192 



NATURE 



\yidy 4, 1872 



6. Save all your eggs in sets — that is, keep all the eggs each 

 b'rtl lays by tliemselves. This is the only way to form a correct 

 IcnowleHge of the eggs of any species, as a single egg, particularly 

 of the blotched ones, frequently gives a very erroneous idea of the 

 general markings — a very unsatisfactory representative of a set. 

 For instance, in my collection are four eggs of the flnlco liiwnliis, 

 found in the same nest, two of which are pure white and two 

 blotched. It is not very uncommon to find great variations in 

 markings in the same species and in the same nest. 



7. Keep a memorandum of the place and date of collecting 

 each set of eggs. 



8. Use some kind of blowpipe in preparing your eggs for the 

 cabinet. The common blowpipe, with the addition of a fine 

 pointed tip, will answer ; yet it is a severe tax on the lungs and 

 brain if you have many eggs to blow. I have many a time been 

 dizzy and almost blind from overtaxing my lungs in this opera- 

 tion. Within a few years Mr. E. W. Ellsworth, of East Wind- 

 sor Hill, Conn., has invented a blowpipe ".vliich is oper.ited by 

 the thumb and finger, which works very perfectly and expe- 

 ditiously. I would not be without it on any account. Al^ter 

 using it for a time, and then letting it remain unused until the 

 leather packing becomes dry, the instrument does not work satis- 

 factorily to those unaccustomed to it. The remedy is simple. 

 Take off the blowpipe and work the instrument submerged in a 

 bowl of warm soap suds, when the leather packing becomes pli- 

 able and works as well as new. I have used tlie same instrument 

 for years, and it works to-day as well as when new, by following 

 the above directions. The printed directions which accompany 

 each instrument are intended to be a sufficient guide in case re- 

 pairs'are needed, and the maker can be referred to for any further 

 information required. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The Geoiogieal I'iTagaziiie for May (No. 95) opens with an im- 

 poitant article (illustrated with a plate) on some coniferous 

 S-emains from the Lithographic Stone of Solenhofen by Mr. 

 t)yer, in continuation of a former paper on the same subject. 

 Tliis paper includes the description of a new species of P'lHilcs 

 (P. soIcnJiefcncnsh), a revision of the genus Athro'taxitcs, with 

 descriptions of two new species [A. longiraiilcns axA A. ? laxus), 

 and a notice of a new genus, Cciuiylitcs, jirobably belonging to the 

 Cupressine group, and including a single new species, C. sijua- 

 mattis. — MM. H. B. Woodward and J. H. Blake communicate 

 a valuable paper on the relations of the Rh:i;tic beds to the Lower 

 Lias and Keuper formations in Somersetshire, in which they cite 

 additional evidence and arguments in sup)5orl of the view that 

 the Rhnetic beds constitute true passage-beds between the Keuper 

 and Liassic series.^Principal Dawson gives us the results of a 

 new examination of the geological structure of Prince Edward's 

 Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; and Mr. Alfred Bell a 

 paper on the succession of the Crags, the latter containing a 

 criticism of Mr. Prestwich's recently-published memoirs on the 

 same subject. — Mr. James Geikie communicates a si.xth paper on 

 changes of chniate during the glacial epoch, and the number con- 

 cludes with an interesting lecture on meteorites by Mr. iJavid 

 Forbes. 



The Monthly Mki'oscopical yournal, No. 42, for June, com- 

 pleting the seventh volume, contains communications on "An 

 Improved Reflex Illuminator for the Highest Powers of the 

 Microscope," by W. H. Wenham ; on "A Silvererl Prism for 

 the Successive Polarisation of Light," by J. W. Stephen- 

 son ; " Structure of Battledore Scales," by J. Anthony, 

 M. D., detailing fresh investigations by a new method of 

 of illumination, the results ofwhich confirmed those of a previous 

 communication; " Beale's Nerve Researches: the Reply of Dr. 

 Beale to Dr. Klein;" "On Bog-Mosses," by R. ^raithw.aite, 

 M.D., part iv., devoted to Sphagnutii tcndhon- IChrh., 

 and its varieties. This is the .?. molliiscum of Wilson's " ISryo- 

 logia ; " "Crystallisation of Metals by Electricity," by I'liilip 

 Braham ; " On the Means of Distinguishing the Fibres of New 

 Zealand Flax from those of Manilla or .Sizal, by the Microscope," 

 by Captain Hutton. Tlie average length and diameter of tlie 

 ultimate fibres are held to be distinctive, as well as some otlier 

 less important points, in the discrimination of these fibres. The 

 residue of this number is occupied, as usual, with brief notices 

 of new books, notes on microscopical sulijects, and the proceed- 

 ings of microscopical societies. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Geological Society, June 19.— Prof. Ramsay, V.P., in 

 the chair. — The following communications were read : — I. "On 

 Troc/ioi-yat/nis aiigliciis, a new species of Madreporaria from the 

 Red Crag," by Mr. P. Martin Duncan, M.B., F.R.S. The 

 author described a coral, of whicli a single specimen had 

 been found in the Red Crag, in the grounds of Great Bealings 

 Rectory, Norfolk. He stated that it belonged to the genus Tro- 

 chocyathus, and was distinguished from the other species of that 

 genus by its dense epitheca, its small and prominent columella, 

 and its inverted calicular margin. He proposed to name it Tro- 

 (hoiyolliiis angUciis, and stated that its nearest alliance is with the 

 Australian iJpper Tertiary form described by him under the name 

 of T. vicridionaUs. Mr. Prestwich inquired whether the fosiil 

 bore any resemblance to any of the French Eocene forms, and 

 whether there was any possibility of its being derivative. Prof. 

 Duncan replied that the specimen was but little worn, and was 

 therefore probably not n-iihiniJ, though this point was not abso- 

 lutely certain. 2. " On the Discovery of Pakuolithic Implements in 

 association with Elephas pyiiii'igcniits in the Iligh-terrace Gravels 

 at Acton and Ealing," by Colonel A. Lane Fox, F.G.S. The 

 gravels in tlie neighbourhood of Actoll have been divided by Mr. 

 Prestwich Into two principal groups— viz., the high-level gravels 

 on the hiils above the valley, and the valley-gravels On the side? 

 and bottom of the valley itself. The valley-gravels have been 

 again divided by Mr. Whitaker into three terraces— viz., a high 

 terrace, between 56ft. and tooft. abo'e the Ordnance datum, a 

 mid terr.lcc, btlUveen 20ft. and 40lt. high, and a low terrace, at 

 an average height of loft., occupying the low ground in the bends 

 of the river. On both sides of the river the high terrace is 

 separated from the mid terrace by a strip of the London Clay, 

 which is laid bare at an average level of 50ft. The London Clay 

 is also laid bare on the sides of the tributary streams running 

 into the valley on both sides of the river, thus diviiling the high- 

 te race gravel into patches. The mid terrace is continuous, and 

 follows tlie sinuosities of the valley ori both sides Uo to the strip 

 of London Clay. The author accounts for this distribution of 

 the graVels by supposing that a large body of water must at one 

 time have stood at the 50-feet level, and the denudation of the 

 high terrace have been caused by the waves beating on the sides 

 of the valley, and by drainage into this body of water. Tlie 

 mid tertace he conceives may. have l^een.,citused 'n part by ?ccu' 

 mulations beneiUi this body of water, 'the position of the high- 

 terf.ice gravel at Acton corresponded so closely to that of the 

 implement-bearing gravels of the Somme and the Ouse that the 

 author w.is led to examine carefully the excavations made in it 

 for the construction of houses. He discovered a number of im- 

 plements of the drift-type, together with flakes and cores, and a 

 few roughly-formed scrapers ; all these were found in close con 

 tact with the London Clay, and beneath the gravel. Fr.agmenls 

 of fern [Osinttnda regalis) and of wood [Pliiits svh'cstris) were 

 also found with the implements at tlie same level. Two imple- 

 ments were found at Ealing Dean, two miles westward, on nearly 

 the same level as those at Acton — viz., 90ft. ; .and these also Came 

 from the bottom of the gravel. Another implement was found 

 south of the river at Battersea Rise, in the same position above 

 the strip of London Clay as at Acton, and at about 60ft. above 

 the Ordnance datum. The implements are of the pointed and 

 oval types. The only animal remains discovered in the high 

 terrace consisted of a tooth of Elcphas primigenius in the Acton 

 gravel. The position of this the author believes to be reliable, 

 although he did not discover it himself //; situ. In the mid- 

 terrace gravel a number of pits were examined between Shepherd's 

 Bush and Hammersmith, and in the neighbourhood of Turnham 

 Green, which resulted in the discovery, at the latter place, of a 

 large quantity of animal remains (noticed by Mr. Busk in the 

 following paper), all of which, like the implements of the high 

 terrace, were at the bottom of the gravel ; l)ut no evidence of 

 human workmanship was found in tlie mid terrace. AU these 

 were found together, in the same seam of gravel, I2it. beneath 

 the surface, and all appeared to have been deposited at the same 

 time. The surface was here 25ft. above the Ordnance datum, 

 and consequently about Soft, lower than the implements of 

 the high terrace, \\ mile to the north. The section across 

 the valley, taken through the two places, here shows the 

 strip of the London Clay intervening between the two terraces. 

 The chief points of interest which the author submitted to the 

 judgment of geologists consisted in the presence of drift iniple- 



