July 24, 1879] 



NATURE 



289 



only capable of increasing the proportion of water in the 

 crop ; if nitrogenous manures are found in any case to 

 be of little value, it is not because the plant does not 

 require nitrogen, but simply because the soil supplies an 

 abundance without the aid of manure. Concerning the 

 richness of the experimental soils in nitrogen nothing is 

 said. Mr. Jamieson, the chemist of the Association, has, 

 however, stated in another publication that the Aberdeen- 

 shire soils usually contain o"4 per cent, of nitrogen. If 

 this is the case, there is little reason to wonder at the 

 small effect of nitrogenous manures. The amount of 

 nitrogen just named is far in excess of that usually found 

 in arable soils, and about equal to what we should expect 

 to find in the soil of a well-manured kitchen garden. 



The percentage of water in a plant is always increased 

 by anything which increases its luxuriance : a big turnip 

 is sure to contain a greater proportion of water than a 

 little one. If, therefore, we are to condemn manures 

 simply because they increase the percentage of water, we 

 may as well stop manuring altogether. It is quite right, 

 however, that the percentage of water in the produce 

 should be taken into account in comparing the effect of 

 different manures, as it is clear that only the dry matter 

 of the crop can have any feeding value. 



The experiments, as before, exhibit a vast amount of 

 painstaking work, and cannot fail, if continued in the 

 same spirit, to be of service to the farmers of Aberdeen. 



A History of British Freshwater Fishes. By the Rev. 

 W. Houghton, M.A., F.L.S., Rector of Preston-on-the- 

 Weald Moors, Wellington, Shropshire. Two volumes, 

 extra large 4to. (Copies to be obtained from the author 

 at the above address.) 



The most complete monograph on this branch of natural 

 history which has yet appeared, several species of Sal- 

 vionidce being illustrated for the first time. The coloured 

 figures and the engraved lake and river scenes, which 

 bead each chapter, are admirable works of art. The 

 book is exquisitely got up, and is well suited to the 

 drawing room table. At the same time, it is of real 

 scientific value to the amateur ichthyologist, the descrip- 

 tions and plates rendering the species of easy identifica- 

 tion. The preliminary chapters on the classification and 

 anatomy of fishes are carefully written and well illus- 

 trated. The work will add to Mr. Houghton's reputation 

 as an intelligent and accomphshed naturalist. C. C. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



\The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 iy his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or 

 to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. No 

 notice is taken tf anonymous communications. 



\lhe Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as 

 short as possible. 'J he pressure en his space is so great that it 

 is impossible othenvise tt ensure the appearance even of com- 

 munications containing interesting and novel facts. '\ 



The Price of the "Memoirs of the Geological Survey" 



The publication of Mr. Skertchley's "Manufacture of Gun 

 Flints," in the Memoirs of the Geological Survey, seemK to be 

 a good opportunity for again bringing under notice the absurd 

 price charged for fome of the Survey volumes. In Nature, 

 vol. xviii. p. 562, Prof. Boyd Dawkins drew attention to this 

 subject, and urged the necessity of issuing the "Memoirs " at a 

 reasonable price ; but this last publication shows that the 

 Stationery Office does not intend to mend its ways, but will still 

 try and put the information it issues as far as possible out of the 

 reach of the public. The fact I should like to draw attention to 

 as regards the price of the " Memoirs" is the absurdity of the 

 amount charged for some of the volumes, as proved by others 

 issued by the Survey ; and a glance at the facts seems to show that 

 the prices arc fixed without any regard to the ^izc or quality of 

 the book. Mr. Skertchley's pamphlet consists of So pp. and 71 

 figs., and this, in a paper wrapper, is priced 17^. ()d. ! Now, 

 take Prof. Judd's " Geology of Rutland," this contains 320 pp. 



(or exactly four times as many as Mr. Skertchley's) 1 1 plates and 

 19 woodcuts, and the price of this, in cloth, is 12s. 6d., or 5^. 

 less than the one of 80 pp. Another example is Mr. De Ranee's 

 Memoir on the "Superficial Geology of the Coasts of South- 

 west Lancashire," which consists of 139 pp., and 20 woodcuts, 

 and for which we have to pay 17^. ; compare with this Mr. 

 Woodward's "East Somerset and Bristol Coalfield," containing 

 271 pp., 9 plates, and 23 woodcuts, which is only one shilling 

 more than the last-named, and is issued in cloth. But perhaps 

 the most curious two to take together are Mr. Skertchley's volume 

 on the "Fenland," and Prof. Green's "Report on the Yorkshire 

 Coalfield." The former of these contains 335 pp., 24 plates, 

 and 36 woodcuts, and is pubUshed at 2/., the latter has 823 pp., 

 26 plates, and 125 woodcuts, and yet the price is only 2/. 2s, It 

 is certainly hard to understand why we should be charged 2/. for 

 Mr. Skertchley's volume, if one the size of Prof. Green's can be 

 produced for 2/. 2s. One would imagine that books issued with 

 the public money would be sold as cheaply as possible ; and it is 

 to be hoped that some friend to Science in Parliament will ask a 

 question of the Government, and see if it is absolutely necessary 

 that these Memoirs should be published at such famine prices. 

 Oxford jAs. B. Bailey 



The Sea-Serpent 



In Nature, voL xix. p. 286, I observed some remarks 

 respecting sea-serpents, and especially noted one passage which 

 stated that "The age of incredulity is past, and naturalists 

 are now prepared to admit that several distinct kinds of oceanic 

 monsters probably exist." 



I was pleased to read this statement, as I have for many years 

 been convinced that some of die accounts published from time 

 to time in the newspapers are accurate descriptions of what has 

 actually been witnessed, but I little expected that I should so 

 soon be able to forward to you a description of one of these 

 creatures, as given by an eye-witness, of whose accuracy there 

 can be no question, and whose observations were made when very 

 close to the animal. 



Busselton is a little seaport about 150 miles south of Fre- 

 mantle, on the west coast of Australia, situated on the shore of 

 Geographe Bay, which is sheltered by Cape Naturaliste; the 

 northern point of that singular projection on the south-west 

 comer of Australia. 



During the greater part of the year the water of Geographe 

 Bay is as smooth as a lake, though it is a portion of that vast 

 Indian Ocean which extends unbrokenly to the African coast. 

 The beach is of smooth white sand, so hard at the water's edge 

 that it is frequently used as a road for riding or driving from 

 Busselton to Lockville ; the latter place, a few miles to the north, 

 is the station of the Ballarat Timber Company, containing their 

 steam saw-mills, the termination of their railw ay, and the jetty 

 from which large quantities of that imperishable and valuable 

 timber called jarrah is exported to be used as piles, railway 

 sleepers, &c. 



Last month I heard a report that the sea-serpent had been 

 seen near Busselton, and that the resident clergyman had been 

 one of the spectators. Having the pleasure of personal acquaint- 

 ance w ith that gentleman, X wrote to him on the subject, and 

 received from him such an interesting account, that I applied to 

 him for permission to communicate the facts to your paper, and 

 verify them by publishing his name. It is fortunate that the 

 principal eye-witness was an educated gentleman, who has for 

 twenty-seven years been a Colonial chaplain in this colony, and 

 whose description of what he saw is clear, simple, and free from 

 exaggeration. 



I copy from the letters of the Rev. H. \V. Brown the 

 following extracts : — 



"On Sunday, March 30, I left Lockville just as the sun was 

 setting, on my way home by the beach. 



" The afternoon had been oppressively hot, not a breath of 

 wind, and the sea was as smooth as a glass, I met C. M'Guire 

 and iris wife walking towards Lockville. 



" Soon afterwards, when abreast of the track to Richardson's, 

 I noticed ahead of me what looked like a black log of wood in 

 the water a stone's throw from the shore, nearly end-on to me, 

 and apparently more buoyant at that end ; getting riearer, I 

 noticed that it was drijting apparently towards Lockville, and 

 soon discovered that it was moving, leaving behind it a very 

 long, narrow ridge on the smooth water. I then turned my 

 horse's head, and, at a walking pace, kept just abreast of it, un- 



