924 Scientific News, [September, 
was attached to the corvette Vettor Pisani. After an absence of 
five months the first consignment arrived—the product of deep- 
sea work, of dredging and coast-fishery along the shores of 
Gibraltar, Brazil, and Montevideo; a second collection still more. 
extensive than the first was made during a voyage from Monte- 
video to Cape Horn, and among the islands of the Patagonian 
group. Other collections have been made on the Peruvian coast, 
the Gallapagos islands, and from Panama; also animals from 
small pools and rivers in Peru. Those from Peru comprise two 
complete series of embryonic forms—one of a ray, the other of a 
toad. The Vettor Pisani continued its course from Peru to the 
Philippine islands and China. The results have been so satisfac- 
tory that three other Italian naval officers were received at the 
station, one of them being afterwards stationed at the mouth of 
‘the Red sea, while another is collecting in the Mediterranean. 
—Dr. W. J. Lewis draws attention to the importance in legal 
cases (when it is often inpossible to determine whether certain 
blood stains are human or animal), of the evidence to be derived 
from a microscopic study of the hairs or textile fabrics of one 
sort or another generally found entangled with the blood-stains 
on a weapon that has been used in a murderous assault. He 
illustrates the value of such evidence by reference to actual cases, 
and points out the differences between human and animal hair, and 
the distinguishing features of hair from those of the more com- 
mon filaments which may be mistaken for it, such as the finer 
fibers of jute, linen, silk and cotton. The characteristic distinc- 
arrangement of the medullary cells; (3) The size, shape and 
arrangement of the superficial cortical cells; (4) The size and 
shape of the hair-shaft—Fournal of the Royal Microscopical 
Society, Fune, 1885. 
 — The effects of the poison of the cobra de capello have been 
studied, says Mature, by Herr Gnezda. The poison was obtained 
in India by causing the snakes to bite into snails or mussels 
wrapped in gutta-percha and filled with water. The watery solu- 
tion thus obtained was reduced by evaporation. The poison De 
longs to the class of propeptons. Different vertebrates susceptible 
w. 
half an hour, pickerels after hans frogs later, then cats, = 
lastly pigeons. Stronger doses hastened death. Dilutions an 
the introduction of artificial respiration delayed death. The eget 
affected the nerves, especially the central nervous system, and 
idly any effect on the heart. 
