586 



NA TURE 



[August 17, 1905 



of fasting and torpor, together with the phenomenon of 

 encysting, are of great importance in regard to the re- 

 juvenation of tissue, and consequently to the duration of 

 life of the animal. Primli facie, such periods of rest and 

 rejuvenation would seem to imply longevity in the species 

 in which they occur, and it is therefore suggested that 

 such animals as dormice, badgers, bats, moles, bears, 

 hamsters, and tortoises and many other reptiles are in 

 all probability long-lived. Except in the case of tortoises, 

 our information on this point is, however, very defective. 

 On the other hand, some other explanation must be sought 

 for the longevity which is known to occur in many kinds 

 of birds. The paper concludes with speculations and 

 theories connected with the subject. 



In the July number of the Psychological Bulletin (ii.. 

 No. 7) Mr. .Shepherd Franz describes anomalous time 

 reactions in a case of manic-depressive depression. 



The Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital for July 

 (xvi., No. 172) contains an interesting contribution to the 

 history of medicine in Maryland during the revolution 

 (iyyi^-iyy<)) by Dr. Walter Steiner, various medical 

 articles, proceedings of societies. Sec. 



The Journal of Anatomy and Physiology for July (xix., 

 part iv.) contains papers by Dr. Gaskell, F.R.S., on the 

 origin of the vertebrates deduced from the study of the 

 ammocoetes, by Dr. Wright on skulls from the round 

 barrows of east Yorkshire, by Dr. Cameron on the de- 

 velopment of the retina in Amphibia, and a report by 

 Dr. Bertram Windle on recent teratological literature, 

 together with several articles of anatomical interest. 



The Journal of Hygiene for July (v.. No. 3) contains 

 papers on canine piroplasmosis by Drs. Nuttall, Graham 

 Smith, and Wright, and one on bovine piroplasmosis by 

 Mr. Mettam. Dr. Boycott details an experimental case 

 of skin infection with ankylostoma, and Mr. MacConkey 

 contributes an important paper on lactose-fermenting 

 bacteria in fEBces, Colonel Leishman, Captain Harrison, 

 and Lieuts. Smallman and Tulloch describe very fully 

 an investigation upon the blood changes following anti- 

 typhoid inoculation ; this and several other interesting 

 papers complete the contents of an excellent number. 



In a report on the metropolitan water supply. Dr. 

 Scott Tebb, the public analyst for Southwark, points out 

 that five out of the seven committees of inquiry which 

 have investigated the quality of the Thames water have 

 condemned the river as a source of domestic supply to 

 the metropolis, that the quality of the water as indicated 

 by analysis has shown no substantial improvement during 

 the last thirty years, that the river is extensively polluted, 

 and that it is doubtful if this can ever be prevented. He 

 therefore recommends that London should as soon as 

 possible abandon the Thames as a source of domestic 

 supply, a conclusion neither new nor novel. But when 

 in the body of the report it is stated that " we know 

 nothing of the essential cause of either typhoid fever or 

 cholera, and the medical profession is as much in the 

 dark now as it was 40 years ago " (respecting these 

 diseases), it becomes doubtful how much weight should be 

 attached to Dr. Tebb's conclusions. A large portion of 

 the report is filled with abstracts from papers and books, 

 mostly old, attempting to show that the cholera vibrio 

 and typhoid bacillus have nothing to do with the respective 

 diseases, the overwhelming evidence on the other side 

 being completely suppressed. 



NO. 1868, VOL. 72] 



A NUMBER of new plants or new localities for previously 

 recorded Indian plants are given in Nos. 4 and 5 of 

 vol. Ixxiii., part ii., of the Journal of the Society of 

 Bengal. Dr. Prain records several new species from 

 Sikkim, including a Geum and a Potentilla, which are 

 figured, five new species from Burma, and two new 

 orchids from Chota Nagpur. Also Dr. Prain and Mr. 

 Burkill have a note on a new yam, not, however, fit for 

 food, which was collected abundantly in Burma. In 

 another note Mr. J. R. Drummond describes a new Scirpus 

 from Baluchistan, with some allied species. 



It is characteristic of the Americans that when they 

 took over the Philippines they accepted also the responsi- 

 bilities thereby entailed. In 1837 Father Blanco published 

 a " Flora de Filipinas," enumerating more than a thousand 

 species and varieties ; the descriptions were in many cases 

 imperfect, Blanco's knowledge of the plants of neigh- 

 bouring countries was slight, and unfortunately his 

 herbarium has been lost, so that except where types have 

 been preserved in European herbaria, identification has 

 been most difticult. Mr. E. D. Merrill has prepared a 

 review of the three editions and appendix, of the flora to 

 summarise present knowledge and to provide a basis for 

 further identification by collectors ; the volume forms 

 No. 27 of the Publications of the Bureau of Government 

 Laboratories. Manila. 



In the Botanic Gardens at Brussels special facilities 

 have been provided for students for many years in the 

 matter of plant collections, notably of economic, also of 

 officinal and poisonous plants. More recently, in 1902, it 

 was decided to lay out four groups of plants which should 

 be geographical, systematic, evolutionary (phylogeniquc). 

 and physiological (ethologique), in addition to a group of 

 xerophytes. Copies of the pamphlets explaining the 

 arrangements and the nature of the collections, which are 

 supplied to students, have been received. The evolutionary 

 collection is designed to illustrate variability, heredity, 

 and the origin of new varieties and species. The plants 

 that constitute the " collection Ethologique " have been 

 selected on account of their showing special developments, 

 whether for nutrition, reproduction, or some other pur- 

 pose. A house has been devoted to xerophytes ever 

 since Demoulin's collection was presented in 1882 ; this 

 has been extended, and a novel feature of the present 

 system is the arrangement of a number of species of 

 cactus as a practical exhibition of an evolutionary series. 



Money-boxes in the form of mammje are made in 

 Germany and Italy, and these form the subject of a paper 

 by F. Rosen in Globus (Ixx.xvii. p. 277). In olden times 

 the mamma was the symbol of abundance, blessings 

 and wealth, therefore this form is peculiarly appropriate 

 for money-bo.xcs ; but money-boxes are not ancient. In 

 prehistoric times vessels were frequently made in the form 

 of mammae, and they are still so made by the folk. The 

 author refers to the pomegranate as an ancient symbol of 

 riches and good fortune ; one half of it has some resem- 

 blance to a _mamma, and the numerous seeds it contains 

 suggest fertility. The mamma was certainly a luck-symbol, 

 and Astarte, Aphrodite, and Isis were luck-goddesses. 

 Astarte, Venus, and Isis were protective patronesses of 

 sailors. He refers to the fact that one often finds money- 

 boxes in the form of pigs ; the " lucky pig " is an ex- 

 tremely common talisman in Germany. Pregnant sows 

 were offered to Demeter or Ceres because of the great 

 fertility of this animal. Leland (" Etruscan Roman 

 Remains," p. 255) says, "Ceres was pre-eminently a 



