40O 



NA TURE 



[June 2, 1910 



tion of N.N.VV., between the height of 1950 metres 

 and 2^oo metres, and on the old fracture of 1883. 



In the new fracture were a great number of craters, 

 which emitted lava, bombs, incandescent lapilli, and 

 clouds of sream and dust (Fig. i). At first the lava 



tioned its width reaches half a kilometre; below the 

 gorge the width even reaches one kilometre. 



The depth of the lava varies from a few metres to 

 a hundred metres in some places. The lava reached 

 the lowest point near the Cisterna della Regina, ten 



issued from the highest point, and formed a small ! kilometres from the new craters, on April 6. 



Fig. 2. — Lava flowing from lower craters on Etna. Photograph by Mr. W. Schlatter. 



stiieam going towards the south, which had the 

 leng-th of nearly two kilometres, but afterwards the 

 principal emission was from the lower craters, from 

 whrich ^ perfect river of molten rock, fifty metres wide, 

 rapidly descended towards the south (Fig. 2). When 

 it reached the east side of Monte Faggi, at a distance 

 of two kilometres from these craters, having found a 

 narrow passage between the above-mentioned moun- 

 tain and the first lava of 1892, it formed a magnifi- 

 cent fiery cascade, ten metres wide and twenty metres 

 in height (Fig. 3). Then it flowed on towards'S.S.W., 

 passing Mount Sona on the east, then towards the 

 south, going through a gorge between Mount San 

 Leo and Mount Rinazzi. Bevond the obstacle formed 



Fig. 3.— Eruption of Etna on March 29, 1910. Lava fall from S.E. Photograp 1 by A. Ricco. 



by this gorge, the rate of movement of the lava- 

 stream diminished, owing in part to the fact that the 

 slope of the ground is less, but the lava spread out 

 considerably; in fact, from the lower craters to the 

 cascade the lava-stream is no more than loo metres 

 wide, but from the cascade to the gorge above men- 



NO. 21 18, VOL. 83] 



The higher streams continued to flow and extend 

 until April 20, when the flow of lava ceased, and the 

 eruption was at an end. It had, therefore, lasted 

 twenty-nine days. A. Ricco. 



IHE ETHNOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN INDIA.' 

 r^ OCHIN has now followed the good example of 

 ^-^ the neighbouring South Indian States, Mysore 

 and Travancore, in carrying out a survey of its popu 

 lation. The account of the survey, conducted by Mr. 

 L. K. Anantha Krishna Iyer, will ultimately consist 

 of three volumes. The first, devoted to an 

 account of the forest and other low-caste tribes, has 

 now appeared, to be followed by i 

 second describing the higher castes 

 and a third dealing with physical 

 anthropology. The work is, on th( 

 whole, a creditable performance, and 

 it is illustrated by a good series o 

 photographs. More precision in th< 

 matter of quotations and reference; 

 is to be desired. With the last 

 census report of the State the stu- 

 dent will now possess ample in- 

 formation regarding the people. 



The work is introduced by Dr. J 

 Beddoe, who discusses recent con- 

 tributions to Indian ethnology. His 

 note is followed by an essay from 

 Dr. A. H. Keane, in which he pro- 

 pounds his views on the origin of 

 the races of India. Criticising the 

 conclusions of Sir H. Risley, he lays 

 down four principles. First, that 

 there is no fundamental unity in the 

 people, " the superficial uniformity 

 of phj'sical characters being far less 

 than is commonly supposed, and dufl 

 not to a fanciful primordial unityj 

 but to secular interminglings of several originallj^ 

 distinct ethnical groups superinducing surface re- 

 semblances." Secondly, that the assertions of 



1 "The Cochin Tribes and Castes." Vol. i. By L. K. Anantha Krishna 

 Iyer. Pp. xxx+366. (Madras ; Higginboiham and Co. ; London : Luzac 

 and Co., 1909.) 



