5'S 



NATURE 



[March 27, 1884 



term time shall be the minimum during two terms for each 

 lecturer receiving tpl. per annum. As far as possible the Uni- 

 versity Lecturers are to give special personal attention to their 

 pupils, «o as to obviate as much as possible the necessity of 

 private tuition in ihe subject of the lectures ; and the .students' 

 fees are to be understood as payment for this personal supervision. 



The Special Board for liiology and Geology have published a 

 report showing urgent need f.r a Senior Demon.stiator in Ele- 

 mentary Biology and Animal Morphology at 2Co/. a year ; the 

 classes have grown enoimously, con>equent on recent changes in 

 the M. B. examinations. They recommend that the Lecturers, by 

 whose aid Mr. Sedgwick carries on the «-ork of the late Prof. 

 Balfour, shall be appointed University Lecturers, Dr. Hans 

 Gadow in the Advanced Morphology of Vertebrates, and Mr. 

 W. F. K. Weldon in that of Invertebrates. Moreover, they 

 consider an Assistant Demonstrator as well as other occasional 

 demonstrators are required. 



Prof. Hughes has written a letter on the subject of the proposed 

 Sedgwick Museum, suggesting that educational utility rather than 

 architectural display should be the principal aim in the building, 

 and pleading strongly against possible curtailment of the siie 

 available for the new museum to satisfy demands of other de- 

 partments. The area now proposed, 240 feet by 50 feet, with 

 room behind for future exten-ion by annexes, &c,, is not too 

 large. If sufficient space can be secured for future extension, it 

 is best to place the museum entirely on one floor ; but if this is 

 not certain, it wcaild be desirable to have two long rooms one 

 above another, each 20 feet high. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



• The Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science for January, 

 1884, contains : — Notes on Echinoderm morphology. No. vii. : 

 on the apical system of the Ophiurids, by P. Herbert Carpen- 

 ter, M.A. (plate I). — On the homologies of the primary larval 

 plates in the test of Brachiate Echinoderms, by W. Percy 

 Sladen (plate i). — On the origin of metameric segmentation 

 and some other morphological questions, by Adam SedguicI;, 

 M.A. (plates 2 and 3). — On certain abnormalities in the com- 

 mon frog (Kana temporaria) : (l) the occurrence of an ovotestis ; 

 (2) abnormalities of the vertebral column, by A. Gibbs Bourne, 

 B. Sc. (plate 4). — Researches on the intracellular digestion of 

 Invertebrates, by Dr. E. Metschnikoff (translated from Arbeilen 

 Zool. Instil. VVien, 1883. — On the ancestral history of the 

 inflammatory process, by Dr. E. Metschnikoff. — The structures 

 connected with the ovarian ovum of Marsupialia and Monotre- 

 mata, by Edward B. Poulton, M.A. (plate 5). — On the skeleto- 

 trophic tissues and coxal glands of Limulus, Scorpio, and 

 Mygaie, by Prof. E. Ray Lankester, M.A. (plates 6 to 11). 



Th-s. yournal 0/ F/iysiology, vol. iv., No. 6, February, 1S84, 

 contains : — On the electrical phenomena of the excitatory process 

 in the heart of the frog ard of the tortoise as investigated photo- 

 graphically, by Dr. J. Burdon-Sanderson and F. J. M. Page (plates 

 13 to 20). — Experiments on the ears of fishes with reference to 

 the function of equilibrium, by Dr. Henry Sewall. — On the 

 influence of certain drugs on the period of diminished excita- 

 bility, by Dr. S. Ringer and Dr. H. Sainsbury (plate 21). — On 

 the action of digitalis, by Dr. [. Blake. — On the coagulation of 

 the blood, by L. C. Wooldridge, D.Sc. — An investigation re- 

 garding the action of rubidium and ccesium salts compared with 

 the action of potassium salts on the ventricle of the frog's heart, 

 by Dr. S. Ringer (plate 22). — Some notes on the fibrin ferment, 

 by S. Lea, M.A., and J. R. Green, B.Sc. 



The Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, February, 

 18S4, coniains : — On the consiituents of sewage in the mud of 

 the Thames, by Lionel S. Btale, F.R.S. (plates i to 4).— On the 

 modes of vision with objectives of wide aperture, by Prof. E. 

 Abbe (figures) ; and the usual summary of current researches 

 relating to zoology and botany. 



Morphologisches Jahrbucli, Bd. ix.. Heft II, contains :— On 

 the comparative anatomy of the excretory sexual organs of 

 insects, by J. A. Palmen. — Contributions to the comparative 

 anatomy of fishes, No. i. ; on the cranium of Amia calva, L., by 

 Dr. M. Sagemehl (plate 10). — A contribution to a knowledge 

 of the pseudobranchia; in osseous fishes, by Dr. F. Maurer 

 (plates n and 12). — On the moqjhology of the mammalian teat, 

 by Hermann Klaatsch (plates 13 to 17). 



Archives Italiennes de Biologic, tome iv., fasc. II, December 

 15, 1S83, contains : — New researches on the alterations in organs 



in diabetes, by Dr. P. Fen-aro. — New researches on the normal 

 and pathological anatomy of the human placenta and of that of 

 mammal,^, being the .substance of three letters to Prof. Albert 

 KoUiker, by Dr. G. B. Ercolani. — On the ciliary muscle in 

 reptiles, by Dr. Ferruccio Mercanti. — On the reproduction of 

 epithelium of the anterior crystalline capsule in adult animals 

 under normal and pathological conditions, by Dr. F. Falchi. — 

 On some dangers from fly's excrement, by Dr. B. Grassi. — On 

 the course and termination of the optic nerve in the retina of a 

 crocodile (Champsa Indus), by Dr. A. Tafani (with a plate). — 

 On the developmefit of the vertebral column in osseous fishes, 

 by Dr. B. Grassi. — Notice of the death and writings of Dr. P. 

 Burresi, and of the death of Prof. G. B. Ercolani of Bologna. 



Rivista Scientifico-Industriale, Florence, January 15. — A dc- 

 scri[ition, with illustration, of the seismoscopic clock invented by 

 Brassart Brothers, by E. Brassart. — On the harmonic sounds 

 produced by a fluid discharged through a tube, by Tito Martini. 

 — Variations in the electric resistance of solid and pure metallic 

 wires under varying temperatures; Part i.. Historic survey of 

 the works hitherto issued on the influence of temperature on the 

 conductibiliiy and electric resistance of solid and pure metals, 

 by Prof. Angelo Emo. — Account of the semi-incandescent 

 electric lamp invented by Tihon. — A practical application of 

 Newton's rings in motion, by Prof. Augusto Righi. — On the 

 periodical migrations of the Myosus glis, Gml., by S. Mina- 

 Palumbo. — On the nest of the Ceophilns flavus, by Prof. F. 

 Fanzago. — On the mollusks at present inhabiting the province of 

 Porlo-Maurizio, Maritime Alps, by G. R. SuUiotti. 



Rendiconti del Reale Islitu/o Lombardo, February 7. — Obituary 

 notice of Prof. Emilio Cornalia (concluded), liy Prof. Leopoldo 

 Maggi. — A short description of the crystals of barium found at 

 Vernasca, by Dr. F. Sansoni. — On the im|:ortance of certain 

 symptoms in the diagnosis of sciatica and other affections of the 

 hip, by Dr. G. Fiorani. — Whether women should be permitted 

 to follow the legal profession, by Prof. E. Vidari. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Royal Society, March 13. — "Notes on the Microscopic 

 Structure of some Rocks from the Andes of Ecuador, collected 

 by Edward Whymper. No. II. Antisana." By Prof. T. G. 

 Bonney, D.Sc, F.R.S. 



The specimens examined consisted of one series gathered by 

 Mr. Whymper and another obtained by him from a collector. 

 The latter came from the south-west or west side of the moun- 

 tain, at elevati ins probably not exceeding 13,000 feet. Among 

 them are pitchstones and augite-andesites, in which a little 

 hypersthene possibly occurs. Mr. VVhymper's own collection 

 contains specimens of the great lava stream on the west side of 

 Antisana, taken at about 12,340 feet above the sea. It is an 

 augite andesite. The remainder represents the rocks forming the 

 upper part of the mountain, collected from a moraine about 

 16,000 feet above the sea, supplied by occasional crags, which 

 crop out through the snow and are mostly inaccessilile. These 

 are a series of augite-andesites, in some of which hypersthene is 

 certainly present. 



Linnean Society, March 20. — H. T. Stainton, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — The Rev. Canon Jas. Baker, Mr. 

 W. Brockbank, Mr. Robert Mason, and Mr. Ed. A. Heath were 

 elected Fellows of the Society. — Mr. J. G. Baker show ed and 

 made remarks on a supposed hybrid between the Oxlip [Primula 

 elatior) and the Cowslip (P. veris). — In illustration of his paper, 

 a contribution to the knowledge of the genus Anaphe, Walker, 

 Lord Walsingham exhibited a large and remarkable nest con- 

 taining a packed mass of cocoons, also specimens of the insects 

 and of the larvas of a species of Congregating Moth of this genus 

 from Natal ; and he likewise showed a live example of a 

 dipterous parasite which had emerged from the moth's eggs 

 when hatched. He further stated that the nest and contents had 

 been forwarded to him by Col. Bowker of Durban, and the 

 larvae were found alive on its receipt in England in August last. 

 Many of the larvae remained in the nest, but others in companies 

 of twenty to forty occasionally marched out, moving in closely 

 serried rank, much after the manner of the larv;x- of the Proces- 

 sion Moth (Cnethocampa). From December to February aboiit 

 250 molhs emerged, but, from the difficulty of obtaining their 

 natural food, all died, though a pair bred and the eggs hatched. 



