August 2 2, 1889] 



NATURE 



403 



it and its ravages have Icng been known, little or nothing has 

 up to the present time been discovered of its habits. It is be- 

 lieved that it lays its eggs in the flower or very young fruit, for 

 in the ripe fruit there is no external mark to show where it 

 gained an entrance, and it is not until the perfect insect eats its 

 way out of the mango that it is possible to tell whether any 

 particular fruit is sound or diseased. Some varieties of the 

 mango enjoy co.nplete immunity from the attacks of this insect, 

 and it has been noticed that even particular trees of varieties 

 which are not so favoured always escape. This fact seems to 

 hold out the hope that, by careful selection, good varieties of the 

 fruit could be raised which would not be subject to the attacks 

 of this destructive pest. The character which renders the fruit 

 unsuitable as food for the weevil is, and probably always will 

 remain, unknown, as our senses may not be keen enough to 

 detect the particular taste or smell which prevents the female 

 from laying her eggs in the fruit of the naturally protected 

 trees. 



Dr. Henry C. McCook is about to issue an elaborate work 

 on "American Spiders and their Spinning-work." It embraces 

 studies extended over more than fifteen years, and will be printed 

 in three volumes. Volumes I. and II. will contain the author's 

 personal observations, studies, and illustrations of the habits and 

 industry of spiders. The studies are particularly directed to the 

 spinning habits of the great group of spiders known as orb- 

 weavers ; but these are expressed in their relations to all the 

 other tribes in both hemispheres. Volume III. will contain the 

 systematic part of the work, and embrace descriptions of the 

 orb-weavers of the United States, illustrated by a number of 

 lithographic plates, painted by hand in the colours of Nature. 

 The volumes will be illustrated, wholly from Nature, the 

 number of engravings in the first volume alone exceeding two 

 hundred. 



Messrs. J. and A. Churchill hope to publish in Septem- 

 ber a work on " Fuel and its Applications," by Mr. E. J. Mills, 

 F.R.S., and Mr. F. J. Rowan. It will be the first volume of a 

 large work on chemical technology, of which Mr. C. E. Groves, 

 P". R.S., will be the general editor, and which will be founded 

 on one written by Richardson and Ronalds, familiarly known as 

 " Knapp's Technology. " Messrs. Mills and Rowan's work on 

 fuel is in reality a new work, dealing with the applications of 

 fuel to arts and manufactures as introduced by the most modern 

 discoveries. The volume is profusely illustrated. 



Messrs. George Philip and Son have published a new 

 edition of Mr. T. Rhodes's useful " Steamship Guide and 

 Holidays Afloat." The work has been thoroughly revised, and 

 much new information is embodied in the present edition. 



A WORK on " The Microscope in the Brewery and Malt- 

 house," by C. G. Matthews and F. C. Lott, will be published 

 early next month by Messrs. Bemrose and Sons. 



A Calcutta firm has published a book entitled "The 

 Game, Shore, and Water Birds of India," by Colonel A. Le 

 Messurier, which is an attempt to describe the miscellaneous 

 water-fov/1 of India. The author treats of the birds under three 

 heads — namely, " Scratchers," " Waders," and " Swimmers," — 

 and, besides classifying them under these heads, he gives the 

 native names of the birds in the various languages. Tliere are 

 in all 121 illustrations. The book might well be enlarged, 

 particularly by the addition of a list of places where the various 

 species may be found. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Great-billed Touracou ( Corytluiix macro- 

 rhyncha) from West Africa, presented by Lady Charlotte 

 Blandford Griffith ; a Water Chevrotain {Hyonioschus apiatkus) 

 from We t Africa, a Blue and Yellow Macaw {Ara ararauna) 

 from Brazil, deposited. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1889 AUGUST is-Z\. 



/"POR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

 ^ Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24^ 



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on August 25 



Sun rises, 5h. 4m. ; souths, I2h. ira. 50'6s. ; daily decrease 

 of southing, i6'4s. ; sets, igh. om. : right asc. on meridian, 

 loh. 1 7 •6m. ; decl. 10° 37' N. Sidereal Time at Sunset^ 

 I7h. 17m. 



Moon (New on August 26, I4h.) rises, 3h. 21m. ; souths, 

 iih. i6m. ; sets, i8h. Sgm, : right asc. on meridian, 



27 



of the Moon. 

 Mercury in conjunction with and 4° 42' south 

 of the Moon. 



GEOLOGY IN RUSSIA.^ 



THE Geological Committee of St. Petersburg has made an 

 imp rtant contribution to Russian geology by bringing out 

 a new sheet of the Geological Map of Russia, covering the 

 Southern Urals.' A volume of explanatory text accompaniejv 

 the map. It appears from the recent explorations of the 

 members of the Committee that, contrary to the current 

 opinion as to the Southern Urals consisting of a number 

 of chains radiating from Mount Yurma, the great chain con- 

 sists in its southern parts of a number of chains parallel to. 

 one another, and all running from the south-west lo the north- 

 east. The main water-parting is built up of granite.=, syenites, 

 and gneisses, considerably worn down by denuding forces ; it has 

 a steep slope towards the east, where its base disappears 

 beneath the Tertiary deposits, while towards the west it is over- 



' Memoirs (vols. ii. and iii.) and Izvtstia (vols. iv. and v.) of the Russian 

 Geological Committee. . , _^ . . 



^ "Cane geologique generate de la Russie," Feuille 139; ' Description 

 orographique," by A. Karpinsky and Th. Tchernysheff ; " Hauieurs 

 absolues de I'Oural meridional." by A. Tillo ; and "Explication de la. 

 Carte," by A. Karpinsky and Th. Tchernysheff, in Memoirs. vlI hi. No. 2. 

 (In Russian, with bummaries in French.) 



