1884.] 
Notes. 
695 
VVe lately witnessed a curious instance of intelligence on the 
pait of a young cat. She prefers water to milk, and has repeat- 
edly seen it drawn from a tap for her use. On the occasion in 
question she sprang up and repeatedly patted the handle of the 
tap with her paws, looking from time to time if the water had 
begun to flow. 
The mortality among the workmen employed in cutting the 
Panama Canal has fallen to twenty-five per thousand. 
The staff of the British Geological Survey now consists of one 
direcftor-general, three directors, three district surveyors, fourteen 
geologists, twenty-five assistant geologists, four naturalists and 
palaeontologists, four fossil collectors, and three general as- 
sistants. 
According to Herr Pechule, of the Copenhagen Observatory, 
the number of red stars in the southern hemisphere is consider- 
able, increasing as we approach the milky way. 
At the Montreal meeting of the British Association, Professor 
Dawkins urged the opinion that the Eskimos are survivors of 
the pre-historic race known as “ Cave-men.” 
The proposed baby-show, in France, has been officially inter- 
dicted on the grounds that its character was not distinctly scien- 
tific, and that the collection of such a great number of babies 
might give scope for infection. 
Mr. T. Mellard Reade (“Geological Magazine”) contends 
that if the island of South Georgia had a former land-connection 
with South America at the distance of 1200 miles, this fact is a 
proof of the want of permanence of oceanic areas. 
M. S. Feron (“ Cosmos les Mondes ”) gives an instance of a 
hairbreadth escape from premature interment in cholera, and 
suggests that in this disease burial during apparent death may 
not be uncommon. On the faith of extensive experience in 
India (Pondicherry) he denies the contagious nature of cholera. 
According to Mr. F. Cushing (British Association) the civilisa- 
tion of the Zunis of New Mexico must have been purely indige- 
nous. Its successive stages can be very distinctly traced. 
According to the municipal engineer of Toulon, butchers and 
bakers were most liable to cholera, whilst the scavengers entirely 
escaped. 
Concerning the height of the atmosphere observers differ ; the 
lowest estimate (that of Biot) being 48 kilometres, and the 
highest (that of Liais and Ritter) 350 kilometres. 
Dragonflies have been uncommonly numerous in various parts 
of the Continent during the summer. They will doubtless have 
cleared the air of gnats and Aphides in the winged state. 
