OcTOBER 30, 1902] 
NATURE 
661 
Paris Museum. Among the illustrations, especial interest 
attaches to a reproduction of a photograph of the skeleton of 
Mastodon angustidens lately acquired by the museum, showing 
the remarkable downward flexure of the upper tusks and the 
great length of the symphysis of the lower jaw in which the 
lower pair are implanted. It seems certain that this species 
could not have been provided witha long trunk. 
AMONG a batch of articles from the Proceedings of the U.S. 
Museum, attention may be directed to one by Major E. A. 
Mearns on the ocelot cats, of which five distinguishable forms 
(regarded as species) are recognised. In a second fasciculus 
(No. 1292), Mr. W. P. Hay describes the crustaceans inhabiting 
“‘ Nickajack ”’ Cave, Tennessee. In other parts (Nos. 1293 and 
1296), Messrs. Jordan, Snyder and Fowler continue their 
description of Japanese fishes, treating in the former fasciculus 
of the blennies, and in the latter of the gorgeously coloured 
chetodonts and their allies. 
WHEN discussing the extent to which the posterior vertebral 
segments of the body have been suppressed and transmuted 
during the evolution of man and the higher apes, Dr. A. Keith 
(Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, vol. xxx. p. 18) calls 
attention to the fact that naturalists are wrong in describing the 
larger apes as quadrupedal. Theyare so only when on the ground, 
which is not their proper habitat. When at home among the 
trees they carry the body upright, and may thus be called 
orthograde, in contradistinction to the lower Primates, which 
are pronograde. 
THE third part of the first volume of Mr. J. S. Gardiner’s 
‘Fauna and Geography of the Maldive and Laccadive Archi- 
pelagoes ” contains articles by five contributors, in addition to a 
continuation of the editor’s general description of these islands 
and the coral-reefs of the Indian Ocean generally. In the first 
article, Prof. F. J. Bell discusses certain groups of echinoderms ; 
in the second, Mr. M. Burr describes the orthopterous insects ; 
while the third, by Mr. L. A. Borradaile, treats of certain crabs, 
The fishes of the Maldives fall to the lot of Mr. C. T. Regan, 
and for the identification of the turbellarian worms Mr. F. F. 
Laidlaw is responsible. A full notice of the work is reserved 
until its completion. 
To the October number of the Zoo/ogist Mr. Graham Renshaw 
contributes an interesting series of notes on various zoological 
gardens. A plate, from photographs, illustrates the remarkable 
difference between the summer and winter coats of the addax 
antelope. Attention is called to the fact that the attitude 
generally given to the South American maned wolf in museums 
and figures is incorrect, the creature carrying its head very low. 
In Gegenbaur’s Morphologisches Jahrbuch, vol. xxx. part iii., 
Herr L. Tobler points out that the so-called axillary bands 
(Achselbogen) of the human subject are vestiges of the panniculus 
carnosus (skin-muscle) of the lower mammals. 
THREE reprints from the Yearbook of the Department of 
Agriculture, and Az/é/etin No. 32 from the Bureau of Forestry 
in the same Department, all dealing with forestry questions, have 
been received. The work, mainly of supervision or providing 
expert advice, which is carried on by the Department is here 
emphasised on three distinct lines. Two of the pamphlets give 
working plans for forests, the one in Arkansas drawn up by 
Mr. F. E. Olmsted for a lumber company, and the other 
arranging for economic lumbering of land belonging to the 
University of Tennessee, on a system suggested by Mr. J. 
Foley. In Arkansas, 85 per cent. of the company’s holding 
consists of pine lands, where about 50 per cent. of the trees are 
pines, of the varieties short-leaf and loblolly (Pzzus echinata, 
NO. 1722, VOL. 66] 
Pinus taeda\, but both furnishing timber known as yellow pine, 
The remaining 50 per cent. are hard woods, commercially less 
valuable, and it is recommended to increase the pines by leaving 
trees to furnish seed and to decrease the number of hard-wood 
trees. The cutting limit recommended for pines is 14 inches 
on the stump, and for hard-wood 20 inches. Mr. W. L. 
Hall deals with the ‘‘Timber Resources of Nebraska,” 
and points out that not only is the amount of planted timber 
satisfactory, but that the natural timber is increasing both in 
area and density. The gain in area represents the encroach- 
ment of the forest on the prairie, particularly along the creeks 
and in the ravines, and may in places amount to as much as 
roo acres during a period of fifty years. Pine again forms the 
staple product, except near water, where oak, elm and walnut 
thrive. ‘‘Grazing in Forest Reserves’’ is the title of the 
report by Mr. F. Roth, and this furnishes an account of the 
existing arrangements under which farmers may graze sheep, 
cattle or horses on the Government forest reserves. The 
success of this regulated grazing seems to be due to the 
simple though fairly stringent rules drawn up, combined with 
the level-headedness of the average American. All the reports 
call attention to the great damage wrought by fires, and grazers 
are compelled by their agreement to aid in extinguishing fires, 
though Mr, Roth combats the prevalent idea that many fires 
are to be laid to the charge of the shepherds, because fires are 
quite as frequent where grazing is not allowed. 
AMONG the lectures to be delivered at the Royal Victoria 
Hall, Waterloo Road, S.E., during the next few weeks are the 
following :—November 4, Mr. Herbert Rix on ‘‘ To Palestine 
and Back” ; November 18, Mr. Rudler on ‘‘ Volcanoes.” 
Messrs. SANDERS AND CROWHURST, Shaftesbury Avenue, 
have sent us five lantern slides reproduced from the remarkable 
photographs of young cuckoos in nests, mentioned in NATURE 
of October 9 (p. 574). These and other lantern slides of birds 
and plants photographed direct from nature provide a pleasant 
means of creating interest in natural history. 
THE first two of the three volumes of ‘‘The Elements of 
Physics,” by Profs. Edward L. Nichols and William S. Franklin, 
have been revised and published as a second edition by the 
Macmillan Company of New York (London: Messrs. Macmillan 
and Co., Ltd.). The first volume deals with ‘‘Mechanics and 
Heat ” and the second with ‘‘ Electricity and Magnetism.” 
THE Zoological Society has just issued a new (fifth) edition of 
the catalogue of the Society’s library in Hanover Square, pre- 
pared by Mr. F. H. Waterhouse, the librarian. The volume 
contains the titles of about 11,000 different works, exclusive of 
periodicals. The whole library contains about 25,500 different 
volumes. The Zoological Society is also issuing an index- 
volume to the Proceedings of their scientific meetings for the 
last decennial period 1891-1900, in correspondence with similar 
indexes for former decennial periods. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus lalandii) 
from South Africa, presented by Mr. J. D. Tannahill; a 
Monkey (Cercofzthecus, sp. inc.) from West Africa, presented 
by Mr. A. J, Lyttleton Turner ; a Spotted Ichneumon (/erfestes 
auropunctatus) from Nepal, presented by Mrs. F. Cameron; a 
Collie’s Squirrel (Sczzer1s colléoe?) from Mexico, a Ruffed Lemur 
(Lemur varius, var. ruber), a Fringed Gecko ( Unoplates 
fimbriatus) from Madagascar, a Gould’s Monitor (Varanus 
gouldi), three Limbless Lizards (Pygopus Jlepidopus) from. 
Australia, deposited ; a Golden Eagle (Aguz/a chrysaétus) from 
Scotland, presented by Mr. J. Baxendale. 
