612 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



of geographical import in the report of the voyage, but the- 

 observations on the fauna and flora are worth notice. The 

 colonel remarks watching the king eiders among the other- 

 swarming sea-birds, and says that these handsome ducks were 

 such splendid divers that they were bringing up shellfish from 

 the sea-bottom where the water was 60 ft. in depth. Of the 

 abundance of bird life he says, " Dotterels, little stints, purple 

 sandpipers with their freshly-hatched-out broods ran around 

 us ; reeves were fewer in number ; snow- buntings, shore-larks, 

 and Lapland buntings hopped around ; snowy owls sat on the 

 peaty knobs and watched our proceedings with serious inter- 

 est. The tarns were alive with red-necked phalaropes chas- 

 ing one another. It was indeed a very delightful experience." 

 We should not expect many flowers in the arctic regions, but 

 the Colonel says, " One may wade through acres of blossoming 

 plants a foot high, veritable arctic flower-gardens. In the end 

 of June and beginning of July Matthiola nudicaulis, a delicate 

 pink-blossomed cruciferous plant, with the arctic yellow poppy 

 and louseworts of many colours, from glorious yellows to rich 

 pinks, are spread broadcast. Polemomiim caruleum, with its 

 grand blue blossoms, coloured acres. Saxifraga hirculus, with 

 its yellow flowers, is perhaps the most abundant and wide- 

 spread of the plants. Silene acaulis is likewise most abund- 

 ant, growing in clumps and bosses on dry spots and the sides 

 of the ridges among the disintegrated rocks in such dense 

 masses as to give colour to the cliffs. Then comes the alpine 

 forget-me-not, with its lovely colouring, varying from white 

 to the purest cerulean blue. My words fail, I know, to give 

 adequate description of the immense charm attaching to this 

 arctic flora." 



Those interested in the branch of anthropology that re- 

 lates to the weapons used by wild races may care to learn 

 that a near relative of the boomerang has been discovered in 

 use among the Kolis of Northern Gujerat, India. It is not 

 curved as the boomerang is, but rather presents a kind 

 of "elbow" or "knee" in shape; it is very effective when 

 properly thrown at ground-game, but is not cast so as to 

 return to the thrower. In one case lately tried in Court in 

 that locality it was found that an old and feeble man, being 

 threatened by a robber swordsman, cut the assailant's shins 

 across at ten paces distance, and brought him down ; then, 

 before the astonished thief could rise, the now unarmed old 

 man had him disarmed and a captive. Mr. H. S. H. Caven- 

 dish, who has lately journeyed and explored in Somaliland, 

 also mentions a new and curious weapon. Speaking of the 

 Murle people, on the Eiver Omo, he says, " Their most 

 singular weapon is the circular knife which they wear round 

 their wrist, similar to that described as m use among the 



