i88o.J 
( 473 ) 
NOTES. 
Mr. I. W. Redhouse, in a communication to the Royal Society 
of Literature, combats the ordinary theory that the Aryan race 
of mankind originated in the Pamir highlands of Central Asia, 
spreading thence in a north-westerly direaion into Europe, and 
south-easterly into India. He considers that the Polar regions, 
which at one time possessed a tropical temperature, were the 
original home of man. 
Signor Beccari has observed that the visits of a certain ant 
(Pheidola Havana?) seem essential to the health, and even the 
existence, of certain plants of the genus Myrmecodia, from 
Borneo. 
According to a communication made to the Linnean Society , 
on behalf of Mrs. Bunbury, of Western Australia, it appears 
that the once common flowers of that colony are becoming 
rapidly scarce in the pasture lands, and that it is even difficult 
to propagate them by culture. 
The “ Revue Internationale des Sciences Biologiques ” gives 
an extensive memoir by Dr. Carl Hoberland, on ‘‘Infanticide 
among Ancient and Modern Nations.” He traces the origin o 
this custom to the difficulty of subsistence, the sacrifice being in 
the outset urged by the male parent, and opposed or reluctantly 
submitted to by the mother. (We observe a parallel case among 
certain of the lower animals, where the young are often destroyed 
by the father, and are defended against him and concealed by 
the mother.) 
The invention of the diaphote, if all that is alleged concerning 
its powers proves corredt, recals the magic mirrors which, ac- 
cording to tradition, mediaeval necromancers were able to show 
their clients persons, objedts, and events in distant countries. 
According to M. Corder, the groups of shooting stars pro- 
ceeding from different centres have distinctive charaaers 
regards colouration. 
The Chinese consider the use of cows’ milk, as an article of 
human diet, unnatural and immoral. It does not t he 
this opinion is based on the comparative mdigestibility of the 
milk of ruminant animals. 
Dr. Manson has observed that in persons affedted by Fitonai 
the blood is comparatively free from these parasites during th 
