September 19, 1901] 



NA TURE 



523 



ago. In order to study these interesting people he sent back 

 the entire staff of his expedition and lived alone among them. 

 At first the tribes objected to his taking up his abode in this 

 way, but eventually he gained their confidence and was allowed 

 to remain. He learnt their ways, their language and their 

 songs, and joined in their dances. The Mexican Indians are 

 monogamists, and lead, on the whole, a happy existence. They 

 are very intellectual, and are, according to Dr. Lumholtz, a far 

 superior race to their kinsmen in the United States and South 

 America. Among many of the tribes he found a higher degree 

 of morality than in civilised countries. Theft and many of the 

 worst forms of disease are unknown among them. The land is 

 held in common. Their principal food consists of Indian corn 

 and beans. The large and interesting collection of native 

 pottery and implements which have been brought away for the 

 American Museum of Natural History, and the explorer's 

 researches into the life, customs, religion, &c., of the natives, 

 will, it is thought, throw a new light upon many hitherto 

 unknown periods in the history and evolution of mankind. 



We have received a copy of the Meteorological Observations 

 for the year 1900, taken at Rousdon Observatory, Devon, under 

 the superintendence of the late Sir Cuthbert E. Peek, Bart. 

 This valuable series of observations was commenced in 18S3, as 

 a station of the second order, and subsequently important 

 additions have been made, including Robinson and Dines' 

 anemometers. In addition to the usual observations, which 

 have been regularly and carefully made, as in former years, by 

 Mr. C. Grover, much useful experimental work has been carried 

 on, including a comparison of rainfall at different heights and of 

 records of different types of anemometers. A comparison of 

 the weather experienced at the Observatory with that predicted 

 tor the district by the Meteorological Office has been made 

 daily since 18S3. The percentage of absolute success during 

 the year 1900 amounted to 85, and shows a considerable im- 

 provement on some of the earlier years. In an appendix the 

 average monthly and yearly meteorological results for the 

 seventeen years 1884-1900 are given in English and French 

 measures. 



A SERIES of papers on the radiation from carbon is com- 

 menced by Mr. E. L. Nichols in the Physical Review for August. 

 The object of the experiments is to measure the temperature of 

 carbon rods rendered incandescent by the passage of an electric 

 current, and to make spectrophotometric comparisons of the 

 visible radiation from their surfaces with the corresponding 

 wave-lengths in the spectrum of an acetylene flame. 



A SIMPLE circular slide-rule is described by M. Pierre Weiss 

 in the Journal de Physique for September. It possesses only a 

 single graduated dial, the logarithmic scale going from i to 10 

 in 360°, but it has two needles, one pivoted inside the other, 

 so that when the latter is revolved the former turns with it. In 

 order to multiply a by b, one needle is placed opposite unity and 

 the other opposite a. The needles are then revolved together 

 until the first needle is opposite 6, the second will then be 

 opposite the reading corresponding to the product ab. To 

 perform division or to find the fourth proportional to three given 

 numbers by a single operation, the method is closely analogous 

 to that with a slide-rule. 



In a recent issue of the Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy, Dr. A. M. Reese describes the evolution of the nasal 

 passages in the Florida alligator. In the same journal Mr. 

 H. A. Pilsbry records a number of additions to the land-snail 

 fauna of Japan. 



The following recently appeared in the Daily Telegraph : — 

 " Experts in the British Museum are investigating an extensive 

 discovery of sharks' teeth and the palates of other fish which 

 NO. 1664, VOL. 64] 



has been made in (joldsworth Cutting, Woking, during the 

 e.xcavations for the widening of the London and South- Western 

 main line. The teeth, which were found in large numbers in 

 the greensand formation, about 35 feet below the subsoil, are 

 in a state of splendid preservation, and the find is regarded as 

 an unusually interesting one." The specimens are really of 

 Tertiary age. 



In a series of "Notes from the Gatty Marine Laboratory, 

 .St. Andrews," published in the Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural History for September, Prof M'Intosh discusses the 

 enormous destruction of ova and fry which occurs in certain 

 shore fishes, such as the shanny, blenny, cottus and lump-sucker 

 (the eggs of which were recently produced to the Roy.il Com- 

 mission on Trawling as those of the haddock). With regard to 

 food-fishes. Prof. M'Intosh takes a hopeful view, urging that they 

 "are in no great danger of extinction by the operations of man. 

 These fishes have a vast area of water, which is utilised not only 

 for the migrations of the adults, but for the spread of the pelagic 

 eggs, larvct, post-larval forms and adolescents. Even were the 

 inshore flat-fishes, for instance, to be reduced to such a degree 

 that their capture would no longer be profitable, that fact would 

 be their safeguard, for they would be left, amidst the most 

 favourable surroundings, to augment their decimated ranks." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Chacma Baboon [Cynocephalns porcarins) 

 from South Africa, presented by Lieut. R. P. Crawley-; a 

 Macaque Monkey (Macaciis cynomolgiis) from India, presented 

 by Mr. L. H. Ellis ; a Bosnian's Potto {Perodictiais polio), an 

 African Civet Cat { Viverra civetta) from West Africa, pre- 

 sented by Mr. H. W. L. Way ; two Lapwings ( Vanelltis 

 vulgaris), European, presented by Mr. L. J. Coussmaker ; 

 twenty Rhomb-marked Snakes (Triinerorhinus r/iombealus), 

 twenty-two Crossed Snakes {Psamniophis crucifer), seventeen 

 Rufescent Snakes {Leplodira hotaniboeia), seven Rough-keeled 

 Snakes (Dasypeltis scabra), three Infernal Snakes {Boodoii in- 

 fernalis), a Lineated Snake (Boodon lineatns), a Smooth-bellied 

 Snake {Hoinalosoina lutrix), an Oldham's Snake (Chloropkis 

 hoplogaster) from South Africa, presented by Mr. W. A. 

 Guthrie ; eleven Tenrecs (Centetes ecaudatiis) from Mada- 

 gascar, a Barnard's Parrakeet {Platycerciis barnardi), a 

 Yellow-rumped Parrakeet {Platycerciis flaveolns) from South 

 Australia, a Yellow-fronted Amazon {Chrysotis ochrocephala) 

 from Guiana, a Red-vented Parrot {Pioniis inenstriius), twelve 

 Brazilian Tortoises {Testtido labulata) from South America, 

 three West Indian Agoutis {Dasypracta cristata) from the West 

 Indies, two Rollers {Coracias garrulus), European ; two Grey 

 Monitors ( Varanusgrisens) from North Africa, two Starred Tor- 

 toises {Tesliido elegans), three Ceylonese Terrapins (Nicoria 

 trijiiga), a Bungoma River 'Yv.it\eL{Einyda granosa), five Bengal 

 Monitors ( Varanus bengalensis) from India, deposited ; a 

 Proteus (Proteus angninns) from the Caves of Carniola, pre- 

 sented by Mr. G. Churchill. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Diameter of Mercury.— Prof. T. J. J. See has recently 

 made a long series of determinations of the diameter of the 

 planet Mercury, using the filar-micrometer on the 26-inch re- 

 fractor of the U.S. Naval Observatory at Washington. Details 

 of 145 observations are grouped in three series, extending over 

 the period 1900 June 20-1901 June II. The mean diameter 

 deduced is 



D = 5" 8993 + o"oo8o. 

 = 4277-6 km. ± 5-8 km. 



Special attention is drawn to the absence, even under the best 

 conditions, of any markings which could be recognised with 

 certainty. 



