i88 3 .] 
( 757 ) 
NOTES. 
“ Gabriel Max’s latest painting is at present on view at 
Munich, where * The Vivisedtor ’ forms one of the chief attrac- 
tions of the exhibition at the Odeon. The picture is said to be 
a marvel of technical execution, but the whole scene appears to 
be planned in order to startle and to create a sensation, which, 
like the artist’s former works, it does not fail to do.” 
(It appears that every man in Art, as well as in Literature, 
who takes his stand upon falsehood must now lift up his heels 
against physiological experimentation.) 
Dr. B. Grassi has at last furnished a complete demonstration 
that the common house-fly is a great agent in the spread of 
disease. We have long entertained this view, and have proposed 
general action for their destruction. 
F. W. Parker, Principal of the Cook County Normal School, 
Illinois, believes that examinations are the greatest curse that 
schools have. 
According to M. Deperet (“ Comptes Rendus ”), in the Upper 
Miocene of Pikermi antelopes predominate among the rumi- 
nants ; the Cervidae are rare, and the Bovidse have not yet made 
their appearance. In the Pliocene of Perrier the antelopes be- 
come rare, the Cervidas are richly developed, and the Bovidae 
make their first appearance in Europe. 
M. F. van Assche (“ Comptes Rendus ”), by passing light 
through a thin film of selenium, succeeds in completely isolating 
the thermic from the chemical and the luminous undulations. 
Science sometimes gets an undeserved compliment. We met 
lately with this didtum : — “ I do not remember ever to have 
heard of a practical chemist who grew angry if rallied about his 
chemistry.” Yet quite lately a controversy between two German 
professors of chemistry has ended in the Law-Courts. 
It seems that a new Bestiarian organ is to appear, entitled 
the “ Champion.” It is to be written in two languages ! 
“ Science ” gives a very hostile notice of Prof. Sylvanus 
Thompson’s work on the telephone of Reis. Mr. Barney, in the 
“ Electrical Review,” points out that “ Science ” is published by 
a company, of which A. Graham Bell is Vice-chairman, and his 
father-in-law, G. G. Hubbard, one of the Directors ! 
Dr. T. L. Phipson, writing in the “ Chemical News,” main- 
tains that plants have no power of decomposing carbonic acid. 
