i68 



NA TURE 



[June i8, 1896 



I'izon. This genus resemliles generally the Eiigyra, from which 

 however it is clearly difi'erentiated by the structure and position 

 of the genital organs. — On the existence and development of 

 the eggs of the sardine in the waters of Concarneau, by MM. 

 Falire-Domergue and Bietrix. — The latent life of grain, by M. 

 V. Jodin. — Remarks on the preceding communication, by M. 

 Armand Gautier. — Analysis of one of the meteoric stones that 

 fell at Madrid, February 10, 1896, by M. S. B. Mirat. The 

 meteorite consisted practically of the silicate of magnesium and 

 iron, containing also estimable quantities of aluminium, nickel, 

 and calcium. — Artificial reproduction of malachite by a new 

 method, by M. A. de Schulten. — On the liassic domes of the 

 Zaghouan and of Bou-Kournin, by MM. E. Ficheur and E. 

 Hang. — The part played by the hind limbs in the motion of the 

 horse, by M. Le Hello. — On a relation between muscular 

 energy and sensibility, and on the laws of variation of this 

 energy with respect to time, by M. C. Henry. — Photographs by 

 the X-rays of a bullet in the brain, by MM. E. Brissaud and 

 Londe. 



New .South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, April 29. — Mr. Henry Deane, President, 

 in the chair. — Theoretical explanations of the distribution of 

 southern faunas, by Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S. After 

 reviewing the various theories which have been offered to 

 explain the difficult and intricate problem of the distribution of 

 southern faunas, the author pointed out that the supposition 

 that the ancestors of certain groups migrated from the northern 

 into the southern hemisphere by the present continents, and 

 have since then become extinct in the north, explained a good 

 ■deal, but failed to give a full and satisfactory explanation of the 

 -whole of the facts. Moreover the members of the fauna un- 

 accounted for are old forms, and consequently the means of 

 . communication w'hich served them must long ago have been 

 destroyed. To the author a fatal objection to the theory of 

 migration by way of an Antarctic continent is offered by the 

 following consideration. Aplacental mammals — both Multi- 

 tuberculata and Polyprotodontia — existed in Europe and North 

 America in the Triassic and Jurassic periods, and these Poly- 

 protodontia were, no doubt, the ancestors of the living Polypro- 

 todontia of Australia. In the Eocene strata of Patagonia 

 remains of a large number of Polyprotodontia have been found 

 which are far more closely related to the Polyprotodontia of 

 Australia than to the Mesozoic forms of Europe and North 

 America ; consequently a direct land communication must have 

 existed between these two southern countries. Now there is 

 strong geological and pala:ontological evidence that no land 

 ridge existed between North and South America during the 

 Mesozoic and early Cainozoic eras : consequently it must be 

 assumed that the southern forms migrated through the Malay 

 Archipelago ; and, if they went to Patagonia by means of an 

 Antarctic continent, they must have passed through Australia. 

 But mingled with the Eocene marsupials of Patagonia there are 

 a number of Eutheria of typically South American character 

 without any northern forms of Artiodactyla, Cariiivora, or 

 hiscitivora ; and it is hardly possible that these should have 

 passed through Australia without leaving any record behind. 

 The theory of the former existence of a South Pacific Mesozoic 

 continent, first suggested by Huxley, seemed to be the only 

 theory left. It not only explains the origin of the Australian 

 and South American marsupials, but also the almost simul- 

 taneous appearance of different Eutherian mammals in North and 

 .South America. It must be suppo.sed that this continent threw 

 off first New Zealand, then Australia, then Chili, and finally 

 disappeared under the waves. At a later date. New Zealand 

 must have formed part of a large island joined to New 

 Caledonia, but not to Australia. The objections to this theory 

 are geological rather than biological, involving the doctrine of 

 (he persistence of continental and oceanic areas upon which 

 geologists are not agreed ; and such objections are equally 

 applicaljle to the theory of an Antarctic continent. — Report on 

 a Bone Breccia deposit near the Wombeyan Caves, New South 

 Wales : with descriptions of some new species of marsupials, by 

 Dr. R. Broom. A detailed examination of this deposit from 

 which BurraDiys pannts and Pahtopetauriis elegans have already 

 been described by the writer, adds considerably to our know- 

 ledge of the smaller marsupial fauna of the later Tertiary period. 

 Of existing forms there have been found Petaiirtis breviceps, 

 Dromicia nana, Phas(ologalc flanipcs, P. penicillata, and some 

 detached teeth referred to Thylacintis cynoccphalus. Besides 

 these are found a presumably new species of Macropiis for which 



NO. 1390, VOL 54] 



the name of M. wombeyensis is proposed, a new species 01 

 Pseudochirus (P. anU/juus), a new species of Perameles (P. 

 wombeyensis), and an extinct variety of the existing Potorous 

 tridactyhis, A few bones of a large Echidna are referred to 

 E. oweni. There are also innumerable remains of bush rats 

 (^flls sp. ), together with a few bones of small birds and lizards. 

 — The entomology of Australian grass trees (XanlJiorrhaa), by 

 W. W. Froggatt. The life-histories or habits of a number of 

 insects which either breed in the stems of the grass tree or feed 

 upon its foliage were described. — On the Galaxias from Mount 

 Kosciusko, by J. D. Ogilby. After reviewing its history and 

 describing the species [G. jindlayi, Mel.) from a fine series, 

 obtained from streams on both watersheds of the Australian 

 Alps, the author gave an account of the curious distribution of 

 this fresh-water family of fishes, with special reference to its 

 Antarctic origin, and concluded with a list of the known forms, 

 holding that far too many species had been made by naturalists 

 who relied too much on contour and coloration, both of which 

 characters are most inconstant. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books —An Elementary Treatise on ttie Integral Calculus: Dr. B. 

 Williamson, 7th edition (Longmans). — Im Australischen Eusch und an den 

 Kiisten des Korallenmeeres : Prof. R. Semon (Leipzig, Engelmann).— A 

 Manual of Mending and Repairing: C. G, Leland (Chatto). — Macmillan's 

 Geography Readers, Book VL (MacniiUan). — Arithmetic for Promotion, 

 Scheme B. : Lock and Macdonald, 4 Parts (Macmillan). 



PA^tPHLETS. — A New Treatment of the so-called Incurably Deaf People : 

 Dr. J. J. Hovent (Bruxelles, Lebegue).— Representation in Virginia (Balli; 

 more). — St. Paul's School and the Charity Commissioners : Colonel Clementi 

 (Bell). 



Serials. — Science Progress, June (Scientific Press).— Geographical 

 Journal, June (Stanford). — Botanische Jahrbiicher, &c., Zweiundzwan- 

 zigster Band, 2 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Proceedings of the American 

 Philosophical Society, December (Philadelphia),— Physical Review, Vol. 3, 

 No. 6 (Macmillan). — Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, Vol. 8, 

 new series (Williams). -American Journal of Science, June (New Haven). - 

 Engineering Magazine, June (Tucker). — Bulletin of the American Mathe- 

 matical Society, May (New York, Macmillan).— Westminster Review, June 

 (Warne). — Leisure Hour, June (56 Paternoster Row). — Proceedings of the 

 Physical Society of London, Vol. .\iv. Part 6 (Taylor).— Rapport Annuel 

 .sur I'Etat de TObservatoire de Paris, 1805 : M. F. Tisserand (P.aris).— 

 Naturalist, June (Philadelphia). — Journal of the Franklin Insti- 

 June (Philadelphia). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Evolution of Counting. By Prof. A. C. Haddon 145 



Geomorphogeny. By Dr. Hugh Robert Mill . . . 146 

 The Researches of Newell Martin upon the Heart 



and Respiration. By Prof. E. A. Schafer, F.R.S. . 147 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Debierre : " Atlas d'Ostiiologie " 148 



Gallatly: " Mechanics for Beginners" 148 



" Engineer Draughtsmen's Work " 148 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Flying Engines, {ll/us/rafed.) — Hon. Charles A. 



Parsons 148 



Experiments on Rbntgen Rays. — T. C. Porter . . 149 

 Koch's Gelatine Proce.ss for the Examination of 



Drinking- Water.— Frank Scudder 150 



A Prognostic of Thunder. — B. \A^oodd-Sinith . . . 151 



Tufted Hair.— Dr. Henry O. Forbes 151 



Lord Kelvin. (Ilbislrated.) By Prof. A. Gray, F.R.S. 151 

 The Approaching Total Eclipse of the Sun. (Illus- 

 trated.) 153 



The Electrical Resistance of Alloys. By Lord 



Rayleigh, Sec.R.S 154 



Notes 155 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Photographs of Stellar -Spectra 158 



The Natal Observatory 158 



Possible Changes in the Earth's Rotation 158 



The Ladies' Conversazione of the Royal Society. 



(With Diagram.) 1 59 



On the Rotation of the Earth 161 



The Ankle-joint in Man, and the Inheritance of 



Acquired Characters 162 



The Paris Observatory 162 



Cable Laying on the Amazon River. By Alexander 



Siemens 162 



Notes on Clouds. By John Aitken, F.R.S 164 



University and Educational Intelligence 164 



Societies and Academies 165 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 16S 



