134 NATURAL SCIENCE. August. 



J. N. Rovirosa describes various vascular cryptogams and other 

 plants, collected by him in Mexico and Chiapas. Mocimia heteyophylla, 

 of La Llave, one of the Papayaceae, is re-described and figured 

 by |. Ramirez. In both parts the Flora Mexicana of Mocifio y Sesse is 

 continued. This is a work that has remained in manuscript for about 

 a century, and is now being published for the first time. Its botanical 

 value is naturally not great ; but it is possible that it may throw light 

 on some questions in the history of botany, since some specimens on 

 which it was based were, we believe, sent to De Candolle. 



The Society " Antonio Alzate " of Mexico sends us vol. ix. of 

 their Memorias. Besides A. L. Herrera's paper, " Heresies taxino- 

 mistes," to which we have already alluded (vol. viii., p. 5, Jan., i8gb), 

 there are several letters on this paper from various authors, as well as 

 quotations on the subject of nomenclature. Mr. C. T. Hudson 

 writes : — " Of course, vanity is at the bottom of it all. My remedy is 

 a simple one, I neither buy nor read these books. I am content with 

 studying the live plants and animals about me, and their names are 

 the last thing I want to know. . . . It is a good idea to make placemen 

 or stamp-collectors of these pestilent species-makers ; I wouldn't hang 

 the poor wretches." Professor Herrera has another lively paper, a 

 study in comparative philosophy, entitled " The Animal and the 

 Savage," greatly to the advantage of the former. With D. Vergara 

 Lope he has a paper on the atmosphere of great heights, and the 

 latter author writes also on mountain sickness. 



There also comes to us the Actes de la Societe Scientifique du Chili, 

 ^^ annee, livr. i, 2, 3, and 4, Santiago, 1895-96. We are not surprised 

 to find the ubiquitous Mr. Cockerell describing even here new species of 

 Coccidae. F. Lataste has some natural history notes on Cicadas, and 

 tells us hov,' to catch them by clapping the hands to the time of the 

 insects' song. C. Emery continues his description of Chilian ants, 

 many of which are new. A. Giard describes abnormal nervation in 

 the wing of a specimen of Pterodela. A. F. Nogues describes the 

 lignite beds of the south of Chili, and concludes that the so-called 

 Arauco group is equivalent to the Laramie and Chico-Tejon beds of 

 North America. He also has an article strongly urging the con- 

 struction of a detailed geological map of Chili : those at present in 

 existence are old and incomplete, and Chili compares ill in this respect 

 with other civilised countries. It appears, however, that sufficient 

 money is not usually forthcoming from the Government to pay for 

 scientific works of this kind. F. Gautier tells how the Indians of 

 Bolivia eat a white clay, though not to such an extent as to cause such 

 evil consequences as are seen among some African tribes. C. Perez 

 Canto describes two new cetaceans from Chili, under the names 

 Phoccena alhivcntris and P. philippii. Many ' other papers of much 

 interest are included in this volume. 



The Scottish Geographical Magazine for July contains an interesting 

 restimc of the papers which Drs. P. and F. Sarasin have contributed 

 to the Zeitschrift and the Verhandlungen der GesellscJiaft fur ErdJmnde zu 

 Berlin, during the last three years, on their explorations in Celebes, an 

 island which hitherto has been but little explored. They have 

 obtained a large amount of information regarding the physical features 

 of the island, and its geology, its fauna and flora, and the habits and 

 customs of its natives. In giving an account of the eleventh Swiss 

 Geographical Congress, V. Dingelstedt says that R. Pictet has been 

 studying the effect of the sun's heat in forming sand-spouts in Egypt. 

 He suggests that the heat might be employed in raising the water of the 

 Nile for the irrigation of Egypt. This might be effected by covering a 



