- 

 eaters and bee-eaters. He believes, however, that several 

 families of " picarian " birds "have a cuckoo-vein running all 

 through them, strongly impressed in some cases, barely dis- 

 cernible in others. Indeed, these groups of birds seem to have 

 arisen from some very ancient and common stock, but by the 

 extinction of numerous related types ... it has left in recent 

 times the most puzzling collection that the systematist has to 

 deal with." 



The second part of vol. vii. of the Transactions of the 

 Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society contains a number of 

 papers, for the most part connected with the natural history of 

 the county. Prof. A. Newton has a note on some bones of the 

 crane from the Norfolk fens, and this is followed by an interest- 

 ing account from the pen of Mr. T. Southwell of the breeding 

 of that bird in the county. Documentary evidence is cited to 

 prove that in 1543 cranes nested in Hickling Broad, and about 

 the same time in the Cambridgeshire fens. Dr. S. F. Harmer 

 describes and figures a dolphin taken in Cornwall, the flanks of 

 which showed certain peculiar scratches. At first it was thought 

 these might be due to the hooks of a cuttlefish, but subsequent 

 investigation tended to show that thJy were made by other 

 individuals of the same species, probably during the piiiring 

 season. The author is, however, of opinion that somewhat 

 similar markings seen on other cetaceans may be due to the 

 struggles of the cuttles on which they feed. 



The bulk of Part l of the Bergen Museum " Aarbog " for 

 1901 is occupied by a list of the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera of 

 the Bergen district, drawn up by Mr. J. S. Schneider, and illus- 

 trated with a coloured plate. Of more general interest is an 

 article by Dr. O. Nordgaard on the hydrography of the North 

 Sea, largely based on the observations of two sealing captains. 

 As the result of the investigations it appears that the effect of the 

 Gulf Stream on the North Sea has been very variable during the 

 last four years of the century. The favourable condition of the 

 ice in 1897 and 1S98 seems to have been owing to an influx of 

 warmth characterising these years, while the unfavourable con- 

 ditions noticed in 1S99 and 1900 were due to a lack of the same 

 influence. The years 1898 and 1899 severally represented indeed 

 the maximum and minimum in this respect. This is confirmed 

 by the fact that in the former year the development of the 

 " plankton" was much above the average. Allusion is made to 

 the influence of such temperature variations on the cod and her- 

 ring fishery, as well as on sealing. 



Mr. W. W. Davis has a paper in " Studies from the Vale 

 Psychological Laboratory" (vol. viii.), on some relationships 

 between temperament and effects of exercise. His tests and 

 observations are scarcely sufficient to establish very definite rela- 

 tions, but the conclusions at which he arrives are not without 

 interest. The observations suggest that nervous persons, in 

 training for the development of strength, require light practice, 

 and phlegmatic persons require vigorous practice. The phleg- 

 matic type of temperament is apparently characterised by the 

 presence of much reserve energy of muscle and nerve cell. The 

 nervous type has less reserve energy but a greater ability to use 

 the energy at hand. It is not difficult to apply these principles 

 to practical physical training. They make necessary on the 

 part of the trainer a personal knowledge, secured either by 

 means of observation or experiment, of the temperament of each 

 man under his charge. The amount of work necessary in each 

 case can then be apportioned with much greater exactness. Mr. 

 Davis points out that it seems quite as certain that there may 

 also be a direct application of these principles in the realm of 

 pedagogy. The experiments show that, in the development of 

 strength, mental factors are more necessary than muscular 



