other savants, but no one appears able to identify it. The impression is, that it is echinodermatous in its nature, and it has been provisionally named by Dr. Gray Myriosteon Higginsii. This remarkable object has been transferred to the National collection in the British Museum.

THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

Little of general interest has transpired at the meetings of this Society during the past quarter, the most important communications being those of the Secretary, Dr. Sclater, either from persons residing abroad, or his own observations upon recent arrivals, and upon the animals in the Society's gardens. Perhaps, the most interesting communications were those relating to the collection of animals made by Captain Speke, during his expedition to Eastern Africa.

Dr. Sclater described the mammals and birds; Dr. Günther, the reptiles and fishes; Dr. Dohrn, the mollusca; and Mr. F. Smith, the insects collected by the great African traveller. Thirty-eight species of mammals were enumerated, amongst which the most remarkable was a new antelope of the genus Tragelaphus, which it is proposed to call T. Spekii; and sixty-one birds, including five new species.

This was at the meeting on the 8th of March. Mr. F. Buckland also read an interesting communication upon the habits of the spawning trout. He had learned easily to distinguish between the male and female at a glance as they swam; the male is always long in body, and generally has a hook-like projection from the lower jaw, the colour of the abdomen always chocolate, and a white line running along the pectoral fin, and usually on the ventral also. The female is shorter and rounder, and more wild and timid. He had succeeded in hybridizing the salmon and trout, and hoped in time to naturalize in the Thames a fish two parts trout and one part salmon, which should so combine the habits and excellencies of the two, that the non-migratory instinct should predominate over the migratory, and the fish thus be induced to remain up river.

On the 22nd March the Secretary drew attention to some recent additions to the ménagerie, the most remarkable of which were a young American monkey (Pithecia Satanas), and four examples of the Rufous-tailed pheasant (Euplocamus erythrophthalmus), the latter having been presented to the Society by their corresponding member, the Baboo Rajendra Mullick, of Calcutta.

These birds formed part of a collection brought over by Mr. J. Thompson, the Society's head-keeper at Calcutta, and presented by the native gentleman just named. Mr. Thompson had so ably managed the transport from Calcutta, as only to have lost a single bird on the passage.

Amongst other arrivals announced by Dr. Sclater (April 12th) was a living example of the tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), presented to the Society by Dr. George Bennett, of Sydney, along with some other rare Australian birds. At the subsequent meeting, April 26th, Dr. Sclater announced that Mr. Latimer, the Austrian

Consul at Porto Rico, had offered, through Lieut.-Colonel Cavan, to obtain for the Society some living Manatees (Dugongs), and that arrangements were being made for the transport of the animals to this country.

Amongst the papers descriptive of new collections, read by the Secretary (the specimens being, in some cases, exhibited), was one of birds collected by Rev. H. B. Tristram, now in Palestine. Amongst these were two new species, which Mr. Tristram proposed to call Passer Moabiticus, and Caprimulgus Tamarioca. Also a paper referring to a collection made by Mr. G. H. White, in the vicinity of Mexico, amongst which were several additions to the avi-fauna of that country, and other papers describing single examples of special interest to zoologists.

At the meeting on the 22nd of March, Dr. Günther read the first part of an account of a large collection of fishes made by Capt. Dow, and Messrs. Salvin and Gorman, at Panama, among which were many new and interesting species. He pointed out the structure, and mode of operation of a poison apparatus in a new species of fish of the genus Thalassophryne, belonging to the family Batrachida, which it was proposed to call T. reticulata. The poison organs consist of four hollow spines, two of them being dorsal, and the others formed by the acute termination of the operculum posteriorly. The canal in the interior of the spines terminates in each case in a sac, in which the poisonous fluid is collected. In the specimens examined by Dr. Günther, which had been preserved in spirits for nine months, the slightest pressure of the sac, situated on the operculum, caused a whitish fluid contained in it to flow freely from the hollow extremity of the opercular spine.

In the account of this apparatus, which appeared in the last number of the Natural History Review,' it was stated that," although many fishes have long had the reputation of being considered poisonous, no trace of any poisonous organ has been detected in them." This is an error. In the Proceedings of the Liverpool Literary and Philosophical Society, No. V. p. 156, is an excellent account of the anatomy of the stinging organs of the sting-fish, or Lesser Weever (Trachinus vipera), by Mr. I. Byerley, F.L.S., Seacombe, Birkenhead, accompanied by illustrative plates. In this paper the existence of poison glands in connection with the dorsal spines is demonstrated, and the character of these organs in our well-known British fish appears to be very similar to that described by Dr. Günther, in the Thalassophryne from Panama.

One or two communications of interest have been made by Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. On the 24th May, that gentleman described the cetaceous animals which have been observed in the seas surrounding the British isles, of which he enumerated twenty-eight species as having occurred on the coast of this country. At the same meeting he read a note upon Urocyclus, a new genus of terrestrial gasteropodous mollusks, discovered by Dr. Kirk (of Dr. Livingstone's expedition), in the Zambesi river. On March 8th, Dr. Gray described a new species of tortoise, discovered by Mr. Osbert Salvin, in Guatemala,

to be named Staurotypus Salvinii. He also read a paper upon the Chelydidæ, as distinguished by their skulls; and gave a synopsis of the sand-moles of Africa, including a description of two new species discovered by Captain Speke.

Amongst the notes read at the various meetings were the following:-by Mr. Flower, of the Royal College of Surgeons, on a lesser Fin Whale (Balæna rostrata), stranded upon the coast of Norfolk; by Dr. E. Crisp, on the Anatomy of the Eland; by Dr. Geo. Bennett, on the habits of the tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris); and by Mr. J. K. Lord, upon the use of a shell of the genus Dentalium, as a currency medium by the natives of Vancouver's Island, British Columbia.

XII. CHRONICLE OF RECENT SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN AMERICA.

By HENRY DRAPER, M.D., Professor of Natural Science in the University of New York.

SINCE the breaking out of the civil war in the United States in 1861, a strong military tendency has been communicated to scientific pursuits. This is well seen in the records of the Patent Office at Washington, where, during the past three years, not less than 1,140 improvements in cannon, projectiles, cartridges, &c., have been patented. A considerable number of these refer to attempts at producing breech-loading weapons of large calibre. The application of this principle has thus far been unsuccessful, and probably will continue to be so, on account of the difficulty of securing strength without unwieldiness. In smaller cannon it has been partially successful, while in fire-arms it has done so well as to give rise to serious discussion concerning the propriety of abandoning muzzleloaders altogether.

The most effective artillery that the war has produced has been the Parrot rifle, and the Rodman hollow-cast 15 and 20 inch guns. The former consists of a cast-iron barrel, strengthened at the breech by a reinforce of wrought iron. The durability of these weapons is so great, that a 30-pounder used against Charleston was fired 4,615 times before bursting. The range was five miles. The largest size as yet furnished for active service is a 300-pounder; many 200pounders have been made.

For heavy battering purposes and the destruction of iron-plated vessels, the Government has encouraged the construction of smoothbore cannon of great calibre; one of the forts in New York harbour having a battery of 15-inch guns, carrying 440-pound balls. The efficacy of these was tested in the battle between the Atlanta' and Weehawken,' in which the latter virtually decided the contest by the

first discharge of her 15-inch gun prostrating 40 men.

A 20-inch gun too has been recently successfully cast at Pittsburg on Rodman's principle. In order to make this monster piece of ordnance, which will throw a solid shot of 1,000 pounds, 104 tons of metal were melted, though the gun will only weigh, when finished, 56 tons. The essential feature of this system of casting is to cool the iron mass from the interior by means of a stream of water, which is sent to the bottom of the bore in a properly protected pipe, while the exterior is kept hot by a fire round it. In this instance air was substituted for the water after a certain length of time, as the water was found to lower the temperature of the metal too quickly. The running of the iron occupied only 214 minutes, and the gun was ready for the lathe in a fortnight. These hollow-cast guns are also very durable, the 15-inch at Fortress Monroe having been already fired 505 times.

The use of gun-cotton, which is attracting so much notice on account of the Austrian experiments, has not met with favour. Up to the present, it has only been the solution in ether and alcohol that has been rendered available. By the aid of a coating of collodion, a cartridge of compressed gunpowder is made perfectly waterproof, and yet may be inflamed by a percussion cap without being torn open by the soldier. The advantage in rapidity of loading and freedom from dampness is very obvious.

Much attention too has been directed to defensive as well as offensive warfare. Iron-plated vessels in large numbers have been built, the Government having a fleet of 75 on hand, or to be soon completed. The favourite style of protection has been with many layers of plates bolted or riveted together, and, where possible, backed with two or three feet of oak. A few vessels with solid plates of 4 inches thickness have been constructed; but since it has been found that the 21-inch gun with cast-iron round shot would penetrate such armour, they are no longer regarded as perfectly protected. The 'New Ironsides,' a ship of this kind, has, however, done well, not less than ten 10-inch shot having struck her near the water line, without doing any serious damage. She has been hit 213 times without losing

a man.

When a person enters a Monitor turret, he cannot fail to feel a sensation of absolute protection, surrounded as he is on all sides by 11 inches of iron. The only loss of life in these structures has been from boltheads flying off; but now that the use of through bolts has been dispensed with, this cause of insecurity no longer exists. In the iron-clad cruiser Dictator,'-320 feet long, 50 feet beam, and 20 feet depth of hold-which is at present making ready for a trip to Europe, the turret has been increased to 15 inches, and the side plating to 11 inches, with three feet of oak. She is expected to be quite fast, having two 100-inch cylinders of 4 feet stroke. The armament is only two guns, but they are of built-up wrought iron, and of 13 inches calibre. The maker, Mr. Ericsson, is to receive 1,000l. for every pound of powder over 50 pounds that they will burn. The risk of encountering a sca voyage has already been undertaken by Mr. Webb, who has just sent the Rè d'Italia,' iron-clad 44, to Naples. She made

the passage in 18 days and 18 hours, though the sea was so rough that the accompanying Italian frigate was almost lost.

As regards the protection of forts by iron, a paper has been written by General Barnard, in which it is shown that the only parts necessary to be protected in sea-coast works are the embrasures. In landworks he suggests having turrets in the salients, and, perhaps, sheathing the scarp wall. In the constructions of this kind, hitherto tested under fire, the plating has been with a double layer of railroad iron. After the capture of Fort de Russy, some experiments were made on such casemates, when it was found that they were very soon wrecked by the fire of 9-inch guns. The appearance in the figure shows the effect on casemate No. 2, at Fort Hindman, of the fire of the iron-clad 'Lexington,' at 400 yards. It is copied from the official drawing.

The most interesting mineralogical novelty is the development of petroleum boring. The quantity of this fluid exported during the past year was about 28,000,000 gallons, and the amount derived from its sale 2,400,000l. The export in 1861 was 1,112,476 gallons; in