2l8 SALTPAN NEAR HAACiENSTAD. 



I have dealt with the salt pan at Haagenstad merely from 

 its geological aspect, but even for those who do not take an 

 interest in that point of view, it is well worth a visit. I shall 

 not easily forget my first sight of it. It was at night, and we 

 drove over the south-eastern corner on our way to Poortje, 

 where, by the kindness of Mr. George Scott, I was staying. 

 The steps of the horses were muffled in the soft ground ; the 

 white salt sparkled under the light of the lamp and stretched 

 into the distance until it looked like grey mist; the salt sizzled 

 under the wheels and hissed in the breeze like fine, dry snow. 

 The appearance was that of a still, frosty, European night;: 

 but it was a warm African evening. 



Covered with water at sunset, dotted with flamingoes and 

 reflecting on its smooth surface, the clouds still hanging in 

 the sky "after a heavy rain, it is perhaps one of the prettiest 

 siehts in the Colonv. 



SOUTH AFRICAN PALAEONTOLOGY.— Dr. R. Broom, 

 recently Professor of Zoology and (ieology at \'ictoria Col- 

 lege, Stellenbosch, has been awarded by the Geological Societ\' 

 the Lyell Fund for 1910, together with accompanying diploma, 

 in recognition of his extensive and brilliant researches in the 

 field of .South African palaeontology. 



POLONIUM.- — At a recent meeting of the Paris Academy of 

 Sciences Madame P. Curie and M. bebierne gave an account 

 of their recent researches with regard to polonium. Many 

 tons of uranium mineral residues were employed in the ex- 

 traction of about 200 grammes of material, with an activity, 

 due to polonium, equal to about 3.500 times the activity of 

 uranium. The precipitate obtained weighed about one 

 gramme, and herein was concentrated all the original activity. 

 After repeated solution and precipitation, a purified product 

 was obtained, weighing some milligrammes, but still contain- 

 ing, according to spectroscopic tests, mercury, silver, tin, gold, 

 palladium, rhodium, platinum, lead, zinc, barium, calcium, and 

 aluminium. When purified from these only 2 milligrammes 

 of material were left, and by activity measvn"ements it was 

 shown that in this was contained o.i milligramme of polonium, 

 a quantity which should theoretically be extracted from about 

 two tons of pitchblende. It was found that helium to the ex- 

 tent of 1-3 cubic millimetres in 100 days was produced, and an 

 abundant production of ozone was likewise observed. The 

 exact nature of the residue left after the disappearance of the 

 polonium could not yet be determined, but it was expected 

 that it may prove to be lead. A small quartz capsule, in which 

 the dry polonium was kept, cracked most curiously in a large 

 number of places under the substance; this, it is supposed, was 

 due to electric discharge. 



