SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



269 



blood bave been measured, and the diameter is 

 found to be about jn 1 ,;,-,'' 1 pari of an inch. The 

 number of these red corpuscles w Inch would adlierc 

 in the ]>oint of a needle would not, be less than a 

 million. As a further illustration, we will takeone 

 of the hydrozoa as being almost at the bottom of 

 the scale of animal creation. If we carefully 

 watch it through the microscope, we shall find that 

 the ciliary movement is performed with great 

 regularity. Here we have life ; and here we have 

 blood coursing through the veins of these animal- 

 cula. How minute must be the blood corpuscles 

 of this creature ! They are there, but the micro- 

 scope does not reveal them. Take the molecular 

 theory. Everyone is aware this theory teaches 

 that the final division of matter is the atom, and 

 in this' matter-of-fact world the atom has been 

 measured. It is calculated that if a cube of water 

 . 10 jjj ou th part of an inch were taken, there would 

 exist 30 billions of atoms. After this we need not 

 express any further astonishment at the micro- 

 scopical nature of the " repetition " impressed upon 

 the germ -plasm. 



To account for the non-transmission of certain 

 characteristics from one generation to another it is 

 assumed that during this period the germ cells 

 which contained them were latent through the 

 preponderating influence of other cells. When 

 the factor became removed or had undergone 

 neutralisation, then the impressions asserted them- 

 selves, and we are able to observe the phenomenon 

 of the absent peculiarities making their appearance, 

 and thus seemingly producing a variation from 

 their immediate race. This reversion has been 

 very aptly designated by stock-breeders as " throw- 

 ing back." 



Galton, who has devoted a large amount of his 

 life to anthropological science, and collected an 

 immense store of data dealing with the subject, 

 advances the theory that the gerrn-jDlasni is com- 

 posed of two distinct cells — -viz. the body-cell and 

 the germ-cell. The former is destined to build up 

 the body, and the functions of the latter, being 

 confined solely to the future reproduction of the 

 race, are finally deposited in special organs sel 

 apart for this purpose. There appears to be no 

 conflict whatever between Galton's double-cell 

 theory and Darwin's gemmule theory : in fact, the 

 former may be regarded as an evolution of the 

 latter. 



Thus far have we advanced along the beaten 

 track of Science, endeavouring to find out the 

 reasons why ;i like begets like," and the views sel 

 out by Galton are the most acceptable as proving 

 rationally the phenomena which are associated with 

 our every-day life. In his recent rectorial address 

 to the Scottish students Lord Rosebery, in dealing 

 with the position we have held in the world during 

 the past century, also with the struggle we should 

 have for existence in the future to maintain our 

 superiority amongst the nations, in pointing out 



the difficulties which now beset our race, 



what had the coming century in its awful womb 

 for us 2 From a scientific point of view we can 

 echo the question. Patiently and unostentatiously 

 are the earnest workers plodding on. -■•■ !ii_r to 



wring I* 1 Nature her secrets. from the SUd 



which has attended their efforts in the past, we can 

 surely look forward with every confidence to the 

 unravelment of the great mysteries surrounding 

 life, which will be the means of broadening our 

 knowledge of the remarkable gifl of Inheritance. 

 Finsbwry Parlt Road, London, A r . 



GEOMETRICAL SNOW CRYSTALS. 



By Dr. G. H. Beyan, F.U.S. 



1\ /TOST of us are familiar with the figures of 

 -LV_L feathery six-rayed stars given in many 

 popular text-books under the title of " Crystals of 

 Snow seen under the Microscope." If, however, 

 ordinary snow be magnified, no appearances of 

 the kind figured will be seen. I can well re- 

 member my disappointments in bygone days on 

 placing some snow under a microscope. 



On the afternoon of January 7th, at Edg- 

 baston, Birmingham, during the frost, I was much 

 delighted to see perfect six-rayed discs about 

 a quarter of an inch in diameter falling on my 

 coat, bat, and umbrella, reproducing all the 

 numerous varieties of form figured in the books. 

 In each the symmetry of the six feathery rays wa? 

 as complete as that of a pattern seen in a kaleido- 

 scope. This was a little after 3 p.m. ; somewhat 

 later rather larger discs, almost § inch in dia- 

 meter, were falling, with more feathery structure, 

 but many of these were slightly imperfect. The 

 discs on either occasion were very sparsely scattered 

 through the air, and could hardly be said to con- 

 stitute snow ; indeed, in the course of a short walk 

 there wen; not sufficient falling to form a coating 

 on one's umbrella. I had never previously - 

 anything like this phenomenon. 



It is evident that such perfect crystalline forms 

 can only exist under peculiar meteorological con- 

 ditions, and not in ordinary snowflakes in which 

 a quantity of crystals are agglomerated together. 

 The air must be so slightl) saturated with vapour 

 that lew crystals are formed, and there must be suf- 

 ficient absence of wind for these crystals to remain 

 suspended in the air and continue to grow for a 

 considerable time without coming into contact 

 with each other 



Bangor, North Wales, January 1901. 



The Belgian Go\ ernmenl is e\ idem ly determined 

 to adopt wireless telegraphy, not only on their 

 mail steamers plying between Ostend and Dover, 

 but also overland from Antwerp to Brussels. The 

 experiments from the steamer to shore have 

 verj successful, bu1 those overland disappointing. 

 Still it is to be hoped they will ultimately SUCC( 



