428 Chronicles of Sctence. [July, 
depredations of sparrows and similar birds, and asks permission to 
use a gun against them. 
Moa Skull.—A perfect Moa skull is said to have been found near 
Westport, near a prospector’s claim on the Caledonian Lead, at a 
depth of 25 feet from the surface, and embedded in clay that had 
no appearance of ever having been disturbed. The men who dis- 
covered it are now engaged in excavations, in the hope of finding 
the remainder of the skeleton. 
Disease in Grouse-—Dr. John Young, of Glasgow, has investi- 
gated this subject, and finds that nearly every bird he examined was 
affected with tape-worm, not, however, as the primary disease, but 
arising from peritoneal inflammation, which resulted in adhesion of 
the intestines and in perforation. He considered the disease as not 
arising from local causes, but from mal-nutrition, inducing an inhe- 
rited cachectic condition, which predisposed the young to suffer from 
temporary influences. Mr. Gray attributed great influence to over- 
protection—the annihilation of its natural enemies having allowed 
a greater number of sickly birds to survive; and thus a weaker 
race had sprung up where formerly only strong birds prevailed. 
Man’s interference thus disturbed the nice balance of nature, and 
the consequent evils followed. 
The Fauna of Palestine—The Rey. H. B. Tristram recently 
read a paper before the Royal Society upon the results of the Palestine 
Exploration, as regards the Fauna and Flora. An examination of 
the Fauna shows that it forms an extreme southern province of the 
Palearctic region, impinging upon the Ethiopian closely, and more 
distantly upon the Indian. The mammals point to an earlier settle- 
ment than that made across the recent deserts; there is no Indian 
immigration, and Hyrax Syriacus is an exclusively Ethiopian type. 
The birds are numerous and very irregularly distributed, the Dead 
Sea basin being distinct and typical, sometimes Indian, generally 
Ethiopian, in character, with no less than twenty-seven peculiar 
species. Among reptiles there is less intrusion of Ethiopian types, 
and snakes in particular are more limited to the original locality of 
the individuals. iver-fish are few in number but distinct. Most 
of the eighty-one species of land and fresh-water mollusca have no 
geographical significance ; the fresh-water being more distinct than 
the pulmonifera, and indicating a very ancient separation from any 
adjacent district. Similar inferences are drawn from the Arachnida 
and insects, as well as the Rhizopod fauna, which is similar to that 
of the Indian Ocean. It is remarked that the peculiar fish of the 
J Pee probably from the earliest period after the elevation of 
the land. 
Theory of Birds’ Nests—In an interesting paper by Mr. 
Wallace, in the ‘ Journal of Travel, he endeavours to prove that 
the exact mode of nidification of each species of bird is probably 
