Notes. 
1885.] 
11 7 
Prof. A. Hyatt (American Association) in a critique on the 
commonly received views on Heredity, gave the case of a man 
who resembled his mother on one side of his body, and his father 
on the other. 
The “ Kansas Review of Science” gives a long and elaborate 
argument to prove that the Romans colonised America. The 
evidence brought forward is merely etymological. 
A “ Bureau of Scientific Information” is being organised in the 
United States. 
Dr. Chapman, in the “ Westminster Review,” speaks of the 
disappearance of birds during an outbreak of cholera as an esta- 
blished fadt. 
Mr. Cramer (Brooklyn Entomological Society) affirms that 
twenty-four hours after blowing the larval skin of Papilio philenor 
he has observed the organs of the mouth still moving as in life. 
We regret to learn that “ M.A. (Oxon),” of “ Light,” is suffer- 
ing from the results of a serious accident. 
“ Light ” is responsible for the following : — “ I was sitting,” 
said Lord Tennyson, “ at Mr. Gladstone’s, one side of the table, 
and Mr. Tyndall was at the other ; Mr. Tyndall had been talking 
of ‘ God as a notion invented by poets and philosophers ’ ; — 
‘ Then leave it, Mr. Tyndall,’ said Mr. Gladstone, ‘ to the poets 
and philosophers, and stick to your science.’ ” 
Dr. Merriam (“ Science ”) denies that the bite of the skunk 
normally occasions a peculiar kind of hydrophobia, known as 
rabies rnepliitica. He also controverts the notion that the “ spike 
horn buck” is a distindt variety of the Virginia deer, and shows 
that they are merely yearling bucks with their first antlers. 
“Science” writes that the American National Academy of 
Sciences is “ the only Government organisation now existing, or 
which ever has existed, the members of which were required to 
give their services to the Government without charge whenever 
called upon.” Our contemporary is probably not aware that in 
Britain scientific societies, though not Goverment organisations, 
are expecfted to give advice gratis to any Government Depart- 
ment which may need it. 
M. G. Pouchet (“ Comptes Rendus ”) has extracted from the 
evacuations of cholera-patients an extremely poisonous ptomaine. 
If a trace of this liquid is injedted under the skin of a frog, death 
rapidly ensues, preceded by a remarkable slowness in the motions 
of the heart, and followed by the most intense rigidity. 
M. F. Laur (“ Comptes Rendus ”) calls attention to the coin- 
cidence between an earthquake felt at St. Etienne and a sudden 
fall of the barometer succeeding a time of high pressures. 
