Febeuaey 12, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



261 



elusions arrived at by Neal may be briefly 

 summed up as follows : He finds that six 

 neuromeres are included in the cephalic 

 plate at the time of its closure, but states 

 that a seventh neuromere is subsequently 

 added to this number, making seven in all 

 which enter into the formation of the en- 

 cephalon, in which they are distributed as 

 follows — the first and second form the fore- 

 and mid-brains respectively, the remaining 

 five (three to seven inclusive) the hind brain. 



The evidence which he advances as to 

 the metameric value of the hind brain 

 neuromeres concerns their correspondence 

 with somites (Van Wijhe's somites, 2-6 in- 

 clusive) , motor nerves and visceral arches. 

 This correspondence he finds complete for 

 all the hind-brain neuromeres, with the ex- 

 ception of the fourth, which however on 

 hypothetical grounds he regards as pos- 

 sessing a metameric value equivelant to the 

 •others, and thus concludes " that these five 

 hind-brain neuromeres are good criteria of 

 the number of primitive segments in this 

 region of the head." 



The first two neuromeres (I. and II.) he 

 regards as morphologically equivalent to 

 ■fehe hind brain neuromeres, and considers 

 that the absence of a motor nerve in the 

 first is correlated with the loss of muscu- 

 lature of that segment, while the relation 

 ■of a ventral motor root, the occulomotorius, 

 and Van Wijhe's first somite to the second 

 neuromere (mid -brain expansion), justifies 

 -the opinion that these structures are com- 

 ponents of a single metamere only. 



So far as can be seen by the writer, Neal's 

 conclusions add little to our previous knowl- 

 edge of the hind-brain neuromeres. One 

 fact, however, in connection with his con- 

 clusions which is most gratifying, is that 

 they confirm, wholly or in part, the observa- 

 tions of former investigators, a circum- 

 stance which he has apparently overlooked. 

 C, F. W. McCluee. 



Peinceton Uhtveesity. 



CHARLES E. BENDIBE. 



Major Chaeles E. Bendiee, U. S. A., 

 Honorary Curator of the Department of 

 Oology in the U. S. N^atural Museum, died 

 at Jacksonville, Florida, February 4, 1897, 

 of Bright's disease. Weary of confinement 

 indoors he went to Florida in hope of find- 

 ing a milder climate where he might sit out- 

 side to enjoy the fresh air and watch the 

 trees and birds — a hope that was not rea- 

 lized, for he died five days after leaving 

 Washington. 



Major Bendire was born in Hesse Darm- 

 stadt, Germany, April 27, 1836. He was a 

 relative of Weyprecht and Payer, the Aus- 

 trian Arctic explorers who discovered and 

 named Franz Josef Land. 



He came to this country in 1852, and in 

 June, 1854, enlisted as a private in Com- 

 pany D of the 1st Dragoons, U. S. Army. 

 During the next 10 years he was promoted 

 to Sergeant, and served as Hospital Steward 

 in the 4th Cavalry. In 1864 he was trans- 

 ferred to the 1st Cavalry and promoted to 

 2d, and soon after to 1st Lieutenant. In 

 February, 1873, he attained the rank of 

 Captain, and in April, 1886, was retired on 

 account of an injury to the knee. In Feb- 

 ruary, 1890, he was breveted Major for gal- 

 lant services rendered on September 13, 

 1877, in fighting the Indians at Canon Creek, 

 Montana — an illustration of the subsequent- 

 ness of glory in the army! 



During his long period of service as an 

 army ofiicer he was stationed at a number 

 of the most remote and inaccessible posts in 

 the West, among which may be mentioned 

 Cantonment Burgwyn, in New Mexico ; 

 Forts Bowie, McDowell, Wallen, Lowell and 

 Whipple, in Arizona ; Bidwell and Inde- 

 pendence (the latter in Owens Valley), in 

 California ; Harney and Klamath, in Ore- 

 gon; Vancouver and Walla Walla, in Wash- 

 ington ; Boise and Lapwai, in Idaho, and 

 Custer, in Montana. And it should be re- 

 membered that his service at most of these 



