SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



241 



CONTRIBUTED BY FLORA WINSTONE. 



Le Monitecr Scientifiqce (Paris, December, 

 - — This number contains the index for the 

 year, which appears very ample. MM. G. Lunge 

 and C. Millberg contribute an article on "The 

 action of Caustic Alkalis and Carbonate Alkalins 

 upon different modifications of Silicate Acids." 

 M. Gerber concludes his cotes on " Recent Studies 

 of Natural and Artificial Essences and Perfumes." 

 There are also extended reports of the meetings of 

 the Academy of Sciences. 



: iszETRAizi FCzetek (Budapest, November, 

 The first article in this number is by 

 Professor Anton Koch on " Prohyracodon orientalis." 

 It is illustrated by two magnificent plates, which, as 

 is usual in this publication, are bound with others 

 at the end. Herr A Carolo Emery gives an 

 account of some new species of Formicidae, and 

 some little known, which are in the collection 

 in the Hungarian National Museum, and were 

 collected by Heir L. Biro from the German 

 Colony in New Guinea. Fifty-four species are 

 described, of which forty-nine are new. Two 

 plates and one figure illustrate this article. Dr. G. 

 Horvath describes thirty-five new species of 

 Homoptera from Hungary, illustrated by five 

 figures, and Herr Alexandro Mocsary describes 

 five species of Hymenoptera new to the fauna of 

 Hungary. 



La Felille de> Jeunes Naturalistes (Paris, 

 November, 1S97) — M. Caziot commences a series 

 of articles on " Prehistoric and Archaeological 

 Discoveries made in Corsica in 1S0.7." The writer 

 proposes, in the course of his articles, to repro- 

 duce photographs of many interesting objects of 

 prehistoric interest which have been discovered in 

 this island by Captain Ferton. M. Malespina, and 

 M Guidone Franceschi de Pioggola The speci- 

 mens have in most instances been presented to 

 ndentification. M. Eugene 

 his series on the " Revision of 

 le Trochilides." (December) The 

 ;. M Gustave F. Dolfus. It is 

 ical. and is a •■ Discussion upon the founda- 

 tion of the Chi rl Stratum " In this 

 number the writer deals chiefly with the strata of 

 the Isle of Wight, taken at Ventnor ; Dorset, at 

 Swanage; Devon, at I'inhay, Lyme I ■ 



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any particular v 



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— This is the second number 



International 



Doctor of Philosophy The 

 tmrne, 

 -ill counlrie-i a mean', 

 and also - 



may 



be sent with regard to scientific problems, and 

 in the next number, or as soon after as possible, 

 to give the answers as sent by readers. In this 

 number M. E. Gley contributes a memorial notice 

 of Rudolf P. Heidehain, the well-known German 

 physiologist. The rest of the magazine is occupied 

 by questions, with the replies to those that appeared 

 in the first number, and the contents of some of 

 the German, French and English periodicals on 

 zoology, botany, physiology and psychology. It is 

 a fortnightly magazine, price sixty centimes. 



Cosmos (Paris. December 4th, 1S97). — Dr. L. 

 Menard continues a series of articles on "The 

 Emotions." treated physiologically. In this number 

 he deals with "Temper." Passion, he says, is 

 produced by an excess of innervation of the volun- 

 tary muscles. The nerves conforming to the 

 general feeling are obliged to defend themselves. 

 Cries, or a loud voice, violent movements, and 

 disordered expression, are thus produced. Joy- 

 has some of the same symptoms, but in a less 

 degree. The effects were also produced in certain 

 irritable subjects who have been charged with 

 electricity by a doctor. " Irritability of Temper," 

 adds Dr. Menard, is not at all a sign of strength or 

 energy. He points out also what very close relation 

 there is between the physical and moral nature of 

 man. M. A. Berthier commences an illustrated 

 series of articles on " New Motors," beginning with 

 Schmidt's Vapour Motors. There is a long 

 description by M. Albert Battandier, of " Vital 

 Magnetism." He gives a short history of hypno- 

 tism from its first known use, and an exhaustive 

 analysis of the five theories in general acceptance. 

 The first, he says, is generally held by certain super- 

 stitious persons who, having only superficially 

 examined the subject, maintain that it is the work 

 of the devil. The others are spiritualism and the 

 scientific group, which hold three hypotheses: 



(1) The school of Paris; (2) Of Bernheim ; (3) 

 Animal magnetism. M. Tisserand writes on the 

 "Proper Movement of the Solar System." The 

 current article is on "The Proper Movement 

 of the Stars." and is divided into — (1) Historical; 



(2) An account of the most remarkable move- 

 ments ; (3) The proper movement of the solar 

 system; (4) Works of M. Herschel and his 

 successors. This is one of a series, and will be 

 continued in the next number. 



Transactions Academy ok Science (St. Louis, 

 U.S A , November 30th, 1897). — This is No. iS, 

 vol. vii. of these "Transactions." It is occupied by 

 a paper by Prof. William Trelease, the eminent 

 botanist. The subject is "An Unusual Phyto 

 Bezoar." In January last the author received 

 from Mexico some specimens of surprisingly 

 symmetrical round, smooth balls, measuring three 

 or four inches in diameter, and weighing about 

 half a pound each, which were taken from the 

 > h of a wild bull In the same stomach, 

 there were si-teen of such balls They were of a 

 brown colour, and in appearance like rubbed sole 

 leather They m posed of the barbed 



indigestible hairs of cacti of the Platopuntiaa 

 prickly pear I bi barbs enable I hi 11 



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; in human being bill 



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lly largely eaten by both 



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