THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 155 



DISCOVERIES OF MANGANESE. 



Many scattered deposits found in Myscore, India. 



The discovery of new and large deposits of manganese in Mysore 

 State, southern In(H:i. CounseLGeneral \V. H. Michael, of Calcutta, 

 reports, has aroused activity in prospecting and for concessions, 

 concerning which he writes : 



The ]\Iysore gold-mining rules have been found inoperative re- 

 specting manganese, and it is proposed to formulate new rules. 

 The Dewan is to hold a manganese mining conference to consider the 

 area of mining grants, the royalties that should he levied, and all 

 other matters that pertain to the new and growing industry. 

 Representatives from manganese mining syndicates and companies 

 will be invited to participate in the deliberations. 



There seems abundance of manganese in Mysore, but it is found 

 in scattered localities, thus making the transport of ore to the 

 extracting mills expensi\'e and difficult. In view of this the 

 government desires to fix low royalties in order to encourage the 

 industry and to make regulations fair to all. The Dewan is 

 anxious to place the industry on a plane on which individuals and 

 small concerns will be on an equal footing with large syndicates. 

 In fact he seems determined to keep out monopolies. The opening 

 of the manganese mines will be a source of large revenue to the 

 Mysore State and of immense benefit to the laboring classes of 

 that part of India. I understand that an American company has 

 a scientific agent in the Mysore field for the purpose of reporting 

 on the opportimities for investment. The mineral fields of India, 

 I feel quite sure, olTer splendid inducements for American know- 

 ledge, energy, and capital. — Consular Report. 



Do plants actually think? A writer in the New York Weekly 

 Times says: "The curious behavior of plants can scarcely be ex- 

 plained imder any other supposition than their actions are due to 

 some connection between sensation and consequent motion that 

 seems to be closely related to the movements of animals. ^Ve 

 touch the skin of a person and the person shrinks instantly; a 

 similar touch causes a worm to shrink, and the same efifect precisely 

 happens when some plants are touched. The motion of a person 

 is certainly the result of thought set in action by the sensation con- 



