HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OSSIP. 



277 



new ones, such as the " lady birds " or Coccinellidx, 

 the Staphylinidse, etc. A few elytra or wing cases of 

 beetles form the only insect remains which have been 

 discovered in the deep sea cretaceous or chalk beds. 

 Coming to Kainozoic times, in the Eocene deposits, 

 the London clay furnishes us with elytra of Curculios 

 and Elaters, the Upper Eocene beds of the Isle of 

 Wight give us Dytiscus, Anobium, Dorcus, etc., 

 while at Aix, in Provence, a vast number of species 

 belonging to over fifty genera (including the noble 

 Cerambyx) have been found. In the Miocene 

 formations of the continent the remains of Coleoptera 

 become too numerous to mention, gold beetles, 

 liliaceous feeders, Buprestidie, etc., occurring in the 

 greatest profusion, together with feeders on the ex- 

 crement of cattle, these implying the existence of 

 cattle at that time. Fossil remains of twenty species 

 of Coleoptera have been discovered in the Miocene 

 of Spitzbergen, seven in that of Greenland, and in 

 the last Arctic expedition a fossil beetle was brought 

 home from the Miocene shales of Grinnell Land, 

 and has been named by Professor Heer Carabites 

 FielJenianns, after Major Fielden, the naturalist to the 

 expedition. The occurrence of these remains in the 

 Arctic regions points to a time when the climate 

 there was quite a temperate one, an inference which 

 is fully corroborated by the beautiful fossil flora 

 which has been obtained from the same localities. 

 In the succeeding Pliocene and Post-riiocene forma- 

 tions of England and the continent remains of 

 Coleoptera continue to abound, especially in the 

 lignites of Utznach, and Dumten in Switzerland, 

 where the beautiful little green and blue Donacice 

 occur in great profusion, some of the species being 

 identical with those now living in Switzerland. Fossil 

 remains of living species have also been found in lake 

 deposits and other recent geological formations, 

 forming interesting connecting links between the Past 

 and the Present. 



We have now briefly traced the geological history 

 of those Orders of insects which date back to Palaeo- 

 zoic times. In another paper we propose to deal in 

 a similar manner with the remaining Orders. 



Robert B. Cook. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The following suggestion has recently been made 

 by Mr. J. A. Eyder, the well-known American 

 naturalist : " Structures which are disappearing 

 should be called vestiges. Structures which are still 

 imperfect, but are appearing, ought to be called 

 rudiments. As it is, the word rudiment is usually 

 misapplied, so far as concerns its literal sense, when 

 speaking of ' rudimentary organs." 



It is intended to hold a meeting of the various 

 scientific societies in Australia and New Zealand in 



iSSS (the one hundredth anniversary of the foundation 

 of the colonies), upon the lines of the British Asso- 

 ciation meetings, and to form an " Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science," with 

 similar aims and objects. The general committee or 

 council will be composed of delegates from the 

 different colonies or colonial scientific societies. The 

 number of delegates from each society or colony is to 

 be proportionate to the number of members from the 

 particular colony or societies taking part in the pro- 

 ceedings. If the general committee be established on 

 the basis suggested, viz. one delegate to each hundred 

 members or less, the total number of such representa- 

 tives would be about twenty-five or thirty, since there 

 are some twenty scientific societies in the Australasian 

 colonies, and the number of members is between 

 2,500 and 3,000. To the seven sections correspond- 

 ing to the seven of the British Association, there will 

 be added : II, Medical and Sanitary Science ; 

 I, Literature and the Fine Arts ; J, Architecture and 

 Engineering. 



Mr. H. A. Page has for some time past been 

 engaged ^collecting " Animal Anecdotes," arranged 

 on a new principle, and his book will shortly be 

 published. 



ON the 6th of October, Mr. John S. Harrison 

 expired at Malton, in the fortieth year of his age. 

 During many years the deceased gentleman was 

 resident in Hull, and was deeply interested in micro- 

 scopic science. Many friends, in addition to those 

 more closely connected with Mr. Harrison, in Hull 

 and Malton, will learn with regret of the loss of a 

 genial and sympathetic companion and correspon- 

 dent. 



It is with much regret we have to announce the 

 sudden death of an old and valued contributor, the 

 Rev. W. Downes, F.G.S. In our November number 

 appears the last of his literary woik— " A Miscel- 

 laneous Ramble in Devon." Mr. Downes was an 

 enthusiastic geologist and botanist, and was much 

 beloved by all who had the privilege of his acquain- 

 tance and friendship. 



The Geologists Association held their opening 

 meeting, at University College, Gower Street, W.C., 

 on Friday, November 5th, when an address was 

 delivered " On the Erosion of the Coasts of England 

 and Wales," by the President, W. Topley, Esq., 

 F.G.S., of the Geological Survey of the United 

 Kingdom, Secretary of the British Association Com- 

 mittee on Coast Erosion. 



DR. C. W. Kimmins has delivered a very im- 

 portant lecture before the Leys Natural History 

 Society on the Discovery of Human Bones, Pot- 

 tery, &c, at Hauxton Mill, near Cambridge. The 

 skulls are neolithic, and Dr. Kimmins is of opinion 

 that this "find" proves that neolithic men must 

 have lived on into historic times. 



