March 24, 1898] 



NATURE 



497 



the meantime the frog may have the misfort^une to provide a 

 drink for a thirsty native. The natives also obtain water from 

 the roots of trees. They all believed that each one was under 

 the i«^is of the spirit of some animal or plant, which they re- 

 vered almost as gods. In connection with the tokens, they 

 held all sorts of weird ceremonies, bedecking themselves with 

 great elaborateness, and going through all sorts of antics, such 

 as imitating frogs, emus, kangaroos, or whatever it was they 

 held in veneration. Group marriage prevails ; that is, men in 

 one group can only marry the women in another single group. 

 The Engwurra, or the fire ceremony, through which a youth has 

 to pass before being entitled to be considered a man, seems to 

 be peculiarly exacting to the candidate for manhood. 



Resolutions of Council. ; • 



At the final meeting of the General Council on January 13, 

 the following suggestions from the Recommendation Committee 

 were agreed to : — (i) That the New South Wales Government 

 acquire the quarry of prismatic sandstone at Bondi, with a view 

 to its preservation as a remarkable geological occurrence. (2) 

 The re-appointment of the Committee on "The Systematic 

 Conduct of the Photographic Work of Geological Surveys." (3) 

 The appointment of a Seismological Committee for 1900. The 

 Government of New Zealand to equip Timaru with approved 

 seismological instruments, in charge of Mr. George Hogben. A 

 contribution of 25/. was voted towards the preceding object. 

 (4) The appointment of a Committee to secure magnetic surveys 

 at the extreme south of New Zealand. {5) Expressing the 

 opinion that the publication of Victorian continuous magnetic 

 records is desirable. (6) That the Committee be re-appointed 

 to continue the investigation of the mineral waters of Australasia. 

 (7) That the New South Wales Government be recommended 

 to complete the borings at Funafuti while the bore apparatus 

 remains on the island, and the bore remains open. (8) A Com- 

 mittee be appointed to draw up a list of works and papers 

 relating to Australian flora. 



The report from the Baron von Mueller Memorial Committee, 

 embodying a resolution, "That the Association places on record 

 its sense of the deep loss sustained by it owing to the death of 

 the late Baron von Mueller, and its high appreciation both of 

 his personal character and the distinguished services rendered 

 by him to science," was adoped. 



On the motion of Prof. Kernot, of Melbourne, seconded by 

 Prof Baldwin Spencer, Mr. R. L. J. Ellery, late Government 

 Astronomer of Victoria, was elected to be President of the 

 Science Congress to be held in Melbourne in the year 1900. Mr. 

 C. R. Blackett, Government Analyst of Victoria, was 

 elected treasurer, and Prof. Baldwin Spencer and Mr. E. F. J. 

 Love were elected joint secretaries for the same Congress. It 

 was decided that the next meeting of the Asssociation after the 

 one to be held in Melbourne will take place at Hobart. 



FORTHCOMING BOOKS OF SCIENCE. 



TN Messrs. Bailliere, Tindall, and Cox's list are to be found : 

 — " A Manual of Surgery," by Drs. William Rose and Albert 

 Carless ; "Atlas of Traumatic Fractures and Dislocations," by 

 Prof. H. Helferich (vol. vi. "Hand-Atlas" Series); " English- 

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 H. de Meric, two parts ; " Minor Surgery and Bandaging," by 

 Dr. W. G. Spencer, illustrated ; " Respiratory Exercises," by 

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 T. W. Eden ; " The Clinical Diagnosis of Lameness in the 

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 translated and edited by Dr. L. H. Friedberg ; " Chronic Nasal 

 Obstruction, and Deformities of the Upper Jaw, Teeth, and 

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 Anatomy," by Prof. O. Bollinger (vol. vii. "Hand-Atlas" 

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 by J. F. Gemmel, illustrated; "Water" (Part ii. of the 

 " Analysis of Food and Drugs"), by T. H. Pearmain and C. G. 

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 " Heart Disease, with special reference to Prognosis and Treat- 

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 Broadbent ; " Diseases of the Throat and Nose," by Lennox 

 Brown, illustrated ; "Applied Bacteriology," by T. H. Pear- 



main and C. G. Moor ; " The Practical Guide to the Public 

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 " Latin Grammar of Pharmacy," by Joseph Ince ; " A Manual 

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Messrs. Wm. Blackwood and Sons' list includes : — "A Text- 

 book of Modern Geometry," by J. A. Third; "Lower Geo- 

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 Alexander Sturrock, with Original Musical Accompaniments to 

 the Drill by Harry Everitt Lose by, illustrated ; " A Manual of 

 Agricultural Botany," from the German of Dr. A. B. Frank, 

 translated by Dr. John W. Paterson, illustrated ; and new 

 editions of Sir John Skel ton's "The Handbook of Public 

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 Murray, Part ii. containing other Acts bearing on Public 

 Health, with Notes, Forms, &c. ; " Introductory Text-book of 

 Zoology," by Prof. Henry AUeyne Nicholson, F. R.S., and Dr. 

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 " Page's Advanced Text-book of Geology," Descriptive and 

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 illustiated ; " Dr. Mackay's Elements of Physiography," illus- 

 trated. 



Messrs. Bliss, Sands, and Co. announce : — The Progressive 

 Science Series: "Earth Structure," by Prof Geikie, F. R.S. , 

 illustrated ; " Volcanoes," by Prof. Bonney, F. R.S. , illustrated ; 

 "The Groundwork of Science," by Dr. St. George Mivart, 

 F.R.S. ; "Vertebrate Palaeontology," by Prof. Cope, illus- 

 trated ; " Science and Ethics," by M, Berthelot ; " The Animal 

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 Marcus Hartog, illustrated ; " The Study of Man : an Intro- 

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 "Man and the Higher Apes," by Dr. Keith, illustrated; 

 " Heredity," by J. Arthur Thomson, illustrated. 



Messrs. Burns and Oates, Ltd., promi.se : — "Genesis and 

 Science," by John Smyth. 



The list of the Cambridge University Press includes :— Cam- 

 bridge Natural Science Manuals, Biological Series : ' ' Fossil 

 Plants, a Manual for Students of Botany and Geology," by A. 

 C. Seward ; "Vertebrate Palaeontology, " by A. S. Woodward. 



Messrs. Cassell and Co, Ltd., announce: — The "Century 

 Science" Series : " Michael Faraday, his Life and Work," by 

 Prof Silvanus P. Thompson, F.R.S. ; " Cassell's Family 

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Messrs. Chapman and Hall, Ltd., will issue :—" Physics, 

 Experimental and Theoretical : an Elementary Treatise 

 Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Heat and Acoustics," by 

 Dr. R. H. Jude and H. Gossin, illustrated ; "The Manufacture 

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Messrs. Chatto and Windus promise new editions of: 

 " Flammarion's Popular Astronomy," translated and edited by 

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 Rambossom, translated by C. B. Pitman, illustrated. 



Messrs. J. and A. Churchill will publish :— " Manual of 

 General Pathology for Students and Practitioners," by Dr. 



NO. 1482, VOL. 57] 



