354 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



wings are nearly firm enough for flight ; but, if 

 undisturbed, the insect does not fly for three 

 or four hours after emergence. 



The constant motion of the butterfly after 

 emergence continues for a much longer time in 

 some species than in others. I tried a short time 



ago to get a good series of Dynastor napoleon; 

 but the movement made it impossible to get a 

 photograph till the wings were fully extended. 



Castro, Parana, Brazil, 



February, 1899. 



STATISTICS OF THE NATURALIST'S DIRECTORY. 

 By Dr. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S. 



A ROUGH tabulation of the names in the 

 " Naturalist's Directory for 1899 " ( x ) accord- 

 ing to subjects, leads to some interesting statistical 

 facts. By comparing the numbers of pages 

 devoted to the principal divisions of natural 

 science, we find that these are represented in the 

 Directory roughly in the following proportions : — 

 Zoology 58 per cent., Microscopy 12 per cent., 

 Botany 14 per cent., Geology and Palaeontology 

 12 per cent., Miscellaneous 3 per cent. 



Passing now to special branches of study we 

 find that in a large proportion of cases these are 

 not specified. Confining our attention, however, to 

 those indicated as specialists, we find that in 

 Zoology their subjects are represented roughly in 

 the following proportions : — Lepidoptera 24 

 per cent., Ornithology 24 per cent., Mollusca 14 

 per cent., Oology 10 per cent., Entomology (in 

 general) 8 per cent., Entomology (special orders 

 other than Lepidoptera or Coleoptera,) 8 per cent., 

 Coleoptera 7 per cent., various Vertebrates 3 per 

 cent., various Invertebrates 1 per cent., miscell- 

 aneous 2 per cent. 



In Microscopy the proportions are roughly as 

 follow : — Pond life 19 per cent., Vegetable Physio- 

 logy 16 per cent., Poraminifera 12 per cent., Dia- 

 toms 11 per cent., Bacteriology 7 per cent., 

 Biology 6 per cent., Entomology 6 per cent., 

 Marine Zoology 6 per cent., Photography 6 per 

 cent., Fungi 4 per cent., Geology 4 per cent., 

 Sponges 2 per cent., other subjects 2 per cent. 



For Botany the proportions are : — Phanerogams 

 40 per cent., Mosses 16 per ' cent., Cryptogams 

 generally 11 per cent., Hepaticae 10 per cent., 

 Fungi 7 per cent., Algae 6 per cent., Ferns and 

 Vascular Cryptogams 4 per cent., Lichens 2 per 

 cent., various (Agricultural, Fossil, &c.) 4 per 

 cent. 



Geology, Palaeontology, Mineralogy, &c, are 

 distributed in the following proportions : — Geo- 

 logy 41 per cent., Palaeontology 26 per cent., 

 Mineralogy 18 per cent., various special sub- 

 divisions 15 per cent. 



The percentages are somewhat roughly calcu- 

 lated, as it hardly appeared worth while to go 

 through the whole list of zoologists ; but the 

 results, derived from a considerable number of 



0) "The Naturalist's Directory, 1899" 168 pp. 7i in. x 5 

 in. (London : L. Upcott Gill, 1899.) Is. 



pages, will be sufficiently correct to give a general 

 idea of the relative popularity of the different 

 branches. Anyone caring to spend considerable 

 time on the matter might easily tabulate the 

 total numbers under each heading ; but would 

 " the game be worth the candle ? " 



Among other conclusions to be derived from 

 these figures, we note that " Ornithology " is 

 equally popular with " Lepidoptera." If " Orni- 

 thology " and " Oology " be added together and 

 everyone marked " Entomology " be credited with 

 including " Lepidoptera " in their range of study, 

 a bare majority favours birds rather than butter- 

 flies. "Mollusca," which according to our 

 arrangement includes those entered under 

 " Conchology" and " Malacology," comes next 

 in popularity. 



In Microscopy, " Pond Life " claims the largest 

 share of devotees, " Vegetable Physiology " the 

 next, while the next two entries show that the 

 past experiences of the present writer in cleaning 

 foraminifera have not deterred as many, if not 

 more, from studying these organisms than have 

 overcome the difficulties of preparing diatoms. 

 We should have expected Bacteriology and Photo- 

 graphy to stand higher on the list. It is, how- 

 ever, evident that there are still plenty of micro- 

 scopists of the good old sort, whose life is made 

 happier by the contemplation of "things of 

 beauty," which are "joys for ever." 



Forty per cent, gives in Botany a large majo- 

 rity to the phanerogams, but not larger than 

 might be expected. Of other branches of botany, 

 the popularity of mosses, - and nextly hepaticae, is 

 noticeable. 



In the next section the preponderance of 

 Palaeontologists over Mineralogists is not greater 

 than might be expected. The special sub-divisions 

 include the geology of particular formations, 

 glacial geology, metallurgy, etc. 



Taken all round, the Directory shows a healthy 

 indication that the amateur lovers of nature, for 

 whom Science-Gossip was founded in 1864 and 

 still represents, are yet among us in considerable 

 numbers, and have not been .by any means exter- 

 minated by the counter-attractions of laboratory 

 science on one hand, and the bicycle and camera 

 on the other. 

 Bangor, North Wales, March, 1899. 



