December, 



I905-J 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



303 



would be those which were attributable to subsequent denuda- 

 tion of seams as originally formed. In the Eureka seam in 

 Netherseal Colliery (South Derbyshire Coalfield) the wash-out, 

 instead of being one broad hollow, consisted of numerous con- 

 fluent streams, and these united together to form a main 

 channel, like the head-waters of a drainage system. Mr. 

 Middleton points out that in the Barnsley seam denudation 

 has been found over an area 1700 yards in length from east to 

 west, and in the Parkgate seam (240 yards below) over an area 

 2600 yards long from north to south. Although the wash-out 

 in neitiier case was completely crossed, the width, it is thought, 

 could not be less than 600 yards. 



The Genus Glossopteris. 



The question of the true affinities of the genus dlnssoftliri.^ 

 at present remains an open one. As a rule, it is classed with 

 the Filicales, but this classification can only be regarded as a 

 convenience, and must not be regarded as finite. Minute 

 organs, elliptical in shape, have been in close association with 

 Glossoptfi-is Brozi-niana, in specimens from New South Wales, 

 which Mr. E. A. N. Arber, F.G.S., F.L.S., thinks are not un- 

 like the sporangia of certain recent and extinct ferns and 

 cycads. There is, however, no trustworthy evidence as to 

 their contents. That they may be attributed to this genus is 

 indicated by the fact that they have never been found except 

 in the closest association with the scale-leaves of Glossopteris, 

 whilst some of the scale-fronds show scars of attachment and 

 fragments of sac-like bodies still apparently in continuity. A 

 close analogy may perhaps be found, Mr. Arber thinks, in the 

 micro-sporangia of cycads. 



Tertiat-ry Limestone at Belmont Hill. 



In reference to the white tertiary limestone from Heme Hill, 

 to which I recently referred, my attention has been called to 

 some hard flinty " race " which was found this year at the base 

 of the cyi'cna Shell-bed (Woolwich series), about 12 feet from 

 the surface, at Belmont Hill, Blackheath. This has been ana- 

 lyzed by Mr. H. Dixon Hewitt, for the Geologists' .Association, 

 with the following result ; — 



Calcium carbonate (CaCOj) .... 



Magnesium carbonate (MgCO^) 



Iron and Aluminium Oxides (ALO3 + Fe203) . 



Sand and Clay ....... 



Combined Water, traces of Alkalis, Phos- 

 phates, &c. (by difference) .... 



947 



3-0 

 0-6 



Submerged Coacst- Lines. 



At the opening meeting of the Geological Society of London 

 on November 17, an important paper on " The Coast- Ledges in 

 the S.W. of Cape Colony " was read by Prof. E. H. L. 

 Schwartz. Similar coast shelves have there been found 

 to those which characterise both the European and American 

 sides of the North Atlantic. The most striking of these re- 

 markable coast-shelves is said to be the Upland Shelf, extending 

 from Caledon to Port Elizabeth. It is cut by deep gorges 

 into narrow ridges or " ruggens," but at a height the level tops 

 of these ridges can be observed. The surface is in places 

 covered with superficial deposits, cemented boulder-deposits, 

 gravels, and sandy clays, hardened at the surface into iron- 

 stone or freshwater quartzite. Prof. Schwartz considers that 

 this shelf cannot have been formed as a peneplain, but by 

 marine denudation. On the 150 to 200 feet plateau there are 

 deposits with marine shells, and in a depression on its top the 

 evaporation of rain-water produces a large quantity of salt. 

 The rock-shelf under the Cape Flats appears also to have 

 been cut by the sea. The .\gulhas Bank seems to consist of a 

 succession of ledges, but it is not known whether further 

 shelves extend beyond its margin. Taking the ledges together, 

 the continent would appear to have been subject to lifts of 

 600 or 700 feet, with intermediate halts and setbacks. 



Wha-t is the Thirpole ? 



We all know Cuvier's Pul^otlitrium, or ''ancient wild beast " of 

 the Paris basin, but what are we to understand by the name 

 " Thirpole," to which Dr. W. Martin, of Lincoln's Inn, refers 

 in the following communication ? It will be seen that he sug- 

 gests that the two names are of identical origin. He says : 

 " What is the fish called Thii-polc that is alluded to in the fol- 

 lowing quotation from Staunford's ' Exposition of the Kinge's 



Prerogative ' (edition 1577)? 'So in Bracton's time it was 

 doubted by the common lawe, whether the King should have 

 this great fisli called Thivpolc wholly or not. And so like- 

 wise in Britton's time, as it may appe.ar in his book fo. 27, 

 which now this statute hath made clear and without question.' 

 I cannot find any reference to this fish either in Bracton, in 

 Britton, nor in the statute to which allusion is made. Possibly 

 Thirpole was a word newly coined by Staunford from the 

 Greek words tf-np, a monster, and iraXaios, ancient, venerable, 

 and was meant to be equivalent to 'that leviathan,' about 

 which so much was heard, but which was never seen. I may 

 mention that whales, sturgeons, and possibly porpoises, were 

 considered, when caught within seas that were part of the 

 realm, the property of the sovereign or his consort, and were 

 consequently called ' Koyal Fish.' " 



ORNITHOLOGICAL. 



By W. P. PvcRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., &c. 

 The Dura-tion of Life Among Birds. 



When we consider the great numbers of those who are 

 interested in birds, it is strange that there should have been 

 so little recorded as to the age to which birds live. 



Parrots are proverbially long-lived, and most of us are 

 familiar with the story of the venerable bird which Humboldt 

 met with in South America. Though voluble enough none 

 could understand it, as it spoke the language of a tribe of 

 Indians— Atures— which had long become extinct. 



Weissman mentions a white-headed vulture which died in 

 the Zoological Gardens at Vienna in 1S24 after 118 years of 

 captivity. Ravens are said to have lived 100 years in con- 

 finement, while canaries and linnets may live from to to iS 

 years. 



The latest contribution to this subject will_be found in an 

 extremely interesting article by Lady Ingrain in the Windsor 

 Mai^dziiic for November. Herein will be found many curious 

 and not a few reallv valuable facts, especially with regard to 

 the question at issue. Thus white birds are generally sup- 

 posed to be less robust than more normally coloured, yet a 

 white sparrow whose life history is described in this article 

 has lived 13 years in confinement, and during this time has 

 reared no fewer than 12 broods! Though this bird is still in 

 good health it appears, however, to be showing signs of age. 



Hoopoe in Inverness=shire. 



The FiiU, November 11, records the fact that a hoopoe 

 was shot at Onich, Inverness-shire, during the first week in 

 November. It had, unfortunately, been hovering about the 

 neighbourhood for some days, and had been kept under 

 observation by one or two well-wishers, only to fall a victim 

 at last. 



Breeding of Common Kite in Wales. 



Owing to the action of the British Ornithologists Club, aided 

 by the kindly cooperation of Earl Cawdor and Dr. Salter, the 

 last remnant of the kites in Wales were this year enabled to 

 rear their young unmolested ; two pairs succeeding in bring- 

 ing off two young each. It is believed that no young kites 

 have been reared in Wales for at least 10 years past. 



Breeding of the Bower Bird in 

 Confinement. 



Mr. Reginald Phillipps is to be congratulated in that the 

 Regent bower-birds (Sericulus mdinus) in his aviaries have 

 this year succeeded in rearing young. Tw6 birds were 

 hatched, the first on August 6, the other two days ater; by 

 Au-ust 22 both birds had left the nest, having, it is to be noted, 

 well-developed wings, but scantily covered bodies. Lnfortu- 

 nately one of these birds was killed during September, ap- 

 parently by swallowing the shoots of an elder tree ; but the 

 other bird is now full grown and hardly distinguishable from 

 the female. The period of incubation appears to be nineteen 

 or twenty days. This is the first record, we believe, of the 

 breeding of these birds in confinement. 



