Miscellaneous Intelligence. 473 
and they are fairly represented by a planet revolving in an orbit 
either in 33°02 or in 27°96 days; less exactly by an orbit of 24°25 
days, or one of 40°32 days. 
At Mr. Le Verrier’s request the sun was observed early in 
October, both in this country and in Europe, but without result. 
He thinks a transit possible on the 22d of March next, if the orbit 
is one of 33°02 days. No other spring transit occurs with that 
supposition before 1885. For an October transit we must wait 
till about 1881. None of the observations made use 0 
Verrier, however, appear to be so free from doubts as to establish 
the existence of a planet within the orbit of Mercury. 4H. A. N. 
2. November Meteors.—On the morning of November 14th, 
between twelve and one o’clock, the sky at New Haven was 
partly clear. Out of about twelve meteors seen, three migh 
called conformable to the radiant in Leo. Shortly after one 
o'clock the sky became wholly overcast. H, A. N, 
IV. MiIscELLANEOUS SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
1. On the Extirpation of Npecies ; by Prof. Atrrep Newton, 
(From his Address, Brit. Assoc., as published in Nature of Sept. 
14.)—And now to follow out the idea with which I began. Hav- 
ing touched on the two chief zoological events of the year, let us 
see if they do not suggest something that will not be beneath your 
consideration for the remainder of this address. I have spoken of 
the certainty of the expedition from which we now welcome our 
known to possess a rich and varied animal population, that its 
present fauna had disappeared ? that its only mammals were feral 
pigs, goats, rats, and rabbits—with an infusion of ferrets, intro- 
duced by a zealous “acclimatizer” to check the seperabundance 
of the rodents last-named, but contented themselves with 
colonists’ chickens? that sparrows and starlings, brought from 
urope, were its only land-birds, that the former had propagated 
: eel of the original flora, and the rabbits the rest? that the pigs 
_ devastated the potato-gardens, and yam-grot | 
o f ful picture, peter not to the gift of prophecy ; — is As 
: weuly alien to the scientific mind; but if we may reason rom t 
