1899] NEWS 469 
the London basin, and taken by Mr. A. E. Salter as evidence for a former river- 
connection between the two areas. Froin Derbyshire also, as a result of the 
long excursion, came a collection of Carboniferous limestone fossils made by 
Miss M. C. Foley, as well as various photographs. The Carboniferous limestone 
of the Isle of Man had yielded to Miss C. Birley a good set of Cephalopods. 
W. H. Chadwick and P. Emary showed Graptolites from the Wenlock shales 
and Llandeilo beds of Builth and St. David’s. English and Indian Trigonias 
were shown by Prof. J. F. Blake, and other fossil collections by H. W. Burrows, 
W. F. Gwinnell, and F. R. B. Williams. The last mentioned also exhibited 
William Smith’s Geological Sections from London to Snowdon. In contrast the 
latest maps of the Geological Survey were shown by Sir Archibald Geikie. 
A. 8. Foord exhibited photographs of the striking frescoes in the Historical 
Museum at Moscow, showing scenes of Russian life in the Stone Age and in 
the tenth century. Wind-worn pebbles from England, Esthland, New Zealand, 
Bohemia, and Egypt were shown by F. A. Bather and Rev. Prof. T. G. 
Bonney, the latter also sending schistose Jurassic rocks from Nufenen and 
Scopi in the Alps, and Pre-triassic Alpine Schists from the Val Piora. These 
and many other exhibitors showed that the activity of the Association was in 
no way diminishing. 
Mr. P. L. Sclater, on his recent visit to South Africa, gave an address to 
the South African Philosophical Society, in which he pointed out the 
desirability of establishing a Zoological Garden in Cape Town. It was 
doubtless towards this end that Mr. Rhodes sent his lion. 
The lectures to be delivered before the Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists’ 
Club during the rest of the winter session, 1899-1900, include the following :— 
“Natural History Notes in North Wales,” by the President, R. H. Philip ; 
“Symbiosis—A study in Plant Partnerships,” by Mr. J. E. Robinson ; ‘‘ Cyclone 
and Cloud—A study of English Weather,” by Mr. C. H. Gore, M.A. ; ‘Solar 
Eclipses, with special reference to that of May 28, 1900,” by Rev. H. P. 
Slade ; ‘Wild Fowling and Decoying,” by Mr. T. Audas, L.D.S. ; ‘ Econo- 
mical Illumination,” by Dr. J. T. Riley, A.R.C.Sc.L ; “What is a Species?” 
by Dr. H. H. Corbett, M.R.C.S. (of Doncaster). In January the club will hold 
an exhibition and conversazione. 
The Scientific American notes that “it is not often that specimens in 
museums are destroyed by reason of being eaten, but it seems that in one of 
the Southern States a negro clay-eater who was employed as a scrubwoman 
devoured some of the finest specimens of kaolin on exhibition at the State 
Geological Museum. The State geologist found that five blocks of clay which 
were very highly valued on account of their purity were missing, and upon 
examining some of the other specimens he found on them the impression of 
teeth. Detectives were set to work on the case, and the negress employed to 
scrub the marble floors was accused of taking the specimens. The woman 
appears to have a mania for eating clay, and she had been indulging her strange 
appetite for some time.” 
’ Knowledge notes that a collection illustrating changes due to domestication 
has been begun at the British Museum (Natural History). A number of inter- 
esting stuffed specimens and skeletons have been placed on exhibition in the 
gallery of British Zoology. 
The Scientific American notes that the city of New York has made an 
appropriation of $10,000 for the purpose of making a great relief map of the 
whole city. The map will be about 50 feet square, and will show all the im- 
portant buildings. Buffalo will also be represented in probably the same 
manner, with a relief map which will show Niagara Falls and its power plants. 
We learn from the Scientific American that the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
desires an ornithological clerk who must have an excellent knowledge of orni- 
