SHt. 1, 1870] 
NATURE 
353 
Catalogue raisonné of 1845, indicated the number of 
Echinidz discovered in the department of Sarthe at 
forty-one, and D’Orbigny in his Prodrome Stratigra- 
phique at forty-four, the result of the joint labours of the 
authors, and other naturalists of the district, has raised 
the number to no less than two hundred and two. The 
discrimination, description, and illustration of the 
different species have been performed by M. Cotteau, 
whilst their stratigraphical arrangement and position have 
been accomplished by M. Triger. Some of the more 
remarkable forms discovered by them are the large 
Heterocidaris trigert, with its peculiar arrangement of 
tubercles and its singular ambulacral pores, a species of 
which has recently been obtained by Mr. Wright from the 
inferior oolite of Yorkshire; the Metaporhinus sartha- 
censts, a curious and exceptional form representing in the 
Jurassic series the great family of Spatangide@, which 
only make their appearance at the commencement of the 
cretaceous period; the Echinocyphus tenut striatus, which 
the authors are inclined to regard as the type of a new 
genus ; the C7zdaris vendocinensis, which presents such 
beauty of form and markings, with many others we have 
no space to particularise. The lithographic drawings are 
clearly drawn, and comprehend all the species discovered. 
Progress of Chemistry. Fahresbericht tiber die Fortschritte 
der Chemie und verwandter Theile anderer Waissen- 
schaften, Unter Mitwirkung von Th. Engelbach, Al. 
Naumann, W. Stadel ; herausgegeben von A. Strecker. 
Fur 1868, 2'* Heft. (Williams and Norgate, 1870.) 
THIS part, like the first, which we noticed a short time 
since, contains 480 pages ; Organic Chemistry, continued 
from the first part, occupies 354, 13 of which are devoted 
to Animal Chemistry. Analysis fills 71 pages, the re- 
mainder being set apart for Technical Chemistry. 
The section on Organic Chemistry contains accounts of 
Perkin’s investigations on the hydrides of sodium and 
benzyl-salicyl, on butyric coumarin, and butyrocumaric 
acid, as well as Fittig’s criticism of Perkin’s views of the 
constitution of coumarin, which has since given rise to a 
lively discussion. Notices of Schiitzenberger’s researches 
on triacetiodol, and of those of Perkin and Duppa on 
the constitution of glyoxylic acid are given. Stenhouse’s 
experiments on benzol sulphuric acid are described, besides 
several papers by different chemists on the sulpho acids 
of the benzol series. Hofmann contributes, as usual, 
several valuable papers, the most important being those 
on the cyanide of naphthyl and its derivatives, and on the 
artificial mustard oils containing the radicals ethyl, 
methyl, amyl, tolyl, and benzyl, in the place of the allyl 
existing in the natural essence. The constitution of these 
compounds is also discussed. Gautier’s researches on 
the carbylamines are continued, and also those of Lossen 
on hydroxylamine, which are noticed at considerable 
length. The action on organic bases is concluded by an 
account of Crum Brown and Fraser’s experiments on the 
physiological effects of the compounds produced by the 
union of methylic iodide with the poisonous alkaloids. 
Under Analysis we find the methods proposed by Frank- 
land and Armstrong for the examination of potable 
waters, and which have since given rise to some contro- 
versy. Russell’s apparatus for gas analysis is also 
described. The section on technical chemistry (only a 
portion of which appears in this part), contains papers by 
Rosenstiehl and Kopp, and by Schaffner on the prepara- 
tion of sulphur from alkali waste, a subject of much im- 
portance, especially in this country, where the heaps of 
residues, which usually evolve sulphuretted hydrogen, and 
often pollute rivers in their neighbourhood, accumulate in 
immense quantities ; this material, thanks to the study of 
scientific chemistry, may now be made to yield pure 
sulphur to such an extent as to make it worth the while of 
the manufacturer to extract it, while its removal renders 
the residues innocuous, 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
[ Zhe Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his Correspondents, No notice is taken of anonymous 
communications. | 
The Gulf-Stream 
I sEND for the perusal of your readers an extract from a note 
sent tome by Mr. King Groom of Stornoway. The facts he 
mentioned may be interesting. The beans I have received. 
When I was in the Hebrides some time since, I was assured that 
clubs, paddles, and drinking vessels of wood were sometimes 
found on the shores of the islands, and that these things were 
supposed to float in the Gulf-Stream from Mexico, but I never 
saw any. Some of your readers will doubtless be able to 
say where these beans grow, and to give their opinion as to the 
probability of their floating from the Mexican Coast, or from 
some other tropical country or island whose shores are washed 
by the Gulf-Stream. If these beans are brought over by the 
Gulf-Stream, it is probable that they may also be found on the 
west coast of Ireland and on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. 
If so it would be interesting to hear from your correspondents in 
those parts whether any particular virtue is attributed to them 
by the inhabitants. 
Board of Trade, Aug. 25. THOMAS GRAY 
“Upon travelling on the shore of Illery I found a, to me, 
curious bean, known as ‘ dolichos mens,’ or horse-eye bean. I 
was told that every year a few are found along the shores of the 
Outer Hebrides, and they are supposed to be carried by the Gulf- 
Stream from the Gulf of Mexico. These beans are much 
sought after, as they are superstitiously supposed by the South 
Uist and Barra people to be a charm in child-bearing ; if at that 
time the woman has one in her hand she will have little pain 
in her labour. I was much interested in the story as told me by 
a Mr. Arbuckle, at Barra, the parish schoolmaster, and confirmed 
by Dr. M‘Donald of North Uist. It is said the curious have a 
small band of silver wire placed round the bean that has travelled 
so far of itself, and a silver cross put on the side by a silversmith 
in the south. The inhabitants state they are sure the bean is 
brought to the shore of the Gulf-Stream from Mexico, as they 
have been thus found from time immemorial. Another bean is 
also brought by the same means—viz., ‘ Eig autea Mi; Mosa,’ 
a large brown seed.” 
The British Medical Association 
THE reference to the income and expenditure of the British 
Medical Association last week requires correction. The income 
of the association, from subscription, is not 5,000/. but 3,471/.5 
the subscription annually only one guinea. The association is 
one which includes an important political and social organisation. 
For the annual guinea the associates are enabled not only to 
supply themselves with a journal weekly, which stands on the 
same footing as those published at a higher price than their total 
annual subscription, but in addition they keep also an active and 
important organisation, with branches in every part of the king- 
dom, which protects medical and public interests and advances 
medical science. Many think with you that it would be desi- 
rable to make larger grants for special researches. But for this 
purpose it would be necessary to start a special fund. The 
annual mass of scientific matter published in the journal is treble 
what could be contained in any volumeof Transactions, and has 
the advantage of being published at the opportune moments of ~ 
discussion. You would confer a benefit by urging the propriety 
of a special fund for original research. But the members are so 
well pleased with the large return for their annual guinea, that 
their numbers have risen in four years from two to four thousand ; 
and the weekly journal, which now takes the lead in periodical 
medical literature, is the essential condition of the political and 
professional authority of the association, To publish in its 
place an annual volume of Transactions would, it is universally 
felt, be a suicidal act of retrogression. Among the 4,000 mem- 
bers there are not a dozen who are not aware of this, X. 
The Intended Engineering College 
“ T.ook not a gift horse in the mouth” 
I wAs very sorry to see in NATURE for 18th August a letter 
from Mr. G, C. Foster complaining of a supposed intention of 
the Government to aid the teaching of science, and basing this 
a 
