310 
NATURE 
. 
[ Feb, 20, 1873 
in his gracefully fluent yet finished style, and then come 
Blaserna’s polariscopic experiments, clearly and ener- 
getically expressed, and, as far as I can judge, affording 
most conclusive results. It is not a little remarkable how 
much is contributed towards the value of the observations 
by the manner in which each observer relates them. 
The descriptions are given with such charming naiveté 
and absence of affectation, that the reader can appreciate 
almost the exact degree in which the writer’s hand shook 
as he manipulated his instrument, not to speak of the 
degree in which his assertions can be relied upon for 
accuracy or freedom from bias. 
JOHN BRETT 
NOTES 
M. JANSSEN has been elected a member of the Astronomical 
Section of the French Academy, the votes recorded for him being 
42, against 13 for M, Loewy, and x for M. Wolff. 
AT a recent meeting of the Natural Science Section of the 
Literary and Philosophical Society of Sheffield, a discussion 
took place on ‘* The Attitude of the State to Science,” in which 
Dr. Hime, Mr. Alfred H. Allen, Mr. H. C. Sorby, F.R.S., 
and Mr. J. Spear Parker successively took part, and the opinion 
of the meeting was embodied in the following resolution, which 
was passed unanimously:—‘‘ That this meeting deplores the 
supineness of the Government with respect to science, and be- 
lieves that the national recognition of research, and the establish- 
ment of better means of rewarding discoverers, would be a direct 
benefit to the country.” 
In order to remove any apprehension that might arise in the 
minds of some members of the Anthropological Institute (parti- 
cularly of those residing in the country), from statements made 
that, in consequence of the recent change in the composition of 
the Council, a preference would be given to papers of an ethno- 
graphical class over those relating to other branches of anthro- 
pology, the director, with the full concurrence of the president, 
has thought it advisable to assure the members of the Institute 
that no such result need be feared. Papers on every branch of 
anthropology will always be cordially received, provided they 
comply with the requirements demanded in all communications 
to a Scientific Society intended for publication, amongst which, 
a very essential one is, that they should contain either ‘‘ new 
- facts or new applications of admitted facts.” As a further 
assurance that all proper {subjects will receive due and equal 
attention, it may be well to state in general terms what may be 
regarded as proper subjects to be brought before the Anthropo- 
logical Institute. They may be included under the following 
heads :—(1) The Physical History of Man and of the Human 
Race ; (2) Psychology ; (3) Comparative Philology ; (4) Priscan 
Archeology, @ Prehistoric, 4 Protohistoric ; (5) Descriptive | 
Ethnog:aphy, comprising’the Reports of Travellers and Explorers 
on the Physical Characters, Derivation$and Relation, Manners, 
Customs, Religion, Language, &c., of various Races or Nations ; 
(6) _Comparative Ethnography ; (7) The Relations between 
Civilised Man and Aboriginal Savage Peoples. In this pro- 
gramme it will be seen that any subject properly coming under 
the cognizance of the anthropologist may finda place. And in 
order to insure confidence that each and every subject will receive: 
due attention, it is suggested that committees might, if thought 
desirable, be formed of such members of the institute as may 
take a special interest in any of the above branches of inquiry, 
the collection of materials and the production of papers reldting 
to the subject in which they may feel particular interest. In this 
way it is clear thatall the subjects will be placed on an equality, 
and to be hoped that each inits turn will receive the same 
attention. 
— 
SoME weeks ago we expressed a hope that the vacant Swiney 
Lectureship would not be given to one who is already well off, but 
to some well-qualified young man, who would thus have leisure to 
perform work of high scientific value. Our hope, we are glad 
to see, has been essentially fulfilled in the appointment of Dr. 
Carpenter, who, unusually young in spirit, assuredly deserves 
the leisure which this appointment will ultimately help to bring 
him, leisure which, we have good reason to believe, will be de- 
voted to the completion of work of very high scientific value 
indeed. Few men have devoted gratuitously more of their time 
to the pubiic benefit, and we believe that he accepts the appoint- 
ment mainly in order that he may have a good opportunity of 
working out in fuller detail the applications to geology of the 
inquiries in which he has been engaged during the last few 
years. Dr. Carpenter, we understand, has had by him for 
years, the material, fully worked out, of important papers which 
he has had no time to produce. Dr, Carpenter has once before 
held the Swiney Lectureship, and it has been offered to him 
again without any solicitation on his part. 
ON Monday last, in the first of his Hunterian lectures for this 
year, Prof. Flower drew special attentivn to the peculiarities 
of anew animal discovered by Prof. Marsh, of Yale College, 
and named by him Dinoceras mirabilis, This remarkable ungu 
alte, nearly the size of the elephant, was obtained from the 
Eocene beds of the Rocky Mountain region, It possessed 
osseous cores for three pairs of horns, which rise successively 
one above the other ; a supra occipital crest is greatly developed, 
projecting obliquely backward beyond the condyles. The pos- 
terior pair of horns arise from this crest, the median from the 
maxillaries, and the anterior from the tips of the nasals. The 
canines are greatly developed, and the upper incisors are want- 
ing. The skull is unusually long and narrow, and carries six 
small molar and premolar teeth, The extremities resembled 
very nearly those in the proboscidia, but were proportionately 
shorter. The femur possessed no third trochanter and no 
pit for the ligamentum teres, It therefore possesses characters 
allying it with the perissodactyles as well as the pro 
scidia, : 
Pror. Marsu has also drawa attention to a new sub-class of 
fossil birds from the cretaceous shales of Kansas. The specimens, 
while possessing the scapular arch, wing, and leg-bones of thetruly 
orthnithic type, present the very aberrant conditions of haying 
biconcave vertebrze and well developed teeth in both jaws. 
These teeth are quite numerous and implanted in distinct 
sockets ; the twenvy in each ramus of the lower jaw are inclined 
backwards and resemble one another. The maxillary teeth are 
equally numerous and like those in the mandible. The sternum 
have a carina and elongated articulations for the coracoids. The 
lower of the posterior extremities resemble those of swimming 
birds, The last sacral vertebra is large, so it may have carried a 
tail. Professor Marsh proposes the name Odontornithes for the 
name of the new sub-class, and Jchthyonithes for the order to 
contain this remarkable species, which is about the size of a 
pigeon, 
AT a meeting of the Senate of the University of London held 
last week, a resolution was passed by a majerity of two, that it 
is desirable to make Greek an optional subject at the Matricula- _ 
whose function would be, each in its own sphere, to promote’ tion Examination, The practical effect of the carrying ou 
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