368 
gone a step farther than either Schonbein or Graham in this 
most important discovery. 
April 18.—The president in the chair. The president made 
some remarks on the metalliferous deposits of the West, stating it 
as his opinion, that the production of gold had passed its climax ; 
giving his reasons for so believing. Gold is found disseminated 
over vast regions in the West ; the accumulations in the placers 
having been worked for ages. He then entered into a descrip- 
tion of the mantier in which the accumulation of metal had taken 
place. There is still plenty of gold everywhere, but it is very 
difficult to separate it from the associated rock in which it is em- 
bedded. Those deposits where it could be readily procured, are 
beginning to be exhausted. The mountain system of the West, 
cnsidered with respect to the mineral wealth of that portion of the 
country, he considered divisible into belts, the westernmost or 
coast range producing mercury, the next eastward or Sierra 
Nevada Range, is very rich in gold. Inthe Rocky Mountains, 
the gold is associated with copper and iron pyrites. In Montana, 
the gold-bearing veins are extremely rich in that metal, but very 
difficult to work. Between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra 
Nevada, there occurs an argentiferous belt stretching through 
Idaho, Nevada and Montana ; it is in this region that the cele- 
brated Coinstock Lode is situated, which, up to the present time, 
has yielded 75,009,000 dollars. The agricultural portions of 
California, and the region eastward of the mountains, is of 
little value except for its mineral wealth, and, if it ever becomes 
important, it will be by the development of these deposits. 
April 25.—The president in the chair. Prof. A. M. Edwards 
yead a paper ‘‘On the presence of living insects in the human 
body,” showing that several such cases were on record. In 
one case a fly had been reared froma larva ejected from the 
human intestines. As such larva are found mostly in decayed 
fruit, the plan to be followed for preventing the unpleasant 
results sometimes, although not always, arising from the intro- 
duction of such insects by the mouth, is to avoid eating such 
fruit or vegetables in a raw condition as are at all decayed. 
May 2.—The president in the chair. Prof. A. M. Edwards 
tead a ‘‘Report upon a specimen of Anemone nemorosa 
infested by a fungus.” This fungus is a species quite common 
both in this country and Europe, upon the true leaves of the 
Anemone in early spring, and has been named Fuccinia ane- 
mones. In Ray’s ‘*Synopsis” (Third Edition,.1724) it is des- 
cribed in company with true ferns, and it was for a long time 
supposed that the deeply cleft leaf of the Anemone, with the 
brown spots upon its under side, was a fern with sori. As Ray 
says, ‘‘this capillary was gathered by the Conjurer of Chal- 
grave,” hence it has come to be known as the Conjurer of 
Chalgrave’s fern. This fungus, like the other microscopic 
parasitic ones, grows beneath the surface of the plant, throwing 
out its threads of mycelium among the cells, until it develops 
the brownish coloured bodies, known as spores (perhaps incor- 
rectly), and it is by the peculiar characters of these that species 
have been distinguished, although there seem two good reasons 
for supposing that these plants are not only dimorphous, as has 
been stated, but polymorphous, assuming different forms accord- 
ing to the habitat in which they are found. In reply to the 
question as to whether it was true, as was stated by farmers, 
that barberry bushes infested with fungus or mildew, conveyed 
that mildew to fields of wheat adjoining, which then showed the 
presence of ‘‘brand,” Prof. Edwards remarked that such might 
yery likely be the case, as very little certain is known respecting 
the life history of these minute plants, and he was now carrying 
on some experiments, by infesting different plants with fungi 
taken from others, so as to see if the host which they inhabited 
modified their characters materially. He described and illus- 
trated, by means of diagrams, the characteristics of the wheat 
brand, /uccinia graminis, and other fungi, and expressed a hope 
that the botanical members would contribute specimens of such 
plants as they found to be infested by mildews, brands, and 
smuts, for the Society’s collection.—The President made some 
remarks on the existence of human remains in caves in this 
country, in continuation of his communication at a recent meet- 
ing. He alluded to the well-known cave at Carlisle, Penn., 
which has been very carefully searched by Prof. Baird, of the 
Smithsonian Institution, whose investigations would be, it was 
hoped, shortly published. Besides the human remains there 
were found many of various mammals identical specifically with 
those now or lately living in the vicinity. But one remarkable 
fact had been developed—yviz., that in every case they were at 
least one qnarter larger in dimensions, so that these particular 
animals at least would seem to have degenerated in size during 
NATURE 
[ Sept. 1, 1870 
the lapse of time. Thus, for instance, numerous remains of 
foxes were found, having characters identical with those now living 
with the exception of the size. Prof. Shaler’s explorations at 
Big Bone Lick recently, had also brought to light facts of great 
interest, which showed that the deer and buffalo were compara- 
tively new comers upon this portion of the continent. He (Dr. 
Newberry) had found the bones of a buffalo on the west side of 
the Rocky Mountains, although they were not to be seen living 
there at the present time. The Indians of that district had 
traditions of the buffalo existing there at a recent period, all of 
which illustrated the change of fauna which had been for a long 
time and still was taking place upon this continent.—Prof. O. 
W. Morris read an ‘‘ Abstract of the comparative meteorology 
of the month of March, for the years 1869 and 1870, and of the 
month of April, 1870,” showing that in 1869 the lowest daily 
mean for March was 13°76°, and for 1870 it was 24°80°, or I1’04* 
higher. The mean temperature for March 1869 was 34°I0°, 
and for 1870 it was 35°55°, or 1°45° warmer. The mean of the 
barometer for March 1869 was 29°834 in., and for 1870 it was 
29°772 in. The mean humidity for March 1869 was 49°50°, 
and for 1870 it was 54°85°. The month of March 1870 was 
thus shown to be warmer than in 1869, the barometric pressure 
was a little less, and the humidity greater, although there was 
not so much rain. March 1870 kept up its old reputation as 
the ‘‘windy month.” He also quoted from tables, prepared to 
show some other important facts in meteorology. Thus, exa- 
mination of the records kept for the last sixteen years (1854-69, 
both inclusive), shows that the temperature during that time did 
not vary much, as the mean for the sixteen years is 52°60", giving 
eight above and eight below the mean, and a range of 7° only, 
1859 having the highest mean (55°66°) and 1868 the lowest 
(48°67°). The year 1869 was I°I° below the average; the 
maximum of 1869 was nearly that of 1855 ; the minimum was 
greater than that of any in the series, being 85° above zero, while 
nine of the years it was below, and in 1866 it was 13° below, 
and in that year also the thermometer rose to 98°8°, the highest 
in the series. He also read from abstracts of the temperature, 
&c., kept by C. Bogert, in New York City, from 1816 to 1853. 
BOOKS RECEIVED 
EncGtisu.—A Class book of Inorganic Chemistry: D. Morris (Philip, and 
Son).—Clavis Agaricinorum: W. G. Smith (L. Reeve and Co.).—The Great 
Sewage Question: W. Justine (J. R. Day and Co.). 
Foretcn.—(Through Williams and Norgate)— Berichte iiber die Fort- 
schntte der Anatomie u. Physiologie im Jahre, 1869; 2*©> Heft (Henle 
Meissner, and Grenacher.)—Die Lehre von den Tonempfindungen: H. 
Helmholtz; 3t© umgearbeitete Ausgabe.— Schmetterlinge Deutschland’s 
und der Schweize: H. v. Heinemann.—Etude sur le Calendrier Copte et 
ses éphémérides: E. Tissot.—Traité d’histologie et d’histochimie: Frey, 
Spillmann, et Ranvier. 
CONTENTS 
Tue MEDICAL SCHOOLS OF ENGLAND AND GERMANY. I. 
STRICKER gts ats aie ia ieee 
Pace 
By Prof. S. 
ee ee es olay | a Pa 
By A. R, Watrace, F.G.S. . 
Tue Earty History oF MANKIND. 350 
Kart Kocu on Tree-CutTivaTion., By Prof. D. Ouiver, F.R.S. . 35 
Our Book SHELF. «:% @ © « © © 6 © «© i c © aitenib MamTG® 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
The Gulf-Stream,—T. GRAY» « « © © © ¢ © © © © © + 353 
The British Medical Association »« . - . « + © © « +» «+s 353 
The Intended Engineering College.—W. M. Witttams, F.C.S. . 353 
Scientific Research.—C. H. W. Biccs . . . . . . . . . + 354 
Kant’s Transcendental Distinction between Sensibility and Under- 
standing; —J. “P.UMArArKY 9% 2). 7. 1s). 1. 4.0. ee 
Colour Blindness.—L. MARSHALL « 6 « « « « © « « « © 355 
Cross Fertilisation —W."E. HART . 2 « « « « + Bas S253 
The English Cyclopedia -7 5. ss ss tgs so wine eennaEO 
Holly Berries obnoxious to Birds.—H. REeEKS . . « « » « « 356 
Solar Spots.—J. J..Murpny, F.G.S. . . 5. 2 6 0 © « «6 360 
Noises caused by Fish.—W. L. Linpsay, F.L.S. . 2 2 . « « 356 
Whe'Kingfisher's’Meal| . ©. 2): | e056 5 ein tnmenSeG 
Ancient Egyptian Forests.—A. Hatt >. . . - . . « « « « 356 
Poisoning by @xanthe crocata.—W. G. Situ, F.L.S. . . 2 « 356 
BARON, FIUGEL. = 2- sa) «| sss ve lieils, fe vol oo eben tel teen eG 
Tue Meteor oF AvGust 15. (W/th Idlustrations.). « » « « »« « 357 
Scresceor Wark. II, Macuitaz Guns. (With [dlustrations.) . . 358 
ol a ee ME Np GS 
Parers ON IRON AND STEEL. I. A VERY COSTLY AND VEXATIOUS 
Facracy. (Concluded.) W.Mattieuv WILiIaMs, F.C.S.. . . 363 
ISGIENTIFIC SERIAUS/.) . | louise o fervel le whic pe io) aii 304 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES’ . « « = e » © «© «'s « » » = « (365 
Books RECEIVED . « « e Bie ia lel fe pi «fe uaratetie fe 308 
4 
