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the explanation suited to the facts as they at present stand, and considered 
that the question was not one to be shirked. All geological inferences from 
palaeontology rest on what is called negative evidence, and hypotheses must 
be used in investigation. It was shown that the London clay had contri- 
buted very little indeed to the lot of mammalian remains found in the 
Suffolk Bone-bed. Six teeth of Coryphodon and four fragments of Ilyraco- 
therium were all that could be found in the various collections. 
MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
Railway Carriage Coupling . — Mr. J. Mackenzie has described to the 
Scottish Society of Arts a new coupling for railway carriages, designed to 
obviate the dangers which attend the process of coupling and uncoupling on 
the present system, especially with goods-traius. It is simple, and the 
waggon fitted with it may be coupled to other waggons not so fitted. 
Hence it may be gradually introduced. 
Scoop- Wheels. — Mr. W. Airy has investigated the sources of waste of 
power in the scoop-wheels employed in draining the Lincolnshire fens, and 
has made some suggestions for the improvement of their construction. Mr. 
Airy’s papers will be found in Engineering , vol. ix. pp. 194, 230, 274, and 
321, and are well worthy of the attention of those engaged in extensive 
drainage operations. 
Torpedoes . — Captain Harvey’s towing torpedo, on which very successful 
experiments have been made, has, it appears, been adopted by the Govern- 
ment. This torpedo acts on the principle of the 11 otter" sometimes used 
in fishing, or, in other words, is a sort of water-kite, carrying a torpedo, and 
towed by the attacking vessel. Captain Harvey has been appointed to 
instruct the officers and men on board II.M.’s gunnery ships “Excellent” 
and “ Cambridge *’ in the use of the torpedo. 
Meeting of the Institute of Naval Architects. — At the last meeting of this 
Institute, perhaps the paper of most general interest was one by Mr. Scott 
Ilussell on Channel Communication, in which he applied his experience 
gained in the construction of the steam-ferry on Lake Constance to solving 
the problem of the Dover and Calais passage. Mr. Samuda read an in- 
teresting paper on the Influence of the Suez Canal on Ocean Navigation. 
M. Emile Leclert sent a paper on Certain Theorems respecting the Geometry 
of Ships, in which he discusses the surface which is the envelope of the 
planes which cut off displacements of a constant volume ; and the surface 
which is the locus of the centres of buoyancy of these volumes of equal 
displacement. Sir E. Belcher read a paper on the Channel Passage ; Pro- 
fessor Macquorn Bankine, a paper on Stream Lines. Sir W. Fairbairn 
sent an interesting communication detailing further experiments on the Law 
of Penetration of Armour-plates by Projectiles. Mr. Arthur lligg contributed 
a paper on Compound Marine Steam-Engines. 
Experiments on the Resistance of Ships. — Our readers may recollect that 
a Committee of the British Association reported in favour of a series of 
