406 
FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
of the cchinus_, the shells of the mollusca, the scales of fishes, 
and the chondriform and mcmbraniform bones and teeth of 
the vertebrate animals. He further suggested for inquiry 
how far the structureless basement membrane seen under¬ 
lying the calcareous layer of many calcified structures {e. g., 
the pulp membrane of the tooth) played some part equivalent 
to the parchment dialyser of Mr. Graham. 
Bird Murder in Sussex. —The West Sussex Gazette 
mentions that on the 5th ult. the annual meeting of the Shipley 
Sparrow Club was held, and upon examination of the accounts 
it appeared that 3,099 sparrows and 3,262 other birds—total, 
7,261, had been destroyed in the past year. Prizes were 
awarded to the three members who had destroyed the 
greatest numbers, and it was resolved to continue the club 
another year. 
Birds as Destroyers of Insects. —A distinguished natu¬ 
ralist, M. Florent Prevost, conceived the idea that it would 
be a matter of great interest to collect, at different periods 
of the year, the stomach of every description of bird he was 
enabled to procure, to examine and preserve its contents. 
This collection, commenced thirty-five years since, has now 
reached a considerable size. The stomachs, opened and 
dried, together with their contents, are fixed on cardboard, 
upon which are inscribed, besides the name of the species of 
the bird, the indication of the localitv and the date of its 
death, together with the names of the animals or plants 
which have been recognised as forming part of the contents 
of its stomach. It results from these researches that birds 
are in general far more useful than hurtful to the agricul¬ 
turist, and that the mischief done at certain periods by the 
granivorous species is largely compensated by the con¬ 
sumption of insects they effect at other periods .—Medical 
Times. 
Influence of Ozonized Air upon Animals. —Dr. 
Ireland says — These experiments were most carefully 
performed, and all sources of complication avoided as care¬ 
fully as possible; and, as I felt satisfied of their correctness, 
I saw no reason to sacrifice the lives of more animals in re¬ 
peating them. 1 submit to the reader the following conclu¬ 
sions :— 1. Ozonized air accelerates the respiration, and, we 
may infer, the circulation. 2. Ozonized air excites the nervous 
system. 3. Ozonized air promotes the coagulability of the 
blood, probably by increasing its fibrine. In the blood. 
