452 



NATURE 



[September io, 1891 



showing the winds and weather experienced by several vessels 

 which encountered cyclones in December, January, and February 

 last were submitted ; the greatest of the disturbances which had 

 been experienced of late occurred from February 3-13. At the 

 Observatory the barometer fell from 29-962 inches, at 9h. a.m. 

 on the 1st, to 29*409 inches, at 3h. 25m. a.m. on the 6th. Full 

 details of these cyclones will be published. With reference to 

 the " Atlas of Cyclone Tracks," lately published by the Meteoro- 

 logical Council, Dr. Meldrum stated that the preparation of an 

 appendix was under consideration. 



The Report of the Meteorological Commission of Cape 

 Colony for the year 1890 contains the results of observations 

 taken at 45 principal stations, and monthly and yearly rainfall 

 values at about 300 stations in the colony and neighbouring 

 States. The observations are made chiefly by public officials, 

 and by private gentlemen who lend their aid. Summaries from 

 a selected number of rainfall stations are also published monthly 

 in the Govermmnt Gazette and in the Agricultural JourtiaL 

 The expenditure for the year was only ^378, so that, considering 

 the smallness of the funds available, the results obtained are 

 highly satisfactory ; and the cost of instruments, which become 

 the property of the observers after 5 years' continuous observa • 

 tions, is not inconsiderable. The Commission express the hope 

 that their labours may lead to the discovery of the laws which 

 govern the weather in those parts, and ultimately result in the 

 issuing of trustworthy storm warnings. With this view simul- 

 taneous observations from various stations are telegraphed to 

 various ports, where they are entered on sketch maps for the 

 information of mariners and others. 



A CORRESPONDENT informs us that Dr. Sleich, of Berlin, 

 has found that the subcutaneous injection of distilled water 

 produces sufficient local anassthesia at the point of insertion to 

 allow small operations, such as opening a boil, to be made 

 without pain. 



The following are some results of Herren Elsterand Geitel's 

 recent electric observations on the Sonnblick, described to the 

 Vienna Academy : — The intensity of the most refrangible solar 

 rays, measured by their discharging effect on a negatively 

 electrified surface of amalgamated zinc is about doubled on rising 

 3100 m. from the lowland. The authors were unable to find 

 other actino-electrically active substances ; even pure fresh snow 

 and dry Sonnblick rock were not perceptibly discharged by 

 light. Waterfalls may produce in a valley a negative fall of 

 potential, and to considerable heights (500 m. ). The morning 

 maximum in fall of potential, observed regularly between 7 and 

 9 a.m. in the plain and in Alpine valleys, was absent at 3100 m. 

 Before thunderstorms in July, the positive fall of potential sank 

 gradually, in light showers, to nil, at which it remained some- 

 times two or three hours till completion of the electrical process 

 in the cloud. In thunder-clouds, or on low ground, during a 

 thunderstorm, the atmospheric electricity usually changes sign 

 after a discharge. St. Elmo's fire (negative as often as positive) 

 always accompanied thunderstorms. The observation that 

 negative St. Elmo's fire burns with blue flame, positive with red, 

 was repeatedly confirmed. 



It is well known that the fox possesses an excellent "head 

 for country." Referring to this subject in an interesting article 

 in the current number of the Zoologist, Mr. Harting says a fox 

 has been known to return seventy miles to his "earth," and 

 this not once, but three times. He was caught in Yorkshire, 

 and sent into Lancashire to be hunted by the hounds of the late 

 Mr. Fitzherbert Brockholes, of Claughton Hall, Garstang, and 

 his identity was established by his having been marked in the 

 ear by the fox-catcher. This story Mr. Harting had from his 

 friend Captain F. H. Salvin, who was living in Yorkshire at the 



NO. II4I, VOL. 44] 



time, and was well acquainted with Mr. Brockholes, who gave 

 him all the details. 



During the nesting season the male ostrich seems to be any- 

 thing but an agreeable creature. In a paper lately read before 

 the Royal Society of Tasmania, Mr. James Andrew says that at 

 that period the bird is most pugnacious, and may only be ap- 

 proached in safety with great precaution. He resents the in- 

 trusion of any visitors on his domain, and proves a most 

 formidable opponent. His mode of attack is by a series of 

 kicks. The leg is thrown forwards and outwards, until the foot, 

 armed with a most formidable nail, is high in the air ; it is then 

 brought down with terrific force, serious enough to the unhappy 

 human being or animal struck with the flat of the foot, but much 

 worse if the victim be caught and ripped by the toe. Instances 

 are known of men being killed outright by a single kick, and 

 Mr. Andrew remembers, whilst on a visit in the neighbourhood, 

 that on a farm near Graaff Reinet a horse's back was broken by 

 one such blow aimed at its rider. If attacked, a man should 

 never seek safety in flight ; a few yards and the bird is within 

 striking distance, and the worst consequences may result. The 

 alternative is to lie flat on the ground, and submit with as much 

 resignation as possible to the inevitable and severe pummelling 

 which it may be expected will be repeated at intervals until a 

 means of escape presents itself, or the bird affords an oppor- 

 tunity of being caught by the neck, which, if tightly held and 

 kept down, prevents much further mischief. Under such cir- 

 cumstances, however, Mr. Andrew has known a bird, with a 

 badly-calculated kick, strike the back of its own head, scatter- 

 ing the brains — "a serious loss of valuable property to the 

 farmer. " 



We learn from the Tiflis paper Caucasus that during an 

 excursion to the sources of the Jiagdon, which was made recently 

 by several explorers, no fewer than eight glaciers were dis- 

 covered, six of which are not marked on the 5 versts to the inch 

 map of Caucasus. They have been viewed now and sketched 

 from Slyr-khokh Pass. The southern slope of the branch- 

 ridge of the main chain, between the Kazbek and the Syrkhu- 

 barzon peak, has also been sketched from the Trussoff's Pass, 

 and it appears that several of the glaciers of this part of the 

 chain are not represented on the great map, while perpetual 

 snow is shown where there is none. The glaciers visited by the 

 party proved to have very much changed their aspect since 1882. 

 Several sulphur and iron carbonate springs were visited in the 

 Trussoft's valley, and several interesting Alpine flowers in bloom 

 were collected on the passes. 



A sketch of the vegetation of British Baluchistan, with de- 

 scriptions of new species, published originally in the Linnean 

 Society's Journal, has now been issued separately. The author 

 is Mr. I. H. Lace, who has had the advantage of Mr. W. B. 

 Hemsley's aid. 



In the Bulletins de la SocietS d' Anthropologie de Paris (fourth 

 series, vol. ii. Parts i and 2) the subject most prominently dealt 

 with is the slow rate at which the population of France in- 

 creases. According to the report of a prolonged discussion on 

 this question, there is much difference of opinion as to the 

 causes to which the phenomenon must be attributed. The 

 Bulletins also include interesting contributions on the Koubous, 

 a native tribe of Sumatra, by M. Zelle ; a series of spoons of 

 various epochs, by M. Capitan ; the pre-Columbian ethno- 

 graphy of Venezuela, by Dr. G. Marcano ; justice in Ancient 

 Egypt, by M. Ollivier-Beauregard ; and religious evolution in 

 the region of the Congo, by M. Clement Rubbens. 



The second part of the Catalogue of Mammalia in the Indian 

 Museum, Calcutta, by Mr. W. L. Sclater, has just been issued. 

 The first part was compiled by Dr. Anderson, the late Super- 



