376 
Notes. 
An apparent epidemic among ducks near Castres, in the de- 
partment of Tarn, proves to be simply poisoning by the leaves 
of Ailanihus glandulosa, which these greedy birds had eaten in 
spite of “ instincft.” 
The Rev. J. L. Zabriskie (“Journal of the New York Micro- 
scopical Society ”) shows that the ocelli of the hive-bees, not- 
withstanding their high convexity, must subserve remote vision, 
since they are hedged in by dense hairs, with openings suited 
only to command a view of distant objecfts. 
Can it be believed that, so recently as the year 1880, a man of 
position and education could be ignorant enough to write in a 
popular periodical — “ Man is distinguished from all other crea- 
tures by his possession of mind, — his powers of thought, judg- 
ment, and memory ” ! 
2 <JUN 1885 
