1 20 The West American Scientist. 



ion of human skulls which are stored away in an old monastary 

 in the Kedron Valley midway between Jerusalem and the Dead 

 Sea, with skulls of the same race at the present day. The meas- 

 urements show some significant differences. The Caucasian 

 skull has, during the past thirteen centuries, increased in circum- 

 ference nearly two inches, and has gained in cranial capacity three 

 and one-half inches. There has been no increase in width. The 

 brain has gained in height and length — i. e., there has been a de- 

 velopment of the upper and anterior parts of the brain, the parts 

 which we should expect to increase by education and civilization 

 as they preside over the moral and intellectual functions. The 

 lower portions of the brain, in which the lower or more selfish 

 propensities are centered, and which give breadth to' the head, 

 have, in the march of the centuries, failed to grow as rapidly as 

 the higher brain centers, hence the non-increase in the width of 

 our skulls. 



Professor Palmieri anounces from the Vesuvian observatory 

 that the eruptive cone of Vesuvius has fallen into its very depths, 

 and that at the same time a copious stream of lava has issued 

 form the north-east and has already arrived at the foot of the 

 great cone. About the same time the volcanic mountain of Lipari 

 made an extraordinary display. From the crater of the moun- 

 tain smoke issued mixed with ashes, which was changed into very 

 fine rain over the whole of the ^Eolian Islands. The air was 

 thick and unbreathable; all the horizon was obscured by the black- 

 est clouds and by ashes. The Grotto della Signora, to the west 

 of Lipari, which has defied the ruin of centuries, is now destroy- 

 ed. It appears that the volcano by its frequent shocks has com- 

 pleted the work of demolition. 



According to the Indian Mail, the Madras Museum now pos- 

 sesses the skeleton of the largest elephant ever killed in India. 

 This elephant was the source of great terror to the inhabitants of 

 South Arcot, by whom it was killed and buried. The museum 

 authorities dispatched a taxidermist to the spot to exhume the 

 bones and transfer them to Madras. The skeleton is exactly ten 

 feet six inches in height, being eight inches higher than the high- 

 est hitherto measured. 



The Swedish government: has decided to send a man-of-war 

 to New York to take home the body of Captain Ericsson, who 

 expressed a strong desire to be buried at Langbanshyttan, in 

 Vermeland, the place of his birth. In his will no directions are 

 given as to the disposal of his valuable collection of models, but 

 Swedish journals state that the executors will present them to the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



Dr. Eigenmann has succeeded in hatching fish eggs in thirteen 

 hours — seven hours quicker than previous records. 



