November, igo6.] 



KiNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



593 



from the lake. Since the same species also occurs in the 

 Victoria Nyanza and in the Niger, it is quite evident that 

 this jelly-fish is a member of a fresh-water fauna common 

 to a wide area in Central Africa, and in no wise distinctive 

 of one particular lake. Of the naturalists who contribute 

 to the "symposium," Mr. J. Caiman writes emphatically 

 against the marine theory, remarking tliat the Tanganyika 

 shrimps, although peculiar, are essentially fresh-water 

 types. 



A Siamese Bro\vn Bear. 



My readers may, perhaps, think lliere is no more reason 

 for referring to the occurrence of a brown bear in Siam 

 than for mentioning that white elephants are a product of 

 that country. As a matter of fact, the occurrence of such 

 an animal in the area in question is very remarkable indeed, 

 for brown bears and their immediate relatives (whether re- 

 garded as races or species) have hitherto been considered 

 characteristic of more northern latitudes, such as are in- 

 cluded by distributionists in the Ilolarctic region. The new 

 brown bear, on the other hand, whose home is reported to 

 be the Shan States, on the Burmese frontier of Siam, 

 is (if its habitat be rightly located), an inhabitant 

 of the Oriental, or Indian region. Hence my reason 

 for referring to the description. According to Mr. O. 

 Thomas, its describer, this bear, which has been named 

 Ursus arcius slLanorum, is nearly allied to the race inhabit- 

 ing Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, but differs by 

 its inferior size and certain features in the form of some of 

 the cheek-teeth. .'\s the skin of the Japanese brown bear 

 has not been described, no comparison in this respect is 

 possible. 



Two Noteworthy Fishes. 



In the September number of the Znohriht Mr. A. H. 

 Patterson, of Great Ynrmoiitli, records the capture of a fish 

 of the mackerel group, namely. Scomber thunnina, previ- 

 ously unknown to British waters. The specimen was taken 

 in a drift-net off the Norfolk town, and measured about a 

 couple of feet in length. It is a pelagic species of almost 

 world-wide range, which has on several occasions been re- 

 corded from Scandinavian waters. The second fish to be 

 noticed is a new shark from South .African waters, near 

 akin to the saw-beaked sharks of the genus Pristiophorvs, 

 but differing in having six (in place of five) pairs of gill- 

 slits on the sides of the body, on vidiich account it has been 

 made the type of a new genus by its describer (Mr. C. T. 

 Regan, of the British Museum), uniler the name of PUo- 

 trcma warreni. 



Fish as Food. 



The above is the title of an anonymous article in the Sep- 

 tember issue of the Museum Gazette (of which the Editor has 

 been favoured with a copy). " Speaking in general terms," 

 observes the writer, "there can be no hesitation in saying 

 that most sea-fish afford nutritious, easily digestible, and 

 thoroughly wholesome food. It matters little to assert that 

 fish contains less nutriment than beef-steak. This only 

 concerns the housewife in making her purchases. If the 

 chemists have convinced her that it takes a pound and a 

 half of cod to equal a pound of steak, and if the cost of the 

 two is the same, let her choose the steak. At table all that 

 is needful to remember is, that if you had intended to eat 

 half a pound of steak, you must take rather more of cod to 

 oblain its equivalent. The most concentrated foods are, 

 however, by no means always the most suitable. Of all fish 

 the herring is the one most to be commended. It is good 

 in all forms — fresh, lightly salted, or kippered — and it dis- 

 agrees wilh no one." 



More Okapi News. 



-Although Major Powell Cotton has not succeeded in 

 shooting an okapi (let alone procuring a live example), he 

 has obtained the skeleton and skin of an adult, which will 

 no doubt arrive in due course in this country. He also ob- 

 tained some important information from the natives of the 

 Ituri forest with regard to the habits of the creature. The 

 okapi, it appears, is a shy, solitary creature, retiring to the 

 impenetrable depths of the forest at the slightest indication 

 of the presence of man. l-'our different Ivind of leaves form 

 its food, and its drink is jilways drawn from a cle.ir nmning 

 stream. 



REVIEWS OF BOOKS. 



ARCH.^OLOGY. 



The Egyptian Heaven and Hell. Vol. i, The Book of .\m- 

 Tuat ; Vol. 2, The Book of Gates; Vol. 3, The Egyptian 

 Heaven and Hell. Crown Svo, cloth, illustrated, 6s. net 

 each. (London : Kegan Paul and Co., 1906.) — ^The three 

 volumes in which Dr. E. Wallis Budge treats of the 

 Egyptian Heaven and Hell are of surpassing interest to the 

 general reader as well as to the student of Egyptian history 

 and lilernlure. They form volumes XX., XXI., and XXII. 

 of the series on Egypt and Chaldsea, published by Messrs. 

 Kegan Paul. The first of the three contains the complete 

 hieroglyphic text of the book Am-Tuat, with translations and 

 excellent and deeply interesting reproductions of all the 

 illustrations. Volume II. contains the complete hieroglyphic 

 text of the summarised form of the book Am-Tuat, and the 

 text of the Book of Gates, with translations and reproduc- 

 tions as in Volume I. The third Volume, which the 

 neophyte must attack first, contains explanatory chapters on 

 the Books of the Dead generally. These books were de- 

 signed to provide the souls of the dead with a guide to the 

 journey that they must undertake in order to reach the 

 Kingdom of Osiris, and furnished them with passwords to 

 the " Islands of the Blessed." Among much that is super- 

 latively interesting we can only note the curious and 

 suggestive fact that in the later Dynastic Period the blessed 

 were believed to live for ever in the Kingdom of Osiris, 

 feeding upon the heavenly wheat of righteousness which 

 sprang elcrnally from his body. 



BOTANY. 



Rambles on the Riviera, by Eduard Strasburgcr. Trans- 

 lated from the (icrman by O. and B. Commerford Casey 

 (T. Fisher L'nwin ; 21s. net). — The fact that this book is by 

 Dr. .Strasburger, Professor of Botany at the University of 

 Bonn, and universally acknowledged as one of the most 

 brilliant of botanical investigators of his time, will naturally 

 lead the reader to expect something exceptionally interest- 

 inp-. and his anticipation will be found fully realised. The 

 author's many rambles have made him familiar with the 

 beautiful scenery and natural productions of this favoured 

 coast. In the introduction advice is given to intending visi- 

 tors ; to those in good health and only anxious to enjoy the 

 charms of Nature ; also to those whose state of health de- 

 mands care as to choice of localities. Naturally the P'lora 

 receives the greatest share of attention, but the author's 

 primary object was not to study botany or to write a history 

 of the Flora of the district, but to enjoy the beautiful and 

 interesting under whatever guise presented, hence we en- 

 counter sketches, told in charming language, concerning 

 the peasants of the district, their traditions, folk-lore, S:c., 

 the ancient history of classic places destroyed by Saracens 

 or attacked by Corsairs, the true account of the " Man in 

 the Iron Mask," and many other equally fascinating inci- 

 dents. In dealing with plants, not only those that are 

 indigenous, but also introduced kinds receive attention, and 

 the amount of information respecting their introduction, 

 uses, ancient and modern, told in language free from the 

 pedantry of attempting to pose as a man of science, as is 

 too frequently the case, is quite a revelation. There is a 

 very interesting chapter on plants furnishing perfumes, and 

 the means of extracting the same as practised in ancient 

 times and at the present day. Such headings as " Lemons 

 in Symbolism," and the uses of palms in religious and other 

 ceremonies also suggest interesting information. The 

 beautiful garden situated at La Mortola, the property of Sir 

 Thomas llanbury, afl'orded the author many apportunities 

 for conveying interesting information relating to plant life. 

 In the translators' preface it is noted that it was at the 

 suggestion of this generous patron of botany that the pre- 

 sent work appears in an English garb. The book is beauti- 

 fully printed, and the text is adorned by numerous well- 

 executed coloured illustrations of flowering plants, sea- 

 weeds, butterflies, and vignettes of places of interest. 



A Text-Book of Botany, by John M. Coulter, A.M., Ph.D. 

 (.\ppleton ; 5s. net). — This book is intended for use in second- 

 ary schools, and represents the combined judgment of the 

 .uithor and many other experienced teachers, as to the 

 nature of the material and the points of view. The result is 



