252 NATURAL SCIENCE. April, 



fessor Scott, the premolar and molar cusps are really homologous, 

 and the long series of new terms proposed for the cusps of the former 

 quite superfluous. The obvious comment on this is festind lente. 



The Expedition to Lake Rudolph. 



Advices have been received from some members of the Villiers 

 Expedition to Lake Rudolph. This expedition, it will be remem- 

 bered, left England last October for the purpose of exploring the 

 country around the Lake, going through southern Somali-land, and 

 returning through the northern part of that " horn " of Africa. At 

 the same time, comes a despatch from Sir Gerald Portal to the Earl 

 of Rosebery, containing the astonishing information that " This 

 afternoon we reached Sambaru, 35 miles from the coast, and here 

 have been overtaken by Lieut. Villiers, who informs me that he has been 

 authorised to attach himself to this expedition as one of my staff, defraying, 

 however, his own expenses throughout." We should like to know 

 7uho authorised Lieut. Villiers to leave those whom he had taken out 

 from England under promise of leadership, and who will be respon- 

 sible should harm come to any of his followers ? 



Phosphates from India. 



Sir J. B. Lawes has recently received, through the India Ofhce, 

 a consignment of Phosphates from Madras, with a view of their 

 commercial value being ascertained. The specimens, of which we 

 have been favoured with samples, are well-formed nodules, with a 

 nearly smooth bufhsh coat, and internally appear very pure. Unfortu- 

 nately, they show no traces of fossils ; but they come from Utatur, 

 where there are both Cretaceous and Eocene Beds. 



Our Monthly Selection. 



One does not expect accurate science in an ordinary newspaper, 

 but yet it is not unreasonable to look for a general knowledge of the 

 natural productions of our colonies in a paper supposed to be devoted 

 to their interests. The following is taken from llie Colonies and India 

 of March 11, 1893, but we can assure would-be emigrants to New 

 Zealand that they need not be afraid of meeting one of these birds, 

 resembling an ostrich, but very much larger. Unfortunately for 

 science, the Dinornis has been extinct for many years : — 



" Dr. Reichenow read a paper at the last meeting of the Ornitho- 

 logical Society of Berlin, in which he gave some particulars of the 

 finding of remarkable remains of gigantic birds in Argentina, double 

 the height of the ostrich, which represent our living cassowaries and 

 ostriches. In modern times many kinds of birds are becoming 

 extremely rare, especially the dinornis races of New Zealand, which 



