192 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IX., No. 213 



should be examined attentively. These, and the 

 outline of the digito-plantar depression, the line 

 which defines the plantar arch, are the data for 

 diagnosis. The conclusions which Dr. Masson 

 draws, are, 1°, the dimensions and the shape of 

 footprints made by the same foot vary with the 

 attitudes taken ; 2°, the two extreme and charac- 

 teristic tj'pes are represented by impressions made 

 by the foot in walking and in standing ; 3°, the 

 expert called to study the matter of footprints 

 should always take imijressions of the foot of the 

 accused in the act of standing and of walking, 

 and should compare only those which correspond 

 with the same attitude ; 4°, in connection with 

 the measurements made, one should always con- 

 sider the points which throw light upon the in- 

 dividual characteristics of the foot. 



— We have received the first volume of the 

 publications of the observatory (' History and 

 work of the Warner observatory ') founded by 

 Mr. H. H. Warner of Rochester, N.Y., about six 

 years ago, and now well known through its con- 

 nection with the Warner comet prizes. The vol- 

 ume is published by Dr. Lewis Swift, the director, 

 and gives a description of the observatory (a tower 

 attached to the dwelling of the director) and the 

 instruments, and a list of over four hundred 

 nebulae discovered since July 9, 1883. About two- 

 thirds of the pamphlet are taken up by ' The 

 Warner prize essays.' These are, an essay on 

 ' Comets ; their composition, purpose, and effect 

 upon the earth,' by Prof. Lewis Boss of the Dud- 

 ley observatory ; and four essays on the sky -glows, 

 by Professor Kiessling, and Messrs. Clark, Maine, 

 and Bishop respectively. The principal instru- 

 ment of the observatory is an excellent 16-inch 

 Clark equatorial provided with a filar micrometer 

 and many convenient accessories. Its equipment is 

 to be increased by a spectroscope, to cost |1,000, 

 ordered from the Clarks. The observatory is also 

 provided with a 4i-inch comet-seeker. Dr. Swift 

 has devoted himself almost entirely to the dis- 

 covery of new nebulae, and the search for comets, 

 a field in which he has had nearly thirty years' 

 training. It would seem ungracious to comment 

 upon any of the shortcomings of the report ; we 

 suggest, however, that the usefulness of the obser- 

 vatory as an astronomical institution might be 

 greatly increased if the director were provided 

 with a thoroughly competent assistant, in order 

 that his own work of discovery may be supple- 

 mented by careful study and measurement. It 

 should be noted that Mr. Warner has expended 

 more than $4,500 in astronomical prizes since 

 Oct. 10, 1880. 



— It seems that professors in Italy are chosen 

 by a method that seems to be purely national. 



We quote from a recent article by R. Bonghi : — 

 " For those who do not know, I should mention 

 that in Italy the university professors are elected 

 by the system of concorsi, for which there seems 

 to be no exact English equivalent, and the par- 

 ticular method adopted has been altered several 

 times, but is now the following : The faculty in 

 which a professor is wanted proposes to the min- 

 ister five names of ordinary professors of the sub- 

 ject for which a teacher is needed, or of cognate 

 subjects, and if the minister approves of them he 

 appoints them as a committee. To it every native 

 or foreigner who thinks himself adapted for such 

 a chair can send in his titoli ; that is, his aca- 

 demical degrees and the books he has written. 

 The committee, in a more or less explicit report, 

 judges who is eligible, who not, and who among 

 those considered eligible deserves the first place. 

 Such a judgment pi'esupposes that all the mem- 

 bers of the committee should read and ponder 

 carefully the books sent in by the candidates, but 

 the general opinion is that they do not do so. It 

 is commonly supposed that they meet vrith their 

 minds already made up, and that they are pro- 

 posed and nominated in such a manner as to in- 

 sure their coming to the decision which will 

 please either the faculty that proposes them or 

 the minister who nominates them. This may not 

 be true in all cases, but in some it doubtless is. 

 At any rate, the report of the committee is then 

 sent up to the superior council (of public instruc- 

 tion), which has nothing to do but to see that all 

 due forms have been observed ; which forms nat- 

 urally always are observed, unless through some 

 oversight in the drawing-up of the report." 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 

 Left -handedness. 



On p. 148 of the current volume of Science, men- 

 tion is made of Dr. "Wilson's view as to the cause of 

 left-handedness. 



In connection with this, Dr. Thomas Brown's sug- 

 gestion in his ' Vulgar errors ' (London, 1658) may 

 be quoted. It occurs in the chapter, ' Of the right 

 and left hand.' 



' ' And therefore the brain, especially the spinal 

 marrow, which is but the brain prolonged, hath a 

 fairer plea hereto ; for these are the principles of 

 motion, wherein dextrality consists ; and are divided 

 within and without the Crany. By which division 

 transmitting nerves respectively unto either side ; ac- 

 cording to the indifferency, or original and nativity 

 prepotency, there ariseth an equality in both or 

 prevalency in either side." 



He does not lay much weight on this, for his con- 

 clusion is, — 



" And thus have we at large declared that although 

 the right be most commonly used ; yet hath it no 

 regular or certain root in nature." B. 



Lexington, Va., Feb. 21. 



