476 
to him to depend on the difference between dry continental air, 
and damp winds from sea coasts. . 
November 15.—Mr. Gabb described the results attained in tabu- 
lating Miocene fossils from Santo Domingo. He described 217 
extinct and 19 living species, the latter found on both sides of 
the barrier of Central America, which is capped by Miocene rocks. 
December 20.—Prof. Cope read a paper on the zoologi- 
cal regions of the earth, and especially those of North 
America, agreeing as to the first with Drs. Sclater and 
Wallace in the main, adopting the Australian, Neotropical, 
Ethiopian, Neoarctic, and Palzeartic (including Palzetropical of S. 
and W.), stating that all the southern continents present marked 
distinguishing characters. In North America he adopted the 
Pacific, Lower Californian, Sonoran, Central, Eastern, and 
Austroriparian, which in the main agreed with those of Baird, 
the last being the southern part of his eastern, as far north as 
the isothermal of 773 F. The subdivisions were the Floridan, 
Louisianian, and Texan ; those of the eastern after Allen, Caro- 
linian, Alleghanian, Canadian, and Hudsonian.—Prof. O. C, 
Marsh gave an account of his discoveries in the Rocky Moun- 
tains since 1870, which included the first American Chiroptera, 
Marsupials, low forms of Quadrumana, birds with biconcave 
vertebrze, and several species of a new order, Dinocerata allied to 
the Proboscidia, but with horns and canine teeth. 
January 3.—Prof. P. Fraser read a paper on a hydraulic prob- 
lem, near Bethlehem Penna, 
CALIFORNIA 
Academy of Sciences, Dec. 18, 1872. “On the Parasites 
of the Cetaceans of the N.W. coast of America, with Descrip- 
tions of new Forms,” by W. H. Dall, U.S. Coast Survey. 
Among the parasites most widely known as infecting the 
Cetacea, two classes may be recognised, viz., those which are 
true parasites, deriving their subsistence from the animal upon 
which they are found, such as the Pycnogonoids and Cyami, 
and those which are merely sessile upon the animal, and 
derive no nourishment or other benefit from it which might not 
equally well be furnished by an inanimate object, such as the 
various cirripedes. 
E VIENNA 
I. R. Geological Institute, Jan. 21.—‘‘ Fossil Remains of 
Sirenoidze found in the Venetian Territory,” by Ach. Barone de 
Zigno. Besides the ribs and other bones of Halitherium which 
had been discovered many years ago in the upper tertiary beds 
of the Venetian Alps, the author succeeded in gathering a very 
rich collection of different species of Sirenoidz in the lower 
tertiary beds (with Serpula spirulza) of the Monte Zuello, near 
Montecchio, and in the glauconitic limestone of the basin of 
Belluno. The glauconitic strata of this basin had been 
taken till now for Eocene ; but fossils found therein hy Jaramelli 
—as Clypeaster placenta Des., Scutella, Subrotunda Lam, &c. 
—prove that they are of Miocene age.—‘* On the Eruptive 
Rocks of Styria,” by R. von Drasche. The author gives an 
accurate petrographical analysis of the different eruptive rocks of 
Southern Styria, which by former observers had been taken for 
older porphyries, but which M. Stur has proved to be of 
tertiary age. They are andesites and trachytes. Some of 
these rocks resemble indeed very much older porphyries, and 
prove again the difficulty of discerning by mere petrographical or 
chemical properties eruptive rocks of different geological age.— 
A. Redlenbacher presented a memoir on the Cephalopods 
ot the Gosau-strata of the Alps. Since the last publications 
on this matter by Fr. von Hauer, the number of species in our 
collections has more than doubled. Only eight of them are 
identical with species out of non-Alpine cretaceous strata, and 
they belong all to Senonian beds. 
Feb. 18.—M. Tschermak gave an accurate description of the 
slates, quartzites, and limestones, alonga section through the so- 
called Graywacke Zone of the North-easrern Alps, in the vicinity 
of Reichenau and the Semmering mountain. These rocks had 
been thought to belong to the Silurian formation, but in the 
opinion of M. Tschermak part of them were of a svill older age. 
The study of the oldest sedimentary slates and other rocks of 
the Alps, promises, he thinks, valuable information about the 
genesis of the crystalline slatess—M. Fr. Foctterle *‘On the 
copper and iron ores of Ferriere in the province of Piacenza, in 
Italy.” The valley of the Nure, extending from Piacenza in a 
south-west direction into the central part of the Appenines, in 
the upper part of its course is bounded by high mountain ranges, 
which consist of grey sandstones, alternating with bituminous 
slates and marls, They belong to the so-called macigno (Vienna 
NATURE 
[April 17 1873 
and Carpathian sandstone) and are probably of Eocene age. In 
the highest parts of the valley, in the environs of Boli and © 
Ferriere, the macigno is traversed by numerous masses and 
dykes of an eruptive rock which is partly yabbro, consisting of 
large crystals of amphibol and feldspar, and partly serpentine, 
These eruptive rocks are of a more recent age than the macigno, 
which is very much altered by contact with them. Partly in the 
eruptive rocks and partly in the incest altered macigno are to 
be found masses of copper- and iron-pyrites, and of magnetic 
iron ores ; they form boulders of some size, but nowhere regular 
layers or veins, The mines which have been opened to gain 
these ores, M. Foetterle thinks, promise no great success.— 
O. Feistmantel on the relations between the carboniferous and 
the Permian formations in Bohemia. In some of the Bohemian 
coal-basins, ¢.g. that of Radowenz at the foot of the Riesenge- 
birge, in the north-western environs of Prague, in the basin of 
Pilsen, &c., two layers of coal are known, both accompanied by 
vegetable remains of a pure carboniferous type ; but the strata” 
between these layers contain remains of fishes, as Xenacanthus, 
Acanthodes, Paleeoniscus, &c., which belong to the Permian 
fauna. The author concludes that the upper coal layers of the 
Bohemian coal-basins belong to the Permian formation, and the 
lower only to the carboniferous formation, and that both for- 
mations are most intimately allied by their identical flora. 
DIARY 
THURSDAY, Aprit 17. 
Linnean Society, at 8.—Burmese Orchidee, from the Rev. C, P. Parish: 
Prof Reichenbach.—Perigyuium of Carex: Prof. McNab. b 
CHEMICAL Society, at 8.—On Heat produced by Chemical Action: Dr, 
Debus, F.R.S 
NuMISMATIC SOCIETY, at 7. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 4. 
SUNDAY, Aprit 20. 
Sunpay LecturE Sociery, at 4.—The Theory of Wind Instruments: Dr. 
H. Stone, 
MONDAY, Apxiv 2t. 
Lonpon INnsTITUTION, at 4.—Klementary Botany: Prof. rege 
GEOLUGISTS’ AssOcIATIO~, at 8 —Visit to Muscum ot Practical Geology. 
TUESDAY, ApRiL 22. ; 
Roya Institution, at 3 — Music of the Drama: Mr, Dannreuther. 
InsTITUTION OF CivIL ENGINEERS, at 8.—Discussion on Mr, Heaa’s paper 
on Steam Locomotion on Co:inmon Roads —Un the Deita of the Danube, 
and the Provisional Works erected at the Sulina Mouth.—Sir C. A. 
Hartley. 
AR REREarociaed Socigty, at 8.—Religious Beliefs of Ujibois or Santeux 
Indians resident in Manitoba and at Lake Winnepeg : A. P. Reid, M.D.— 
Danish as.ect of the Nomeuclature o: Cleveland; Key. J. C. Atkinson. 
Rock Inscriptions in Brazil: John Whitfield. 
WEDNESDAY, Aprit 23. : 
Lonpon INSTITUTION, at 7.—Un some Phenomena connected with Magne 
tism: W. F. Barrett. 
Society or Arts, at 8.—On Silk-Worm Grain; M. Alfred Roland. 
ARCHAOLOGICAL A SOCIATION, at 8. ; 
SoclktTy OF ANTIQUARIES, at 8.30.—Anniversary. | te! 
Rovat Society oF LiveraTukE, at 8.30.—'l he Serio Comic Satirical Poetry 
of the 18th and roth centuries: Sir Patrick de Colquhoun, Q.C., LL.D. 
Society of TELEGRAPH ENGINEERS, at 7-30.—On the block System 
Working Railways: W. H. Preece and Capt. Mallock. 
THURSDAY, Aprit 24. 
Roya InstiTuTION, at 3.—Light: Prof. Tyndall. 
Roya SOcIETY, at 8.30. 
CONTENTS 
Tue ZooLocicaL COLLECTIONS IN THE INDIA House . « 
University Oars, III. By ARCHIBALD MACLAREN . . 
THe MAMMALIAN SKULL. By Dr. P. H. Pyve-SMITH. . - 
Symonps’ REcoRDS OF THE ROCKS. «. - + - + + + « + 
. 
Our BOOK SHELF. «+ « + 
LetTTers TO THE Epiror:— 
Cave Deposits of Borneo,—A. R. WAtLAcE and A. EVERETT. .« 
A Fact for Mr. Darwin.—H. D Massy ... - 
The Pheenician Vademecum.—Hype CLARKE . « 
Earthquake Waves.—Hybe CLARKE . .. + + 
2 9.0,» © =» 0 s.r 
Cwoeur oD 
Spectrum of Aurora.—T. W. BacKHOUSE . - 
Spec:rum of Nitrogen,—C. H. STEARN«. . + + 
Instinct. —HENRY FORDE. . . . - +. s+ 
Destruction of Rare Birds: White Tom Cats. . . 
Phosphorescence in Wood.—RicHarD M BaRRINGTON 
Indices of Jourmals—Dr. Joun YouNG. . . «. ~ = 
Tue Dutcu SocigTy OF SCIENCES. - » » «+ « « « 
ON THE SPECTRUSCOPE AND ITS AppLications, VII. By J. NoRMAN 
Lockyer, *.R.S. (With [iustrations) .°. . + «+» + 2 = ® 
Proressor ZOLLNER ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN COMETS AND 
METEORS. . (oe puke. «+ aot) ole ee 
Puysico-CHEMICAL RESEARCHES ON THE AQuaTic ARTICULATA. By 
M. Frum PUATESte se el eS e+ oo : 
NOTES . .. =. EREEpIONME ED ea le?” au «| ol (ne 
On an Atr-Battery. By Dr. J. H. Grapstong, F.R.S,, and 
ALFRED TribE, F.R.S. (With Iidustration). . 
SCIENTIFIC SERIAISaaS ps 6 ++ 2» ~. 2s) 9° 
SociETIES AND ACADEMIES + «© © + - «© © «© © @ see 
DIARY. . « Gisela’ owes Sw 0) ul) s ee 
