336 NATURAL SCIENCE. May. 1893 



Mr. Malcolm Laurie deals in the current part (vol. xxxvii., 

 pt. i.) of the Edinburgh Royal Society's Transactions with some new 

 forms of Eurypterid remains from the Upper Silurian Rocks of the 

 Pentland Hills. So rich was a particular seam of fine-grained sand- 

 stone in these extinct " Sea Scorpions," that no less than five new 

 species, including a new genus (Drepanopterus), were found. An 

 interesting feature of these species was the large size of their eyes, 

 and the author hints at a possible deep-sea habitat. It is known 

 that many deep-sea creatures, particularly among Crustaceans, are 

 endowed with abnormally large eyes, " as if to make the utmost 

 possible use of the failing light," which (according to one naturalist, 

 at least) does reach even the deepest abysses of the ocean. 



The Transactions of the London Meeting of the International 

 Congress of Hygiene and Demography, held in 1891, have just been 

 issued in the shape of thirteen volumes. These include numerous 

 papers on Bacteriology and other subjects of interest to student's of 

 Natural Science. 



In a letter to M. Daubree, recently read to the Academy of 

 Sciences, Baron Nordenskjold has called attention to the wide distri- 

 bution of certain metals hitherto regarded as rare. His analyses ot 

 the ash of an anthracitic substance occurring in large nodules in the 

 old rocks near the iron mines of Norberg andDannemora, in Sweden, 

 showed the presence of the oxides of nickel and uranium (the latter 

 to the extent of 3 per cent.), and the rare earths of cerite and 

 gadolinite. 



The committee of the Alpine Club are taking steps, at the sugges- 

 tion of one of their members, Captain Marshall Hall, to collect infor- 

 mation from colonies and other countries as to glacier motion and 

 history. Such of our readers as are about to visit glacial districts 

 can much assist. Photographs are especially desirable, of shrinkage 

 or increase, and of other changes, and evidence as to any part taken by 

 ice-action in lake formation. They will find an article upon rough 

 surveying and cognate subjects in the Alpine Journal for February, 

 1 89 1, written b}' the above-named gentleman, who has consented to 

 deal with the materials which it is hoped will result from the action 

 of the committee. 



The Geologists' Association has planned to visit Bath at Whit- 

 suntide. Excursions are arranged to see the Fuller's Earth works at 

 Midford ; the Forest Marble, Bradford Clay, and Great OoHte, at 

 Bradford-on-Avon ; and the Corallian Beds and Iron works at 

 W^estbury, in Wiltshire. It is also expected that one day will be 

 devoted to the classic region of Dundry Hill. 



