6.^,8 



NA TURE 



[October 26, 1905 



The papers in the /.cilsclinfl fur i^'isscnschaftUchc 

 Zoologie (vol. Ixxx., part i.) indiiclc one by Mr. \'. Wida- 

 Icowich on the structure and function of the so-called 

 nidaniental organs (that is to say, the glands which secrete 

 the white and shell of the eggs) of the shark Scylliiim 

 {■aniciila. In a second Mr. A. Reichensperger describes 

 the anatomy of the living West Indian crinoid Pentacrimis 

 decoytis. A third, by Mr. O. C. Glaser, is devoted to 

 certain features in the physiology of the American gastro- 

 pod Fasciolaria tiilipa, while in a fourth Messrs. Marshall 

 and Derneh) commence a dissertation on the embryology 

 and anatomy of the hymenopterous insect Polistcs 

 palUpes. 



To the first part of the eightieth volume of the Zcit- 

 schrijt fiir ■wisscnschaftUche Zoologie Dr. O. Grosser com- 

 municates an interesting paper on the evidence that certain 

 dermal structures or markings among vertebrates have a 

 segmental origin. Among the features referred to are the 

 transverse arrangement of the scaling on the under surface 

 and sides of the body in lizards, and the transverse colour- 

 bands on the bodies of the banded mongoose (Crossarchiis 

 fasciiitiis), the tiger, and the zebras. In regard to the 

 scaling of reptiles, the author admits that the transverse 

 arrangement is very probably a secondary feature due to 

 adaptation to the movements of the body, while he adds 

 that the evidence for the segmental origin of the trans- 

 verse stripes in mammals is purely of a negative nature, 

 and requires something much more definite in its favour 

 before it can be accepted. It may be added that if this 

 segmental origin of colour stripes be accepted, it at once 

 cuts away the ground from those who regard it as a 

 special protective adaptation. 



^\'f, have received the first part of a worl-:, to be com- 

 pleted in si.x parts, price si.xpence each, entitled " I go 

 a-walking through the Country Lanes." No author's 

 name appears on the title-page, but the text is stated to 

 he compiled from the Rev. C. Johns's " British Birds and 

 their Haunts." Each part is to contain reproductions 

 from photographs taken by Mr. Reid, of Wishaw, the 

 incomparable exceUence of which needs no commendation 

 on our part. The aim of the book is " to outline a walk 

 in the country, and to describe and picture the habits of 

 the birds and the animals that arc to be seen." The 

 photographs in some instances might have been made to 

 convey more information. On p. 13 we have, for instance, 

 a charming picture of a flock of sheep coming out of a 

 field, to which the legend " changing pastures " is sub- 

 scribed. It would surely have been just as easy to mention 

 that these sheep, as shown by their white faces and long 

 wool, are Leicesters, or some nearly kindred breed. 



The Selborne Society has issued an illustrated circular 

 in which attention is directed to the objects coming within 

 the purview of that body, and the privileges enjoyed by 

 members. " Birds in the Field and Garden " is the title 

 of an article in the October issue of Nature Notes, the 

 official organ of the society, in which the nameless author, 

 while admitting that a certain amount of damage is in- 

 flicted on fruit and other produce, maintains that, on the 

 whole, the visits of birds are advantageous alike to the 

 gardener, the fruit-grower, and the farmer. In connection 

 with this subject, it may be mentioned that we are 

 acquainted with certain gardens where, owing to the 

 damage done to the buds by bullfinches and other members 

 of the finch tribe, the whole of the gooseberry and currant 

 bushes have been enclosed in wire netting with a mesh 

 small enough to prevent the entrance of birds. The ex- 

 periment has been carried on for two seasons with the 

 NO. 1878. VOL. 72] 



most satisfactory results, and there has been no necessity 

 to take anv special steps to free the bushes from insects. 

 Here, then, is a problem for those who urge that birds 

 are essential to the gardener. 



In Biologisches Ceittralblatt for October i Mr. W. M. 

 Wheeler, of the American Museum of Natural History, 

 and Father E. Wasmann discuss the discovery of " tem- 

 porary social parasitism " among ants, and the inductions 

 to be drawn therefrom as to the origin of " slavery " 

 among certain members of the group. Mr. Wheeler claims 

 to have been the first to describe this temporary parasitism 

 in a Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum issued in 

 October, 1904 ; but the corollaries from this discovery and 

 inferences in regard to the general origin of slavery among 

 ants were not published by him until the middle of February 

 of this year. In conclusion, the writer urges that none of 

 the observations published by Father Wasmann during all 

 the years he has been engaged in the study of anls " are 

 suflicient to accredit him with the independent discovery 

 of temporary social parasitism as a general and regular 

 phenomenon among certain Formicid;c." In a reply to 

 this article. Father Wasmann very candidly admits that 

 Mr. Wheeler is fully entitled to the credit of this discovery, 

 although he apparently does not accept certain other claims 

 made by the American naturalist 



" C.4N fish hear?" is a question discussed by Dr. O. 

 Kcirner in a special issue of the Beitrag-2 zur Ohrenheil- 

 kunde, published to commemorate the seventieth birthday 

 of Prof. A. Lucae. The question is provisionally answered 

 in the negative, and for the following reasons. It seems 

 that many fishes are able to perceive rapid, consecutive 

 vibrations communicated to water, but that such vibrations 

 are taken cognisance of by means of the so-called auditory 

 organs is highly improbable. This is supported by the 

 fact that single loud explosions in water were totally dis- 

 regarded by fishes belonging to no less than five and tw^enty 

 distinct species of fishes. Moreover, the circumstance that 

 the presence of the senses of sight and touch is easily 

 demonstrable in fishes renders it probable that the same 

 would be the case with hearing if it existed. Finally, the 

 fact that fishes, and apparently also such isolated forms 

 in other groups as are deaf, alone among vertebrates 

 possess no organs comparable to the Cortischian nerve- 

 terminations renders it probable that these organs arc 

 alone capable of transmitting auditory vibrations, the 

 hypothesis that such vibrations may be received by the 

 vestibular apparatus not being at present substantiated. 



We have received part ii. of an illustrated catalogue of 

 the ethnographical collection of the Sarawak Museum 

 (Journal No. 43, April, .Straits Branch, Royal Asiatic 

 Society), by Mr. R. Shelford. This section deals only 

 with the objects worn for decorative purposes by the 

 natives of Borneo. The question of the relationship 

 between magic and personal ornamentation has not been 

 lost sight of, but many inquiries have elicited little in- 

 formation of importance. Kalabit youths when visiting 

 new districts wear a necklace of decorative seeds as a 

 charm against evil spirits, and Land-Dyak men wear a 

 necklet of beads and canines of leopard and bear for a 

 similar purpose ; the beads are frequently regarded as 

 charms against specific diseases. The leglets of finely 

 plaited fibre so commonly worn wpre at one time employed 

 as currency ; the Kayans say they feel quite naked if they 

 do not wear these leglets. The catalogue is very well 

 done, and is illustrated by adequate plates. If the whole 

 museum is treated in this way the catalogue will prove 

 to be a very valuable record of the ethnographv of Sarawak. 



