May 17, 1888J 



NA TURE 



53 



Reports of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. 



THE issue of an index to the Reports of the Geological 

 Survey of New Zealand, from 1866 to 1885 inclusive, 

 enables us to see at a glance how large an amount of 

 valuable material has been accumulated by the staff of 

 this Survey, under its accomplished and energetic Direc- 

 tor, Sir James Hector. Several editions of the useful 

 geological map of the colony have appeared, the latest 

 dated 1885 ; and the volumes containing the yearly 

 reports of progress are now eighteen in number. Mono- 

 graphs on the palaeontology of New Zealand are stated to 

 be in preparation, and there are, besides these, museum 

 and laboratory reports, meteorological returns, and mis- 

 cellaneous publications. The difficulties felt in correlating 

 the strata of so isolated an area as New Zealand with the 

 rocks of other districts must always be very great, and 

 it is therefore not surprising to find that warm and ani- 

 mated discussions are taking place among the different 

 geologists of the colony as to the age and relations of 

 some of the fossiliferous deposits. We may feel assured 

 that the solution of these questions will be fraught with 

 important results having a direct bearing upon some of 

 the most difficult problems that now confront geologists. 



First Lessons in Geometry. For the Use of Technical, 

 Middle, and High Schools. By B. Hanumanta Rau, 

 B.A. (Vepery : Printed at the S.P.C.K. Press, 1888.) 



This is a second edition, revised and enlarged, of a very 

 good book for those who are beginning the study of geo- 

 metry. Much stress is laid all through on the construc- 

 tion and careful drawing of the figures, and great pains 

 seem to have been taken by the author to make his 

 meaning as clear as possible by means of simple ex- 

 amples, thereby inducing the reader not to learn the 

 propositions by heart. 



The volume is well arranged as regards the order of the 

 subjects, and teachers, as well as taught, will find in it a 

 good amount of useful information. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions 

 expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he under- 

 take to return, or to correspond with the writers of, 

 rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part 

 of Nature. No notice is taken of anonymous communi- 

 cations, .] 



Dissemination of Plants by Birds. 



I fully agree with Dr. Guppy that birds may have effected 

 much more in the distribution of plants than is generally ad- 

 mitted, and I think it is most desirable that his suggestion 

 respecting the examination of the contents of the crops of birds 

 shot at sea in high southern latitudes should be carried out. At 

 the same time I am of opinion that his explanation of the prob- 

 able origin of the vegetation of the distant islands in the South 

 Atlantic and South Indian Oceans is insufficient to account for 

 the endemic element, unless we suppose a former belt of vegeta- 

 tion in a higher latitude than these islands, which is now extinct. 

 Assuming the existence of such a belt of vegetation at some 

 remote period, it would not be difficult to explain the relation- 

 ships between the floras of America and Australasia, as well 

 as the presence in these islands of plants hot known to exist 

 elsewhere. 



Pringlca antiscorbutica, the Kerguelen cabbage, is the most 

 remarkable of the endemic plants. As a genus, it is as well 

 characterized as the majority of the genera of the Cruciferse ; 

 but, what is more significant, it has no near ally in the southern 

 hemisphere, being most nearly related to the northern genus 

 Cochlearia, differing from it more in habit of growth than in any 

 structural peculiarity. It is one of the commonest plants in the 

 islands, from Prince Edward Group to the Macdonald Group, and 

 produces seeds in great abundance. 



Lyallia kergi{detisis is, so far as is known, confined to 

 Kerguelen Island. It is one of the degraded types of the Caryo- 



phylleae-Polycarpese, and nearly related to the Andine genus 

 Pycnophyllum, and the North Mexican genus Cerdia. 



To my mind there are other difficulties in the way of such a 

 derivation of this insular vegetation as that suggested by Dr. 

 Guppy, but I will not enter into them here, as it would occupy 

 too much space. W. Botting Hemsley. 



On the Reappearance of Pallas's Sand Grouse 

 {Syrrhaptes paradoxus) in Europe. 



This bird suddenly reappeared at the end of April of this year 

 at different localities of Central Europe, not having migrated so 

 far since 1863. A. R. Wallace, in his important work, "The 

 Geographical Distribution of Animals," published in 1876, 

 figured this sand grouse among the characteristic birds of Mon- 

 golia (vol. i. p. 226, plate 3), and remarks: — "A curious 

 bird, whose native country seems to be the high plains of 

 Northern Asia, but which often abounds near Pekin, and in 

 1863 astonished European ornithologists by appearing in con- 

 siderable numbers in Central and Western Europe, in every 

 part of Great Britain, and even in Ireland." Vol. ii. p. 337, 

 the same author says in the work quoted: — " Syrrhaptes nor- 

 mally inhabits Tartary, Thibet, and Mongolia to the country 

 around Pekin, and occasionally visits Eastern Europe. But a 

 few years back (1863) great numbers suddenly appeared in 

 Europe, and extended westward to the shores of the Atlantic, 

 while some even reached Ireland and the Faroes." 



Mr. Wallace, speaking here of the geographical distribution 

 of Syrrhaptes, has in view the two species of the genus, 

 viz. S. paradoxus, Pallas, from Tartary and Mongolia, and 

 S. tibetanus, Gould, from Thibet ; whereas in the following 

 sentence, treating of the extraordinary migration, only S. para- 

 doxus appears to be meant. At least I am not aware that the 

 second species has ever been observed in Europe. 



Two years later not one bird of those that immigrated in 1863 

 appears to have been observed again here ; they may have died, 

 or been cruelly killed, or may have returned to their native 

 steppes. No special notice having been taken of their move- 

 ments, we did not learn the reason of that uncommon migration, 

 nor the rapidity of their wandering, nor whether they returned 

 to Asia or not. 



The reappearance of the sand grouse in large flocks, con- 

 sisting apparently of innumerable individuals, now gives us the 

 opportunity of watching their movements in detail. This should 

 be done everywhere, and for this reason I communicate the fol- 

 lowing notes, comprising all that I have learned till to-day 

 about it. I am sure that many more observations will have 

 been made in these days, and perhaps those who can add some- 

 thing to the following list will do so through the columns of 

 Nature. Observers should especially try to find out whether 

 there are specimens of 3". tibetanus among them. 



April 21, Plock, Poland. On the same day specimens on the 



River Pilica, near Radom, and in the market of 



Warsaw, Poland. 

 ,, 24, at 5 p.m., near Pima, Saxony. 

 ,, 25-26, in the night, near Leipzig, Saxony. 

 ,, 26, Kalisch, Poland. 

 ,, 27, 3 p.m., near Grossenhain, Saxony; on the same day 



several flocks there. 

 ,, 27, 4 p.m., near Pima, Saxony. 

 ,, 27, Brandenburg, Prussia. 

 ,, 27, Elbing, Prussia. 

 ,, 27, near Leipzig, Saxony. 

 ,, 28, near Leipzig, Saxony. 

 ,, 28, Kuchelberg, Silesia. 

 ,, 28, Czerwinsk, Poland. 

 ,, 28, Warscha, Poland. 

 ,, 29, Cemowitz, Bohemia. 

 On the last days of April near Gorgemy, Transylvania, and near 



Konigstein, Saxony. 

 May 1, near Grossenhain, Saxony. 

 ,, I, Liobschiitz, Saxony. 

 ,, 1, Niederfaulbriick, Silesia. 

 ,, 2, Ratzeburg, Holstein. 

 ,, 2-3, in the night, near Grossenhain, Saxony. 

 ,, 3, near Grossenhain, Saxony. 

 ,, 3, near Bautzen, Saxony. 

 ,, 3, near Schneeberg, Saxony. 

 ,, 3, near Friedeberg, Silesia. 

 ,, 4, near Grossenhain, Saxony ; several flocks. 



