Septkmber 14, ISJvJ.] 



SCIENCE. 



383 



woro ascertaiiipd. 1. The ventral and dorsal por- 

 tions of the iliaphrastni are completely developed: 

 they completely divide the coelom, and have muscles. 

 The perlcardimn, except two thin lamellae, is entirely 

 separated from the diaphragm (rabbit). 2. Same as 

 1, save that a part of the diaphragm remains united 

 with the pericardium (man). 3. fSame as 2, but the 

 diaphragm contains no muscles, and its ventral part 

 is completely fused with the peiicardium (hen). 4. 

 Same as :>, but the dorsal part is not completidy de- 

 veloped, remaining in a primitive condition (lizard) 

 or in an early stage (frog). Here might properly be 

 reckoned certain imperfect developments in man. 

 ."). Same as 4, but the diaphr.agm. or its ventral part, 

 forms a united whole with the pericardium, remain- 

 ing at the stage of the septum transversum (My.xi- 

 noids, — Ammocoetes). li. The teleosts stand apart, 

 in that, although, as seen in the salmon, there is a 

 certain separation of the diaphragm from the peri- 

 cardium, even more than in birds, yet the dorsal 

 portion of the diaphragm is completely wanting. 



The paper contains numerous details. The au- 

 thor's nomenclature is confusing, and we have 

 found it very difficult to follow his account. — {Arch. 

 iiiil,i: aiiat., .x.vii. 143.) c. s. M. [233 



ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Mutilations of the teeth. — Ethnographers who 

 have minutely described mutilations of the teeth in 

 other parts of the world have said nothing of a 

 similar practice among the natives of the two Amer- 

 icas. The practice is not common in the western 

 world; and it is a little singular that people who 

 deform to an extraordinary degree their lips, noses, 

 cheeks, and ears, respect the integrity of their teeth. 

 The historians of this practice overlook the abrasions 

 noliceil by Vancouver .among the Indi.ans of Triiii- 

 <lad Bay, and by Petilot among the Tchiglits at the 

 mouth of the Mackenzie and of the Andersim. Fi- 

 nally, no notice is taken of dental mutilations for- 

 merly in use in Mexico and Yucatan, upon which 

 Sahagun, Landa, and Mota Padilla have furni>hed 

 iuf(>rni,ation. M. Hainy has gathered from the last- 

 named writers their allusions to these subjects, and 

 prepared an illustrated monograph. The drawings 

 indicate both tiling and perforations. — (Bull. soc. 

 uulhnip. Paris, V. K19.) .J. w. i'. [234 



Imperial Chinese tombs. — Among the moun- 

 tains ea>t of Peking are ihe imperial tombs. The 

 Great Wall forms the northern boundary of an en- 

 closure five miles s<|uare. IJesides this, a wide tract 

 outside the Ixmndary-wall belongs to the maus<dea, 

 and is forbidden ground, wherein man is not permitted 

 to build dwellings or to bury his dead. Shun-chih 

 (ir.44-(i2) and four of his successors sleep here, with 

 tin- heavens, the hills, and the streams around I hem. 

 The earlier Manchu princes are buried at Movkden. 

 The tombs are all alike in essential features, built 

 on a southern slope, with a stream in front. In ap- 

 proaching the tomb, the explorer ])asses first two 

 lofty stone pillars, that serve as a gateway to figures 

 4if men and animals in pairs, facing one another on 



opposite sides. An ornamental archway opens upon 

 a curved marble bridgi' of several arches, with finely 

 carved balustr.ade. After crossing the stream, the 

 traveller passes guard-houses and the sacrificial hall 

 on the right and left, and comes upon a small build- 

 ing, in the centre of which stands, supported upon 

 the back of a huge marble tortoise, the memorial 

 tablet, on which is written an account of the deeds 

 of the departed. Halls of entertainment flank this 

 building: and farther on in a direct line are the chapel 

 of the dead, the bright pavilion, and, last of all, the 

 earth-palace, or tumulus, within which the cofliu lies. 

 When the body is laid in this earth-palace, the door 

 is shut. Behind the door, inside, is a round hole in 

 the stone floor; ami, when the door is shut, a large 

 ball of stone follows it, and, falling into the hole, 

 prevents the stone door ever opening again. The 

 emperor is then said ' to be at peace forevermore.' 

 Mr. F. S. A. Bourne, who gives the information above 

 quoted, entered this enclosure with great difliculty. 

 A minute account of the appearance and function 

 of the two rows of sphinx-like figures adds much 

 interest to the author's narrative. The mausoleum 

 prepared for the present empress's regent is just com- 

 plete<l, and cost about £1,500,000. — {Proc. roy. ijfOi/r. 

 sue, V. 23.) J. w. p. [235 



EARLY INSTITUTIONS. 



Malagasy place-names. — We have a long article 

 tijjon local names in Madagascar by the Rev. .Tames 

 Sibree, jun. The object of the writer is to .show how 

 the names of places illustrate the mental habits of 

 the people and their powers of observation. Many 

 names of vill.ages include MaUagasy ec|uivalents for 

 the Anglo-Saxon words tun, ham, bun/li. Personal 

 names are very common. Vill.ages arc named after 

 distinguished chiefs. The article will interest some 

 of our readers. — [Journ. roy. Asiat. soc, April, 

 ISS:!.) D. w. K. [236 



Chinese la'ws and customs. — An article upon 

 this subject by E. H. Parker appeared in the China 

 review, viii. 67. Now we have another by Christo- 

 pher Gardner. The two writers are of one mind upon 

 most points. It is only upon a few matters of detail 

 that they differ. Mr. Gardner tells us that the laws 

 and customs of China have been very little changed 

 since the seventh century. Chinese law, we are 

 told, cannot be ' sijuared ' with the theory of Beu- 

 Iham and Austin, which resolves all laws into com- 

 m.ands imposed by a lawgiver. It is based u|Km 

 jniblic sentiment and opinion, and up(m previously 

 existing custom. It ' follows the instincts of the peo- 

 ple.' Then we are told that the tribe has been 

 derived from the family, not the famjly from the 

 tribe. Exogamy has in China prevailed over enog- 

 amy. As for the land, it is lielil by single families 

 (house c<m)munities), or by groups of families (vil- 

 lage communities). It is a pily that the writer does 

 not describe the house communitv and village com- 

 munity more fully, and in more ex.act language. 

 The article is inlen'Sting. — [Jouni. ruy. Axial. .««•., 

 April, 18*}.) 1). w. u. [237 



