September i, 1893.] 



SCIENCE. 



123 



disease. Mr. MaoDonald's own views are expressed with 

 caution, and in many cases he confines himself to ex- 

 pounding the ideas of the author he is dealing with, with- 

 out offering any opinion of his own. The question of 

 alcoholism in its relation to crime is treated at consider- 

 able length, and the views of many different writers pre- 

 sented; but, as is usually the case in discussions of that 

 subject, the variety of opinions prevailing and the lack of 

 sufficient information about the actual physical effects of 

 alcohol result iu leaving the question unsettled. 



Mr. MacDonald's book contains much that will be use- 

 ful both to those who are beginning the study of crim- 

 inology and to the original investigator. To the former 

 it will suggest the most important topics for investiga- 

 tion and the proper methods of work, while to the latter 

 it will serve as a guide to the literature of the subject in 

 all its departments. In this last-named respect the book 

 is especially strong, since it gives not only a great many 

 digests of recent works, but also an extended bibliog- 

 raphy of the whole subject, filling more than two hun- 

 dred pages. On the whole, though we do not agree with 

 all the author's views, we have found his book on many 

 points both interesting and suggestive. 



LETTEES TO THE EDITOR. 



jj.*^Coi-. cspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The 

 writer'; name is in all cases required as a proof of good faith. 



On request in advance, one hundred copies of the number con- 

 taining his communication will be furnished free to any corres- 

 pondent. 



The editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with 

 the character of the journal. 



Animal Vocabularies. 



Cebtainly one who believes in evokition cannot deny 

 the existence of a language, of some sort, which enables 

 the lower animals to communicate in a more or less in- 

 telligent degree. 



Even my five-year-old little girl feels assured of the 

 fact that animals can talk, "but not in our words." Only 

 yesterday I sent her to the barn with an armful of fresh 

 corn husks for our pony. She came running back with 

 beaming countenance, exclaiming : "Daisy was so glad, she 

 wanted to kiss me." 



Several j^ears ago I took great interest in some fine 

 Brahma chickens we had raised from fluffy little chicks. 

 There was one fine old grandmother hen which we bought 

 to start with. She came recommen-ded as a "good 

 mother." And a good mother she proved to be, but she 

 had her way of training a family. She went at it in 

 earnest. She clucked and scratched and joointed out the 

 best things to eat. She was fully impressed with the fact 

 that she had a duty to perform, and she had the courage 

 to devote herself entirely to this duty. But she always 

 insisted uijon earlj' independence. She did not approve 

 of chicks clinging to her and depending upon her when 

 they were able to "scratch" for themselves, and hence she 

 made it a rule to "wean" them early. She always gave 

 them a parting lecture. She looked very wise ani sol- 

 emn, and "ca-cawed ' in a peculiar tone, while the chicks 

 stood aboitt her in a sort of dazed, sorrowful way, won- 

 dering-, no doubt, what would become of them. One 

 "talk" ended the matter. She went off to roost alone, and 

 the deserted chicks huddled together, "vaguely thinking" 

 what a cold world. 



Another interesting characteristic about this old grand- 

 mother hen was her solicitude for young hens who were 

 just beginning to experience the first inclinations to sit. 

 She would stand before their nests, and "talk" in the 

 most earnest, subdued tones; her vocabulary must have 

 been quite extensive, for she could continue without any 

 hesitation for such a long time. It always seemed to me 



that she was relating her own experience and giving ad- 

 vice to the young and inexperienced of her kind. Cer- 

 tainly the young hens appeared to listen with all the re- 

 spect j)ossible — they no doubt "thought" that she magni- 

 fied the cares and responsibilities; at least she never dis- 

 suaded a young hen from her resolution to sit. . I agree 

 with the writer in the last issue of Science (No. 549), who 

 says "there is no need of going beyond the barn yard to 

 hear a definite animal vocabulary of a considerable num- 

 ber of words." 



If our language is the result of evolution, it has come 

 up through lower forms, and it is only legitimate to 

 credit animals with a varying degree of j)ower of eom- 

 municability. Mrs. W. A. Kellekman. 



The Circulation in Fresh-Water Mussels. 



In order to demonstrate the course of the circulation 

 in a fresh-water mussel the student is commonly directed 

 to make six injections: from the ventricle forward into 

 the systemic arteries; backward through the auricles into 

 the efferent branchial vessels; from the vena cava for- 

 ward into the organ of Bojanus, and backward into the 

 system; and into one of the branchial sinuses forward into 

 the gills and backward into the organ of Bojanus. 



I have, however, sometimes succeeded in demonstrating 

 several of these connections by a single injection as fol- 

 lows: Cut away a small portion only of the outer lamina 

 of the outer gill, make a little opening into the branchial 

 sinus and with a very slow, steady pressure inject into it. 

 The course of the injection may then be easily watched as 

 it proceeds down the inner lamina of the gill, and after a 

 little time begins to ascend in the outer lamina. Pres- 

 ently it will begin to escape at the cut ends of the efferent 

 branchial vessels; enough of these are, however, left in- 

 tact, so that most of the fluid passes on up to the auricle, 

 thence into the ventricle, and it may be followed as it 

 sets out from the heart towards the front and rear of the 

 body on its systemic journey. At the same time, of 

 course, the injection will flow from the starting jDoint 

 back into the efferent vessels of the organ of Bojanus. 



I have not succeeded in continuing the pressure long 

 enough or steadily enough to make the fluid j^ass on into 

 the vena cava; the small systematic vessels seem to offer 

 so much resistance that the injection is pretty sure to 

 make a break somewhere before it finally succeeds in 

 making its way through them; and in the same way the 

 renal vessels fail to transmit it backwards into the vena 

 cava. It is very likely that a steadier hand than mine 

 might succeed better, or that an injection controlled by 

 the force of gravity might be made to demonstrate the 

 complete and orderly circuit of the blood around to the 

 starting point; but even the injection of two-thirds of the 

 entire circuit and the gradual progress of the fluid from 

 point to point is instructive. C4oodwin D. Swezey. 



Doane College, Crete, Nebr. 



Protective Mimicry of a Moth. 

 A COEEE'^PONDENT of "iSfci'ejJce," August 4, notes a case of pro- 

 tective mimicry of a moth. From the brief description 

 given, the insect maj- be the Red Humped Ajjple-tree 

 Caterjjiliar Moth, Oedemasia concinna which has just been 

 reared from larvae, at the University of Kansas, where 

 work is being done in an economic and biologic collection 

 of insects. About a dozen caterpillars were received from 

 Delphos, Kansas, July 19, and after preserving two or 

 three in alcohol, the remainder were f)ut iu breeding cages 

 with apple leaves for food. By July 13, all had pupated, 

 some going into ground at surface, while the majority 

 made thin cocoons among the twigs and leaves in such 

 manner as to be completely enveloped and hidden. Adults 

 emerged by August 14, and then it was noticed how easily 



