Marcu 17, 1904} 
NATURE 
471 
the chemical constitution of the tubercle bacillus. 
that it contains a large percentage of fatty substances, and 
that the “‘ acid-fast ’’ substance is an alcohol. Dr. Edington 
writes on a malarial form of South African horse sickness, 
and Dr. Bashford on immunity. Drs. Boycott and Haldane 
give a second instalment of their article on ankylostomiasis, 
and Dr. Durham discusses beri-beri in Malayia and in 
Christmas Island, which. he visited as commissioner of the 
London School of Tropical Medicine. 
In 1902 Major Ross, at the invitation of the Suez Canal 
Company, proceeded to Ismailia in order to advise upon a 
method to rid the town of mosquitoes, and as the result of 
his advice a series of measures was instituted to accomplish 
this. These consisted in filling in marsh land, a weekly 
flushing and cleansing of drainage channels, and, about the 
houses, petroleum treatment of drains and waste water 
that does not soak away. Prof. Boyce has recently made 
a tour of inspection, and reports that as a result of this 
anti-mosquito campaign, the mosquitoes in Ismailia are no 
more abundant than in Paris. Malaria also has much 
diminished, from 1555 cases in 1902 to only 209 cases in 
1903. The expenditure to accomplish such results has not 
been great, 4400l. in the initial cleansing operations, and 
an annual outlay of 720/. (Liverpool School of Tropical 
Medicine, Mem. xii.). 
In a paper read before the Royal Institute of British 
Architects, Prof. Clowes discusses the application of the 
biological method of sewage treatment to the sewage of 
Christ’s Hospital at Horsham. The plant consists of closed 
septic tanks into which the sewage flows by gravitation, 
from whence the effluent is distributed over the surface of 
coke beds, the liquid remaining in the bed for two hours 
and then passing away as the purified effluent through 
drainage channels in the bottom of the beds. No hitch 
whatever has occurred in the working of the plant, and on 
one occasion only has smell been detected, the cause being 
‘stagnation during a lengthy vacation. Attention is specially 
-directed to this occurrence and to its cause, as it probably 
explains why similar installations for the treatment of 
sewage from isolated buildings have become offensive. The 
solid matter is absolutely disposed of in the septic tank ; the 
number of bacteria in the effluent is 32 per cent. less than 
in the crude sewage, and the effluent will support fish life. 
AN interesting and useful account of the present position 
-and prospects of the Panama Canal is to be found in 
-an illustrated article in the February number of the National 
‘Geographic Magazine, by the Hon. Wm. H. Burr, of- the 
Isthmian Canal Commission, entitled ‘‘ The Republic of 
Panama.”’ 
Tue December (1903) number of La Géographie contains 
‘two papers of geological interest. M. Emile Chaix-Du Bois 
writes on “‘ Le pont des Orelles (Bellegarde, Ain),’’ giving 
a careful study, with a number of excellent illustrations, of 
a remarkable example of the effects of erosive action of 
running water. MM. Jean Brunhes and Louis Gobet give 
-an account of the “* glacier excursion ’’ of the ninth Inter- 
national Geological Congress, which includes a valuable 
synthetic summary of the observations and theories of Prof. 
Penck. 
Dr. R. ReinwarD contributes an interesting paper to the 
Deutsche Geographische Blatter on the geographical con- 
‘ditions affecting the positions and development of the large 
‘German sea-ports. The port of Bremen is specially dealt 
with, but the discussion includes Hamburg, Kiel, Liibeck, 
NO. 1794, VOL. 69] 
They find | Stettin, Danzig, and Konigsberg. 
The study of the effects 
of the introduction of modern methods of transport by land 
and sea, and of the increased power of modern engineering 
to overcome local disadvantages, is of considerable geo- 
graphical value. 
Aw excellent summary of what is known about the occur- 
rence of gold in Great Britain and Ireland has been written 
by Mr. J. Malcolm Maclaren (Trans. Inst. Mining 
Engineers, vol. xxv.). The earliest records of the discovery 
of gold are mentioned, and particulars are given of its 
occurrence in Cornwall, Devon, Cumberland and elsewhere 
in England; in Carmarthenshire and in the important dis- 
trict of Merionethshire in Wales; in the Leadhills district 
and at Kildonan in Scotland; and in several localities in. 
Ireland. The paper is illustrated with sketch maps and 
numerous pictorial photographic views, and is accom- 
panied by a bibliography of the subject. 
Dr. G. J. Hrxpe contributes to the Journal of the Royal 
Microscopical Society (February) an important article on the 
structure and affinities of the genus Porosphwra. The genus 
was established for certain small rounded fossils commonly 
met with in the Chalk, and referred by old authors to 
Foraminifera, sponges, and Polyzoa. Dr. Hinde shows that 
the organism is clearly a calcisponge. Several species are 
figured and described, and their zonal range and distribution 
in the English Chall are recorded. 
A STRATIGRAPHICAL interest attaches to a short paper by 
Messrs. Steinmann, Hoek, and von Bistram, who have been 
travelling together in south-eastern Bolivia (Centralblatt 
fiir Mineralogie, &c.). A series of red sandstones, gypsi- 
ferous clays, limestones, and dolomites, easily taken for 
Permian or Triassic beds, is shown to contain a marine 
band near Miraflores, possibly of Jurassic, but more prob- 
ably of Cretaceous This supports the view that the 
corresponding petroleum beds in Argentina are Cretaceous. 
Extended traces of glacial phenomena, including enormous 
moraines of southern Alpine type, are noted in the moun- 
tains east of Potosi, dewn to heights of 4000 metres. 
age. 
A parer by Dr. G. Steinmann on Tetraploporella Remest 
(Beitrige zur Paldontologie und Geologie Osterreich- 
Ungarns und des Orients, Bd. xv., 1903, p- 45) will be of 
interest to botanists as well as to paleontologists. This 
new genus, from the Tithonian, is ascribed to the Dasy- 
cladacez, with Dactylopora, Diplopora, &c., and resembles 
a highly calcareous Bornetella. Incidentally, the much 
discussed genera Cyclocrinus and Receptaculites are con- 
sidered, and the author doubts if they can be referred to 
the calcareous alge. 
Tue secretary has sent us a copy of the report of the Anti- 
Bearing-Rein Association for the second half of 1903, from 
which it appears that no efforts are spared by that body 
to continue the crusade against inflicting unnecessary dis- 
comfort and pain on draught horses of all classes. 
Tue report for the year 1903 shows that the Yorkshire 
Naturalists’ Union is still in debt (something more than 
rool.) to its treasurer, a part of the deficit being due to that 
useful publication, the Naturalist, upon which there was a 
loss of 221. A county of the size and wealth of Yorkshire 
ought surely to be able to keep the balance of the association 
on the right side. 
Tue March number of the Field Naturalists’ Quarterly 
contains a long article, by Mr. R. H. Wallace, on the now 
well-worn subject of the place of ‘‘ nature-study ’’ in educa- 
tion. Certain of the suggested schemes of work in connec- 
