490 
NATURE 
[Marcu 24, 1904 
BRITISH LIZARDS.? 
E are glad to welcome this companion volume to 
the author’s excellent work on British snakes, for 
with the two together the amateur naturalist will learn 
practically all that he wants to know with regard to 
the reptiles of our islands. Not that these works are by 
any means exclusively for amateur naturalists, as there 
is much matter in both which cannot fail to interest 
their professional brethren. If Dr. Leighton can be 
induced to treat the amphibians in a similar manner, 
we shall have a complete account of the life-history of 
all the British terrestrial cold-blooded vertebrates. 
The author’s mode of procedure is very thorough. 
After giving the leading characteristics of lizards in 
general, he describes in some detail their anatomy, and 
then proceeds to deal, seriatim, with the five British 
representatives of the group. The external features of 
each are illustrated by reproductions from photographs, 
of the excellence of which our readers have an oppor- 
tunity of judging for themselves from the accompany- 
ing specimen. 
Douglas English, Dartford. 
Female of the Common Viviparous Lizard. 
Photogrash by 
Fic. 1.- 
(From Leighton’s ‘ 
It is a common belief that reptiles are totally wanting | that 
in Ireland; this, however, Dr. Leighton shows to be an 
error, as the common viviparous lizard occurs in that 
island, where, however, it is the sole representative of 
its order. How it got there, to the exclusion of its 
brethren, he attempts to show. In the later chapters of 
the book the 
local distribution of lizards in our islands, with results 
of considerable interest ; and in order that readers may 
record new observations for themselves a few tabulated 
blank pages are appended. Horticulturists should pay 
special attention to the author’s statements as to the 
great value of the slow-worm as a slug-exterminator. 
The enlarged diagrams of the ‘‘ squamation”’ of the 
head afford an easy and exact method of identifying the 
British species of lizards. 
Special interest attaches to Dr. Leighton’s investi- 
gations with regard to the p fh nomenon of tail-fracture 
in lizards. It is pointed out that such lines of fracture 
1‘ The Life- History of British Lizards 
the British Islands.” By G. R. Leighton 
burgh: G. A. Morton, 1903.) Price ss. net 
NO. 1795, VOL. 69] 
and their Local Distribution in 
Pp. xiv+2rq4; plates. (Edin- 
author has gone very carefully into the | 
occur at regular intervals of two scales’ length, such 
spaces coinciding with the lengths of the caudal 
muscle; and the author is of opinion that the super- 
ficial structures have much more to do with determin- 
ing the fracture than have the septa in the caudal 
vertebra. 2 
Concise, exact, and at the same time interesting is 
our verdict with regard to this admirable little volume- 
Rees 
THE EDUCATION OF JAPANESE NAVAL 
OFFICERS. 
N_ reference to the second article on ‘‘ Science in 
the Navy,’’ published in Nature of last year, it 
will be found that the gist of that article was the con- 
demnation of the ove r-specialisation of officers, accom- 
panied by remarks in favour of the interchangeability 
of their duties, the practice of the German Navy being 
brought forward as an existing evidence in support of 
| such views 
Life-History of British Lizards.’’) 
| duce 
| would think they had adopted the following as their 
Increased support of these views will be found in a 
valuable lecture which was 
recently delivered by Lieut.- 
Commander K. Sato, of the 
Imperial Japanese Navy, at 
the Royal United Service 
Institution, on ‘‘ The Educa- 
tion of Japanese Naval 
Officers of the Executive 
Branch,’’ in which that 
officer shows that the 
“Eastern nation,’’ thought 
at one time to be “too 
bookish,’’ is by its methods 
of education making its 
naval officers eminently 
practical men with a good 
grounding of general and 
scientific know ledge. 
The lecturer admitted that 
his country had fairly 
followed Great  Britain’s 
footsteps in this important 
matter of education, and had 
duly profited by the instruc- 
tion of her officers, but 
modestly hinted that perhaps 
in one or two small par- 
ticulars they had gone “‘ one 
better ’’ than we had. Here 
it is encouraging to note 
the gallant chairman, with cs life-long 
education in the traditions of our long established 
Navy, said that there were many things. this country 
could learn from the Japanese Navy—encouraging be- 
cause we believe that this power to see good in others 
where it really exists and determination to profit by 
the same is a ruling spirit amongst our officers. 
Whilst giving due encouragement to the specialist 
officer, it is the constant effort of the Japanese to pro- 
all round officers which is so striking, and one 
maxim :—‘* Inadvertence is no excuse for the non- 
performance of any duty, for, it is the duty of an officer 
to make himself acquainted with the detail of every 
duty he may be called upon to perform.’’ 
This is a high standard, and not many fully attain 
thereto, but it will hardly be denied that it should be 
the aim of every officer, whilst those who regulate 
education should do all in their power to keep the road 
open with efficient aids by the way.  Interchange- 
ability is a very promising road to such a goal. 
Another point which this lecture brings out clearly 
