534 



NATURE 



[September i^j, 1900 



A RECENT number of the Abhandbmgen of the Vienna 

 Geographical Society consists of an important paper, by Prof. 

 Dr. J. Cvljik, of Belgrade, forming the first part of a study of 

 the gliciation and morphology of parts of Bosnia, Herzegovina 

 and Montenegro. The memoir, which it is impossible to 

 summarise in a note, is illustrated by nine maps. 



Chikf Constructor Kretschmer publishes in the j1/a;r/«i5- 

 Rnndschau a paper on the German Antarctic Expedition. The 

 pper deals first with the chief difficulties of Antarctic explor- 

 a'ion, the achievements of former expeditions, and the general 

 scheme of work to be undertaken by the expeditions now being 

 fitted out. The second part is of special interest from the 

 minute details and numerous drawings given of the design and 

 construction of the vessel now being built for the German 

 Expedition. We have also received a reprint of Mr. W. S. 

 Bi ice's paper in the June number of the Scottish Geographical 

 Migazine, giving an account of the proposed Scottish National 

 Antarctic Expedition. 



A descriptive catalogue of a collection of the economic 

 minerals of Canada, exhibited at the Paris Exhibition, has been 

 prepared under the direction of Dr. G. M. Dawson. This will 

 be a useful work of reference. It is interesting to note that the 

 collection includes samples of lithographic stone. 



The Proceedings of the Geologists' Association for August 

 1900 contains some highly interesting notes on the geology of 

 the English Lake District, by Mr. J. E. Marr. The notes, 

 which were prepared for the summer excursion of the Association, 

 embody the results of work carried out for many years by Mr. 

 Marr, partly in conjunction with Mr. A. Ilarker. While sup- 

 porting the generally accepted views of the succession of the 

 older Palaeozoic rocks, the facts now brought forward indicate 

 that the disturbances to which these rocks have been subjected 

 are due to the pushing forward of the strata in a northerly 

 direction at uneqzial rates. Under these conditions the Skiddaw 

 Slates moved furthest forward, causing the Green Slates and 

 Porphyries to " lag behind," and the Upper Slates (Silurian, 

 with Coniston Limestone at base) to lag behind the Green Slates 

 and Porphyries. The peculiar faulting attending these dis- 

 turbances is specially described. The intrusive igneous rocks 

 and their metamorphic effects and other subjects are also dealt 

 with. 



In the same number of the Proceedings there is a paper, by 

 Mr. G. E. Dibley, on zonal features of the chalk pits in the 

 Rochester, Gravesend and Croydon areas. The author has 

 laboured long and enthusiastically in collecting from the various 

 zones, and the results which he now publishes in notes, and in a 

 carefully arranged list of fossils, form an important addition to 

 our knowledge of the life-history of the chalk. An interesting 

 bone, which he obtained from the Middle Chalk of Cuxton, is 

 described by Mr. E. T. Newton as probably belonging to the 

 Rhynchocephalia, a group of lizard-like animals, which in- 

 cludes the living New Zealand Hatteria and the Triassic 

 Hyperodapedon. 



The Transactions of the American Microscopical Society for 

 1899 (vol. xxi.), contains a number of interesting articles on 

 microscopic objects, zoological and botanical, together with a 

 smaller number on microscope construction and laboratory 

 apparatus. 



In the Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales for August, we 

 notice a number of papers of interest and value for farmers and 

 horticulturists in the Colony. Much information is contained in 

 this and in previous numbers on the diseases to which domestic 

 animals and cultivated crops are liable, and on the best methods 

 for their treatment. 



NO. I 61 3, VOL. 62] 



The parts most recently received of Engler's Botanische 

 Jahrbiicher are Heft 4 of. vol. xxviii. and Heft 2 of vol. xxix. 

 Besides a few shorter articles, these parts are almost entirely 

 occupied by two important descriptive papers — a continuation of 

 the editor's report on the results of the German Nyassa expedi- 

 tion, and one by D. Diels on the flora of Central China. 



The Bulletin of the Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow, 

 No. 4 for 1900, contains several interesting botanical papers in 

 German. Of these the most important is the second of a series 

 by W. Arnoldi on the morphology and history of development 

 of the Gymnosperms. The present paper is devoted to the 

 process of fertilisation in Sequoia ( Wellingtonia), and is a link 

 in the chain of the numerous and most important observations of 

 recent years which connect the process of impregnation in 

 Gymnosperms with that in Vascular Cryptogams on the one 

 hand, and that in Angiosperms on the other hand. 



The third annual dinner of the association of old students of 

 the Central Technical College will be held on Tuesday, Octo- 

 ber 2nd, at the Restaurant Frascati, Oxford-street. Old students 

 can obtain further particulars from the honorary secretary, Mr. 

 M. Solomon, 12, Edith-road, West Kensington, W., to whom 

 all applications for tickets should be made. 



The three parts of vol. xxxix. of the Transactions of the 

 Royal Society of Edinburgh, which have just been issued, con- 

 tain several very valuable papers read before the Society during 

 the sessions 1897-98 and 1898-99. All the papers have been 

 published separately, and most of them have been reviewed ir> 

 Nature, or briefly described in the reports of the meetings of 

 the Society. 



Messrs. Bailliere, Tindall and Cox have published the 

 fifth edition of "A Synopsis of the British Pharmacopoeia,"^ 

 compiled by Mr. H Wippell Gadd, with analytical notes and 

 suggested standards by Mr. C. G. Moor. This little pocket- 

 book is widely appreciated : it contains a complete table of 

 chemicals, drugs and preparations in the official "Pharma- 

 copoeia," with their character, doses, &c., as well as other 

 information arranged in a convenient form. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Mona Monkey {Cercopithecus mona,^) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mrs. C. Campbell ; a Red-footed 

 Ground Squirrel {Xerus erythropus) from West Africa, pre- 

 sented by Dr. Oswald Horrocks ; a Grey Ichneumon (Hetpestes 

 griseus) from India, presented by Captain W. H. Rotheram, 

 R.E. ; a Plantain Squirrel (Sciurus plantani) from Java, pre- 

 sented by Mr. H. H, Goodwin ; two Dusky Ducks (Anas ob- 

 scura) from North America, presented by Mr. W. H. St. 

 Quintin ; a Peregrine Falcon {Falco peregrinus), European, pre- 

 sented by Mr. A. L. Jessopp ; three Jays {Garrulus glandartus), 

 British, presented by Dr. R. B. Sharpe ; four Pheasants 

 (Phasianus colchicus), British, presented by Mr. F. Larratt ; 

 two Western Yellow-winged Laughing Thrushes {Trochalop- 

 terum nigrimentuni), a Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush {Ian- 

 thocincla rufigularis), a Slaty-headed Scimitar Babbler 

 (Pomatorhinus schisticeps), a Black-throated Ouzel (Merula 

 strigularis), two Tickell's Ouzels {Merula unicolor), a Spotted 

 wing (Psaroglossus spiloptera) from British India, presented by 

 Mr. E. W. Harper ; a Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara araraund) 

 from South America, presented by Mr. Randolph Berens ; a 

 Red Tiger Cat (Felis chrysothrix), a Leopard (Felis pardus)^ 

 two Rose-ringed Parrakeets {Palaeornis docilis) from West 

 Africa, a Yellow-crowned Troupial (Icterus chrysocephahis), 

 a Yellow-backed Troupial [Icterus croconotus) from South 

 America, an Alpine Marmot (Arctomys marmotta), two Cross- 

 bills (Loxia curvirostrd), European j ten Elephantine Tortoises 

 ( Testudo elephantina) from the Aldabra Islands, deposited. 



