Dec. 25, 1873] 



NA TURE 



151 



NOTES 



To the large number of his palceontological discoveries Prof. 

 Owen has quite recently added that of a most peculiar bird 

 from the London clay of Shep]iey, which he has named 

 Odontotteryx toliapica. This new form, known only from the 

 skull, though perfectly ornithic in general structure, and exhibit- 

 ing many of the characters of the Steganopodes (Gannets and 

 Cormorants), presents a peculiarity not found in any existing 

 bird. The trenchant margins of the bones of both jaws, instead 

 of being simple, are provided with long conical bony processes, 

 like the serrations in a coarse saw. The posterior of these 

 serrations, which are alone preserved, are directed somewhat 

 forwards ; the anterior were probably less inclined, or even 

 directed back\\-ards like the homologous horny processes in the 

 Goosander. The theoretical importance of this new form is 

 great ; for it is as good an example as can be brought forward 

 of the loss in modern times, from a persistent type of animals, of 

 a well-developed specialised structure. Many who criticise the 

 evolution hypothesis appear to assume that progress, or what is 

 the same thing, development in the individual of a maximum 

 number of specialised organs, is an indispensable element of the 

 Darwinian hypothesis. Such, however, is certainly not the case 

 after a certain degree of elaboration has been reached. For, 

 taking Odoniopteiyx as an example, it is evident that though this 

 bird had in the struggle for existence acquired a dentigerous 

 mouth, in which point it was in advance of all other members of 

 the bird type, nevertheless its being thus able to obtain food 

 which others could not hold, did not render it in the least less 

 liable to be exterminated by many of the other accidents associated 

 v/ith existence. The upheaval of the sea-bottom, for instance, 

 in its accustomed haunts, would have been destructive to it as to 

 any other of its kind, and probably more so ; for the specialisa- 

 tion of the jaws is certain to have been attended with a similar 

 modification in the limbs, resulting in the loss of the power 

 ot flight, which would not allow of its removing to a new 

 locality on the change in the physical geography of its home. 

 So with the equally modified Moa, Dodo and Auk, the term of 

 existence of the Odontopteryx was a short one, because the 

 tendency of its development was too much towards a degree of 

 uniformity in surrounding circumstances, which the human mind 

 alone knows is not justified by facts. 



TllK autumn show of the larger fungi at the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society has so steadily increased in interest and popularity, 

 that it is intended to considerably extend it next year (1874). 

 The following extract from the recently issued official schedule 

 states the classes which are admissible, and the number and 

 value of the prizes, which are entirely open to all competitors : — 

 Wednesday, Oct. 7. — Class I, Collection of Fungi, arranged 

 according to their botanical affinities. Neat arrangement and 

 correct nomenclature will be taken into account in awarding the 

 prizes. The edible and poisonous species are to be so marked 

 on their respective labels ; the edible species being named on 

 .vhite labels, the poisonous on red ditto, the rest on yellow ditto. 

 Prizes: 5/., 3/., 2/. Class 2, Collection of Edible Fungi. Thsse 

 should be shown, when possible, in juxtaposition with specimens 

 of similar but noxious species. Prizes : 3/., 2/., i/. Class 3, 

 Collection of New or Rare Fungi. Prizes : 3/., 2/., \l. Class 4, 

 Cultivated Edible Fungi. This class is intended for species 

 likely to be useful as esculents, but which are not now known in 

 the cultivated state. Prizes: 3/., 2/., i/. 



The following has been announced as the Cambridge Natural 

 Science Tripos :— First Class.— Martin, Christ's ; Balfour, 

 Trinity ; (a) Bcttany, Caius ; (a) Hartog, Trinity ; (a) Sollaf, 

 John's ; Koch, John's— those marked (a) being equal in merit. 

 Second Class.— (a) Balderston, Caius; (a) Davies, John's; 



(a) Jukes-Browne, John's ; (a) Ogilvie, Trinity ; (a) Salomons, 

 Caius ; Coe, Sidney ; Ds. Fletcher, St. Peter's ; Ds. Myers, 

 Trinity : Symons, Trinity ; Ds. Vinter, Caius ; Ds. Vonge, 

 Trinity Hall, the last six equal in merit as well as the first five 

 Third Class. — Ds. Hawker, Trinity ; Lighton, Trinity, equal. 

 The undermentioned acquitted themselves so as to deserve an 

 ordinary degree : — Crallen, Emmanuel ; Mogg, Pembroke ; 

 Slater, St. Catharine's. 



Mr. Robert E. Baynes, B.A., Wadham College, has been 

 elected to a Lee's Readership in Physics at Christ Church, Ox- 

 ford. Mr. Baynes gained a First-Class in Mathematical Modera- 

 tions in Trinity Term 1S71 ; and a First-Class in the School 

 of Natural Science, Michaelmas Term 1872. The stipend of 

 the Lee's Reader is 300/. per annum for the first four years after 

 election, 400/. for the next three years, and 500/. after seventh 

 year from election. He has also a right to occupy rooms in 

 college rent free. 



Among the more important of the numerous current publi- 

 cations of the United States Hydrographical Office, under Com- 

 modore Wyman, is the first volume of a " Coast Pilot" of the 

 coast of Brazil, prepared by Lieutenant Gorringe, and covering 

 the region from Cape Orange to Rio Janeiro, forming a volume 

 of nearly 400 pages, in which the peculiarities of that portion of 

 the coast are detailed with great minuteness, aid accompanied 

 by numerous profile sketches of the shores as observable from 

 the vessel at sea. Another repoit of a very practical bearing Is 

 the result of the observations made by the United States steamer 

 Narraganset during a cruise between Honolulu and Sidney, con- 

 ducted between July 6 and September 7, 1S72. The points 

 visited were Christmas Island, the Gilbert group, Mulgrave 

 Islands, the Disappointment and Duff Islands, and the Vanikoro 

 Islands. 



The Council of the Society of Arts have given notice of their 

 intention to provide a short course of lectures suitable for a 

 juvenile auditory during the Christmas holidays. For this pur- 

 pose arrangements have been made with Mr. Frank Buckland, 

 M.A., Her Majesty's lespector of Salmon Fisheries, to deliver 

 two lectures "On the Strucun; and Habits of Beasts, Birds, 

 and Fishes, as showing Beauty and Design," on Friday, January 

 2, and Friday, January 9, at 8 P. M. The lectures will be illus- 

 trated by specimens. It is intended to make every eflbrt to 

 obtain an entirely juvenile audience, and the notice in the 

 Society's yoitrnal impresses strongly upon the members the fact 

 that only children, not adults, are wanted. The plan is, as far 

 as the Society of Arts is concerned, quite a ncAf one; though 

 the Royal Institution have before now had courses of juvenile 

 lectures. 



We are glad to hear that the course of lectures by Mr. J. E. 

 Taylor, F.G.S., F.L.S., at Ipswich, on "Physical Geography 

 and Geology," has been so successful that the jjlace of meeting 

 has had to be changed to a larger building. The average at- 

 tendance, we believe, has been 500. 



" The Fifth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Peabody 

 Academy of Science for Uie year 1S72 " (Salem, U.S.) is a very 

 cheerful one. The collections in the museum of the Academy are 

 mainly in Natural History and Archieology, and to both depart- 

 ments very large additions were made during the year 1S72 ; the 

 museum, indeed, promises to become one of the most valuable 

 collections in the United States. By the indefatigable researches 

 of Dr. C. C. Abbott a collection of 3,000 implements of the 

 slone age has been broughc together, all obtained from the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Trenton, N. J., on the banks of the Delaware 

 and adjoining fields and hills. The greater part of the present 

 Report is occupied by a number of papers by Mr. A. S. Packard, 

 jun., the Curator of the Articulates. These papers are : — 

 "Synopsis of the Thysanura of the Essex County, Mass., with 



