412 Scientific News. [June, 
— In a late number of Schultze’s Archiv fiir Mikroskopie, 
Dr. A. Stecker describes the origin of the germinal layers in the 
chilognathous myriopods (thousand-legs). Oscar Schmidt de- 
scribes the larval stages of two sponges (Ascetta primordialis and 
clathrus). W. Breitenbach describes some peculiarities in the 
maxillz or tongue of Vanessa and Catocala sp., Egybolts vaillan- 
tina and an Australian moth allied to Ophideres, as well as the 
latter genus also, whose maxillz are armed with stout spines. 
— A good deal of fear and a stoppage in the sale of the shad 
in New Jersey and New York, has been occasioned by the dis- 
covery of ascarid worms about an inch in length occurring in the 
flesh and on the gills of these fish. On examination of specimens 
sent us by Mr. Apgar of Trenton, we find that the worms belong 
to Ascaris, or a closely allied genus. They are closely related to 
the ordinary ascarid or round worms which are abundant in the 
intestines and flesh of the cod, hake and haddock, and which we 
have always supposed to be rarely if ever injurious. ` Cases of 
sickness supposed to be due to the shad-worm have been reported 
in the papers, but it is doubtful whether any disease would show 
itself in so short a time. Similar, but much larger worms are 
common in the intestines of man and the domestic animals. 
— Professor C. Semper of Wiirzburg, Germany, is desirous of 
obtaining specimens of North American salamanders, newts, 
hellbenders, mud-puppies or “ fish-on-legs,” alive, for use in his 
laboratory. Any specimens collected should be sent alive packed 
in wet moss, to Mr. Elmenhorst, care of Messrs. Matthiessen, 
Wiechers & Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, who will take them in 
charge and forward them to Hamburg. 
— We have seen specimen copies of Vaturen, an illustrated Nor- 
wegian monthly journal of the size of the English Mature, edited 
by Hans H. Reusch, and published at Christiania, Norway. It 1s 
devoted to the natural and physical sciences, is fully illustrated, 
and well supported by the leading Norwegian scientists. 
— Butler University Scientific Expedition and Summer Tramp, 
will leave Indianapolis, June 20th, going by rail to Livingston, 
Ky., then on foot via Rock Castle River, Wild Cat Mountain, — 
Cumberland Gap and Clinch Gap to Morristown, Tenn., exploring 
the caves and seining the rivers; thence up the Big Pigeon River, 
over the Great Smoky and Great Balsam Mountains, summits 
higher than the White Mountains: and far more beautiful and 
wild; thence over the mountains of Chilowee and Nantahala 
(see Christian Reid’s “ Land of the Sky ”) up the Little Tennessee 
River to Estatoah Falls, through Rabun Gap to Tallulah Falls, 
the wildest and most beautiful series of cascades east of the 
Rocky Mountains. At Toccoa Falls, Georgia (about July 17 th), 
the party will divide, a portion “ marching through Georgia” to 
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collect fishes, the others remaining in the mountains, returning 7 
