Notes. 
[November, 
694 
At the recent meeting of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science the Section of Microscopy and Histology 
was abolished. This is a step in the right direction. Histology 
is simply a branch of Biology, and Microscopy is a case of “ cross- 
divisions.” 
Said a ledturer before the Society of Arts : — “ When large 
London estates were rapidly covered with houses, that scourge 
of London arose — the modern speculative builder. Calculating 
on a rapid fortune, he invented one house. That one house has 
been repeated ad infinitum , — a forlorn design it is, and the ex- 
ample so profitable to the builder has covered modern London 
with the dreariest streets to be seen anywhere in Europe.” 
Mr. A. B. Lee contends that the halteres of the Diptera con- 
tain, besides the organs of hearing, other organs of doubtful 
function. 
Dr. Shufeldt, writing in “ Science,” confirms the experiments 
of Miss von Chauvin on the tranformations of the axolotl. He 
finds that the metamorphosis is hastened by abundance of suit- 
able food and by a moderate increase of temperature, and 
retarded by an extra depth of water. 
Whilst cheerfully acknowledging the many services which 
the late Earl of Shaftesbury rendered to the country, we are 
bound to put on record our profound regret that he should have 
lent his name and influence to that deplorable outburst of 
fanaticism, the Bestiarian movement. 
Dr. Rohe maintains that the rate of self-purification in rivers 
is limited, and may be easily exceeded by the rate of pollution. 
[We are not aware that anyone has questioned these propo- 
sitions.] 
Prof. H. Drummond claims for the termite ( vulgo , white ant) 
a very important part in the formation of soils in tropical 
countries. 
In the present smallpox epidemic at Montreal the deaths up 
to a certain date were — Catholics 750, Protestants 35. The 
Catholics rejecft vaccination, and the Protestants accept it. The 
“ Echo,” a well-known anti-vaccinationist organ, admits that, if 
vaccination is useless, at least 250 Protestants should have died 
to equalise the death-rate. 
Mr. R. A. Mullan, an Irish solicitor, observed during a recent 
hailstorm in County Down that some of the stones were deci- 
dedly red, and this not merely on the surface. On melting they 
stained his fingers. 
It is asserted in some quarters that H. Milne-Edwards, to- 
wards the close of his life, gave in his adhesion to Evolutionism. 
