ii6 
Notes. 
[February, 
MM. L. Hermann and A. von Gendre (“ Pfluger’s Archiv.’’) 
have made experiments on the electromotive properties of hen’s 
eggs during incubation. If an egg is taken out of the incubator, 
carefully opened, and if conductive points are introduced into 
the germinal area in such a manner that one touches the body of 
the embryo, whilst the other is in contact with any point of the 
yolk, or even of the white of the egg, a current is obtained which 
passes regularly from the yolk to the embryo, or, in other words, 
the embryo is positive to the yolk. The electromotive power 
may amount to o-oi Daniell. It increases in the first days, at 
least as far as 80 hours, and then again decreases. 
Certain scientific journals are now, so to speak, coquetting 
with Spiritualism. They will probably soon change sides, eat 
their own words, and display the usual indiscreet zeal of neo- 
phytes. 
Mr. G. Makloskie (American Assoc.) shows that the tracheae 
of insects have spiral crenulations, which have hitherto been 
mistaken for threads. The tracheae transmit gases directly to 
the tissues without the mediation of the blood. They are not 
directly controlled by muscles, but their action depends on the 
successive production of a partial vacuum and on the condensa- 
tion of the air. 
It appears that Mr. W. E. Gladstone has been present at a 
seance with Mr. Eglinton, and has witnessed some successful 
psychographic experiments ! Whether Spiritualism will hence- 
forth take up a political character remains to be seen. 
At a late meeting of the Sheffield Medico-Chirurgical Society 
Mr. C. Atkin exhibited a slug said to have been excreted alive by 
a young child, which had never received any other nourishment 
than its mother’s milk. 
Dr. C. S. Minot (American Association) read a paper on the 
skin of insects. It consists of three layers, — the cuticle, over- 
lying the epithelium, below which is a sheet of connective tissue. 
The epithelium is homologous with the epithelium of other ani- 
mals, and should be so called instead of hypodermis. The con- 
nective tissue should be called dermis. The cuticle of cater- 
pillars consists of two layers, a thick and a thin one. 
According to M. Urueta (“ Union Medicale ”) cats are great 
destroyers of venomous serpents in Venezuela. If bitten they 
do not necessarily succumb. 
At the American Association Dr. E. D. Cope read a paper on 
the Mammalian Affinities of the Saurians of the Permian Epoch. 
“ Ciel et Terre,” in its monthly climatological review, notes 
that the rainfall has been below the mean in almost every month 
since January, 1883, 
