the neuropile of that ganglion, ends in a small tuft of fine branches in the next ganglion behind. (2) Elements starting from a cell in one ganglion of the thorax, giving off a fibre which sends out lateral arborescent branches in the ganglion, passes forwards to the next ganglion, where it gives off a small tuft of branches, and finally ends in a tuft of branches in the ganglion next but one in front of that in which the cell lay. The terminal tuft of each element lies close to the lateral tuft of the corresponding element of the next ganglion, and opposite the terminal tuft of the elements of Group 1. (3) Elements starting from a cell in a ganglion giving off a fibre, which passes through one of the lateral nerves and finally breaks up upon a muscle. The Influence of Previous Fertilisation of the Female on her Subsequent Offspring, and the Effect of Maternal Impressions during Pregnancy on the Offspring.-Interim Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. A. RUSSEL WALLACE (Chairman), Dr. JAMES CLARK (Secretary), Dr. G. J. ROMANES, Professor S. J. HICKSON, Professor E. A. SCHÄFER, and Dr. J. N. LANGLEY. (Drawn up by the Secretary). THE members of this Committee wish to express their deep sense of the irreparable loss they have sustained in the death of Dr. Romanes, whose previous experience in this difficult field of inquiry rendered his judg ment and advice invaluable. During the past year the efforts of the Committee have been mainly directed to collecting facts and statistics relating to Telegony. In this they have received considerable assistance from the principal agricultural clubs in the country, and have been offered assistance by several societies in France, Switzerland, Germany, and America. Twenty-five preliminary reports have also been received from veterinary surgeons in Scotland and the North of England. In all over 900 letters and reports have been received. The majority, however, are too vague to be of any service, and many correspondents send generalisations based on personal observation and experience,' instead of recording facts. In the description of actual cases, too, the data supplied are generally too meagre. On account of the difficulty of obtaining reliable and sufficient data, the Committee consider it advisable to defer the publication of the collected facts until the important points connected with each can be verified or corroborated. An examination of the pedigree cattle and of the stud-books and prizebred horses of Yorkshire is also in progress, and will, it is hoped, be completed in the course of a few months. The belief in Telegony among breeders and fanciers is very widely spread. The general consensus of opinion among our correspondents is that it frequently occurs in cats, occasionally in dogs and horses, rarely in birds, and almost never in cattle and sheep. The majority of the writers further insist that it is the first fertilisation only that has any effect upon subsequent offspring by a different male. On account of the amount of work that still remains to be done, the Committee respectfully request that they may be re-appointed for another year. Index Generum et Specierum Animalium.-Report of a Committee, consisting of Sir W. H. FLOWER (Chairman), Dr. P. L. SCLATER, Dr. H. WOODWARD, and Mr. W. L. SCLATER (Secretary). THE proposed Index Generum et Specierum Animalium' is being compiled by Mr. C. Davies Sherborn, at the British Museum (Natural History). The work on this index, which includes all animals, whether recent or fossil, has proceeded steadily since June 1890. The manuscript now consists of 180,000 slips, representing 90,000 species and genera recorded in duplicate. One set is sorted under genera for the convenience of students and the other set is kept under books,' so that it is possible at any moment to obtain a complete list of every genus and species described in a particular volume. ་ As the work proceeds much valuable information as to the dates of books is obtained, and this if sufficiently important is published: e.g., Sowerby, 'Genera of Shells,' see' Annals and Mag.,' April 1894; Schreber, 'Saugthiere,' see Proc. Zool. Soc.,' Jan. 1892; Encyclop. Méthodique,' see Proc. Zool. Soc.,' June 1893. The small grant of 207. made by the British Association in 1892 is the only financial help yet received towards the work, and has been expended upon paper. The Committee therefore ask for a new grant of 501. toward a work which daily increases in importance and usefulness. The Legislative Protection of Wild Birds' Eggs.-Report of the Committee, consisting of Sir JOHN LUBBOCK, Bart., F.R.S. (Chairman), Professor ALFRED NEWTON, F.R.S., Rev. Canon TRISTRAM, F.R.S., Mr. JOHN CORDEAUX, Mr. W. H. HUDSON, Mr. HOWARD SAUNDERS, Mr. THOMAS H. THOMAS, Dr. C. T. VACHELL, and Mr. H. E. DRESSER (Secretary). (Drawn up by the Secretary). YOUR Committee beg leave to report that in the early portion of the present Parliamentary Session a fresh Bill to amend the Wild Birds Protection Act, 1880, was brought into the House of Commons by Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P., and others, which Bill was on April 3 ordered by the House to be printed. Your Committee had already been in communication with Sir Herbert Maxwell on the subject, and it was arranged to hold a meeting to discuss the clauses of this Bill, and a meeting was accordingly held on April 6, at which Sir Herbert Maxwell attended. The present Bill differs from that brought in by Sir Herbert Maxwell last Session (1893), in prohibiting the taking of the eggs of any specified kind within the limits of the country, or part or parts thereof, or else the taking of the eggs of any species within a certain stated area; it being left in the hands of the County Council to adopt either alternative. After some discussion it was decided by your Committee to approve the draft Bill as prepared by Sir Herbert Maxwell. This Bill has since passed through both Houses with but slight opposition, and has now come into force. Migration of Birds.-Interim Report of a Committee, consisting of Professor A. NEWTON (Chairman), Mr. JOHN CORDEAUX (Secretary), Messrs. R. M. BARRINGTON, J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, W. EAGLE CLARKE, and the Rev. E. P. KNUBLEY, appointed for the purpose of making a Digest of the Observations on the Migration of Birds at Lighthouses and Light-vessels. THE Committee have to report that the systematic tabulation of the various items in the schedules has at length been completed by one of their number-Mr. W. Eagle Clarke-and that they are now prepared to approach the subject of the final report, which it is hoped will be ready for presentation at the meeting of the Association in 1895 or, at the latest, at the meeting in 1896. The Committee trust that the Association will reappoint them as before. The Climatological and Hydrographical Conditions of Tropical Africa.Third Report of a Committee consisting of Mr. E. G. RAVENSTEIN (Chairman), Mr. BALDWIN LATHAM, Mr. G. J. SYMONS, and Dr. H. R. MILL (Secretary). (Drawn up by Mr. E. G. RAVENSTEIN.) YOUR Committee, up to the end of July last, had issued five sets of meteorological instruments at a cost, including forms, carriage, &c., exceeding 100. The first of these sets was entrusted to Mr. J. W. Moir (British Central Africa), the second to Mr. Buchanan (British Central Africa), the third to Captain Gallwey (Warri, Benin), the fourth to the Rev. C. Bonzon (Lambarene on the Ogowe), and the fifth to the Rev. R. Glennie (Bolobo, Congo). A sixth set is kept in reserve for British East Africa. Two of these sets, namely, those in the hands of Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Glennie, include Fortin barometers, whilst that granted to Captain Gallwey includes a black bulb thermometer. Observations up to the latest possible date have been received from Mr. Glennie, Mr. Bonzon, and Dr. Roth as representing Captain Gallwey. Instructions have been issued to the officials of the Royal Niger Company to make their observations in future in accordance with the rules laid down by your Committee, and the like step is contemplated by the British East Africa Company. Summaries of meteorological returns are appended to this report. Your Committee are quite aware that these observations are not in every instance as complete and trustworthy as could be desired. In some cases the hours of observation are ill chosen (a very common occurrence), in others the instruments are defective or the corrections to be applied to the readings are unknown. If they are published notwithstanding, it is done because they refer to localities concerning which nothing or very little is known at the present time. Quite a number of meteorological records offered to the Committee for publication have had to be rejected as being on the face of them utterly untrustworthy. It seems a pity that so much time and labour should have been wasted upon recording observations which with a little forethought and caution might have furnished important information on the climate of Tropical Africa. The grant of 57. made to the Committee last year was not claimed. Bolobo, Congo. Lat. 2° 10' S., Long. 16° 13' E., 1080 feet. Observer: Rev. Robert Glennie, Baptist Missionary Society. January February. March April May. June July August Year 28.824 28.854 28.733 28.779 28.783 77.4 77-8 102-5 76-7 91 74 84 72-0 77-2 72-6 5.24 7 Fall In. 2-01 72 86 72-3 77·0 73:3 6.78 10 2.34 70 86 72-4 78.0 73.0 5.20 7 2.93 28.822 28.740 28.785 28.782 67.2 91-6 75.6 85.5 76.8 13.4 779 92-277-4 83 67 88 73-3 77-3 71.3 4.74 8 1-65 16-8 774 1041 79-2 88 59 81 72-6 77.1 74-3 2-67 6 075 18.5 790 16 6 781 83 64 84 73.8 78.9 73.8 2.83 8 1.90 BOLOBO (Notes). The station occupies the top of a slope on the left bank of the Since October 1893 Mr. Glennie is in possession of instruments The pressure has been reduced to 32° F. and corrected for Combining all observations, we have the following results: Warri (Benin). Lat. 5° 31' N., Long. 5° 51' E., 10 feet. 1892 January February 1893 June 92 69 81.0 73.3 77.1 7.7 141.1 14.96 23 3.51 The observations were made by Rev. C. Paul, a native missionary, who had his thermometer given him by the late E. R. Flegel. The thermometer was read at three-hourly intervals between 6 A.M. and 9 г.M. Instrumental error not known. The observations were made by Captain H. L. Gallwey (November 1891 to May 1892), C. E. Harrison and H. E. Golley (June 1893), and Felix Roth, M.R.C.S. (July to December 1893). The observations since June 1893 have been corrected for instrumental errors. The earlier observations seem to be deserving of little confidence. |