The apparatus which the lapidaries, who abound at every seaside town, use for cutting and polishing pebbles, is usually of the roughest kind. The tools required are: a lathe of the most simple description, a piece of sheet-iron or tin-plate about four inches in diameter, rounded and fitted to the lathe like a circular saw, a tool like a butcher's steel, with a square point tempered hard, a slab of Bath stone (flag), and a small piece of Water-of-Ayr stone (known in lithography as snake-stone, or the latest name given it is Tam-o'-Shanter stone). The circular plate dips into a trough containing a mixture of emery, quartz, sand, and water. With it the pebbles may readily be sawn into slices. The slices must then be affixed to a wooden face-plate by means of a cement composed of resin, shellac, and Veniceturpentine. You will thus be enabled to turn them to the desired shape. They are polished by rubbing on a flag of Bath stone with a little fine emery. This will make them pretty smooth. To get a fine polish rub them in the same manner, using putty powder instead of emery, or you may rub with Water-of-Ayr stone. To give the operator a command of the stone he is polishing, it is usual to fix it in the centre of a flat piece of wood, about two feet long, with the cement before mentioned. The stone must be kept wet whilst being operated upon. Many of the pebbles found on the sea-shore contain fossil remains, which are brought out in a striking manner by polishing, and as the substance in which the fossils are imbedded is frequently semi-transparent, the pebbles may be dried and used as photographic negatives."-S. Mason, Gloucester.

POISONOUS FUNGI.-Could any of your botanical readers supply me with the names of the fungi eaten in the two fatal cases of poisoning which occurred in Northumberland, and at Bexley, Kent, in September; also in any other fatal case ?-P. F. G.

TYPES OF STORM CLOUDS.-I do not know whether Mr. Barber is really serious in proposing the fantastic names for clouds which he gives, but it really seems that if we go into the classification of clouds after his fashion, we shall have a list as long as a "main t' gallant bowline." What is wanted is a simple classification for ordinary observers, and a complex scientific one for those more advanced; a classification of clouds into two families of Stratiforius and Cumuliforius meets the former case, and an extension of this, as proposed by the Rev. Clement Ley, the latter. A knowledge of forecasting can never be gained if simply the forms of clouds are to be noted a meteorologist must understand the conditions on which the clouds are formed first, then deduce his forecast from this.-David Wilson Barker, R.N.R.

BADGES WORN IN TIME OF WAR.-I have had in my possession for a great number of years, for it was given to me by the daughter of an English officer who served in the American War of Independencea seed-ball of the American "button-tree," which I was told had been worn in the button-hole of an officer of the American party at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, as a distinguishing badge." My specimen presents the appearance of having been so wornthe fruit-stalk has been twisted until it has been reduced to a bundle of fibres, which together are so strong and tough that there would be much difficulty in breaking them. Is there any record of these curious "button-balls" having been so worn by the soldiers who took the American side in the War of Independence?-Francis Brent, F.S.A., Plymouth.

FISH CULTURE IN FRANCE.-M. Jousset deBellesme, Director of the Trocadéro Aquarium, who for the past two years has been endeavouring to acclimatise American salmon in France, has just given a lecture on the subject, explaining the results achieved so far. In June last year, he deposited 22,000 salmon fry of the American species hatched in the Aquarium at eleven points of the basin of the Seinefrom Rouen to Les Andelys, in batches of 2000. The fish were then a trifle over four inches in length. In October following a few of the fish caught in the Loing and the Iton were found to have increased to. nine inches. Owing to the great mortality among the small fry hatched this year, which M. de Bellesme attributes to the substitution of Seine water for the pure water from the Vanne, he has succeeded in rearing only 10,000 salmon fry and 40,000 trout.

MUNCHAUSEN SCIENCE.-When sending you a paragraph a few days ago, in reference to this heading, I had not noticed that Mr. Bolton had already (p. 237) called the attention of your readers. to M'Intosh's British Annelids.-H. Ramsden.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

TO CORRESPONDENTS AND EXCHANGERS.-AS we now publish SCIENCE-GOSSIP earlier than formerly, we cannot undertake to insert in the following number any communications which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month.

To ANONYMOUS QUERISTS.-We must adhere to our rule of not noticing queries which do not bear the writers' names. TO DEALERS AND OTHERS.-We are always glad to treat dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general ground as amateurs, in so far as the "exchanges" offered are fair exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated.

We request that all exchanges may be signed with name (or initials) and full address at the end.

R. C. C.-Get Stark's "British Mosses," coloured plates, price 75. 6d.

W. HANNAN WATSON.-Apply to Mr. Henry Laver, F.L.I.,. Trinity Street, Colchester, for information concerning the black rat, etc.

H. W. LETT.-Your paper on the "Sunflower" shall appear shortly.

COLONEL.-Salticus tardigradus is not an uncommon species. of spider. You will find a full account of it in Staveley's "British Spiders," and also in Dr. Blackwall's work on British spiders.

G. W. BULMER.-We shall be pleased to receive any paper you may send us.

A. BENNETT (Croydon).-Unfortunately your paper arrived too late for the January number, as we had to go to press very early on account of the holidays.

G. E. EAST.-There formerly existed a "British Naturals History Society," but it was in reality for the purpose of distributing sets of specimens to subscribers. We believe it has. ceased to exist.

EXCHANGES.

FOR exchange, back vols. of "Entomologist," "Young Naturalist," "Union Jack," Naturalist," also odd numbers of "Entomologists' Monthly Magazine," and other periodicals; full list sent on application. Dragonflies wanted in exchange. -W. Harcourt Bath, Ladywood, Birmingham.

SKINS of weasel, hedgehog, and long-eared bat, etc.; specimens of Strex gigas, Gonepteryx rhamni, Lycana argiolus, and scores of other Lepidoptera. Wanted, dragonflies in good condition.-W. Harcourt Bath, Ladywood, Birmingham. COLLECTION of British land and freshwater sheils, all mounted and named, also minerals, fossils, marine shells, etc., offered for dragonflies, either British or foreign.-W. Harcourt Bath, Ladywood, Birmingham.

WANTED, foreign frogs and toads, alive, preserved in spirits, or otherwise.-W. Hannan Watson, 219 St. Vincent Street,. Glasgow, N.B.

OFFERED, Indian pappoose-holder, doil, redstone tipe bowl, bow and arrows, buckskin tobacco-pouch, mocas ius, land, freshwater, and marine shells. Wanted, land, freshwater, and marine shells, especially from southern countries. Send lists.Thomas E. Addy, 54 North Franklin Street, Janesville, Rock Co., Wisconsin, U.S.A.

WANTED, British ferns and grasses in exchange for flowering plants or books.-J. W. B., 56 Vine Street, Liverpool.

AN herbarium of British plants and mosses for what offers?J. H. Lewis, F.L.S., 145 Windsor Street, Liverpool.

A COLLECTION of botanical books and others for other books of general interest.-J. H. Lewis, F.L.S., 145 Windsor Street, Liverpool.

WANTED, a genuine clutch, with full data, of eggs of golden eagle, must be Scotch.-G. T. Phillips, Wokingham, Berks.

WANTED, Pisidium roseum, Bythinia Leachii, Limnea glutinosa and involuta, Testacella haliotidea, Helix lamellata, Helix pygmæa, Helix obvoluta, Bulimus moktanus, Clausilia biplicata, and Acme lineata. Good exchange.-F. R. Fitzgerald, Clifford House, Harrogate.

WANTED, vol. i. of Dr. Jeffreys' "British Conchology" and Hartings' "Rambles in Search of Shells."-F. Fitzgerald, Harrogate.

WANTED, fossil land and freshwater shells. Good exchange. -Fitzgerald, Harrogate.

WANTED, eggs of barn and long-eared owls, jay, chough, Dartford warbler, green woodpecker, red grouse; also nests of British and foreign birds. Good exchange.-Fitzgerald, Harrogate.

FOR exchange:-COINS.-Silver: Elizabeth. Copper: Jas. II., Wm. III. & Mary, Wm. III. Copper: Guernsey (8 doubles and 4 doubles), St. Helena (halfpenny), Nova Scotia (halfpenny), Columbia, Sierra Leone Company (anna). Silver: Hong Kong (10 cents). Copper: Belgium (5 cents and 2 cents), Norway: Carolus XIV. (2 skillings), Carolus XV. (2 ores), Oscar (3 skilling). Canton Schwyz (2 rappen). EGGS.-Wild duck, moorhen, plover, red-backed shrike, great tit.-F. R. Arundel, Friends' School, Saffron Walden.

NEVADA diatom deposit, clean, oz., for four good diatom or foraminifera slides, or for equal quantity of other cleaned diatom deposit.-Hutton, Mottram, Manchester.

MICROSCOPE, in good condition, monocular body, A and C eye-pieces, three objectives forming one, frog plate, animalcula cage, condenser, &c.; will exchange for 4-objective or offers. Wanted, stage micrometer; will exchange live or dead specimens of Hydrophilus piceus (beetle).-W. Turner, 89 Terminus Road, Eastbourne.

WANTED, SCIENCE-GOSSIP for Feb. 1884, having a coloured plate, in exchange for that of Jan. 1884, with coloured plate, or one mounted parasite micro slide.-T. S. Morten, 28 Haverstock Hill, London, N. W.

WANTED, eighteenth or nineteenth century tokens or coins, or medals; exchange, fossils from chalk, Thanet sands, etc.Fred. Stanley, Margate.

HAS any reader a superannuated rain gauge to dispose of? Required for class illustration, not for actual rain measurement: its being defective for latter purpose will not matter, if perfect enough to illustrate the principle.-Wm. Jacobs, 12 Selwyn Villas, Munster Road, Fulham, S.W.

ANY reader of SCIENCE-GOSSIP possessing a catalogue to one of the £5 55. collections of minerals and fossils by the late Mr. J. Tennant (149 Strand), is requested to communicate withH. J. Torpey, 120 Gower Street, W.C.

FOR exchange, scales of roach and black snake of Australia for microscopical purposes. Minerals: sylvanite (telluride of gold), auriferous quartz, Labradorite. Shells: Tapes virginea, Cypræa pantherina, Pentunculus glycimeris. All kinds of natural history objects wanted in exchange; also books on natural history.-E. O. Meyers, Richmond House, Hounslow, W.

WANTED, to exchange a number of good dried specimens of North American plants for continental or other foreign species. Will also exchange with N. American collectors, giving British and Continental in exchange.-A. E. Lomax, 56 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool.

Eumenes coarctata, some splendid cells containing live grub of this rare insect, all British. What offers ?-F. Dolamore, Avenue Road, Bournemouth.

WANTED, live or dead specimens of Vitrina pellucida and varieties; exchange given in freshwater shells.-W. E. Collinge, Springfield Place, Leeds.

LIASSIC and magnesian limestone fossils offered in exchange for mountain limestone fossils.-John Hawell, M.A., Ingleby Vicarage, Northallerton.

MICRO SLIDES.- Pollen of Salvia patens, in glycerine jelly; Sphærocrystals of cactus, dry; Phragmidium bulbosum, in C. B.; and Phragmidium gracile, in C. B.; to exchange for other mounts. Mutual approval.-Rev. H. W. Lett, M.A., Aghaderg Glebe, Loughbrickland, co. Down.

MOSSES.-Wanted, to exchange mosses from north of Ireland with former or new correspondents. I have Climacium dendroides in fruit.-Rev. H. W. Lett, M. A., Aghaderg Glebe, Loughbrickland, co. Down.

FOR exchange, Dilatatus and others for other land and water shells.-Sam. Clough, 21 Abingdon Street, Blackpool.

WANTED, British marine shells in exchange for Vaccaria Wigghii, Dudresnaia coccinea, and other rare algæ.-Mrs. Hodgson, Chalgrave Vicarage, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.

FIRST-CLASS lantern slides, 3 X 34, consisting of photo-micrographs of insects (whole and part), insects and vegetable parasites, diatoms, botanical subjects, etc.; list sent. Wanted, good micro slides, microtome, 1-inch or 4-inch objective, or offers.-W. D. Stewart, 2 Gilmore Terrace, Edinburgh.

FOR exchange, History of British India," by Edward Thornton, 1845, 6 vols., cloth 8vo, in good condition; "The Law relating to India and the East India Company," 1841, cloth 4to., published at £3 35. Books on natural history taken in exchange.-E. O. Meyers, Richmond House, Hounslow, W. A FEW good slides of spread diatoms in Tolu in exchange for other slides of Diatomacea-spread preferred. Send list.E. B. L. Brayley, Rockdeane, Hughenden Road, Clifton, Bristol.

AMMONITES, British and foreign, wanted; exchange in fossils, etc.-John Hawell, M.A., Ingleby Vicarage, Northallerton. LARGE collection of foreign shells offered in exchange for British.-Miss Linter, Arragon Close, Twickenham.

GOOD collections of minerals, including many fine and rare cabinet specimens; also collections of Echinoderms. Will exchange for good shells; list on application. - Miss Linter, Arragon Close, Twickenham.

Unio margaritifer (from the only known Lancashire locality) and A. cygnea and vars. for specimens of same species, or U.tumidus and U. pictorum from other localities.-R. Standen, Swinton, near Manchester.

WANTED, tropical marine mollusca. Offered, "Popular Conchology," by Agnes Catlow, 1843, describing families and genera, with 312 woodcuts; also "Common Objects of the Sea Shore," by Rev. J. G. Wood; "Geology for the Million," by M. Plues; and "Insect Transformations," part 2, 1830.-W. J. Jones, jun., 27 Mayton Street, Holloway, London, N.

WELL-MOUNTED slides of Foraminifera, Echinodermata, Polyzoa, Diatomaceæ, fish scales, crystals, and spicula, in exchange for other well-mounted slides; lists exchanged.-W. M. Ranson, The Cottage, Priory Road, Anfield, Liverpool.

BRITISH and foreign specimens of marine and land shells offered for others not in collection.-J. T. T. Reed, Ryhope, Sunderland.

HARTING'S "Rambles in Search of Land and Freshwater Shells," coloured plates, and "Reign of Law" (Argyll), for continental Anodons or Unios, or good figures or tracings of same.-George Roberts, Lofthouse, Wakefield.

ENGRAVINGS of varieties of Anodons and Unios for specimens of shells of various forms of British or continental anodons or Unios.-George Roberts, Lofthouse, Wakefield.

BOOKS, ETC., RECEIVED.

"Bees and Bee-keeping," vol. ii., by Frank R. Cheshire (London: Upcott Gill).-"Living Lights," by Charles F. Holder (London: Sampson Low & Co.).-"The Creator and Creation," by W. H. Dallinger (London: T. Woolmer).— -"The Microscope," translated from the German of Professor Carl Naegeli and Professor S. Schwendener (London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey, & Co.).-"Elements of Mineralogy," by F. Rutley (London: Thomas Murby). -"The Young Collector Series: Ants, Bees, Dragonflies, Earwigs, Crickets, and Flies," by W. H. Bath (London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey, & Co.).— "The Photographer's Indispensable Handbook," by Henry Sturmey (London: Iliffe & Son).-"An Elementary Treatise on Light and Heat," by Rev. F. Wilkins Aveling, M.A., B.Sc. (London: Relfe Bros.).-" Elementary Microscopical Manipulation," by T. Charters White (London: Roper & Drowley).Proceedings Folkestone Nat. Hist. Soc."-"Geology of Portland Promontory, W. Victoria,' by G. S. Griffiths."Ottawa Naturalist 'Journal of Conchology."-"The Microscope." "The Naturalist's Monthly." "Annals of Botany,' No. 2.-"Journal Quekett Micro. Club," Dec."Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes."-"Essex Naturalist "American Monthly Microscopic Journal.". 'Journal of Microscopy" "Century."-"Gentleman's Mag."-" Belgravia." "Midland Naturalist."-"Wesley Naturalist."American Naturalist."-"Victoria Naturalist."-" Garner." -"Amateur Photographer."-" British Dogs," No. 13.-"The Naturalist."-&c., &c., &c.

..

COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED UP TO THE 8TH ULT. FROM: J. S.-F. M.-C. P.-H. D. G.-C. P.-Rev. H. W. L.A. G. T.-F. R. A.-H.-F. R. F.-J.-W. B.-C. W. D.J. E.-P. J.-T. D. A. C.-R. G. W.-L. N.-G. A. P. C.— J. J. M. I.-A. G. T.-J. H. L.-J. E.-W. H. W.-F. S.T. H.-W. J.-R. P.-F. C. G.-H. J. T.-E. C. M.A. H. A.-J. B.-W. T.-E. A. H.-A. R.-T. S. M.A. E. L.-W. A. C.-H. H.-E. O. M.-B. T.-Dr. S.-G. R. -P. F. G.-J. T. T. R.-W. M. R.-G. E. E., jun.-T. W.W. J. J., jun.-T. W. C.-R. S.-L.-J. H.-W. E. C.E. B. L. B.-E. C. M.-E. C.-T. S.-W. D. S.-T. C.-E. S. -C. P. L.-J. B. B.-S. C.-F. E.-J. E. F.-Rev. J. E. W. -J. C.-C.-A. T.-H. P. S.-J. E.-B. T.-C. L. L.R. D. P.-T. H.-A. R T. W.-&c.

S year by year Science becomes more complicated, and the array of ascertained facts so vast as to be far beyond the grasp of any single brain, specialism must of necessity exist, and not only this, but to know anything thoroughly one must be more or less a specialist.

Nor is this to be regretted, since nearly all the knowledge of later days has been gained from work

ers in particular groups, and it is certainly true, that the man who knows one group well knows the principles of life, heredity, variation and distribution, so far as they can be known, and is able to apply these principles with nearly equal facility to other groups. Yet there is one kind of specialism very rife that I do protest against, as being productive of inconceivable misconception and narrowness of mind; that specialism which studies a group only as it occurs in a particular country or district, and cares nothing for its distribution or variation without that limit. And in thus protesting, I do not wish to say anything against local lists, which to me have the greatest value, or against those who give most attention to the fauna of their own district, for it is most natural and right that each should study what comes most directly under his observation, but against the feeling of contempt for all foreign species, and that ignorance which knows that Vanessa antiopa is a very rare butterfly which used formerly to be found at Camberwell, and thinks there is nothing more to know. No. 278.-FEBRUARY 1888.

My object, therefore, in this paper, is to rouse up some measure of interest in the foreign distribution of our British species among those who have hitherto regarded them from the British standpoint alone, and to show how we owe much of our native fauna to immigration, and on the other hand have from time to time sent forth emigrants to people other lands.

In a former note I attempted to divide up the British Mollusca into three sections, the Northern, Eastern, and Western; or otherwise, the Boreal, Germanic, and Lusitanic, and asked for adverse criticisms upon this arrangement, so that it might be put to the test. Dr. Kobelt, in an article published in Germany, took exception to the classification of a few species, but agreed with it in the main, and beyond this nobody seems to have disputed my division of our fauna, which is based upon that proposed by Forbes many years ago.

The circumpolar region it may be supposed, was at one time temperate in climate, and possessed a fairly uniform fauna and flora. Cold coming on, drove all forms of life southward, and hence the same species appeared simultaneously in Central Europe and Central North America, meeting and mingling with the fauna of the south-and thus was formed our British boreal fauna and flora.

Next, the question arises, how are the boreal types to be distinguished from the eastern and western? Their distribution in Britain is certainly some guide to this; the northern forms being mainly prevalent in Scotland and the North and West of Ireland, in which last district they mingle with the western; but Planorbis parvus-certainly a boreal type, is found in Devonshire and Surrey, and Cochlicopa lubrica is universal. One test alone seems to me a sure one, and that is by comparison with the North American fauna:- Whatever form in Britain is represented in North America by an identical or very nearly allied species belongs to the boreal type, except such as have been introduced by human agency, and perhaps certain migratory species.

Possibly, it does not always exclude a species from

C

the boreal fauna that it has no representative in North America, since there are forms peculiar to Northern Europe and Asia which are not American; yet I myself should be disposed to regard these as belonging rather to the Germanic than boreal typeas for instance, Limax cinereo-niger, which I had formerly considered boreal.

Another difficulty, and this a more serious one than might be supposed, is that of distinguishing which are the imported species in America.

One might think that there was no doubt that Vanessa atalanta was indigenous to America, yet Harris asserts that it was introduced from Europe with the common nettle, and considering that Pieris rapa was only introduced into Canada about 1857, and now occurs abundantly even to the Rocky Mountains and Georgia, doing damage to the cabbage crop estimated at thousands of dollars annually, it is hard to prove the nationality of a species by its present distribution.

So much for the specific forms, but how is it in the case of certain genera, such as Apatura? The European species of this genus are few, and the several species in America are decidedly southern in their distribution, A. alicia occurring from Texas to Florida, A. celtis not farther north than Virginia, and

so on.

This undoubtedly requires some explanation other than that of boreal origin, especially as it is by no means an isolated case, and the only one I have to offer is the following. In the Isle of Wight there are found fossil land-shells more nearly allied to West Indian than any European forms, and from this and other evidence it seems certain that ages ago there was some connection between Southern-Europe and what is now the West India region (Southern Africa being at the time probably cut off by the submergence of the central region) and a similar fauna existed throughout. The glacial period destroyed this fauna in Europe almost entirely— Central Africa being under water it could not migrate southward, and the American connection was cut off. But a few species survived in the Mediterranean region, and were the origin of Apatura in Europe, and such shells as the Mediterranean Tudora ferruginea, allied to common West Indian forms.*

I am at present situated in a district, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, peculiarly interesting from a geographical distribution point of view. The high mountain peaks, rising to over 14,000 feet, and continuous to the Arctic regions of British America, have been an easy pathway for the migration of boreal species southward, while a very different and un-European fauna occupies the lower regions, and mingles with the others on the mountain-side.

Of the forty-eight species of Mollusca ascertained to occur in Colorado, no less than fifteen may be

*And it is probable that the European genus Clausilia migrated to the West Indian and South American region during the same period.

considered specifically identical with British forms, and nine others are very closely allied, while the remainder belong to the peculiarly American fauna.

The fifteen European species, besides being found in Colorado, have a wide distribution and are doubtless native in America: Vitrina limpida (pellucida) is found in Massachusetts and Manitoba; and its variety angelicæ in Greenland; Hyalina nitida occurs in Michigan and Massachusetts; H. viridula (1 adiatula) as far north as Alaska (W. H. Dall), and east as Mass.; Conulus chersinus (fulvus) is found in Ontario and many other localities; Helix pulchella, var. costata, ranges to Anticosti Islands, and the type (lavigata) is common in Canada; Cochlicopa subcylindrica (lubrica) is abundant from Alaska to Mass. ; Pupa marginata is found in Mass., where there also occurs its variety edentula; Succinea ovalis (pfeifferi) is common in the eastern states and Canada; Limnæa stagnalis occurs in Manitoba, Ohio, &c., and there is an American variety, speciosa, Zgl., of which I have seen English specimens collected in Yorkshire ;* Limnæa palustris is universally abundant in the Eastern States and Canada, and very variable; L. humilis (truncatula, var.), is also generally distributed and common; Physa hypnorum occurs in Illinois, Ohio, Manitoba, &c.; Planorbis parvus (glaber) is a well-known eastern and Canadian species; as are also Pisidium abditum (pusillum) and P. variabile fontinale, subsp.).

There are, however, several species of European mollusca which have been introduced into America, and must on no account be confounded with the borcal fauna, such as Helix Cantiana in Canada, and Limax maximus (cinereus) in the northern, and Helix terrestris in the southern states.

THIS

(To be continued.)

THE WEATHER.†

HIS is an excellent book which was greatly needed. For many years observers have been noting their observations of barometers and thermometers, yet the 'great mass of these observations have been practically of but little use.

A few years since we heard a great deal about "the gay science." Most persons have mistakenly considered meteorology as the dismal science. Those who carefully peruse Mr. Abercromby's book will have no good excuse for still holding that opinion.

The first three chapters, which form Part I. of the book, are elementary, being weather-science and forecasting the weather. These chapters refer to

This variety differs from the type in its invariable tawny colour, its decided, almost regular striation, narrower aperture, outer lip less curved and not prominent, and its delicate closelyadherent white columellar callus.

"A Popular Exposition of the Nature of Weather Changes from Day to Day," by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby, F.R.M.S., etc. etc. (London: Kegan Paul & Co.)

observations of instruments and observations of the clouds.

Part II. of the book is advanced, and contains fifteen chapters. The headings of a few of these chapters will give some idea of their contents: Wind and Calm, Heat and Cold, Squalls and Thunderstorms, Whirlwinds and Tornadoes, Types and Spells of Weather.

After describing very clearly how isobars are formed, the author shows the relation of the velocity and direction of the wind to them, and the influence of different shapes of isobars in modifying the distribution of heat and cold from day to day in various parts of the world. Then the supposed relation between sunspots and rainfall is considered, and it is pretty clearly shown that no connection can be traced between them. For instance, in the year 1872-2 year when there was a maximum of sunspots-Buchan plotted the rainfall of Scotland, and found that while near Aberdeen the rainfall was seventy-five per cent. above the average, the amount of rain at Cape Wrath, about one hundred miles distant, was below the average. The author justly inquires why we should take the returns of one station more than another to compare with sun-spots, seeing that they should affect the whole world simultaneously.

In a book on weather prediction so complete, it is curious to find no reference to the use of the Rain Band Spectroscope for predicting rain locally. Those who have tried the instrument know that it is of the highest value for this purpose.

Writing now on the evening of December 4th, the barometer has been falling steadily since mid-day on the 1st instant—that is, successively night and day for three days. This morning, about 8 A.M., the clouds were very low and threatening, the atmosphere near the earth clear, so that hills six miles off were seen sharply defined; every appearance would have induced one to believe that rain was imminent. On observing the spectrum with the spectroscope, I found an almost total absence of the rain band; indeed, there was so little that only a well-trained eye could have detected it. No rain has fallen throughout the whole day.

I have in my mind a case of positive prediction instead of negative, perhaps to many still more convincing. On the eve of a Bank Holiday recently, one of my friends, who had come into the country to stay with me for several days, said to me, "We are going to have a glorious day to-morrow.' My reply was, "I am sorry to say we shall have a wet day tomorrow." "Nonsense," said my friend, who is something of a meteorologist, "the barometer has been rising for the last day or two, and we had a beautiful pink sunset." My answer was, "There is a strong rain band in the spectrum." The next morning, soon after 8 o'clock, it began to drizzle ; by 9 o'clock it was raining pretty fast, and it poured

almost continuously during the whole day. It would be easy to multiply such instances to almost any

extent.

Few persons are aware that a barometer rises very quickly an hour or two before a thunderstorm. This can seldom be observed, excepting on the diagrams taken with a self-registering barometer. A capital illustration is given in " Weather," by means of photography, from one of these diagrams. This sudden rise is mostly followed by two or three V's, resembling several reversed W's, with the V's becoming smaller and smaller, thus-MM, but the V's irregular in size.

It is pretty well known to my friends that I sleep so soundly that no thunderstorm will wake me. On one occasion recently, at the breakfast table, I was told there had been a thunderstorm in the night. I immediately replied there had been two, about three hours apart. "How can you know that, when they never wake you?" was the inquiry. I told them that before I dressed I had consulted my selfregistering barometer. As no one in the house had heard the two storms, my information was evidently doubted. Shortly afterwards a friend came in, who referred to the two storms, and said they were about three hours apart.

Considerations of space will not permit me to give an adequate idea of the matter in the volume, which consists of about five hundred pages, and contains nearly one hundred illustrations. It not only brings together all the knowledge we at present have on the subject of the weather, but it gives also the results of the author's original and unpublished researches, which are of great interest and value.

Mr. Abereromby's book is indispensable to all who wish to understand the present position of applied meteorology, as exemplified in weather forecasts.

THI

JOHN BROWNING.

CHATS ABOUT ROTIFERS.

(ERTEMIAS TETRATHRIX.)

HIS singular and rare rotiferon has been classified as belonging to the family Anurodæ, genus Ertemia (Gosse).

The lorica is smooth, and shaped like a deep obconic wine-glass, of which the foot is represented by a long attenuated rigid bristle. Three similar bristles project from the front edge of the lorica. The centre bristle (the longest of the three frontal ones) springs from the dorsal margin, and is about one-fifth longer than the two side bristles.

The head is projected a short distance from the mouth of the lorica, and crowned with a wreath of closely set vibratile cilia.