manifested by the delay of development and the frequency of morphological anomalies may be established on the basis of experimental facts which are significant although not very numerous. We find that in the artificial incubation of eggs certain conditions capable of accelerating the normal development are also susceptible of resisting the retarding and deforming influence of disturbing agencies that came into play previous to incubation.
Darwin has remarked that the reproductive function is the most delicate of all, and is also considerably influenced by the medium; in spite of a superabundant alimentation, a large number of wild animals become sterile or produce aborted or deformed offspring by reason simply of being kept in captivity; domestic animals, on the other hand, become more fruitful under the influence of a better régime.
If the influences of the medium are reduced simply to modifications of nutrition; if, on the other side, the embryogenic processes are of the same nature as the processes of nutrition in general, we may assume that the influences of the medium which are capable of happily modifying the nutrition of a defective organism are likewise capable of putting it in better conditions to contribute to the development of the embryo.
Finally, observation and experiment indicate that in order to contend with success against morbid heredity and degeneration, which are besides not inevitable, none of the conditions of nutrition, none of the influences of the medium capable of acting on the development should be neglected.—Translated for The Popular Science Monthly from the Revue des Deux Mondes.
One day, relates Mr. Murray, the publisher, in Good Words, Mr. Darwin came to the late Mr. Murray with a manuscript. As he laid it upon the table he said: "Mr. Murray, here is a book that has cost me many years of hard labor; the preparation of it has afforded me the greatest interest, but I can hardly hope that it will prove of any interest to the general public. Will you bring it out for me, as you have my other books?" It was the work on Earthworms, which had a large and rapid sale. The incident illustrates the modesty of the man.
A successful experiment in telegraphing by induction without connecting wires has been performed by Mr. W. H. Preece between Oban and Auchnacraig, Scotland, while the submarine cable was broken. A guttapercha wire a mile and a half long was laid along the ground from Morven, while on the island of Mull use was made of the ordinary overhead wire connecting Craignure with Aros. The distance between the two parallel wires was about three miles and a half. Using a vibrator as transmitter, and a telephone as receiver, the usual messages were successfully dealt with till the cable was repaired.
