i88 3 J - 
Notes. 
567 
upper and lower openings of which had been plugged with cotton 
to prevent the escape of the inmate. On the arrival of the 
package at its destination the upper plug was removed, but the 
lower one forgotten, The spider, therefore, began to cast it out, 
but during this operation she perceived that it would make a 
good material for lining the tower, and accordingly applied it to 
that purpose. This is a clear case of invention, — the utilisation 
of a novel material. 
Mr. A. S. Packard (“American Naturalist”) considers the 
Phyloptera (Neuroptera, Pseudo-Neuroptera, Orthoptera, and 
Dermaptera) as the nearest approach to the primitive groups 
from which insecfts are derived. 
Herr A. Mehring (“ Gesellschaft Natur. Freunde Berlin”) proves, 
from palaeontological evidence, that wild horses existed in Europe 
as far back as the end of the Tertiary period, and that the modern 
horse is not, as commonly supposed, of exclusively Asiatic 
origin. 
The question put by Mr. W. A. Gibbs, — “ Are we to lose our 
future harvests ?” — now that a remedy has been found successful 
whenever tried, is again being emphasised by the doubtful 
weather of the present summer. 
According to Baron Mueller palm trees reach their extreme 
southern limit in New Zealand, where Kentia sapida , a noble 
species, extends as far as latitude 44 0 S. The most southern 
American members of this tribe cease in La Plata in lat. 34 0 . 
Mr. S. N. Rhoads (“ American Naturalist ”) gives a positive 
proof that the turkey buzzard ( Vultur aura) is guided to its prey 
by scent. 
Mr. T. Mcllwraith (“American Naturalist”) gives a good 
account of the miscondudt of the European sparrow, both as 
to the damage which it commits in the fields and gardens, and 
as to the too often successful warfare which it wages against 
harmless and useful species of birds. 
Mr. D. H. Talbot, in the same journal, gives an interesting 
account of a mare fetching some men to rescue her colt, which 
was entangled among some willow trees on the bank of a river. 
HH. Assmann, Von Bezold, and Van Bebber (“ Natur- 
forscher ”) rejeeft the cosmic theory of the cold weather generally 
experienced from May 10th to 13th. 
