September 7, 191 1] 



NATURE 



335 



the roof also can be raised and entirely opened in fine 

 weather. The idea is that it may be used in towns and 

 cities where there is no ground attached to the dwelling 

 available for the erection of an ordinary " shelter." 



In The Journal of Hygiene for July (vol. xi.. No. 2), 

 among many papers of much scientific value. Mr. C. 

 Walker describes experiments on the inoculation of 

 " materies morbi " through the human skin by flea-bites. 

 Tli.- results obtained indicate that there is very little risk 

 of this occurring. Even with the plague bacillus and 

 animals susceptible to infection with it, such as the rat 

 and guinea-pig, the results were negative. The author 

 suggests that this may be due to the fact that in his experi- 

 ments the bites were usually single. In view of the 

 accepted theory that plague is conveyed by fleas, these 

 experiments are of considerable importance. 



In The Journal of Anatomy and Physiology for July 

 (vol. xlv., part iv.), Mr. E. S. Mawe directs attention to 

 a curious method of predicting the sex of infants. It 

 seems that there is an ancient Japanese belief that the sex 

 can be predicted by the arrangement of the hair on 

 the neck of the child born immediately before. It is said 

 that when the hairs converge the next child is usually a 

 girl, and when they diverge, a boy. Mr. Mawe gives the 

 results of an examination of 300 cases, and they certainly 

 appear to afford a good deal of support to this belief. He 

 suggests that there may be some Mendelian interpretation, 

 but it is not easy to see what Mendelism can have to do 

 with it. 



The August number of The Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science (vol. Ivii., part i.) contains several very 

 interesting memoirs, and the illustrations are of a remark- 

 ably high standard of excellence. Dr. W. E. Agar 

 describes the spermatogenesis of Lepidosiren, and it is 

 worthv of note that in order to carry out this work it 

 was necessary for him to undertake an expedition to the 

 swamps of the Paraguayan Chaco. It is satisfactory to 

 observe that he is able to confirm the accounts given by 

 workers on other types of the fairing of " homologous " 

 chromosomes in the process of reduction, which is of such 

 deep significance from the point of view of the theory of 

 heredity. Mr. Geoffrey Smith has a short paper on the 

 rapid increase in size of the hen's comb prior to each period 

 of egg-laying, in which he shows that the method by 

 which poultry keepers are in the habit of predicting when 

 a hen is about to lay is really based upon a sound founda- 

 tion. The temporary increase in size of the comb is shown 

 to be due to infiltration of fat into its connective tissue 

 core. Protozoology is well represented by an elaborate 

 memoir on the caacal parasites of fowls, by Mr. C. H. 

 Martin and Miss Muriel Robertson, and comparative 

 anatomv by a paper on the fresh-water medusa, Limnocnidn 

 ianganicac, by Mr. C. L. Boulenger. 



A Parliamentary return of the number of experiments 

 performed on living animals during the year 1910 has 

 receatly been issued. The total number of experiments 

 returned during 1910 for England and Scotland reaches 

 the large total of 95,731- Of these, however, 90,792 are 

 of the nature of inoculations, hypodermic injections, and 

 other simple procedures ; even the prick of a needle, or 

 feeding with an entirely harmless material, if for the 

 acquisition of new knowledge, is classed as an " experi- 

 ment " under the Act. The inspectors report that they 

 have everywhere found the animals suitably lodged and 

 well cared for, and the licensees attentive to the require- 

 ments of the Act, as well as to the conditions appended to 

 NO. 2184, VOL. 87] 



their licences. Only two slight irregularities have occurred 

 during the year. 



" Reptiles of All Lands " is the title of a fully illus- 

 trated popular article communicated by Mr. R. L. Ditmars 

 to The National Geographic Magazine for August. After- 

 mentioning that reptiles are now a degenerate group, 

 although probably more numerous in species than formerly, 

 the author gives a sketch of the three principal ordinal 

 groups living at the present day. The gharial of the 

 Ganges is regarded as the largest existing member of the 

 whole class, Mr. Ditmars refusing apparently to recognise 

 the enormous dimensions which have recently been attri- 

 buted to the South American anaconda. According to his 

 view, the largest known serpent is the Malay python, which 

 attains a length of about 30 feet, or the same as that of 

 the gharial. Mr. Ditmars, in the legend to the illustration 

 on page 625, repeats the misstatement, to which we have 

 previously directed attention, that the South American 

 bushmaster is the only viperine snake which lays eggs. 



According to the local Press, a flying fish (Exoeoetits 

 volitans) was recently taken in a mackerel-net off the 

 village of Wyke Regis, close to Weymouth. Its total 

 length was 1 if inches. This appears to be the first 

 definitely authenticated specimen taken on the British coast. 

 A trigger-fish (Balistes caprinus) was also caught about the 

 same time near Weymouth, this being the third Dorset 

 example, the two others having been taken near the same 

 place respectively in 1S73 and 1905. 



The following method for the destruction of rats, adopted 

 by M. de Kruyff, of the Agricultural Bureau of the Dutch 

 Indies at Buitenzorg, Java, is given in a recent American 

 consular report. All visible rat holes were first stopped 

 with earth to ascertain which holes were inhabited. Half 

 a teaspoonful of carbon bisulphide was poured in each of 

 the holes found to be inhabited, and after a delay of a 

 few seconds to allow the liquid to evaporate, the mixture 

 of vapour and air was ignited. The result was a small 

 explosion, which filled the hole with poisonous gases and 

 killed all the rats almost instantly. A pound of bisulphide 

 is sufficient for more than 200 rat holes; 131 dead rats 

 were found in forty-three holes which were opened after 

 the operation. It is further stated that satisfactory results 

 in exterminating porcupines have been obtained by this 

 method. 



A circular respecting the work of the Aberdeen Uni- 

 versity Bird-migration Inquiry has been issued by Prof. 

 J. Arthur Thomson and Mr. A. L. Thomson. The object 

 of the movement is the collection of more definite in- 

 formation on migration by the method of placing 

 aluminium rings on the feet of a large number of birds, in 

 the hope of hearing of the subsequent movements of some 

 proportion of the birds. The rings are inscribed with the 

 address " Aberdeen University," and a number (or 

 number and letter combination) different in each case. 

 The rings are placed on young birds found in the nest, or 

 on any old ones that can be captured without injury. 

 The following extracts are taken from the circular above- 

 mentioned : — " (1) It is particularly requested that all who 

 may shoot, capture, or kill, or even hear of any of our 

 marked birds, should let us know of the occurrence. As 

 accurate particulars of date and locality as possible are 

 desired, but, above all, the number (or number and letters) 

 on the ring. Indeed, except where it has been possible 

 to re-liberate the bird uninjured, the ring itself should 

 always be sent, or the ring and foot, or even the whole 

 bird. We always refund postage if asked to do so." 

 " (2) We invite the cooperation in the actual work of 



