The Zoologist/4th series, vol 1 (1897)/Issue 675/Editorial Gleanings
EDITORIAL GLEANINGS.
The opening passage of Prof. L.C. Miall's Address to Section D. (Zoology) at the recent meeting of the British Association at Toronto will receive the hearty approval of most readers of 'The Zoologist':—"It has long been my conviction that we study animals too much as dead things. We name them, arrange them according to our notions of their likeness or unlikeness, and record their distribution. Then perhaps we are satisfied, forgetting that we could do as much with minerals or remarkable boulders. Of late years we have attempted something more; we now teach every student of zoology to dissect animals, and to attend to their development. This is, I believe, a solid and lasting improvement; we owe it largely to Huxley, though it is but a revival of the method of Dollinger, who may be judged by the eminence of his pupils, and by the direct testimony of Baer, to have been one of the very greatest of biological teachers. But the animals set before the young zoologist are all dead; it is much if they are not pickled as well. When he studies their development he works chiefly or altogether upon continuous sections, embryos mounted in balsam, and wax models. He is rarely encouraged to observe live tadpoles or third-day chicks with beating hearts. As for what Gilbert White calls the life and conversation of animals, how they defend themselves, feed, and make love, this is commonly passed over as a matter of curious but not very important information; it is not reputed scientific, or at least not eminently scientific."
Dr. D.G. Elliot has contributed to the Zoological Series of the Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, a List of Mammals from Somali-land, obtained by the Museum's East African Expedition. One observation bears witness to the danger of a solely museum knowledge of an animal. Madoqua phillipsi, Thomas (Phillips's Dik-Dik), has a remarkable peculiarity in "the immense deposit in the antorbital vacuity of a black pigment, which stains everything it touches. It forms a swelling just in front of the eye, and from its jet-black colour and considerable size makes a very conspicuous mark. No trace of this exists in the skin, and as the skull shows a cavity at this point, no one would imagine that there would here be a prominence on the face instead of a depression. The lack of knowledge of such facts as this causes the mounted specimens in museums to appear totally unlike the living animal—more caricatures than the real object—and I have never seen any drawing that correctly represented a Dik-Dik."
Mr. A.W. Moore and Dr. John Beddoe have recently written a paper on the "Physical Anthropology of the Isle of Man," which is published in the last issue of the Journ. Anthrop. Instit. A "Descriptive Book" of the "Royal Manx Fencibles," which contains the names of about 1300 men who passed through the ranks between 1803 and 1810, affords material for the memoir. From this number have been subtracted "all those under eighteen years of age (chiefly drummers), and those not born in the island, also all those whose names are either not Manx, or are not known in the island for a generation before 1800, even though they were born in the island." The book describes the complexion, eyes, hair, and stature, and it mentions the parish where each man was born and the trade to which he was brought up.
The results of this study are thus summarized:—"Generally speaking, they distinctly confirm Dr. Beddoe's conclusions that the population of the Isle of Man is Scandio-Gaelic, and that there is no very great difference in the proportionate distribution of Norsemen and Gaels in the north and south. Our results, however, enable us to state further that there appears to be a decided preponderance of Norsemen in the parishes of Jurby, Ballaugh, and Michael, and of Gaels in the parishes of Maughold and Louan, while there are distinct traces of alien elements in the districts of Douglas, Castletown and Peel, especially in the latter, where the large proportion of dark eyes and fair hair is very remarkable.
Evolution seems to be now no longer a word of evil import. At the Catholic International Congress held at Fribourg in August, Dr. Zahm, of Indiana, and with the approval of the meeting, spoke as follows:—"As against the alternative theory of Creationism, the evidence, all must admit, is overwhelmingly in favour of evolution. I am quite willing to agree that as yet the theory is not proven by any demonstrative evidence. I freely grant that à priori Creationism is quite possible. But is it probable? Science answers 'No.' As to affording any positive evidence in favour of the special creation of species, it is absolutely mute; and the negative evidence is of such a character that there are few, if any, serious men of science who are willing to consider it as having any weight: à priori, Creationism is possible; à posteriori, it is so highly improbable as to be practically ruled out of court."
Considerable public interest has been evinced by the importation of German Foxes into some parts of Bedfordshire. An 'Evening News' representative has interviewed Mr. G. Reuben Taylor, of Leadenhall Market, on the subject:—
"'How a farmer can tell that they are German cubs,' said Mr. Taylor, 'is a wonder, There's no perceptible difference. A little lighter perhaps, but that distinction disappears when the cub gets older. Austrian cubs, now, are a bit shorter in the leg.'
"'No, it's not the farmer who can tell; the person who will know is the unfortunate person who will hunt them. They don't run straight like an English Fox—they don't give the sport. As to their viciousness and destructiveness, they certainly are very vicious, but I doubt whether they are so destructive as Scotch and English cubs.'
"It seems that the only advantage possessed by the German cub is his cheapness. English or Scotch cubs two to five months old fetch fifteen to twenty-one shillings each; Germans from seven to ten. There is no great trade in English Foxes, because the Fox-hunting fraternity is a brotherhood in more than name, and comfort each other with superfluous hounds and Foxes.
"Scotch Foxes, Mr. Taylor said, form the staple supply. They come from mountainous parts, where hunting is impossible. During this season, commencing roughly May 1st, and terminating about the end of June, he has sold over three hundred Scotch cubs to only five English. The trade is of course now finished, and later on comes the time for old Foxes, and in these the relation between German and English as to price is the same. This year Mr. Taylor sold four Canadian cubs, and is awaiting results with considerable interest. They were exactly like the home article, and were, he avers, probably descendants of English ancestors. Whether a Fox be English, German, or any other nationality, he, it seems, invariably possesses the bouquet of Reynard in undiminished strength."