1882.] 
■Notes. 
437 
to do so ; but dog-owners and church sextons rarely possess this 
virtue, and wise laws should be enacted to protect weak and 
suffering humanity.” 
For our opinion on this subject we may refer to the “Journal 
of Science ” for 1880, p. 572. 
M. L. Fourment (“ Comptes Rendus ”) proves that salting is 
not necessarily fatal to Trichinae embedded in meat ; that they 
may live in salt provisions for fifteen months ; and that salting 
to some extent even withdraws them from the action of heat. 
Mr. F. Podmore, B.A., writing in the “ Psychological Review,” 
calls attention to the sensitiveness of dogs and horses to ghostly 
visitations, and considers it “ additional proof of the entirely 
material character, in many instances, of these apparitions.” 
According to M. R. Koehler (“ Comptes Rendus ”) crossed 
fecundations are possible within very wide limits among various 
species of Echinoidea, differing respectively as much as do two 
mammals belonging to two adjacent orders. The fecundation is 
not reciprocal. The ova of Spatangus are perfectly fecundated 
by the spermatozoids of Psammechinus , whilst the ova of the 
latter, if submitted to the male secretion of Spatangus, remain 
intact, or reach at most the blastula stage. 
The resignation of Mr. E. Ray Lankester still excites discus- 
sion. It seems he would have been required to make formal 
promise to teach nothing contrary to the “ confession of Faith.” 
If so we cannot greatly wonder at his resolution, for how is any 
man not a theological specialist to know what might or might not 
be held to be contrary to the said confession ? 
M. N. E. Sauvage reports to the Academy of Sciences on 
certain fossil reptiles discovered in the gault of the east of France 
by MM. L. Pierson and C. Barrois. Amongst other forms is a 
Megalosaurus distinct from M. Bucklandi. The distal extremity 
of the femur of an adult specimen measures 0-470 metre in cir- 
cumference at the condyles, which points to a prodigious size. 
A Pythonomorpha has also been discovered of the genus Daco- 
saurus. 
According io the “ Pharmaceutical journal ” potatoes, if un- 
ripe or too old, contain a certain quantity of solanine, and may 
produce serious results if boiled with the skins on, especially if 
eaten in large quantities. 
The British Museum, in its place of exile, will shortly be en- 
riched by the two valuable collections of fossil fishes formed 
respectively by the Earl of Enniskillen and Sir P. G. Egerton. 
According to Arago, Comte had no claims to eminence as a 
mathematician. 
