August 12, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



87 



Natural phenomena form but links in endless chains of 

 cause and effect. An evolution or expenditure of energy, 

 such, for example, as that following a sun spot, produces a 

 number of allied phenomena which are themselves the 

 causes of subsequent phenomena, and these in turn the 

 causes of still other phenomena, the chain extending in 

 most instances far beyond our ken. 



There has been unusual solar activity during 1892, as has 

 been evidenced by an unusual number of sun spots. The 

 great spot observed in Philadelphia and elsewhere in the 

 early part of the year was one of the largest ever studied, 

 and since that time numerous other abnormally large spots 

 have appeared. 



It would seem that these rather unusual outbursts of solar 

 energy have produced the following terrestrial phenomena, 

 viz. : — 



(1.) The recent brilliant auroral displays. 



(2.) Magnetic storms, or marked disturbances in the values 

 of the magnetic intensity, in inclination and declination. 



(3.) Unusually severe electric storms, as evidenced by the 

 existence of abnormal earth currents. These electric storms 

 are in reality connected with the magnetic storms. 



(4.) Marked disturbances in the earth's meteorological 

 phenomena. These have been evidenced by the long spells 

 of unseasonable weather that have occurred so frequently in 

 the United States during 1892, one of which was the recent 

 unusally hot weather before alluded to, the unusual severity 

 of which accords well with the unusual solar activity. 



So, too, does the severity of the allied phenomena. Take, 

 for example, the auroral displays, which have seldom been 

 equalled in these latitudes for brilliancy. So also the electric- 

 storms and magnetic-storms, which have been unusually se- 

 vere during 1892. According to the observations of Mr. Finn 

 and others, as many as eleven such storms were recorded 

 during this time. Their dates were as follows: February 

 13, March 6, March 12, April 24, April 25, April 26, May 16, 

 May 17, May 18, July 12. and July 16. 



The storm of July 16 was unusually severe, and caused 

 great disturbances on the various telegraph lines. The earth- 

 currents were so strong that the lines could be operated en- 

 tirely by means of earth-currents. This was done, for exam- 

 ple, in the case of one of the lines between New York and 

 Boston. On the same day, July 16, an enormous spot 

 appeared on the sun. 



And now for possible extra-terrestrial influences and phe- 

 nomena. The recent opposition of Mars has brought that 

 planet nearer the earth than she has been at any time since 

 1877, and nearer than she will ever be again until 1909. The 

 opportunity has therefore been particularly good for studying 

 those peculiarities of the surface that have always been of 

 such interest to astronomers. 



Some observations recently made on Mount Hamilton ap- 

 pear to show a marked decrease in the mass of snow within 

 the polar caps, as is inferred from certain characteristic 

 markings at these points of the planet. This disappearance 

 is unusual, and would seem to indicate unusually hot weather 

 in our sister planet. The Martian thermometer has probably 

 been way up, and the weather has, to form a phrase from 

 the fiery color of the planet, been at a red-heat. 



We may add, therefore, another effect produced by the 

 unusual sun-spot, viz., 5. The extra-terrestrial effects. 



Of course the influence may be mutual. It may be that 

 the unusual proximity of Mars may be the cause of the great 

 number of spots, in which case we may thank Mars for the 

 recent terrific heat. 



"FLATHEAD" DEER. 



In the American Naturalist for August, 1887, were given 

 some instances of the occurrence among deer of hornless 

 specimens. Here we shall summarize these, preparatory to 

 giving in full some original particulars furnished us by a 

 German correspondent. 



Lord Lovat is quoted as having seen hunnle (hornless) 

 stags. They are able to thrash stags of their own or greater 

 than their own weight. Several of them were undisputed 

 masters of large herds. 



Mr. Horatio Ross has also shot them. They are more 

 frequent than generally supposed. They are no whit in- 

 ferior to their horned brethren. A full-grown humle is very 

 formidable in fight. During the rutting season Mr. Ross 

 has seen one in possession of a large herd of hinds, who 

 drove off all rivals. 



Both these gentlemen's experience refers to Scotland. The 

 following mentioned special cases refer to Germany, H. 

 von Nathusius of Altaldensleben, Saxony, and Ludwig 

 Beckman have supplied very interesting information which 

 is well worth reading to those interested in venery. 



These hornless deer occur wild, they write, and are very 

 fertile and impressive. In the Mlustrirte Zeitung, published 

 in Leipzig (Oct. 2, 1886), there is a picture of a fight between 

 a horned and a hornless stag, in which the hornless stag dis- 

 plays the mastery. Hornless stags have been mentioned in 

 German sporting literature since the seventeenth century. 



These are cases of what is regarded as variation, but which 

 really appear to be referable to atavism, as will be immedi- 

 ately seen. 



There are two species of deer that are normally destitute 

 of horns as a characteristic. The first of these is the musk- 

 deer; these have peculiarly long canine teeth. These (Mos- 

 chus moschiferous) are natives of Thibet and Nepaul. The 

 second is the water-deer, Hydropetes inermis. It is found 

 in the marshes of the Yangtze, above Chinkiang, China. 

 The Chinese are strongly averse to the flesh, which Euro- 

 peans, for want of better, pronounce tolerable. 



Passing from living to extinct forms of deer, we find that, 

 tracing them backwards, they become more and more simple 

 as to horns, till reaching the lower miocene no member of 

 the family is possessed of antlers. It will thus be admitted 

 that the claim that instances of hornless deer of the present 

 time are only cases of atavism, or reversion to the early 

 condition of the head of the species, is simply the truth. 

 Further, the above facts prove that horns are of the nature 

 of acquired characters — a rather interesting fact just now to 

 bring out in connection with the Wiesmannia that is raging. 



The following is a translation of the communication we 

 received from our German correspondent: — 



"The hunter of the deer species has for long designated 

 the deer which are destitute of antlers by the name of ' flat- 

 heads,' or moenche. On the skull of such deer appears a 

 so-called hornbase, usually the real bearers of the antlers, 

 remarkably stunted and entirely overgrown with the elon- 

 gated hair of the forehead. The cause of such striking ap- 

 pearance is often held to be the long-continued inbreeding 

 occurring in certain districts, or the lack of new blood ob- 

 tained by bringing in deer not related. 



"If we notice how the deer and roebucks which have been 

 confined for domestication and freely fed with oats, rye, 

 peas, corn, acorns, chestnuts, and beechnuts, often develop 

 uncommonly large and branching antlers, it seems just to 

 conclude that a lack of these and other means of nourish- 

 ment hinders the growing of horns. In fact the so-called 



