AucusrT 7, 1902] 
NATURE 
Sei 
Tue Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic 
Society for January contains a long paper on Sarawak Hymen- 
optera, by Mr. P. Cameron, largely based on the collection 
made by Mr. R. Shelford. Since the report in 1857 on Dr. 
Wallace’s collection very little work has been done on this 
subject, and the author is enabled to record a number of new 
generic and specific types, 
THE contents of the July number of the American Naturalist 
include a paper on the gastrulation of the egg of the toad Aujo 
lentiginosus, by Miss H. D. King, and another, by Mr. W. A. 
Hilton, on the sense-hairs of caterpillars. In the latter the 
author states that the majority of the body-hairs of these larvze 
are sensory, and that almost the only mode in which sensory 
nerves terminate on the bodies of insects is by means of hairs. 
IN the July issue of the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, 
Dr. H. W. M. Tims discusses the intricate question of the 
homology of certain deciduous and permanent cheek-teeth in 
mammals, in the course of which he disputes the view that the 
functional teeth of marsupials belong to the deciduous series. In 
the same number Mr. Elliot Smith describes the manner in 
which the desiccated brain is preserved in many Egyptian human 
skulls, other than those of mummies, and Prof. F. G. Parsons 
figures some of the leading modifications of the aortic arch in 
mammals. 
THREE interesting instances of abnormality in mammals are 
recorded in journals received during the past week. In the 
American Naturalist for July Mr. F. Howe discusses the nature 
of the polydactylism in a breed of cats kept at Cambridge, Mass. 
It is concluded that the polydactylism lends no support to the 
theory of reversion to a six- or seven-toed ancestral type, the only 
definite statement possible being that three digits are developed 
where there are normally but two. In the Journal of Anatomy 
and Physiology for the same month Prof. O. C. Bradley records 
the occurrence of seven cheek-teeth, exclusive of the deciduous 
first premolar, in a horse, while Mr. Elliot Smith mentions an 
ancient Egyptian skull with an additional incisor. Mr. Smith, 
from his specimen, suggests that the missing incisor in man is 7. 
I, and not 7. 2,as Tomes believes to be the case. It may be 
pointed out that Lydekker suggested the missing tooth to be 2. 
2 in 1884, or fourteen years earlier than the work of Tomes 
cited by the author. 
AT the conclusion of some notes in the Proceedings of the 
Philadelphia Academy on the so-called flying-lemur (Ga/eo- 
pithecus volans), a creature usually regarded by naturalists as 
an aberrant member of the Insectivora, Dr. H. C. Chapman 
sums up as follows :—‘‘ It appears, at least in the judgment of 
the author, that Galeopithecus cannot be regarded as being either 
a lemur, or insectivore or bat, but that it stands alone, the sole 
representative of an ancient order, Galeopithecidz, as Hyrax 
does of Hyracoidea. While Galeopithecus is but remotely 
related to the Lemuroidea and Insectivora, it isso closely related 
to Chiroptera, more particularly in regard to the structure of its 
patagium, brain, alimentary canal, genito-urinal apparatus, &c., 
that there can be but little doubt that the Chiroptera are the 
descendants of Galeopithecus, or more probable that both are 
the descendants of a Galeopithecus-like ancestor.” 
In a valuable series of observations on living brachiopods 
contributed to the AZemotrs of the Boston Natural History 
Society (vol. v. No. 8), Prof. E. S. Morse quotes with appro- 
bation a note from NATURE of July 13, 1899, based on Prof. 
J. A. Thomson’s inaugural address at Aberdeen, on the im- 
portance of ‘‘nature-study,” and he gives as one of the 
reasons for publishing his observations, which were made twenty 
years ago, our lack of knowledge of the habits of living brachio- 
pods. It is not that these animals cannot be easily kept in con- 
NO. ‘1710, VOL. 66] 
finement, as Prof. Morse states that inthe middle of summer he 
transported a series of specimens a distance of 700 miles in a 
small bowl. In this connection it is interesting to note that from 
its vitality in such unfavourable circumstances Prof. Morse 
was led to suggest that the long persistence of Lingula might be 
accounted for. A few weeks ago we chronicled the very same 
suggestion made by Mr. N. Yatsu, of Tokio. The memoir is 
illustrated by twenty beautifully executed plates, of which the 
first is coloured. 
WE have received the Report of the American Museum of 
Natural History for 1901, containing a full account of the 
rapid progress made by that institution and of the various expe- 
ditions which have been equipped by private persons for its 
enrichment. Among the latter is the Jesup expedition to the 
North Pacific, which has resulted in the acquisition of a mass of 
material illustrating the life of the Chukchi’s of the extreme 
north-east of Siberia. The cost of publishing the results of this 
and other expeditions has become a somewhat serious difficulty. 
“*Tt does not seem proper,” says the Report, ‘‘ to ask those 
who have generously placed parties in the field also to provide 
the funds for publishing the scientific results of their investiga- 
tions ; on the other hand, the general funds of the Museum are 
not sufficient to meet the obligation.” As usual, the Report is 
well illustrated. A plate of the new ‘‘auditorium,” with its 
benches crowded with attentive listeners, illustrates a phase of 
museum development unknown in our own metropolis. Among 
other illustrations is one of a group of guillemots and gulls 
mounted in the Museum in imitation of their natural surround- 
ings. A second displays a remarkably fine skeleton of a fish- 
lizard (Ichthyosaurus) containing numerous young skeletons 
within the ribs, recently acquired by exchange with the 
Stuttgart Museum. Other plates are devoted to ethnographical 
specimens. 
A FORTNIGHT’S cruise in the North Sea was made recently 
by the Norwegian Government’s research steamer Michael Sars. 
The first week was spent in a series of studies on the distribution 
of animal life at various depths on ‘‘ Storeggen” and ‘‘ Shet- 
landseggen,” which are great] submarine ridges with sloping 
sides. With a 50-feet trawl dredgings were made down to a 
depth of 609 fathoms to ascertain the distribution at various 
depths of the fishes used for food. A sharply defined boundary 
manifested itself between the distribution of the food-fishes and 
the deep-sea forms of lite, and this boundary cojncides with a 
rapid transition from water of a higher temperature to water 
just above or at the freezing point. This boundary occurs on the 
slope of the Shetland ridge, at a depth of between 275 and 300 
fathoms. A series of studies was next undertaken on the steep 
north-east slope of the Faero bank. Here, so far as is known, 
no accurate soundings had been previously taken and no fish- 
ing carried on either here or upon the great ridge or upon the 
Shetland ridge. A series of soundings was made, which do 
not correspond with those given on the British charts. Experi- 
mental fishings were carried on for three days with most satis- 
factory results ; nine lines were cast, with a total of 5500 hooks 
attached to them, of which 660 were halibut hooks ; and the 
catches consisted of 117 halibut weighing more than 5000 kilos., 
300 large cod, 500 brosme, 10 common ling and 8o blue ling. 
This result is of interest, as it points to a new and important area 
for sea-fishery and to the existence of large quantities of halibut 
at a time of the year when it is not to be found on the great bank 
or ridge on the coast of Norway, and the same applies to the 
cod also. Bothcod and halibut had herrings in their stomachs, 
although the catch was made at a depth of 200 fathoms. The 
work was carried out under the personal supervision of Dr. 
Johan Hort. 
