Oct. 22, 1885] 
salina var. kattegatensis, Fries. The discovery of the former 
species is especially interesting. Tne genus Schenus includes 
between 60 and 70 species, of which two are natives of the 
northern temperate zone; all the remainder of Australia and 
New Zealand. Both of the northern species are now known in 
Britain.—Mr. J. G. Baker completes his monograph of Se/agin- 
ella, including no less than 312 specie ’.—In addition to smaller 
original papers the reprints include Mr. Carruthers’ report on 
additions to the botanical department of the British Museum 
during 1884, and Mr. George Murray's valuable notes on the 
inoculation of fishes with Saprolegnia ferax, extracted from the 
annual report of the Inspector of Fisheries. 
kivista Scientifico-Industriale, August-September.—Transport 
and distribution of electricity by means of induced transformers : 
Gaulard and Gibbs’ secondary generators (three illustrations), 
by Emilio Piazzolii—Remarks on the objections raised against 
some of the author’s theories in physics and electricity, by Prof. 
Carlo Marangoni. —On the emissive power of the electric 
sparks, by Prof. Emilio Villari.—On the true nitrous ethers of 
the alcohols, by Prof. G. Bertoni.—On the crustaceans of the 
province of Rome, by A. Statuti. 
Bulletins de la Sociésé a’ Anthropologie de Paris, fasc. 2, 1885.— 
Report of Commission of Financial Administration of Society, 
by M. Dally.—Presentation, by M. Mortillet, of the numbers of 
the journal Z’ Homme for 1885, in which the question of a 
Tertiary man is discussed. M. Mortillet took occasion to 
explain at length his reasons for believing that there existed in 
the Tertiary age animals of sufficient intelligence to fabricate 
tools for themselves, and to make use of fire. M. de Nadaillac 
is unable to accept the opinion of M. Mortillet, and considers it 
impossible to affirm with any certainty either that the flints in 
question belong to the period to which they are assigned, or 
that they have not been deposited in the strata where they are 
found by the agency of running water, or of some of the great 
telluric disturbances of which unmistakeable traces are present 
in the beds at Thenay (Loir-et-Cher), which M. Mortillet 
characterises as Miocene.—M. D’Acy drew attention to the 
presence of numerous flints similar to those of Thenay which 
he and others had found among the Maconnais deposits, and 
whose cracked and fractured surfaces differed in no way from the 
normal and natural character presented by the argillaceous flints 
ordinarily referred to the Tertiary ages.—On the historic 
significance of the Egyptian word ‘“‘heter,” horse, by M. 
Pictrement, who refutes the various arguments advanced 
in proof of the existence of the horse in Egypt before 
the invasion of the Hyksos, and endeavours to show 
that its introduction among the Egyptians was due to 
the so-called ‘‘ Shepherd” invaders, who were of mixed 
Mongolian and Semitic origin.—Continuation of Dr, Fauvelle’s 
treatise on “The Will,” considered from an anthropological 
point of view.—On Beauty, by M. Delaunay.—Report of French 
missionaries’ account of the Fuegians in 1884, communicated by 
Dr. Hyades.—On the Redskins in the Jardin d’Acclimatation, 
Paris, by Dr, Manouvrier, with craniometric and other measure- 
ments.—On the characteristics of a native of New Caledonia 
in the service of M. Moucelon, who explained some of the 
peculiarities of language and modes of counting prevalent 
among the people, and described their leading physical and 
mental characteristics. He remarked that the half-castes, born 
of white fathers and native mothers, are generally strong and 
prolific, while they show a tendency to revert to the character 
of the white type. Cannibalism, however, is not yet wholly 
eradicated amongst them.—On an anomaly of the humerus, by 
M. Chudzinski. This consists in a bony excrescence imme- 
diately below the deltoid, to which a bundle of muscular fibre 
is attached. The case, which is believed to be unique of its 
kind, appears to be one of atavism.—On an anomalous muscle 
in the hand, by M. Baudoin. Here the presence of a well- 
developed muscular fascia in the right hand of a man aged fifty, 
which simulated a part of the muscular development of the foot, 
may be similarly characterised as an evidence of atavism.—On 
a case of congenital hypertrophy of the parietals, by M. Topin- 
ard.—On supernumerary breasts, by Dr. Blanchard.—The 
etiology of elephantiasis, by M. Foley.—On the influences of 
heredity in deaf-mutes, by M. Drouault.—A case of a muscular 
anomaly of the fore-arm, by M. Chudzinski.—On sterility 
among the descendants of a white and a mulatto, by the Mar- 
quis de Saporta.—On certain crania from Lagoa-Santa, collected 
by Dr. Lund, and now at Copenhagen, with comparative analysis 
of a similar number of Californian crania, by M. Ten Kate. 
NATURE 
615 
Revue d’ Anthropologie, tome 8tme, 3eme fascic., Paris.— 
On the weight of the cerebral lobes, according to Broca’s regis- 
ter, by Dr. Philippe Rey. The data on which Dr. Rey’s tables 
are based were obtained from 347 subjects, of which 231 were 
men and 116 women. On examining the means the figures 
yielded for the several lobes, without reference to sex or stature, 
it is found that while the total weight of the right hemisphere 
predominates over that of the left, the left frontal is heavier than 
the right, this difference amounting to 1°6 gr. on the total of 
231 cases. This excess of weight of the left frontal had been 
noted by Broca, who believed it to be due to the influence of 
the third convolution. The right occipital is, on the other hand, 
0°5 heavier than the left. The difference of weight for the entire 
anterior region between men and women amounts to 69°65 gr., 
which constitutes a large proportion of the general cerebral ex- 
cess of weight in the male sex. The weight of both hemi- 
spheres is at its maximum between the ages of 25 and 35 years, 
although this period is generally reached earlier in women than 
in men, owing apparently to the more rapid evolution in the 
former of some one of the lobes. Loss of weight is most marked 
between 55 and 75 years, when it may amount to 62 grammes.— 
Anthropometric instructions for travellers, by Dr. Paul Topin- 
ard. The writer, after considering the true significance of 
the loosely-applied term ‘‘ race,” and pointing out the 
importance of accepting one uniform and fixed system of 
anthropometric measurement, proceeds to describe the nature 
and mode of application of the various instruments  in- 
dispensable for the attainment of trustworthy and available 
results. These admirable instructions are rendered specially 
serviceable through the addition of numerous comparative 
tables, including a useful schematic representation of the 
means of the measurements obtained for the European male 
adult when taken in proportion with the mean stature, which is 
estimated at 100. This code of instructions ought to be in the 
hands of all travellers able and willing to contribute towards 
the general mass of our anthropological knowledge, and its 
translation into our own and other tongues would be a gain to 
science. Numerous diagrams illustrate the way in which the 
instruments should be used, and the positions of the body best 
adapted for the purpose of each special observation. —On atavism 
in man, by Dr. R. Blanchard. The author considers that as 
the greater number of the teratological conditions observable in 
man may be explained by the persistence of some embryonic 
condition which is normally of a transitory character, we 
must iook to atavism for an explanation of such anomalies. 
Beginning with the cranium, Dr. Blanchard shows that microce- 
phalus and analogous cranial deformities must be characterised as 
ancestral reversions, the mean cranial capacity of civilised races 
having demonstratively augmented within the last few centuries, 
while we find on passing downto the loweranimals that the cranial 
capacity of the gorilla, or chimpanzee, which is more than five 
times less than the mean given for Parisians of the present day, is 
only slightly in excess of that observed in microcephalic subjects. 
After passing in review the various anomalies to be met with in 
the human anatomical system, and pointing out their analogues in 
the normal anatomy of the lower animals, he proceeds to the 
muscular system, in which the writer shows that supernumerary 
muscles occur three or four times in every hundred cases. This 
branch of the subject is, however, only briefly touched on in 
consideration of the exhaustive work of M. Testut bearing on the 
question, and to this the student is referred. Finally, after con- 
sidering the comparative history of the development of the 
human foetus, and of the embryo of some of the lower animals, 
the author concludes by drawing attention to the importance of 
studying the normal anatomy of the lower animals, more especially 
of reptiles, marsupials, and lemurians, if we desire to elucidate the 
origin and development of the various anomalies presented by 
the human organism.—On Broca’s method of estimating the 
capacity of the cranium, by M. P. Topinard. The writer gives 
a categorical description of the instruments to be used and the 
steps to be followed in the process, together with tables showing 
the various results that had been yielded by Broca, Ranke, and 
others when lead, glass beads, or millet seed had been used as 
the agent for gauging the capacity. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
SYDNEY 
Linnean Society of New South Wales, June 24.—The 
following papers were read:—Rough notes on the natural 
