August 19, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



217 



tained from the Miocene formation of the 

 Bad Lauds of the Hat Creek Basin, in 

 northwest Nebraska ; for these the name 

 ArcMhicoria siouxeiisis is proposed, the em- 

 bryo sliowing unmistakably their close re- 

 lationship to the modern Hicoria. 



THE OVARY OF OPUNTIA. 



De. Jose Kamirez, in the Anales del In- 

 stituto Medico Nacional, of Mexico, de- 

 scribes and figures three monstrous ovaries 

 of Ojmntia, which he regards as evidence of 

 the axial nature of the inferior ovary in 

 general. In the first case the ovary, 

 though entire! J' normal in color, function, 

 etc., instead of being articulated with the 

 joint, is fused with it. Moreover, the spiral 

 disposition of the arolae is continuous from 

 joint to ovary. In the second example the 

 ovary resembles a joint externally, while 

 within it is in no wise different from a 

 normal ovary. In' the third a mature 

 ovary bears thirteen perfectly developed 

 ovaries, which are arranged spirally upon 

 it. From the fact that the uppermost are 

 alreadj' mature, the author concludes that 

 the inflorescence of O^mntia is determinate. 

 Charles E. Bessey. 



The University of Nebraska. 



CUBRENI NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY. 

 ON PYGMY races. 



Mr. E. G. HALiBURTOis' has devoted 

 much time to the study of the pygmy races 

 of men, and it is to his researches that the 

 learned world owes the best information 

 about the small people of the Atlas and 

 Pyrenees Mountains. 



Under the title ' How a PygmyEace was 

 found in North Africa and Spain ' (Toi'onto, 

 1S97, pages 147), he has republished the 

 scattered articles containing his results, 

 and added, also, various papers on other 

 anthropological topics. Among the latter, 

 as touching upon points of special interest. 



I may note one on ' The Days of Eest of 

 Prehistoric Men,' which refers to the in- 

 auspicious, intercalary days of primitive 

 calendars ; and one on ' The Connection 

 of November Flood-Traditions with the 

 Pleiades,' where he ingeniously suggests 

 that the sacredness of the number four in 

 many mj'thologies may be due to the fact 

 that the heliacal rising of the Pleiades cor- 

 responds to that of the new moon once in 

 four years. Five articles refer to the 

 Gypsies in Africa, and several to the cus- 

 toms and myths of ancient Egypt. 



tJNSOLVED PROBLEMS OP ANTHROPOLOGY. 



Mr. E. W. Brabrook, in his third inau- 

 gural address as President of the Anthro- 

 pological Institute of Great Britain, re- 

 viewed the recent progress of the science of 

 man, and recounted the unsolved problems 

 which it offers. It is worth while to quote 

 these, as to know where we are especially 

 deficient is the best preparation for exten- 

 sion of knowledge. 



He mentions : (1) the development from 

 the brute to man ; (2) the hiatus between 

 the palseolithic and neolithic periods in 

 Europe ; (3) the process of the disappear- 

 ance of races ; (4) the development of 

 religions ; (6) the accurate measurement 

 of different races ; (6) the record of the 

 passing mental phases of humanity. 



The postulates which he claims the 

 science of anthropology should always re- 

 gard as fixed bej'ond doubt are: (1) the 

 unity of the anthropologic sciences (in aim, 

 I suppose) ; and (2) the doctrine of the 

 continuity of the phenomena which it 

 studies. These suggestions from one who 

 understands the field so thoroughly merit 

 careful reflection. 



ABOUT THE HITTITES. 



The latest contribution toward an identi- 

 fication of the Hittites with some known 

 stock is from the pen of Professor Fritz Hom- 

 me! , and is printed in the Sitzungsberichte of 



