slightly excentric with regard to the sun, so that the earth passes through its extremity once in its revolution, about Nov. 12.-[Edinb. Trans.]

Chladni conceives innumerable small bodies revolving in the solar system, and subject to the laws of gravitation. Messier, in 1777 (Memoirs of Royal Acad. Paris, 1777, p. 464), has recorded "Observation singulier d'une prodigieuse quantité de petites globules qui ont passé au devant du disque du soleil." Mr. Rumker has more recently recalled the attention of astronomers to the subject.

Some supposed analogous phenomena are not perhaps really entitled to be so considered; yet they tend to support the fact that diffuse matter of kinds little known may exist.

Such instances are those of dry fogs occasionally observed. The most remarkable on record is, perhaps, that of 1783; a remarkable year, in which, besides this phenomenon, there occurred a great volcanic eruption of Hecla, earthquakes in Calabria, and the passage of one of the largest and most remarkable meteors ever witnessed, and seen all over England.

The fog occurred over a great part of Europe, the north of Africa, and North America; but not in the middle of the Atlantic, perhaps owing to some current of the atmosphere which partially cleared it away. It continued more than a month. In some places it was observed to obscure or redden the sun; yet in general the stars were seen through it. It was accompanied by an unpleasant smell, was perfectly free from moisture, not affecting the hygrometer, and exhibited a phosphorescence.

It has been argued that its long continuance precludes the idea of its being the tail of a comet; but this is no proof that it might not have been a portion detached from such a nebulous mass, and retained by the earth till condensed or dissipated: whether it could be connected with the volcanic eruption, or with the meteor, remain questions open to speculation.

In 1831 a similar phenomenon was observed on the African coast, N. America, and Asia Minor, as well as in France and some other parts of Europe. The sun is said to have appeared blue through it; but the stars were occasionally obscured. These phenomena, however, may be purely terrestrial; as the Harmattan, or blowing of dust from the African deserts over the Atlantic, as well as the dust from volcanic eruptions, have been known to produce very similar effects.

In the catalogue originally given by Chladni (see Edinb. Phil. Journal, No. II.), largely confirmed by later instances, we find full verification of the fact, that meteoric matter has fallen of every degree of density, from the condition of almost pure metal to that of ore or oxide, more or less earthy, to matter of light, porous, soft or spongy nature, or even of the character of fine dust, or a dry fog or haze floating in the atmosphere: though it must be owned, the connexion of such phenomena as the last mentioned with those of meteoric masses may not be sufficiently proved.

[For some details in reference to this point, see Arago on the comet of 1833 (translation by Col. Gold); also Comptes Rendus,' 1847.]

The student should not overlook the ingenious conclusion of Sir H. Davy (Phil. Trans. 1817, Pt. I. p. 75), that the combustion of meteors must be that of solid matter, since combustion of elastic fluids could not be supported in so rarefied an atmosphere as exists at the great heights at which it occurs even in those instances which fall within the limits of our atmosphere.

One of the most instructive cases is that of a great meteor observed at the Cape of Good Hope (Phil. Trans. 1839, Part I.) which was seen to burn by daylight and to fall in portions, which were immediately collected and examined. The most considerable part of it is preserved in this country.

Those masses appear partially rounded, but broken in their fall, and of an earthy texture like baked clay, easily broken.

The meteorite which fell at Launton, 1840, preserved in the collection of Dr. Lee, at Hartwell House, is of a somewhat angular form, but having all its edges and corners rounded: an exact model of it exists in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

No. 4.-Extract from the communication of Mr. F. Morton.-The August meteors at Wrottesley, 1859 :—

"The display of meteors during the night was very grand. During an hour, from 1h 10m a.m. to 2h 10m a.m., 72 were counted in all parts of the heavens, the majority of which were followed by trains of sparks. The prevailing direction of their flight was towards the N.W. During the next halfhour at least 40 were seen, but the number was not accurately noted. A great number of those observed (from 25 to 30) were very fine, larger in fact than Capella or a Lyræ, which were then visible, several being larger than Venus when brightest. Though two observers were on the look-out together, no meteor was counted twice.

"Aug. 23, at 1h 13m a.m., the opening in the equatorial dome being E.S.E., a brilliant light was seen reflected from the western wall. This must have been caused by a very fine meteor, as the room was strongly illuminated at the time by the moon. Local mean solar time has been used throughout."

Report on a Series of Skulls of various Tribes of Mankind inhabiting Nepal, collected, and presented to the British Museum, by BRYAN H. HODGSON, Esq., late Resident in Nepal, &c. &c. By Professor OWEN, F.R.S., Superintendent of the Natural History Departments in the British Museum.

MR. B. H. HODGSON, who has contributed an important element to the ancient history of India by his successful labours in unrolling the Buddhist records and deciphering the Buddhist inscriptions of Nepal*, has established an additional claim to the gratitude of the ethnologist by the assiduity with which he has collected the skulls of the various tribes or races of that part of the Indian continent.

This collection forms part of a still more extensive series of objects of Nepalese Natural History, contributed by the liberality of Mr. Hodgson to the National Collections.

The human crania, most of them adult, are upwards of 90 in number, and belong to the following

* Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, in the volume on General Subjects of Himalayan Ethnology.

NEWAR TRIBE (12 skulls).

The general characters of the skulls of this tribe conform to those of the Indo-European type; but they are all slightly prognathous. They present a regularly-shaped fullish-oval cranium, showing varieties between the two extremes, as to length, of from 7 inches 6 lines (190) to 6 inches 4 lines (160)*, and, as to breadth, from 5 inches 8 lines (1480) to 4 inches 11 lines (1260); the broadest cranium being the shortest, viz. 160, the narrowest being the longest, viz. 190. The forehead is narrow, and, in most, low; but with well-marked varieties in this respect. The cheek-bones are rather prominent in a few skulls. The nasal bones show much variety, from great length and prominence to Ethiopian flatness. The supraciliary prominence is generally but little marked. The mentum is rather prominent, but short, except in two skulls, marked "from Saukhmol, Hill-man and woman." The frontal suture is obliterated, and the alisphenoids join the parietals, in all

these crania.

The complexity of the sutural lines is various, being in most rather simple. The broad cranium (1 x, x, x, x) belongs to the so-called 'brachycephalic' type; the narrow one (1 v, v, v, v) to the 'dolichocephalic' type. The average, which is also the common breadth, of the cranium, is 5 inches 3 lines (134·0).

Characters, Varieties, or Anomalies of Dentition.-In the Hill-man, the molar, m 1, has the enamel worn from the summit, and a smooth hollow of dentine is shown: p 4 and m 2 are partially worn, and p 3 and m 3 are slightly worn. In two skulls, the last molar, m 3, is not developed on either side of the mandible.

LEPCHA TRIBE (9 skulls).

The majority of these skulls show a greater prominence of the malar bones than in the Newar tribe; but whilst one Lepcha (b. e, e, e, e) exhibits a beautiful Indo-European form, another (1 a, a, a, a) closely resembles or repeats the Australo-Papuan type of cranium. The differences, as to length of cranium, range from 7 inches 4 lines (1860) to 6 inches 4 lines (1620); in breadth, from 5 inches 8 lines (1440) to 5 inches (128-0); the narrowest skull (1 a, a, a, a) here, also, being the longest. We have in this series of skulls both brachycephalic and dolichocephalic types strongly marked-most of them having crania rather of the shorter than the longer oval, when viewed from above. All are more or less prognathous; those being least so which have least prominent malar bones. The chin is prominent in all. The nasal bones show the same range of variety as in the Newar tribe, ranging from prominence with compression and length, to breadth with shortness and flatness. There is more variety in the prominence of the frontal sinuses and superorbital ridges in the Lepcha than in the Newar tribe.

The frontal suture is obliterated, and the alisphenoids join the parietals, in all,-in one skull (1 c, c, c, c) by a mere point, in the rest broadly, as usual in Indo-European skulls. The forehead is rather low; is narrow in some: in one only is it broad in proportion to the cranium.

Anomalies of Dentition.-In one skull (1 y, y, y) m 3 is wanting in both jaws, in which m 1 and m 2 are worn, and there is no trace of loss of m 3. In another (1 d, d, d, d), the left p 4, upper jaw, is abnormally small.

Upon the whole, these Lepcha skulls are to be referred to a low, uneducated, and undersized family of the Indo-European race; but one (1 z, z, z) approaches the Ethiopian type, another (1 a, a, a, a) the Australian type;

* French decimal system.

whilst a third (b. e, e, e, e) shows almost the Greek model, save in a slight prognathism.

BHOTIA TRIBE (9 skulls).

In the nine skulls of this tribe it is instructive to find, as in the two former tribes, both the brachy- and dolicho-cephalic proportions exhibited. The extremes of length range from 7 inches (1770) to 6 inches 3 lines (160·0); those of breadth from 5 inches 8 lines (1440) to 5 inches 1 line (1300); the broadest skull here, also, being the shortest. Save in two instances, apparently females, the malars are large and prominent, and the general aspect of the skulls is rather that of a Mongolian than Indo-European type. The former is very strongly manifested in a skull (1 q, q, q) marked "Inu Bhotia trans nivem"; and also in a "Sharpa Rhotia" (1 z, z, z, z), which shows the shortness and breadth of cranium, which has been ascribed by Blumenbach to the 'Turkoman's,' skull. In the Inu Bhotia the frontal suture is persistent, and the interorbital space is very broad: the muscular insertions on the occiput are strongly marked. All the Bhotias are prognathous; and, in all, the chin is prominent. The nasal bones are the seat of the same kind and range of variety as in the preceding tribes. In all the skulls the alisphenoids join the parietals, but with variable proportions-from two-thirds of an inch to a mere point.

Dental anomalies.-m 3, on the left side of the mandible, has protruded by the side, instead of the summit, of its crown.

MURMI TRIBE (7 skulls).

This series includes two certified female skulls and one skull of a child. One of the male skulls is more prognathous than in the previous races: in this respect the maxillary characters are those of the Ethiopian; but they are combined with a vertical forehead, with well-developed nasals, and with moderate malar bones: the cranium shows the Caucasian oval form: the alisphenoid joins the parietal by a suture of one inch in extent. The other male skulls are less prognathous and in various degrees: two of them show prominent malars: the nasals vary from extreme prominence (l. i, i, i, i) to flatness (l. m, m, m, m). The forehead is low in most, and is narrow in all. There is as much variety in the proportions of cranial length to breadth, in regard to the number of skulls, as in the foregoing series. The longest skull is 7 inches 3 lines (1820); the shortest measures 6 inches 3 lines (1580): the broadest is 5 inches 5 lines (1370); the narrowest is 4 inches 10 lines (1230): the shortness being more or less compensated by breadth, and vice versa. In all the seven skulls the alisphenoids join the parietals, and the frontal suture is obliterated. These skulls show much variety in regard to the complexity of the cranial sutures.

MAGAR TRIBE (5 skulls).

Of this tribe, three skulls are of males, and show a longer form of cranium, with larger and more robust general proportions, than in the Murmi tribe. The length, in the three males, ranges from 6 inches 8 lines (1660) to 7 inches 5 lines (1880); the breadth from 5 inches (1220) (in two) to 5 inches 31 lines (1350). In two skulls the malars are prominent: in all the upper jaw is prognathous, and the lower jaw has a prominent mentum. The nasal bones are generally prominent. The occipital half of the cranium is unsymmetrical in one skull (l. u, u, u, u, u), which also shows a large foramen jugulare on the more prominent side. The alisphenoids join the parietals, and the frontal bone is single, in all the seven Magar skulls.

1859.

H

SUNWAR TRIBE (6 skulls).

Four out of the six skulls of this tribe show the broad and short or rounded form of cranium; a fifth would be classed as dolichocephalic; the sixth shows an intermediate type. The upper jaw is short, broad, slightly prognathous; the mentum moderately prominent; the malars prominent in all: upon the whole, the Mongolian or Turkoman type prevails in this series of Sunwar skulls. The dolichognathous skull (1. o, o, o, o, o) measures, in length, 7 inches 4 lines (1860); in breadth, 5 inches 1 line (1310): the average length of the four brachycephalic skulls is 6 inches 5 lines (1670); the average breadth is 5 inches 9 lines (1450). In all the skulls the alisphenoids broadly join the parietals, and the frontal suture is obliterated; the nasals vary from prominence to flatness.

LIMBU TRIBE (5 skulls).

These skulls exhibit a great range of variety: the one marked “l.x,x,x,x,x," in the oval contour of the cranium and face, in the delicate, almost vertical malars, in the form of the maxillaries, and in the development of the nasals, conforms to the Caucasian type; but although the forehead has proportionally a good shape and development, the capacity of the cranium is small. The skull marked “1 v, v, v, v, v," in the narrow and elongate form of the cranium, in the flatness of the nasals, in the projection of the broad jaws, and divergence of the malars, exemplifies the Negro type of skull. The length of this cranium is 7 inches 3 lines (1850); its breadth is 5 inches 4 lines (1360). The skull marked "1 z, z, z, z, z," combining a broad rounded form of cranium with a broad malar region, and a broad, short, yet somewhat prognathous upper jaw, conforms to the Mongolian type. The same type, with a somewhat longer form of skull, predominates in No. 1 w, w, w, w, w, in which the length of the cranium is 6 inches 5 lines (1680), and the breadth is 5 inches 83 lines (1450). In all these skulls the alisphenoids join the parietals, and the frontal is undivided. The same range of variation in the development of the nasal bones prevails as in the preceding series.

The principal anomalies shown in this series are the anchylosis of the atlas to the occiput in 1 y, y, y, y, y, leaving only the left neurapophysis, behind the condyle, free; this is separated from the right neurapophysis by an interval of 7 lines: the right posterior zygapophysis is double the size of the left one, and is convex: the nasal spine of the premaxillaries is much produced. In the skull marked "I w, w, w, w, w," the upper or interparietal part of the 'squama occipitalis' is formed by three large wormian bones.'

KIRANTI TRIBE (5 skulls).

The same exemplification of both Caucasian and Mongolian types is given by this as by the preceding series of five skulls; but no Kiranti skull shows the simious combined with other Æthiopian characters: the nasal bones in all are prominent and well-developed. The oval or elongate form of cranium prevails, with a moderately prognathous jaw. In three of the skulls the malar bones project outwards. The chin is well-marked. The length of the cranium varies little, the average being 6 inches 10 lines (1740); the breadth varies from 4 inches 9 lines (1200) to 5 inches 5 lines (1380). In all the skulls the alisphenoids join the parietals, and the frontal is undivided.

Anomalies.-One skull (1 a, a, a, a, a, a) shows a wormian bone in the sagittal suture, and a pair of well-marked 'paroccipital' processes: the skull (1 b, b, b, b, b, b) shows a mal-position of m 3 on both sides of the upper jaw.