August 23, 1906] 



NA TURE 



415 



and below. This is suspended from the ceiling, an 

 alternating electric current passes through the apparatus, 

 • ind the insects, which are attracted by an electric light 

 showing within, are literally electrocuted. 



\ SUBSTANCE that is spoken of as " a kind of celluloid " 

 has recently been patented in Italy by an English inventor. 

 Celluloid, as is well known, is largely used as a substitute 

 for torcoiseshell in the manufacture of combs and other 

 small articles, but the use has always been attended with 

 a certain amount of risk from its inflammable nature. It 

 is claimed for the new invention that in the most aggra- 

 vated circumstances it will only carbonise, and not flow 

 like a stream of melting sealing wax, setting fire to any 

 inllammable substance that may happen to come in its 

 way. The immunity from taking fire is secured by mixing 

 glue, gum arable, and colza oil with the original substance 

 when in a liquid state, and purifying it from sediment by 

 various processes, until it becomes perfectly clear, when it 

 can be worked up to resemble any kind of tortoiseshell at 

 a very much lower price. 



Of the 728 persons who in 1905 underwent preventive 

 treatment for hydrophobia at the Pasteur Institute in 

 Paris, four only died of the disease, and in one of these 

 cases the disease manifested itself before the completion of 

 the treatment. Excluding this case, the total mortality 

 ^hows a percentage of 0-54. In the preceding year the 

 number of persons treated was slightly higher, being 755. 

 The persons treated at the Paris Institute are divided into 

 three categories, as follows : — (a) Where the presence of 

 rabies in the animal which inflicted the bite has been 

 proved e.xperimentally ' by the development of the disease 

 in animals which were bitten by it or were inoculated 

 with its medulla; (b) where the presence of rabies in the 

 animal which inflicted the bite has been confirmed by 

 veterinary examination ; (c) where the animals in question 

 were supposed to be suffering from rabies. One hundred 

 and sixty-six of the persons treated are comprised in 

 class (a), 306 in class (6), and 255 in class (c). 



.\ STRIKING proof of the value of the finger-print method 

 of identifying criminals is to be found in the recently issued 

 report of the Commissioner of the City Police. During the 

 past year 1028 persons were arrested for offences under the 

 Prevention of Crimes .Act, such as being found in enclosed 

 premises or in other circumstances suggestive of felonious 

 intent. Of these individuals 562 were not recognised at 

 the time of their apprehension as having previously been 

 under arrest, but on their finger-prints being taken and 

 compared with the Scotland Yard registers it was ascer- 

 tained that 265 of them were old offenders. 



Recognising the danger to art which was entailed by 

 the use of cheap aniline dyes, the Amir of Afghanistan 

 some time ago forbade the entry into his territory of 

 carpets coloured with such dyes. The Kashmir Durbar 

 has now, according to the Pioneer Mail, taken a step which 

 should assist materially in saving the various beautiful 

 arts for which the vale of Kashmir is famous from deterior- 

 ation or destruction. The Durbar has decided to charge 

 a heavy duty of 45 per cent, on all aniline dyes at the 

 frontier, and at a certain district within the frontier to 

 confiscate and at once destroy them. 



While acknowledging the good results obtained in the 

 past by the Forest Department, the Government of India 

 has decided to make better provision for scientific research 

 in connection with Indian forests by the appointment of 

 six special officers for the branches of sylviculture, work- 

 NO. 192 I, VOL. 74] 



ing plans, botany, zoology, chemistry, and economics to 

 form an Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehra Dun. 

 The Indian Forester (June) contains a copy of the resolu- 

 tion and a short editorial note voicing the appreciation 

 of the Service, and pointing out the necessity for working 

 out sylvicultural problems for and in India. The editor 

 also contributes a second article, with illustrations, on the 

 types of forest rest-houses in India — the first article 

 appeared in the February issue — contrasting the poor 

 accommodation provided in Burma with the more sub- 

 stantial quarters found in the United Provinces. 



Prof. A. H. R. Buller has taken up a useful subject 

 for research in making a study of the basidiomycetous 

 fungus, I'olyponis squamosus, that grows as a wound para- 

 site on maples, elms, and other trees. An account dealing 

 with the life-history of the fungus and its action on the 

 wood of Acer is published as vol. i.. No. 3, of the Journal 

 of Economic Biology. As observers have noted for the 

 spores of other basidiomycetes, germination is not easily 

 effected ; spores were germinated in artificial media, such 

 as malt-wort extract and solutions containing peptone and 

 asparagin, but the factors necessary to natural germination 

 were not discovered. Prof. BuUer has devoted a separate 

 paper, published in the Annals of Botany (January), to his 

 examination for ferments, in which his tests point to the 

 presence of seven ferments, including amylase and emulsin, 

 but the tests for maltase and invertase yielded negative 

 results. 



Coloured drawings made by Prof. L. Errera in connec- 

 tion with his studies on glycogen and paraglycogen in the 

 fungi, to which reference was made in Nature, June 7, 

 p. 134, have been discovered, and have been issued as part 

 of vol. i. of the Recueil de I'Institut botanique, Brussels. 

 The test consists in producing a distinct red or brown 

 colour with a solution of iodide in potassium iodide, that 

 disappears on heating strongly and reappears on cooling. 

 A very marked reaction was obtained with the zoospore of 

 Polyphagus Etiglenae, with the young oidium of Sphaero- 

 theca Castagnei, and with the young ascus of Geoglosstiin 

 hirsutum. 



-According to the report for the past year, the Boston 

 (U.S.A.) Natural History Society is making satisfactory 

 progress in the matter of exhibiting a complete collection 

 of the fauna of New England. During the year specimens 

 of moose and caribou have been installed, while the series 

 of birds has been increased by specimens representing 

 thirty-three species new to the collection. 



In an exceedingly interesting article published in the 

 .August number of the American Naturalist Prof. R. S. 

 Lull discusses the various structural modifications for flight 

 occurring in vertebrates. Inclusive of extinct forms, volant 

 evolution, in the author's opinion, has occurred in seven- 

 teen distinct instances, ten of which are, however, merely 

 adaptations for soaring leaps. Among these latter Mr. 

 Lull includes the so-called flying-frogs (Rhacophorus), the 

 volant powers of which have been denied, and the Sifaka 

 lemurs (Propithecus) of Madagascar, the long leaps of 

 which are said to be aided by a rudimentary patagium. 

 In connection with flying-fishes, it may be noted that the 

 author considers Colonel Durnford to have definitely proved 

 the necessity for wing-vibrations. As regards pterodactyles, 

 Mr. Lull is of opinion that while the long-tailed Rhampho- 

 rhynchus flapped its wings during flight, the gigantic 

 Pteranodon of the Cretaceous had a sailing flight, with 

 little or no wing-flapping, and may, indeed, have been 



