( 822 ) 
[December, 
NOTES 
Biology. 
The effedts of the bite of the skunk are exciting some discussion. 
In a Monograph of the North-American Mustelidae, by Dr. 
Elliot Coues (see “ Quarterly Journal of Science,” viii., p. 138), 
we read that a wound from the teeth of this animal, when in its 
normal state of health, rarely fails to bring on hydrophobia. 
The “ Forest and Stream ” and the “ Medical and Surgical 
Reporter” have more recently taken up the subjedt. Among the 
authorities they quote is Dr. Cushing, of Trinidad, Colorado, 
who gives it as his opinion that the natural bite of the skunk, 
when not suffering from rabies, never fails to bring on hydro- 
phobia. Dr. W. L. South, who has had great experience in 
Texas and New Mexico, asserts that the bite sooner or later 
results in death. It is curious, however, that no similar cases 
have been recorded in Pennsylvania, where the skunk is very 
common. 
The “Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie ” for October, 1879, 
contains a paper on the “ Adtions of Life without Air ; their 
Influence on the Chemical Phenomena of Respiration,” by M. 
Pasteur. The author is led to believe that in the animal economy 
there take place phenomena of the same order as in fermenta- 
tion. Oxygen adts not only by effedting combustions, but gives 
to the cellules an adlivity whence they derive the power of adtion 
beyond the influence of free oxygen, in the manner of the 
ferment-cells. Diredt combustions are of little importance. 
At a Congress of Naturalists and Physicians, on the 23rd of 
September, Prof. Jager, of Stuttgart, gave a demonstration on 
his method of examining odours (neural analysis) and on the 
odours themselves. The professor also spoke on the influence 
of the temper. Amidst boisterous merriment he appealed to all 
mothers present if children, when in a good humour, did not 
give off a pleasant odour, but a disagreeable one when cross or 
fretful. The ledturer ended amidst hisses. 
MM. J. Mace and W. Nicati, in their researches on colour- 
blindness (described to the Academy of Sciences on Odt. 27th), 
have sought to obtain comparative measurements between the 
quantities of light perceived in the different parts of the spedtrum 
by the colour-blind on the one hand, and by the normal eye on 
the other. A red glass which scarcely lessens the vision of the 
normal eye diminishes remarkably that of a red colour-blind eye. 
