574 
failure of the tables in the Japanese light-houses, I feel sure that 
much of the objectionable innuendo to which I_haye been sub- 
jected would never have been penned. JoHN MILNE 
s.s. Wathora, Hobart, Tasmania 
P.S.—The above has been written whilst at sea, and I have 
neither had opportunity to refer to books or papers. On my 
return to Japan I shall be glad to continue the history of the 
ball and plate joints, should it be required. 
Tremble-terre du 26 Septembre, 1885 
UNE seule secousse a été constatée le 26 Septembre a oh. 58m. 
du matin; elle a été composée de 2 a 3 oscillations, de direction 
variable suivant les localités. Le centre de la secousse a été 
dans le milieu du Valais, ott son intensité a été appréciée comme 
trés-forte, mais ou il n’y a cependant pas eu de dégats materiels ; 
il faut lui attribuer le No. VI. de l’échelle qui évalue en dix 
degrés V'intensité des tremblements de terre. 
La secousse s’est étendue vers le nord jusqu’a Schwenden et 
Zweisimmen dans le Simmenthal, a2 Chateau d’Oex, Aigle et 
Yvorne ; dans les Alpes vaudoises elle a été fort bien sentie 
dans les vallées de l’Avencon, de la Gryonne, de la Grande-eau, 
et de la Savine. Dans tout le reste du canton de Vaud le 
tremble-terre semble avoir passé inapercu, tandis qu’il nous est 
signalé de deux localités fort distantes, Geneve et Nidau; il est 
cependant probable que la secousse de Nidau a précédé de 
quelques minutes la grande secousse du Valais; d’aprés un 
obseryateur trés précis la secousse de Nidau a eu lieu a oh. 53m. 
En méme temps que le sol de la Suisse était ainsi ebranle, les 
appareils trés délicats de l’observatoire sismique de Rome, qu’ 
avaient été en repos Jes jours précédents, ont signale des vibra 
tions du sol vers t heure du matin; et dans le méme nuit un 
violent tremblement de terre rayageait la ville de Nicolosi pres 
de Catane en Sicile. F.-A. FOREL 
Morges, 8 Octobre 
Larve of Cerura vinula 
Last year I was rearing up some larvee of Cerura vinula, the 
Puss Moth, from the egg, and I determined, while I had the 
chance, to write a life-history of them. 
On examining the egg closely I found a small hole in the 
apex of each, and I thought at the time that this was probably 
caused by ichneumons, and therefore I laid the eggs by in a 
small box that I might capture the ichneumons when they made 
their appearance. Great was my surprise, then, when { found 
that the young larvee came out as usual. 
I therefore determined to get some more eggs and to find out 
whether this hole in the apex was caused by the mandibles of 
the larva inside, but I found that the larva did not emerge by 
this hole, but by a fresh one made in the side of the egg. And 
I find that all Puss Moth eggs have this hole in the apex. 
T am now hoping to get some eggs of moths belonging to the 
same family (e.g. Cerura furcula and bifida) to see if they also 
are perforated in this way. I should be much obliged if any 
one who has got any of these eggs would kindly let me know 
whether this is the case. 
This hole reaches through the shell of the egg, but is covered, 
on the inside (of the egg) with a thin tissue, like that which is 
found in birds’ eggs. 
I have carefully examined several scientific books, but have 
been unable to find this fact mentioned ; therefore I should be 
much obliged if any one could throw a light on this mysterious 
fact. 
I unfortunately have none of these eggs to forward as 
examples ; but, as they are pretty common in May end June on 
poplar trees, I have no doubt that such of your readers as are 
interested in the subject will be able to examine them for them- 
selves. Cyrit B. Hotrman Hunt 
Draycott Lodge, Fulham, October 9 
Pulsation in the Veins 
I AM quite satisfied that the pulsatory movement in the veins, 
to which my former communication referred, is not in any way 
abnormal, as suggested by Mr. Williams (p. 466). In a@/Z cases, 
without exception—and they have been a good many—in which 
I have had opportunity for the observation, the minute v7s7ble 
evidence of the pulsatory action has been present, and I have 
NATURE 
[Oct. 15, 1885 
invariably been able to count the pulse of the individuals, as in 
the experiment detailed in my former letter. 
The mirror experiment was tried on my own hand. And a 
medical friend who applied the sphygmograph in the usual way 
informed me that my pulse was free from any abnormality. 
It is to be borne in mind that the pulsatory indications with 
which my paper is concerned are exceedingly minute and would 
escape the perception of nine persons out of ten—requiring an 
eye educated to appreciate very minute differences of shade and 
colour. Ido not think that the bristles or sealing-wax thread 
which a correspondent (p. 437) kindly suggests, or even the 
orthodox sphygmograph would have a chance of effectually 
exhibiting them. I say shade and colour: for when a vein free 
from turgidity, and not sensibly altering the smooth surface of 
the skin, is seen only by its blue track, a modification of the 
tint is perceptible (to an educated eye) ; and the blue varies in 
intensity with the pulsatory action, sufficiently for the success of 
the pulse-counting experiment. J. HippisLey 
Stoneaston Park, October 4 
Stonehenge 
In Nature, vol. xxxii. p. 436, R. Edmonds associates 
Stonehenge with the metonic cvcle, and quotes from 
Diodorus Siculus, whom he says flourished about 44 B.C. 
Would not the latter part of the first century A.D. be 
more accurate? He gives in his extract from Diodorus 
Siculus a quotation from Hecatzus, whom he confuses with 
Hecatzeus of Miletus, when it was Hecatzus of Abdera to 
whom Diodorus referred. Hecataeus of Miletus flourished about 
500 B.c., and Hecatzeus of Abdera about 300. Mr. Charles 
Elton, M.P., in his ‘‘ Origins of English History,”’ gives the very 
same extract, and says that ‘‘ We cannot admit that the work of 
Hecatzus is on the subject of Ancient Britain,” and estimates 
its value in the following extract from the works of an eminent 
Polish scholar (Lélewel, Pythéas, 45): ‘‘ Hécatée a publié un 
fameux ouvrage dont le titre décele une vieille idée poétique 
rajeunie sous sa plume. ~ Elle devait s’allier aux nouvelles 
découvertes et y prendre une place éminente au détriment 
de la science et du bon sens. Heécatée, énumerant tous 
les étres mystérieux de la géographie septentrionale, en- 
richit leur nomenclature d’une riviére Scythique récem- 
ment trouvée en Orient par le conquérant, qu'il a appelée 
Parapamisos ; et plus encore des promontoires et des files Celt- 
iques, qu'il a probablement puisées dans les rélations véridiques 
de Pythéas pour les entrelacer dans les plages superboréennes.” 
The quotation from Diodorus is from his second book, but 
the whole of this second book is dedicated solely to a descrip- 
tion of Asia ; and it is not until the fifth book is reached that 
he describes the British Isles, and with a very considerable 
degree of accuracy. (See Fergusson’s ‘*Rude Stone Monu- 
ments,”’ p. 8). 
I do not think, either, that ‘‘Nine Maidens” is simply an 
abbreviation of ‘* Nineteen Maidens,” for, like ‘‘ Nine Ladies ” 
of Stantin Moor, in Derbyshire, it is a memorial circle. 
Stone Henge, moreover, is much more probably a memorial 
circle, as its original name implies—‘‘ Stan Hengis” ; and com- 
memorates the massacre of Vortigern’s chiefs by Hengist in 
462 A.D. The Rollright circle probably commemorates the 
victory of Rollo over Eadward, circ. 913, whilst Avebury and 
Hakpen (520), Kit’s Coty House (455), Long Meg and her 
Daughters (508-520), Stanton Drew (508-520), Arthur’s Table, 
Arbor Lowe, Cumrew, Salkeld and Mayborough commemorate 
some of the victories of Arthur. That this is reasonable may 
be mentioned the facts that coins of Claudius Gothicus (270 
A.D.), Constantine the Great, Constantine junior, and Valent- 
inian have been found at one or other. 
Milverton, Leamington Sanpb. S. STANLEY 
The Forecasting of Barometric Variations 
IN a paper published in the Yowal of the Royal Meteoro- 
logical Society, vol. x., p. 219, 1884, I pointed out that during 
a series of years the barometric variations in Western India 
had presented certain features which, had they been known at 
the beginning of 1876, and, indeed, at the beginning of 1872, 
would have made it possible to have calculated with a consider- 
able degree of precision and reliability the general course of the 
barometric variations from 1872 up to 1883, in some cases three 
