May 4, 1905] 



NA TURE 



as deduced from measurements of the photographs 

 were as follows : — 



Time Length in Height in 



h. m. miles miles 



II 45 ... 192,000 .. 55,000 



3 59 ... 216,000 ... t)0,000 



When it is mentioned that our earth has a diameter 

 a little less than Sooo miles, an idea of the magnitude 

 of this solar disturbance can be roughly grasped. 



An interesting point to notice further in the original 

 is the appareiit falling towards the limb of the 

 material forming the highest part of the prominence 

 in the lower picture. 



Enough, perhaps, has now been written to give the 

 reader an idea of the instrument at work, and a few 

 deductions from the photographs obtained during the 

 summer months of the past year. 



When it is considered that the results described, 

 and others of which no mention has been made, only 

 apply to the photo- 

 graphs secured 

 with the " K " 

 line of calcium, 

 and that other 

 lines in the solar 

 spectrum, such as 

 hydrogen, iron, 

 magnesium, &-c.. 

 still remain to be 

 examined, some 

 notion of the vast 

 field of work open 

 to investigators 

 becomes apparent. 



To avoid too 

 much duplication 

 of work beyond 

 what is absolutely 

 necessary, steps 

 should be taken as 

 soon as possible 

 to subdivide the 

 labour. The past 

 vear has seen the 

 formation of a re- 

 presentative bodv 

 to undertake such 

 a scheme, and it 

 is hoped that more 

 instruments will 

 soon be erected 

 and at work to 

 cope with the 



large demand of facts relating to our sun rendered now 

 possible by the pioneer work of Prof. Hale and M. 

 Deslandre's. Willi.\m J. S. Lockyer. 



THE TEACHIXG VALVE OF MENAGERIES.' 



SO far as the general public is concerned, there is 

 always a very considerable danger lest menageries 

 should be regarded merely as places of amusement and 

 curiosity, and that their great value as teachers of 

 zoology should be more or less completely ignored. 

 The main object of the volume before us appears to be 

 to emphasise the teaching value of institutions of this 

 nature, and to show what admirable schools for acquir- 

 ing the rudiments of practical zoology lie ready to our 

 hand, if only we will take advantage of our oppor- 



1 "Natural History in Zoological Gardens; being some .Account of 

 Vertebrated Animals, with Special Reference to those usually seen in the 

 Zoological Society's Gardens in London and Similar Institutions." By 

 F. E. Beddard. Pp. x + 1io ; illustrated. (London : ."Archibald Constable 

 and Co., Ltd., 1905.) Price 6s. net. 



NO. 1853, VOL. 72] 



tunities ; in other words, we have nature-teaching of a 

 unique description awaiting our attention. Mr. Bed- 

 dard treats, indeed, his subject almost exclusively from 

 this point of view, so that his volume forms, in great 

 degree, a sketchy kind of text-book of vertebrate 

 zoology, illustrated by a number of first-class photo- 

 graphs and drawings of the animals under discussion. 

 Such a mode of treatment necessarily prevents the in- 

 clusion of any great amount of matter that is really . 

 new in his work, and from one point of view it is a.< 

 matter for regret that the author, with his long ex- . 

 perience of the establishment in the Regent's Park, 

 has not seen his way to give us more information 

 with regard to the behaviour and life-history of 

 animals in menageries. One point in this connection 

 on which information is sadly lacking is the duration of 

 life of animals in menageries, and the periods during 

 which individuals of long-lived species have survived in 

 captivitv. So far as we have seen, information on this 



lingoes in the Regent 



Zoological Gardens. 



latter point is given only in two cases, namely, in that 

 of the polar bear and that of the pelican. Possibly, 

 however, the author may have in view a companion 

 volume, in which these phases will form the leading 

 theme; and if so, we feel sure that it will supply a 

 marked want. 



Restricting, and very wisely so, his volume to the 

 vertebrata, the author commences with a general 

 sketch of the leading features of that group, and then 

 takes in systematic order the various representatives 

 selected for description. Mammals accordingly come 

 first; and it is not out of place to mention that Mr. 

 Beddard directs attention to the fact that a good 

 popular name for this group is still a desideratum. In 

 the case of both mammals and birds, the species taken 

 as examples of different types are in the main well 

 selected, and in nearly every instance the illustrations 

 are almost everything that can be desired. .As one of 

 the best, among those reproduced from photographs, 

 we have chosen the group of flamingoes, taken in the 

 gardens, to set before our readers. 



