OcToBER 5, 1899] 
NATURE 
a) 
THE connection between fleas and the permanency, or other- 
wise, of continents might not at first sight be very apparent, 
but, nevertheless, some important evidence on the latter point is 
afforded in a paper by the Hon. N. C. Rothschild published in 
Novitates Zoologicae for December last. In this contribution 
the author, who is making fleas his special study, describes a 
new species of those insects on the evidence of a single 
specimen from Argentina, which is believed to take up its 
abode ona rat. Now this Argentine flea, which is remarkable 
on account of the helmet-like shield covering the head, is 
provisionally assigned to a genus (Stephanocircus) hitherto 
represented by a single Australian species infesting the spotted 
dasyure (Dasyurus maculatus). And we presume it may be 
taken for granted that, whether or no they are rightly regarded 
as congeneric, the two species are evidently very closely allied. 
Now this being so, it is difficult to see how they reached their 
respective habitats except by means of a direct land connection 
between Australia and South America ; and they accordingly 
serve to confirm the evidence afforded by the occurrence of the 
chelonian genus Miolania in both areas, to which attention has 
been recently drawn in these columns. 
THE discovery of a new generic type o: marine gastropod, 
represented by a species whose shell is over six inches in length, 
is such a rare event, that Mr. G. B. Sowerby’s description of 
Neptuneopsis gilchristé, from the Cape seas, demands a brief 
notice. In general form the shell (which sis described in the 
publications of the Cape Department of Agriculture for 1898) is 
so like some of the Buccinidae, such as Neptaunea (Chrysodomis) 
that, were it not for its curiously swollen apex, it might be re- 
ferred tothe genus mentioned. On the other hand, the tricuspid 
tooth-ribbon, or radula, is of the characteristic volute type ; 
and Mr. Sowerby consequently infers that the new genus 
should be placed in or near the Vole¢cdae. If included therein, 
it will represent an interesting annectant, and therefore gener- 
alised type. The generic name selected scarcely seems to us a 
happy one. 
THE close study of the smaller mammals of Europe on the 
lines followed by the American naturalists for those of their own 
country is gradually bringing to light the existence of numerous 
local races of species hitherto quite unsuspected. A remark- 
able instance of this is Mr. Barrett Hamilton’s recognition of 
two new forms of mice from St. Kilda, which are described in 
the June number of the Proc. Zool. Soc. The first of these 
(Mus hirtensis) is nearly allied to the wood mouse (JZ. sy/vat- 
tcus); while the second (JZ. muralzs) is as closely related to 
the common house mouse. The former the author regards as 
indigenous to St. Kilda since the period when that island was 
connected with the mainland; while the latter he considers to 
have been derived from individuals of JZ. musculus, introduced 
by human agency not more than a few hundred years ago. 
Yet both differ from their mainland prototypes to the same 
degree ; and thus indicate the different inherent variability of 
different species. The variation displayed by AZ. muralis is 
probably in the direction of the wild ancestor of AZ, muscudus. 
In the Jndian Meteorological Memoirs, vol. vi. part v., Mr. 
Eliot contributes a very important discussion of the air move- 
ment at Simla and in the Western Himalayas, deduced from 
anemometric observations recorded at Simla during four years 
ending August 1896. Some fifty years ago Sir Richard 
Strachey made a lengthened series of observations, chiefly in 
Kumaon, and in his description of the diurnal variation of the 
wind he considered the most important feature of the air 
movement in the Western Himalayas to be the up and down 
valley winds. Mr. Eliot’s discussion entirely confirms this view. 
He states that the examination of the wind data from every 
point of view shows that the most important and unique feature 
NO. 1562, VOL. 60] 
of the air movement is the alternating currents between the hills 
and plains. He states that it is a permanent feature, independent 
of the change of seasons, and also of the air movement in the 
plains of Northern India, and is due to the changes of pressure 
vertically produced by the unequal expansion and contraction of 
the lower and middle strata of the atmosphere over the plains of 
Upper India and the Western Himalayan mountain zone. 
THE U.S. Monthly Weather Review for June contains par- 
ticulars of the increased usefulness of the Canadian Weather 
Service. For the year 1896 (the last published) the Report 
consists of two large quarto volumes, instead of one octavo 
volume published a year or two previously. During that year 
there were more than three hundred stations of observation of 
various classes. At the chief stations (eight in number), the 
telegraphic reporting stations, and a few of the special stations, 
the observers are paid, but the great bulk of observers are 
volunteers. There are thirty telegraphic stations, whose reports 
are received in Toronto before 9.30 a.m., and which, combined 
with fifty-four reports received by exchange from the United 
States, enable the director at Toronto, Prof. Stupart, to issue 
daily weather maps and forecasts similar to those published by 
other meteorological offices. The second volume is wholly 
taken up with details and results of the observations made at the 
eight chief stations. For each of these the Report gives for 
every hour and day the complete record of all the principal 
meteorological elements, in a form closely corresponding to that 
recommended for international meteorological publication of 
detailed observations. Prof. Cleveland Abbe’s comment upon 
the work is that it is a noble contribution of data needed for the 
study of climatology inits relation to every matter that interests. 
civilised humanity. 
AN investigation of the emission and absorption of platinum- 
black and soot, and their dependency on the thickness of the 
layer employed, forms the subject of a paper by F. Kurlbaum 
in Wiedemann’s Annalen (67). It would appear that both sub- 
stances closely approach a black body in their behaviour towards. 
waves of the length emitted by a black body at a temperature of 
100°. For shorter waves the power of absorption increases. 
Both platinum-black and soot satisfy the Stefan-Boltzmann law 
when a sufficiently thick layer exists at high temperatures 5 
and any deviations from this law are due to the radiating surface, 
or the bolometer being too thinly coated. Several further 
results of interest are found, and the author considers that for 
several reasons platinum-black is better than soot in all experi- 
ments. 
In the Zyransactions of the Institution o. Mining Engineers, 
M. A. Rateau, Professor at the School of Mines, St. Etienne, 
describes experimental investigations on the theory of the Pitot 
tube and Woltmann mill, which are employed by engineers in 
gauging the rate of flow of air and water. Although the 
Pitot tube and mill and fan anemometers measure accurately 
the velocity of currents when these currents are uniform, they 
give, under opposite conditions which usually prevail, indications 
of the mean velocity which are always exaggerated, and are the 
more exaggerated the more marked the irregularity of the 
current itself. M. Rateau finds that the equation v=a+éx 
+ c/v which holds for low velocities in connection with such 
meters should, for velocities unrestricted in magnitude, be 
written in the form 62 =v —- c/v — f(v)/v, where /(v) is a 
function of the resistance of the fluid with regard to which our 
knowledge is still somewhat deficient. In a note added later 
attention is drawn by the author to subsequent experiments by 
Mr. Epper, bearing on the same subject. 
As there are insufficient data on the normal relations of 
voluntary movement to consciousness, Dr. R. S. Woodworth 
