1893.] Zoology. 1095 
Museum of Paris, M. Mocquard discovered a pocket in the armpit of 
certain species of Chameleons, a character hitherto unnoticed. This 
pocket is formed by the invagination of the skin, and is about 4 mm. 
in depth, with an orifice of 2 mm. in diameter, varying slightly in size 
in different species. 
This character appears to be constant in certain species only of 
Chameleons peculiar to Madagascar and the neighboring islands of 
Mauritius and Bourbon, for it does not appear in all of them, nor is it 
found in the Chameleons of the Continent, except in C. vulgaris in 
which a rudimentary pocket can be discerned. It is found also in 
Rampheoleon spectrum, a west African species, while not a trace of the 
character can be seen in R. kerstenii, which belongs on the eastern 
coast. 
M. Mocquard considers this character of specific importance, and 
recommends its use in determining different species of Chameleons. 
(Compte-rendu Soc. Philom., Paris, July, 1893.) 
The Origin of the Human Face.—In two short essays entitled 
The Origin and Evolution of the Human Face and Descent of Facial 
Expression, Dr. Alton H. Thompson gives a compilation of the litera- 
ture of the subject with some original notes. His comments are intelli- 
gent and show a just appreciation of the idea of evolution. Inthe first 
essay the author keeps in view the point that the face and the brain 
were developed collaterally, and the high perfection of the face in man 
is due to his high brain development. The second essay is a contribu- 
tion toward finding a scientifie basis for the study of physiognomy and 
expression. Some of the varieties of feature of the human face are 
traced back to their animal origin, and the inheritance of emotional 
expression from the lower animals is touched upon. The essay is 
based on the facts of both phylogeny and ontogeny, and is an excellent 
synopsis of what has been written on the subject, to which several im- 
portant original thoughts are added. 
The Ground Squirrels of the Mississippi Valley.—In a 
paper recently published by the United States Department of Agri- 
eulture, Mr. Vernon Bailey describes the food habits and distribution 
of the five species of Spermophilus found in the Mississippi Valley. In 
addition, he summarizes the best methods of holding them in check, the 
preference being given to the use of bisulphide of carbon. The essay 
is handsomely illustrated. (Bull. No. 4, Div. Ornith. Mam. U. S. 
Dept. Agri., 1893.) : 
