252 NALRORAL tS Cle iGiz. 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 festina lente. 
THE EXPEDITION TO LAakE RUDOLPH. 
ApvicEs 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 
who 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 Office, 
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 buffish 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 MontTHtiy 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 The 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 
