i893. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 335 



The Mediterranean Naturalist for March contains several interesting 

 papers relating to the district around Malta. Surgeon-Captain M. L. 

 Hughes continues his " Natural History of certain Fevers occurring 

 in the Mediterranean" ; Gaetano Platania publishes some " Geo- 

 logical Notes of Acireale," and Dr. Alf Caruana Gatto writes on 

 " The Vegetation of the House Terraces of Malta." 



In the Natiivalist for April Mr. John Cordeaux continues his 

 " Bird-notes from the Humber District in the Winter of 1892-1893." 

 The arctic severity of the winter led to a great rush of various 

 species on the East Coast, all wild fowl, such as geese and duck, 

 having been exceptionally abundant. 



The same journal has a curious note by Mr. H. Moody Foster 

 on herrings confined in a brackish-water pond communicating with 

 the Humber. The fish are dwarfed, and are easily captured by rod 

 and line. 



Mr. E. T. Newton will deliver a lecture on the Reptiles of the 

 Triassic Sandstones of Elgin before the Geologists' Association at 

 their next meeting on May 5. The remains, or restorations, of these 

 extraordinary animals will be shown by the oxy-hydrogen lantern. 



Mr. Robert T. Hill, in ih.e, American Joiivnal of Science for April, 

 gives a description of the Cretaceous formations of Mexico. The 

 geology of Mexico is so imperfectly known that this contribution will 

 be welcome. We observe that the vast mass of blue or grey lime- 

 stone, known in Mexico as " Mountain Limestone," which forms so 

 important a constituent of the Sierras, is now considered to be 

 entirely of Cretaceous age. True Palaeozoic limestones are almost 

 entirely absent from Mexico. 



In the April Scottish Geographical Magazine will be found an 

 interesting account of the Nile Valley, its physical geography and 

 geology. The outline is particularly valuable, being written by 

 Colonel Justin C. Ross, who, for several years, was Inspector- 

 General of Irrigation in Egypt, and has had occasion thoroughly to 

 study the subject of Nile deposits and floods. The want of a con- 

 toured map, unfortunately makes it somewhat difficult to follow the 

 details as to the areas liable to floods, those in which salt tends to 

 accumulate in the soil, etc. Nothing has recently been done to test 

 the depth of the ancient deposits of the Nile, the boring to a 

 depth of 345 feet at Zagazig, made in 1888, being the latest 

 recorded. 



