156 



NATURE 



\yune 20, 1872 



We see by the discoveries of Dr. Bryce, Mr. Jameson, and others 

 that the Pleistocene mamm.-iHa mnst have invaded Europe 

 during the first Glacial period be''ore the submergence, for 

 the reindeer and the mammoth have been found in Scot- 

 land under the deposits of Boulder-clay. Dr. Falconer 

 and others have also discovered the latter animal in the pre- 

 glacial forest-bed. The Glacial period can therefore no 

 longer be looked on as a hard and fast barrier sepa- 

 rating one fauna from anotlier. If man be treated as a Pleisto- 

 cene animal, there is reason to believe that he formed one of the 

 North Astatic group, v-hich was certainly in possession of 

 Northern and Central Europe in Pre-glacial times. The Pleisto- 

 cene mammalia may again be divided into three groups, those 

 which came from Northern and Central Asia, those from Africa, 

 and those which were living in the same area in the Pliocene age. 

 Had not the animals which lived in Europe during the Pliocene 

 age been insulated from those which invaded Europe from Asia 

 by some impassable barrier, the latter would occur in our Plio- 

 cene strata as well as the former. Such a barrier is offered by 

 the northern extension of the Caspian up the valley of the Obi 

 to the Arctic Sea. The animals of Northern and Central ."Vsia 

 could not pass westwards until the barrier was removed by the 

 clev.ation of the sea-bottom between the Caspian and the Urals. 

 The same argument holds good as to the African mammalia, 

 which could not have passed into Sicily, Spain, or Britain, with- 

 out a northward extension of the African mainland. The re- 

 lation of the Pleistocene to the Pliocene fauna is a question of 

 great difficulty. If the Pliocene fauna be compared with that 

 of tile Forest-bed, it will be seen that the difference between 

 them is very great. The Pliocene mastodon and tapir, and most 

 of the Ccrvid.c, are replace. 1 by forms such as the roe and red- 

 deer, unknown until then ; but many of the Pliocene animals were 

 able to liold their groundagainst the Pleistocene in v.aders, although 

 they were ultimately beaten in the struggle for existence by the new 

 comers. The fauna which the autlior adopted as typically Plio- 

 cene is that furnished l>y tlie lacustrine strata of Auvergne, the 

 marine sands of Montpellier, and the older fluviatile strata of 

 the Val d'Arno. Mr. Prestwich was hardly prepared to accept 

 the proposed division of the Pleistocene mammalia into three 

 groups ; at all events so far as Britain is concerned. Neither 

 could he draw that distinction between the beds at Erith and 

 Grays and those higher up the Thames, which found favour with 

 the author. The birrier offered by the river itself might to some 

 extent account for the absence of reindeer ; and though tliere 

 was a difference in the fauna in the two cases, it seemed hardly 

 enough to mark any great distinction in time. .Vs to the hippo- 

 potamus, which occurred over the whole of Northern Europe, 

 associated with the musk-ox and large bouklers, he could not 

 see how the conclusion was to be escaped of i;s liaving been able 

 to withstand greater cold than its present representative. Though 

 tlie winters might have been colder, there was evidence in favour 

 of the summers having been warmer ; and the flora seems to 

 have been much like that of the present day. The probable 

 migrations of the different animal groups had already lieen 

 pointed out Ijy M. Lartet, though Mr. Dawkins liad carried his 

 investigation of the suliject further. He called attention to the 

 fact of the mammoth having been found in Italy. Mr. Boyd 

 Dawdiins, in reply, stated that in forming his conclusions, he had 

 not left out of view the evidence afforded by the classes of remains 

 other than those of mammalia, but they threw no light on the 

 classification. With regard to the middle of his divisions of the 

 Pleistocene mammalia, he relied to a great extent on the presence 

 of KhiiWitivs }Hcga)-liinns, and of a large number of stags, to say 

 nothing of the absence of reindeer, lie did not attach so much 

 importance to tlie question of the level, as such discrepancies as 

 those pointed out appeared to him by no means impossible. 1 le 

 gave his reasons for not regarding the mammoth as an e.xclu.sivcly 

 arctic animal. His remarks with regard to M. Lartet's classifi- 

 cation referred rather to the expanded views of his followers 

 than to those of M. Lartet himself. He acknowledged his olili- 

 gations to Profs. Gaudry, Fraas, Kiitimeyer, and Nilsson for 

 various facts of which lie had made use. 



Pakis 



Academy of Sciences, June 10. — M. Marie presented a 

 memoir en the determination of the critical point at which the 

 legion of convergence of Taylor's series is situated ; and M. \. 

 Kitiaucour a note on llie theory of lines of curvature. — M. Vvon 

 Vi larceau exhibiteil and described to the meeting an isochronous 

 regulator witli vanes, constructed by M. Brcguet. — A note was 



read by M. E. Vial on a new mo le of printing on stuffs by means 

 of metallic precipitations, in which the author descii'iel a method 

 of printing either by means of cliches or of copper or steel 

 plates upon any textile fabric by the agency of nitr.ate of silver. 

 — M. A. Clermont presented a note on the mefallic trichlor- 

 acetates, in which he described the preparation and character; of 

 trichloracetate of ammonium, and of acid and neu;ial trichlor- 

 acetate of thallium, and noticed the action of | erm\ng.anate of 

 potash upon hydrate of chloral in producing trie do a-etic acid. 

 — M. Wurtz communicated anote by M. Ore on M. (). Liebreich's 

 experiments, from which the latter inferred that sirychnine is an 

 antidote to chloral. M. Ord shows grounds for the belief that 

 M. Liebreich's experiments were inconclusive. — M. de Vibraye 

 presented some further remarks on the spontaneous appearance 

 in France of exotic plants in the track of the belligerent armies 

 in the late war, in which he stated that the number of thes-; 

 plants introduced into the department of the Loir et Cher alone 

 is 163. — In consequence of M. de Vibraye's statem-ints, the 

 sections of Botany and Rural Economy were instructed to pre- 

 pare a scheme for the systemitic introduction of Algerian forage 

 plants suitable for tlie climate of France. — M. Decaisne pre- 

 sented a note by M. J. E. Planchon on the geographical dis- 

 tribution of the Ulmideae. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English.— Cootribntions to Molecular I'hysics in llie dom.m of Ra'ia t 

 He.it: J. Tynd.all (Lon.5mans). — Patterns for Turning: H. W. Elphiustuiie 

 (J. Murray) — Symon'slSritish R.ainraU for 1871 IE. .Stanford).— Erewhon. '.r 

 Uverthe Ran.-e(Trubncr).— Tlie Principles of Geology, iitheditijn. Vol. ii : 

 SirC. Lyell (.Murray). 



American.- A5tr,)nomical and Mcteorolo|icil Observation m.ade at the 

 U. S. Naval Observatory, Washington, i86j.— The -Scieace of .Esthetics in 

 the Nature, kinds, laws, and uses of lieauty : H. N. Day. 



FoREici.M.- Medizinische Jahrbiichcr. Heft i., 1872 : S. .Strieker.— Bullet'n 

 de la Socicte Impcrialc des Naturalistes de Moscou, iii. and iv., 1871. — Die 

 Uarwinschc Theorie : J. W. Spengel. 



DIARY 



THURSDAY, June 20. 



RovAL SociETV, at 8.30,— Volcanic Energy— an attempt to Develope ir>^ 

 True Origin and Cosmlcal Relations: R. Mallet. K.R.S.— Preliniin.t, v 

 Note on the Reproduclion of DilTraction Gratings by means of Photograplu : 

 Hon. J. W. Stmtt — On Voltaic Standardof Electromotive Force : Latim-.r 

 Clark — Pyrology, or Fire Chemistry : Capt. Ross, R. A. 



Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. — Hungarian Origin of the word Coach : 

 A. Goldsmid.— On the Origin of the Christian ^ra : G. Oppert. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the structural peculiarities of the Bell Bird 

 \,Cltas}Horhy}ichus)\ by Dr. Murie, F.L.S. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— On Deacon's Method of obtaining Chlorine, as 

 illustrating some principles of Chemical Dynamics : H. J^eacun. 



MONDAY, June 24. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. 



WEDNESDAY, June 26. 

 Society of Arts, at 4. — Anniversary Meeting. 



Royal Society of Literature, at 8-30.— On the Extent of Ancient Li- 

 braries ; W. E. A. Axon.— On a Service Book of Sirassburg use, containing 

 Dramatic representations : Walter de Grey Birch. 

 THURSDAY, June 27. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Livingstone i ,7 



Conversations on Natural PHiLosorav 1 : ■ 



The Geological Survey of Ohio 1 ■ 



OuK Book Shelf i|j 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Method of Least Squares— J. W. L. Glaisher n- 



Solar Halos. {IV ith Diagram J) i|i 



The Volcanoes of Centra! France.-Rcv. T. G. Bonni y. F.G.S. . i ,. 



Force and Energy.— J. J. Mukphy, F.G.S m^ 



PeUgi- Fish-Ne>t.— G J. HiNDE 14:; 



Why are Red Sandstones Red? 14^ 



Mounting of Thermometers.— R. Bushell, F R.A.S 14:; 



A Few Millions.— A. CowperRanyard, F.R.A.S 142 



Prof. Canni^^zaro's Faraday Lecture 143 



The-: Oiiskkvatory on Mount Vesuyius. By G. Forbes, F.R.S. 



[\Vtth Illustrations) 14=; 



On the Disintegration of Comets. By Prof. D. Kirkwooo. 148 



Newton's Manuscripts and Birthplace. By Dr. C. M. Ingleby 145 



Notes ... 149 



On the Sound made by the Death's Head Moth, "Acherontia 



Atropos." {With Illustration.) H. N. IMoSELEY 151 



Scientific Sekials 154 



Societies and Academies 154 



Books Received 156 



Diary 15^ 



