i88 3 .] 
Notes. 
247 
An Exhibition of Insects is to take place in July next, at the 
Palace of Industry, in Paris, under the auspices of the “ Central 
Society of Agriculture and Insectology.” (Insectology ! a vile 
word.) 
According to “ Les Mondes ” an Italian savant pronounced a 
specimen of gold submitted to him to be yellow mica, because 
“ Science does not admit the possible occurrence of native gold 
in Eocene formations.” 
According to “ 1 ’EleCtricite ” Fra Paolo Sarpi is said to have 
anticipated some of the results of Gilbert on magnetism. 
We quote the following letter from “ Light ” (January 27th) : 
— “ Last evening I had been to see a sick friend, and left at ten 
o’clock. At about 10.30 I was passing a churchyard about two 
miles from the city, and noticed a light in the churchyard. As 
the gate was fastened I scaled the wall and walked towards the 
light, when it moved on, waving slightly, as a flame would. The 
light was of a phosphorescent colour, and was about 5 ft. in 
height and an irregular width of about 18 inches. It moved 
slowly across the graves with a sliding motion, in an easterly 
direction towards the wind, which showed it was not an ignis 
fatuus. It disappeared near a yew fence.” (The circumstance 
of the light moving against the wind does nq.t disprove that it 
was an ignis fatuus, except to persons who refer this phenome- 
non to a luminous gas. The season of the year, however, does 
no.t agree with the theory of phosphorescent inserts.) 
We learn from an esteemed medical contemporary that, in 
St. Pancras at least, undertakers play a prominent part in the 
Anti-Vaccination movement. 
Dr. Cullen, of Kundwa, on examining 430 railway officials in 
India for colour-blindness, found among the half-breeds (Eura- 
sians) i*6 per cent, among Mahomedans 7*31 per cent, and 
among Hindus 3*16 percent, suffering from this defect. Among 
471 boys he found 2*54 per cent incapable of distinguishing 
colours, and among 68 girls none. 
According to the experiments of Dr. Tarnier, as quoted by the 
“ Medical Press ” from an American journal, it is possible to 
produce giants to order. The child is kept in the dark, at the 
constant temperature of 85° F. It grows rapidly, and doubles 
its weight in about six weeks. It is asserted that six months of 
this treatment do as much for the development of a child as 
eight years of ordinary life ! 
The Scottish Educational Congress has passed the very sensi- 
ble resolution that the present educational demands are calculated 
to be prejudicial to the health of children. 
If the human will can produce effedts without the intervention 
