I ^3 



NATURE 



[AuGi ST 4, 1910 



■depths were recorded. The temperature observations agree 

 very well with those of the Challenger, but the determina- 

 tions of the salinity and density of the water have furnished 

 new results. The measurements of the rate of the current 

 In the Straits of Gibraltar showed that the limit between 

 the upper (east going) and the lower (west going) currents 

 Is situated at a depth of between 50 and 100 fathoms, 

 -varying in depth with the tide. The greatest velocities 

 measured were about five knots. In the warm waters of 

 the Sargasso Sea, where the tow-nets of the German 

 Plankton Expedition obtained few plants, the centrifuging 

 ■of the water gave samples showing that the plants there 

 consist of the smallest forms, which escape through the 

 meshes of the finest silk nets ; they were found in thousands 

 to a depth of about 50 fathoms. Prof. Gran has recorded 

 a great number of new species, and was able to make 

 quantitative microscopic investigations, and thereby deter- 

 mine the vertical distribution of the different species. The 

 temperature section across the Gulf Stream to the south 

 of the Great Banks showed unexpected results. Both the 

 temperature and the plankton indicate a counter-current at 

 the southern border of the Gulf Stream. In consequence 

 ■of this the Michael Sars followed the course of the Gulf 

 Stream across the Atlantic, taking observations on the way, 

 and the results will be published later. 



In No. 1749 of the Proceedings of the U.S. National 

 Museum, Mr. A. H. Clark describes a new species of 

 feather-star (Antedon) from the Adriatic, and discusses the 

 relationships of the other European members of the genus. 

 It appears that considerable differences in the size of the 

 ■eggs and of their rate of development have been noted by 

 several observers in European Antedons from different 

 localities, although all the specimens were referred to the 

 ordinary .4. rosacea, the range of which was thus considered 

 to extend from Norway to the Mediterranean. It was, 

 however, suspected by all that the specific determination 

 was unsatisfactory. Mr. Clark is now able to announce 

 the existence of four European species — two from the 

 Atlantic, for which the names of petasus and bifida 

 { = rosacea) are respectively available, and two from the 

 Mediterranean, one of which should bear the name 

 mediterranea. The two Mediterranean forms have long, 

 slender arms, and numerously segmented long cirri, while 

 in those from the Atlantic the arms and cirri are shorter 

 and stouter, with fewer segments to the latter ; further, it 

 is believed that neither of the Atlantic species has infra- 

 basal plates. These are, however, present in the Mediter- 

 ranean forms; but the newly named A. adriatica has four 

 or five, against three in mediterranea. The Mediterranean 

 forms are more primitive than those from the Atlantic, 

 which accords with the author's view that Antedon is 

 primarily an Indian Ocean genus, where it is now repre- 

 sented by the more generalised Mastigometra. 



To No. 40 of the Zoological Society Bulletin, New York, 

 July, Mr. W. T. Hornaday contributes an illustrated 

 article on the collections of heads and horns of big game 

 in the temporary " Administration Building " in that city. 

 It appears that attention was recently directed to the 

 poverty of American museums in specimens of this nature 

 'from Africa, and that this has resulted in a very gratifying 

 effort on the part of sportsmen and collectors. We notice, 

 however, that the specimens are exhibited on the walls of 

 the apartments of the building without the protection 

 •of cases, and apparently exposed to strong light, which 

 will assuredly lead to their rapid deterioration. Mr. 

 Hornaday quotes certain pessimistic views as to the pros- 

 pects of African big game, in which it is asserted that, in 

 NO. 2127, VOL. 84] 



from ten to fifteen years, all except that in protected areas 

 will have been practically wiped out. 



The June number of the Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science (vol. Iv., part ii.) contains a valuable and 

 beautifully illustrated monograph, by Mr. Cresswell 

 Shearer, on the anatomy of Histriobdella homari. This 

 very primitive segmented worm is said to be a normal 

 inhabitant of the branchial chamber of the European lobster. 

 The author concludes that the genus Histriobdella must be 

 placed close to Dinophilus, but that it is more nearly 

 related to the rotifers than the latter. Both genera show 

 distinct relationships with Polygordius and Protodrilus, 

 although they cannot be classed with these as true 

 archiannelids. The same number contains Messrs. ■■\llen 

 and Nelson's interesting paper on the artificial culture of 

 marine plankton organisms, already published in the 

 Journal of the Marine Biological Association and noticed 

 in these pages. Mr. Geoffrey Smith continues his studies 

 in the experimental analysis of sex, and describes a case 

 of parasitic castration in a cockerel, due to tubercle bacilli 

 infecting the alimentary and lymphatic organs. He con- 

 siders this case to be analogous to the parasitic castration 

 of various invertebrates, such as that of the crab Inachus 

 by the degenerate barnacle Sacculina. There are also 

 three protozoological papers by Miss Annie Porter, Mr. 

 C. M. Wenyon, and Mr. H. Lyndhurst Duke, all of a 

 high standard of merit. 



In the Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 

 (vol. iii.. No. 5), there is a ^emoir by A. Brcinl and 

 E. Kindle on the life-history of Trypanosoma lewisi in 

 the rat-louse, Haematopinus spinulosus. In experiments 

 carried on for more than a year, the authors have succeeded 

 three times in transmitting T. lewisi by means of the rat- 

 louse. Cytological changes in the trypanosomes in the 

 gut of the louse are described and figured. Amongst 

 other articles in the same number, one by Sir Robert 

 Boyce and- F. C. Lewis, on "The Effect of Mos- 

 quito Larvae upon Drinking Water," may be especially 

 noted. It is found by experiment that " the presence of 

 larvae in drinking water adds very considerably to the 

 number of bacteria present," and Cyclops appears to pro- 

 duce the same effect. 



The eighteenth bulletin of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau 

 contains a great deal of valuable information concerning 

 the results of recent research upon all questions bearing 

 directly or indirectly upon the etiology or treatment of 

 trypanosomiases of man and animals. It begins with an 

 editorial article upon the transmission in nature of 

 Trypanosoma ganibiense, the main point at issue being 

 whether the trypanosome of sleeping sickness is dissemi- 

 nated, under natural conditions, by Glossina palpalis alone 

 ■ or by other species of tsetse-flies also. Recent observa- 

 tions tend to arouse the suspicion that G. fusca and G. 

 morsitans may, under certain conditions in nature, serve 

 as hosts for the human trypanosome, and if this is true, 

 " the difficulty of prevention would be enormously aggra- 

 vated. The seriousness of the problem . . . makes it 

 imperative that skilled investigations ... be conducted 

 without loss of time." 



The progress of pakeobotuny is marked by the appear- 

 ance of a publication, Die Palaeobotanische Literatur, of 

 which the first volume, dealing with the literature that 

 appeared in 1908, has been issued by the firm of Gustav 

 Fischer, Jena. The bibliography not only cites papers 

 devoted primarily to pala?obotany, but includes papers on 

 recent botany, in which fossil plants are discussed. The 



