232 
volume, besides rainfall statistics, contains much that is of in- 
terest to meteorolozists, including some statements on the sup- 
posed connection between rainfall and sunspot frequency, that 
are worthy of attention. 
‘Tre U.S. Sanitary Commission in the Valley of the Missis- 
sippi during the War of the Rebellion, 1861—1866,” is the title 
of a very interesting volume, giving a detailed account of the 
organisation and working of this benevolent commission during 
the American civil war. It seems to have been on the whole 
well organised and successful in carrying out its object, thus 
doing much to alleviate the miseries of that unfortunate war. 
Me. FREDERICK’ AYRTON, barrister-at-law, long resident at 
Cairo, who died in London recently, has bequeathed to the 
British Museum a splendid library of caligraphic writings in 
Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, collected during many years’ 
residence in Egypt, and the market value of which probably 
exceeds 3,000/. Mr, F.‘Ayrton was a perfect connoisseur in the 
Oriental science of caligraphy, of which so little is known, 
artistically, in Europe; and he devoted time and money, without 
stint, to this his favourite study. His collection is, perhaps, 
unrivalled in Europe. The gift is made on condition that the 
trustees set aparta room in the Museum for the exhibition of 
these specimens of Oriental caligraphy, and that Mr. Ayrton’s 
Arabic scribe, Asadd Effendy, be engaged for three or four 
years, ata salary of 100/. per annum, to draw up a catalogue 
raisonné of the contents of each series. 
‘‘Lrs Richesses Naturelles du Globe 4 Exposition Univer- 
selle de Vienne,” by M. Bernardin, is the title of a short pam- 
phlet called forth by the Vienna Exhibition, the author’s object 
beinz to show that most of the industrial materials obtained from 
the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms within the last 
forty years have been lighted upon by chance, and that if com- 
petent men were to make a thorouzh investigation of the 
subject, Nature might be made to contribute to industry a vastly 
greater amount of material than she at present does. 
WE learn from Triibner’s Literary Record that M. Alphonse 
Pinart has just published a catalogue containing a description of 
the different collections made during his stay in what was for- 
merly Russian America (Alaska), brought to Europe, and is now 
exhibiting in one of the galleries of the Museum of Natural His- 
tory, Paris. The collection comprises objects of Natural His- 
tory in general, Palzeontology, Conchology, and especially a rich 
collection of objects of high ethnographical interest, as costumes, 
tools, arms, &c., used by the aborigines of Alaska. 
We are indebted to Jron for the following :—During the 
recent building of a bridge in Holland one of the traverses, 465 
feet long, was misplaced on the supports. Tt was an inch out of 
line, and the problem was how to move it, Experiment proved 
that the ironwork expanded a small fraction of an inch for every 
degree of heat it received. It was noticed that the day and night 
temperature differed by about 25°, and it was thought this might 
be made to move the bridge. In the morning the end out of 
place was bolted down securely, and the other end left free. In 
the heat of the sun the iron expanded, and towards night the 
free end was bolted down, and the opposite end was loosened. 
The contraction then dragged the whole thing the other way. 
For two days this experiment was repeated, till the desired place 
was reached. We find no record that the heat of the sun 
has ever been employed in this way before. 
Tue following -is from Ocean Highways :—During the last 
three years a naval party, commend d by Lieutenant Simpson, 
}as been employe! by the Chilian Goverament to explore the | 
western side of Patagonia, In November and December 1871, 
Lieutenant Simpson, whose narative has only just been pub- 
lished, ascended the river Aysen, which falls into the sea in lati. 
NATURE 
4 
[Fuly 17, 1873 
tude 45° 20’ S., opposite the Chinos Archipelago, to the south 
of Chiloe. He soon came to rapids and waterfalls which stopped 
his boats, but he pressed on through the forest in pouring rain 
on foot, and crossed the Cordillera at a point where it has never 
before been visited. The country had no inhabitants, but it is 
well wooded, and signs of coal were found. 
No. 5 of the ‘‘ Lecture Extras” of the Mew York 
Tribune, contains seven lectures with numerous woodcit 
illustrations, The principal lectures are, ‘‘Sound and Hear- 
ing,” ** Voice and Speech,” and The Explanation of Musical 
Harmony,” by Prof, Elsberg, of the University Medical Colleze, 
New York, “Deep Placer Mining in Californis,” by Pro® 
Benjamin Silliman, of Yale College, and ‘‘ The Seven Senses,” 
by Dr. R. W. Raymond, U.S. Mining Commissioner. 
AppITIoNns to the Brighton Aquarium during the past week :— 
3 Green Turt’e (Chelonia viridis), 4 Green Lizards (Lacerta 
viridis), 45 Mackerel (ScomJer sromber), 3 Sea-trout (Salmo . 
truitr), 4 Bass (Labrax lupus), 8 Black Bream (Cantharus 
'Lineatus), 3 Shad (Clupea Alosa) 1 Scad ( Trachurus trachurus) 
2 Octopus (O. vulgaris), 2 bunches of spawn of Squid (Zoaigo 
vulsaris), 2 brood of young Lobsters (Homarus vulgaris), , 
hatched in tank No. 28. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Mississippi Alligator (4//igator mississippi- 
esis) from New Orleans, presented by Mr. John Hanley ; four — 
b!ossom-headed Parrakeets (Palzornis cyancezphala) and an Alex- 
ailrine Parrakeet (F. alexandri) from India, presented by Mr, 
Hugh Nevill; six Zenaida Doves (Zena:da amabilis) from the 
West Indies, presented by the Right Rev. Dr. Stirling; a 
Tabuan Parrakeet (Pyrrhul2psis tabuensis) from the Feejee 
Islands, and a Wagler’s Conure (Coxurus wgleri) from Vene- 
zuela, both new to the collection; an Elan (Oreas canna) from — 
South Africa, purchased; two Crested Porcapines (/ystiv 
cristata) born in the Gardens, : 
ON THE GERM THEORY OF PUTREFACTION 
AND OTHER FERMENTATIVE CHANGES.* 
Il. 
Tie author next proceeded to describe and illustrate, by dia- 
grams enlarged from camera lucida sketches, some of the 
variations he had observed in organisms found in the milk glasses — 
when iatroduced into other media. Another unnamed species of 
Oidium closely allied to that before referred to, and like it 
operating as a putrefactive ferment upon urine, was seen to 
present strange varieties according to the fluid in which it grew 
and the length of time it remained in it; yet, when placed in 
boiled milk, it returned to exactly the same character which it 
had when in the flask of unboiled milk in which it was first 
observed. But still more remarkable modifications were seen 
among the Bacteria. One species of very large size, but of ordi- 
nary form and movements, as seen first in the milk, presented the 
following, among other varieties, In Pasteur’s solution it grew 
as motionless algoid threads with nucleated segments. In wine 
and turnip infusion it did not grow at all, nor did it in the albu- 
minous fluid till boiled and cooled solution of sugar of milk had 
been added, when it returned to its original Bacteric form at 
first, but afterwards assumed the characters of a toruloid organ- 
ism. In boiled milk it resumed the original Bacteric character, 
but, after seven weeks, the Bacteria had changed from very large 
to excessively minute ones. ( 
Another species, seen in the first instance in milk, as about the 
most minute form of Bacterium the author had ever observed, 
grew in Pasteur’s solution as an orcinary full-sized Bacterium 5 
but in urine it assumed the unjointed and cork-screw shape, and 
the spiral movements of a Spirillum. In turnip infusion it grew 
with extreme rapidity as an ordinary double-rod-like moving 
Bacterium, but after remaining some weeks in that medium it 
assumed a remarkable fungoid character witn greatly increased 
* Continued from p, ar4. 
