Oct. II, 1877] 



NATURE 



515 



torical ancestois of our common house dog. The author, wlio 

 studied the subject for eleven years, arrived at the conclusion that 

 neither wolves nor foxes had any part in the phylogeny ol the 

 dog, but that jackals and the so-called Indian wolf. Cants 

 paUipts, Sykes, were the original ancestors of Canis /amiliaris. 



The first volume of the Annals o{\\i^ Royal Belgian Museum 

 of Natural History contains the first part of Van Beneden's work, 

 " Description des Ossenients fossiles des environs d'Anvers," 

 which deals with the Pinnipeds, and is illustrated by fourteen 

 engraved plates. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Grivet Monkey (Cercopithecus gi-iseo-iiridis) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mr. R. Dudgeon ; a Lion (Fdis 

 ko) from Persia, presented by Mr. F. Pollock ; a Common Seal 

 {Phoca zilulina) from the British seas, presented by Mr. G, 

 Mellin ; a Great Kangaroj [Macropus gigantais) from New 

 South Wales, presented by Mr. T. Phillips ; a Collared Peccary 

 (Dicotyles lajafii) from South America, presented by Mrs. E. J. 

 Barrett ; two Emus {Divm.ctis nin;c-hoUandiu:) from Australia, pre- 

 sented by Lord Francis Conyngham, M. P. , F. Z. S. ; two Peregrine 

 Falcons {Falco pcrigrinns), European, presented by Mr. Darill 

 Stephens; a Black-headed Partridge (Caccabis tnelanocephahi) 

 from Hedgar, a H)acinthine Porphyris (Porphyria hyacinthinus') 

 from Mesopotamia, presented by Capt. Burke, S. S. Arcot ; a 

 Vervet Monkey [Cercopithecus lalandii) from South Africa, 

 an Arabian Gazelle {Gazella arabica) from Arabia, deposited. 



AMERICAN SCIENCE 



TN the last number of the Anwricajt Journal Mr. Charles 

 Wachsmuth continues his notes on the internal and external 

 structure of pateozoic corals, and discusses the construction of 

 the summit and its value in classification. lie believes that 

 while the construction of the ventral disc or actinal side of the 

 calyx has not received the attention it deserves, it affords a clear 

 and important distinction between recent and ancient crinoids. 

 Commenting on Rcemer's classification of "the true crinoids 

 which are supported by an articulated or jointed column " given 

 in LcOuca geognostica, 1855, Mr. Wachsmuth says he expects from a 

 dissection of Synbathocrinus that in other of the Cupressocrinid.c 

 the central opening was closed, and that the consolidating 

 plates were fuither overlaid with plates forming the floor of a 

 passage in connection with the arm furrows and visceral cavity. 

 In speaking of the Cyathocrinida; he refers to the covering of 

 Cyathocrinus, as throwing light on the summit structure of other 

 genera, and remarks : "It is worthy of note that the Cyatho- 

 crinidce, in the structure of their vaulf, bear closer resemblance 

 to the recent crinoids than almost any other group, and seem to 

 hold an intermediate position between modern and paloeozoic 

 types. The Cupressocrinidre and Cyathocrinidx" thus fall 

 naturally into a group by themselves, having the vault sup- 

 ported by consolidating plates and covered by an immovable 

 arch of small plates." In the Taxocrinida: Mr. Wachsmuth 

 has found that there are solid plates, though they have been 

 before described as covered by some soft material. Among 

 the spheroidcc, which range from the silurian to the subcarbo- 

 niferous, the summit is found well preserved in most genera. 

 Besides details of obsevations some generalisations are added. 

 " Closely related as the recent crinoids are to their pakcozoic 

 ancestors in some points, the solid vault of the latter cannot in 

 the remotest degree be hornologised with the soft peristome of the 

 former." Many facts tend to prove that the palaeozoic crinoids 

 embracing therein all true crinoids in which the actinal side is 

 closed, represent the young stage of growth of living types. 

 They form a distinct group of crinoids, and it is proposed to call 

 these paleocrinoidea;. 



Prof. Draper advocates the use of the cylinders of zirconia for the 

 oxyhydrogen light in such cases as the employment of the micro- 

 scope to throw objects on a screen for lecture demons' rations. A 

 high brilliancy with the least variabihty in the light, and a fixity of 

 its position in the optical axis of the apparatus, are needed for 



success. Prof. Draper gives his reasons for believing that the 

 oxy-zirconium light fulfils all requirements better than any other 

 known light. " It has the intrinsic brilliancy, the invariable 

 brilliancy, the fixity of position In the optical axis of the appa- 

 ratus, and it does not volatilise under the heat employed. The 

 condensing lenses remain free from deposit, and after the light 

 is once adjusted the experimenter can carry on his demonstra- 

 tions without the distraction of his attention that attends the use 

 of the other lights." He gives direction for the preparation of 

 zirconium oxide, and for- the preparation of the cylinders. 



Mrs. M. S. Cheney and Mrs. Ellen S. Richards, dating from 

 the women's laboratory, Massachusetts Institute, describe a new 

 and ready method for the estimation]of nickel in pyrrohotites and 

 mattes. 



Prof. J. D. Dana is publishing his conclusions as to the rela- 

 tions of Vermont and Berkshire geology, and Ed. S. Dana has 

 recently described garnets from the trap of New Haven. 



Mr. G. B. Grinnell, who has devoted attention to the annelids 

 of the Cincinnati group, describes a new genus from the Lower 

 Silurian. They have hitherto been inferred from their trails, and 

 the hard chitinous ])arts now found do not seem to belong to 

 any recognised genus. 



Mr. Joseph Le Conte, criticising Dr. Hermann's paper on 

 " The Passage of Luminous Pencils obliquely through Lenses 

 and on a Related Property of the CrystaUine Lens of the Human 

 Eye," points out that the periscopic structure of the lens is 

 useless, because periscope perception of the retina is wanting. It 

 must be regarded as an example of a structure which has outlived 

 its usefulness. 



Prof. O. C. Marsh (in the Appendix to the September 

 number of the American Journal) describes new fossil mammals, 

 birds,' reptiles, and fishes, from the Rocky Mountain region. 

 Among the mammals are two miocene edentates, the first de- 

 tected in the countr)', and a third species from the lower pliocene. 

 The names of the new species are Moropus distans, Moropus 

 senex, Moropus datus, Amynodon (gen.), Tapiraviis rarus. Bison 

 Jerox, Allomys nilens, Gracnlavns lentiis (a bird the size of a 

 duck), Diplosaurtis fclix, Crocodilus Solaris, Nanosaurus agilis 

 (a dinosaur no larger than a cat), Nanosaurus victor, Apalodon 

 minis, Hfliobattis radians. 



We have already referred to an important exploration of the 

 natural history and ethnology of the West Indies, now in course 

 of prosecution by Frederick A. Ober, under the auspices of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. Some interesting collections of speci- 

 mens have already been received at Washington from Mr. Ober, 

 embracing particularly a series of the birds of the island of 

 Dominica, including several species new to science, and others 

 of excessive rarity. Among the latter is a huge parrot, one of 

 the largest of its genus. The latest advices from Mr. Ober are 

 dated Antigua, August 6. He was then about proceeding to St. 

 Kitts, and thence through the chain of English islands to 

 Granada, including the Dutch islands of Saba and Eustatius. 

 The region to be explored by him extends over six degrees 

 of latitude, and will occupy him at least two years. Not 

 the least important results of Mr. Cher's work have been 

 the studies made during a long residence among the Carib tribe 

 of Dominica. He has been able to secure numerous photographs 

 of this little-known people, and many illustrations of their 

 manners and customs, all of which will be hereafter the subject 

 of a popular article for some one of our leading journals. 



The Kansas University scientific expedition of 1877 has foimd 

 a number of a very rare species of beetle of the genus Ambly- 

 chila, the acquisition of which has long been an object by 

 collectors of coleoptera. For the purpose of securing funds to 

 defray the expenses of their explorations, the authorities of the 

 university offer specimens for sale at a moderate price. 



A precious limestone has been found at Tehachepa, Kern 

 County, California, which is said to be identical with the 

 " giallo antico " (ancient yellow) marble of Italy. The latter is 

 highly prized by antiquarians, as the location of the quarry from 

 which it was procured has been unknown for several centuries. 

 The California stone is described as white with' amber-coloured 

 veins. A specimen has been presented to the State Geological 

 Society, 



Mr. Edward Bicknell, a gentleman well known among 

 American microscopists, died on March 19, at Lynn, Massa- 

 chusetts, at the age of forty-seven. Originally a resident of 

 Salem, he joined the scientific corps of workers at tlie Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, with which he was 



