458 



NA TURE 



[September 8, 1904 



In the Zeils. filr Instrumeiitenkunde for July Messrs. 

 Elster and Geitel describe a new form of apparatus for 

 measuring the radio-activity of soils and of the mud or 

 sediment of thermal springs. The increase in the con- 

 ductivity of a constant volume of air, which is caused by 

 its e.Kposure, in a metal cylinder, to the action of the radio- 

 active material, is measured by means of a modified form 

 of E.xner's electroscope. The especial features introduced 

 into the electroscope are the insulation of the aluminium 

 leaves by means of amber, and the production by means of 

 metallic sodium of a dry atmosphere in the space in which 

 the leaves are suspended. Measurements which were made 

 of the ionising power and of the rate of decay of the eman- 

 ation of " fango " or mud from the hot springs of Battaglia, 

 would indicate that its activity is due solely to the presence 

 of radium. In a paper contained in the June number of 

 Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity the same 

 authors put forward the view that the conductivity of the 

 atmosphere is largely, if not entirely, due to a radio-active 

 emanation which issues from the earth's crust. In support 

 of their contention, they have observed that the conductivity 

 of air in closed cellars and in deep holes or wells is some- 

 times fifty times as great as that of normal air. Their 

 view would also explain the fact that at low barometric 

 pressures the conductivity of the atmosphere is much greater 

 than at higher pressures, for a low pressure would favour 

 the escape, from the fissures of the earth's crust, of the 

 radio-active emanation. It is also possible that the electric 

 phenomena which occur over the crater of a volcano are 

 caused by an active emanation accompanving the vapours 

 issuing from the crater. 



\\"e are indebted to Mr. Ouaritch, of Piccadilly, for a 

 copy of a catalogue of rare and valuable works, including 

 many on biological and sporting subjects. 



The report of the Maidstone Museum for 1903 records the 

 capture in Maidstone of an apparently freshly-emerged 

 specimen of the silver-striped hawk-moth (Chaerocampa 

 celeno). Although the larva has been from time to time 

 observed in the country, English specimens of this moth 

 are generally considered to be immigrants from the 

 Continent. Other specimens are stated to have been taken 

 in England in 1903, but the last great " celerio-year " was 

 1885. 



The most striking feature of the report of the Field 

 Columbian Museum for 1902-3 is formed by two plates 

 representing groups— the one of the dibatag, or Clarke's 

 gazelle, and the other of the spotted hvsna— mounted in 

 the museum. Of the dibatag no less than six individuals, 

 of different ages and sexes, are exhibited, one of the bucks 

 being mounted in a characteristic attitude, with the neck 

 and tail erect. It is a matter for regret that funds and 

 space are not forthcoming for mounting groups of this 

 nature in our own Natural History Museum. One day it 

 will be too late to do so. We have also received from the 

 Field Museum copies of two papers by Dr. D. G. Elliot 

 on new mammals. 



" Dinosaur-hunting " in the Como Blufi's of Wyoming, 

 according to the graphic description given by Prof. H. F. 

 Osborn in the September number of the Century Magazine 

 under the title of " Fossil Wonders of the West," must be 

 an exciting sport, and one in which there are few blank 

 days. The Bone Cabin Quarry, which was accidentally 

 discovered in 1897, seems, indeed, to be the richest deposit 

 of dinosaurian remains hitherto known — so numerous 

 NO. 18 19, VOL. 70] 



being the weathered-out bones that the shepherds 

 actually built their huts from the vertebree and ribs. 

 " Here," writes the author, " are the largest of the giant 

 dinosaurs closely mingled with the remains of the smaller 

 but powerful carnivorous dinosaurs which preyed upon them, 

 also those of the slow and heavy-moving armoured dino- 

 saurs of the period, as well as of the lightest and most bird- 

 like of the dinosaurs. Finely rounded, complete limbs from 

 eight to ten feet in length are found, especially those of 

 the carnivorous dinosaurs, perfect even to the sharply pointed 

 and recurved tips of their toes." From this wonderful 

 mausoleum Prof. Osborn estimates that remains of no less 

 than 73 individuals were obtained by his party ; but, in- 

 clusive of the weathered-out bones, it may be conjectured 

 that the total must have reached at least 100 head. The 

 area probably represents an old river-bar, the still waters 

 of which arrested the course of the carcases on their sea- 

 ward journey. The paper is illustrated by excellent restor- 

 ations from the facile pencil of Mr. C. R. Knighl. 



Two important contributions to our knowledge of the 

 chimEeroid fishes of Japan are made by Prof. Dean in the 

 Journal of the College of Science of Tokyo University 

 (vol. xix., articles 3 and 4). In the first of these the 

 author treats of the two Japanese species of true chimsera 

 {Chiniaera phantasma and C. mitsukiirii) and their egg- 

 cases. Of the former species it is stated that while some- 

 times the fishermen will catch from twenty to thirty speci- 

 mens a day in water varying between 50 and 300 fathoms 

 in depth, on other occasions they do not find a single ex- 

 ample for days. Although sluggish in their movements when 

 kept in baskets in shallow water (where they soon die), 

 there is reason to believe that in their normal haunts these 

 fishes display considerable activity. Their egg-cases are 

 larger than those of any other species. In the second 

 memoir, Prof. Dean discusses the structure and affinities 

 of the long-snouted chimasra (Rhinochimaera pacifica), 

 which has been made the type of a genus by itself, although 

 there is some doubt whether it is really entitled to generic 

 distinction from Harriotta raleighana, obtained in deep water 

 about 1894 by the Albatross near the Bermudas. The most 

 interesting feature observed in the type specimen of the 

 former was the complete distinctness of the palato-quadrate- 

 bar from the cranium proper, this being thought at first 

 to indicate that the skull was not of the true autostylic 

 type. Other specimens showed, however, that the feature 

 was not constant, although its existence in even one speci- 

 men tends to support the view that the autostylic skull of 

 the Dipnoi is a specialised derivative from the hyostylic 

 type characteristic of the fringe-finned ganoids. 



The most recent addition to the literature of cotton 

 cultivation issued by the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for the West Indies constitutes No. 31 of the pamphlet 

 series, and is entitled the " A.B.C. of Cotton Planting." 

 The method is adopted of providing the information in the 

 form of question and answer, which combines brevity and 

 precision. 



Continuing his researches into the parthenogenetic de- 

 velopment of embryos of Thaliciritm purpurascens. Mr. 

 Overton states in the May number of the Bcrichic dcr 

 dcutschen botanischcn Gesellschaft that in these cases no 

 reduction takes place in the number of chromosomes. The 

 list of plants for which parthenogenesis has been established 

 includes Antennaria alpina. species of Alchemilla, and 

 Taraxacum officinale. 



