Notes and Memoranda. 307 



1863, contains a communication from a Swiss agriculturist, stating, that in Feb- 

 ruary, 1861, he received from Professor Thury, of Greneva, a letter containing 

 confidential instructions, which he was to carry out for the purpose of experi- 

 mentally verifying an assumed law regulating the production of the sexes among 

 animals. The result was, that in twenty-two successive cases, females were ob- 

 tained, according to desire. The animals bred from, were Swiss cows and a Dur- 

 ham bull. M. Cornaz then purchased a Durham cow, and desired to procure, by 

 breeding, a Durham bull, in which he succeeded. He also desired to breed six 

 bulls, crossed between Durham and Schwitz, and by selecting cows of the colour 

 and height he wanted, he was again successful, and regards Professor Thury's 

 method as of the highest importance to breeders of cattle. 



The law enunciated by Professor Thury, and confirmed by M. Cornaz, is, 

 that sex depends on the degree of maturation of the egg at the moment of fecun- 

 dation. In uniparous animals, fecundation at the commencement of the rutting 

 period gives females, at its termination, males. In multiparous creatures, the 

 first eggs that descend from the ovary generally give females, the last males ; 

 but M. Thury says, that in a second generative period that succeeds the first, 

 circumstances are considerably changed, and the last eggs give females. Many of 

 our rural readers, engaged in agriculture, will be able to verify these curious 

 statements, which may have an important influence on the profits of farming. 



New Metal. — M. M. Reich and Eitter have discovered a metal distinguished 

 in the spectroscope by an indigo blue ray, and which they call Indium. They 

 obtained it from a composite mineral, chiefly composed of sulphur, arsenic, iron, 

 and lead. 



New Planet, 79th. — We learn from the Astronomiche NachricMen, that Mr. 

 James Watson, of Ann- Arbor, U.S., has discovered a new planet of the 93 mag- 

 nitude. It was seen by Oppolzen in Yienna on 6th October. 



Me. H. J. Caeter on Ehizopods. — In Annals of Natural History this 

 gentleman states that he has demonstrated the existence of chlorophyll cells in 

 the body of Difflitgia piriformis as part of its organization. Starch granules, he 

 affirms, form " part of its products," and he states that the tests conjugate. These 

 circumstances, he considers, show the strong alliance between the Rhizopods, 

 which he regards as animals, and the vegetable kingdom. He likewise describes 

 a new Bhizopod, found in bog water, on the south coast of Devon. It is "globu- 

 lar, subround, green, loricated, spiniferous, and tentaculiferous. Spiues straight, 

 hollow, of uniform breadth in the shaft, bifid, or forked, at the distal, and discoid 

 at the proximal extremity ; very numerous, apparently rigid, radiating, or turned 

 across each other, and moveable, as the spines in Echinus." Lorica, 1-411", 

 species, 1-740" long. 



Sunlight Illumination foe the Microscope. — Mr. Wenham states, in 

 Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, that fine markings on objects may be 

 seen by placing the microscope in strong sunlight, and employing the concave 

 mirror, and an achromatic condenser of large aperture. The eye could not sup- 

 port this blaze without protection, but by placing the red and green glasses of a 

 sextant ov the eye-piece, it was toned down, and the markings on all the most 

 difficult tests easily and quickly brought out with remarkable distinctness. 



Dey Mounting foe Miceoscoeic Objects — Mr. T. S. Ralph,~of Melbourne, 

 communicates to the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science his mode of 

 mounting certain objects. He punches rings out of thin gutta percha. One of 

 these rings is placed on a glass slide, and the object arranged in the centre. A 

 covering glass is then placed on the ring, the slide made warm to soften the gutta 

 percha, and gentle pressure applied, by which it is made to adhere to both glasses. 

 The edge of the cover is finally varnished. 



Use of Dead Sea-watek. — M. Roux has laid before the French Academy an 

 analysis of this water, which shows that, in addition to considerable quantities of 

 chlorides of magnesium, sodium, calcicum, and potassium, it contains bromide of 

 magnesium to the extent of 0*364 grammes in 100000 grammes. M. Poux con- 

 siders that it may prove a very valuable medicine in scrofulous, syphillitic, and 

 many other affections. Shall we have this locality converted into a fashionable 



