o/ ■ 



iVA TURE 



[August 15, 1S95 



ruundetl rock surfaces in the Sierra de Tandil in the Argentine 

 Republic, which have thus been formed. The third article in 

 the series discusses the organic and chemical theories of the 

 origin of the Chilian deposits of saltpetre. The next subject 

 considered is the method of the silicitication of fossil woo<I : the 

 author readvances his old the<.ir\-, and replies to the criticisms 

 made by Kothpletz and Solms-Laubach upon it, and advances 

 nine arguments against Solms-Laubach"3 rival theor)-. The fifth 

 |>aper describes cases in which deposits of salt have been formed 

 under continental instead of marine conditions, which the author 

 explains as due to the decomiwsition of minerals containing 

 chlorine in r<x:ks destroyed by subaerial denudation. The last 

 and longest jwijer in the collection, rediscusses the old problem 

 of the formation of coal. He considers the three alternative 

 theories as to whether coal is allochthon, i.e. formed from 

 vegetable material deposited elsewhere than on its place of 

 origin ; or is autochthon, or fornie<l by the decay of plants in 

 silu : or is pelagochthon, i.e. formed under the sea. The 

 author advocates the last. He gets over the difficulty of 

 Stigmaria, by declaring that his fellow botanists are wrong, and 

 that its supposed rootlets are really floating leaves. He says 

 that the figures, given in the text-books, are all copied from one 

 source, and declares that there are no specimens in tlie museums 

 of " Dresden, Vienna, I^mdon, Paris, Berlin, &c.," which give 

 any support to the rootlet theory. He gives an ideal view of a 

 landscape in the Carboniferous period, showing the Stigmaria 

 spreading over the floor of a sheet of water, with the " rootlets'' 

 rising as aquatic leaves. 



Mr. James R. Gregory, the mineralogist and dealer, wishes 

 it to be known that he has removed from 88 Charlotte Street, 

 Fitzroy Square, to more convenient premises at I Kelso Place, 

 Kensington, W. 



Messrs. Chai'MAN and Hali. have been constituted sole 

 agents in this country, the continent, and the colonies, for the 

 sale of the im|X)rtant scientific and technological publications of 

 Messrs. Wiley and Sons, of New York. 



The August /onnial of the Anthrojiological Institute contains 

 papers on Prehistoric remains in Cornwall; the northern settle- 

 ments of the West Saxons ; changes in the proportions of the 

 human body during the period of growth ; the languages sjioken 

 in Madagascar ; and on a collection of crania of Esquimaux. 

 There isalso a description, by Mr. M. X. Portman, of the methods 

 that should be employed by anthropological photographers. 



We have received a copy of a " Report on Slavery and the 

 Slave Trade in Zanzibar, Pemba, and the Mainland of the 

 British Protectorates of East Africa," by the Special Commis- 

 sioner of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. The Com- 

 missioner spent pretty nearly six weeks in East Africa in studying 

 the subject. Probably the most valuable and trustworthy 

 conclusiun in this report, though (wrhaps not the one to which 

 its author attaches most imiKirt.ince, is that " the whole (|Uestion 

 • if slavery in Zanzibar and Pemba is a very complicated 

 question." 



TlIK volume of Transaclions and Proceeili)i,:;s of the New 

 Zealand Institute for the year 1894, has reached us. A few of 

 the paiicrs have already been noted in these columns, and as 

 more than seventy |>apers are included in the volume now 

 publi.ihcd, it is only possible for us to refer to a few of them. A 

 lynoptical list of Coccid;c, reported from .•\ustralia and the 

 I'acific Ulnnd.s up to the end of last year, is given by Mr. W. 

 .M. Ma^kcll. Sir W. L. Huller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S., has several 

 omitholfigical fjaper.i in the volume, and Captain V. W. Ilutton, 

 K. k.S. , adds to the knowledge of the axial skeleton in the 

 Oinomilhi'l.i'. and there are a numlwr of other |>a|K'rs referring 

 lo the .wme birds. Prof. Arthur Dendy /lescribes some land 

 {ilannrians, Imnging the total numlier of s|«:cies found in New 



NO. 1346, VOL 52] 



Zealand up to twenty. The editor of the volume. Sir James 

 Hector, K.C.M.G., K.R.S.. contributes several papers to ii. 

 and the Rev. W. Colenso, K.R.S., with others, make contribu- 

 tions 10 the knowledge of the botany of New Zealand. 



Among the new editions lately received is a translation ol 

 Prof. Oscar Hertwig's book " Die Zelle und Die Gewebe," 

 published by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co. The work 

 has been translated by M. Campbell, and edited by Dr. H. 

 Johnstone Campbell. As we reviewed the original edition in 

 'S93 (^'ol- xlvii. p. 314), it is only necessary to express satisfiic- 

 lion that such an important treatise on the functions an<l 

 structure of cells has been brought within the reach of sluilenls 

 who do not read German easily. Under this translation 

 from the German, we find on our table two translations into 

 German of jxipers by British men of science. The papers are 

 published by W. Engelmann in Ostwald's A'/assi/.vr tier Exaltlcn 

 IVissenschaften. No. 61 of this scries contains Cieorge Green's 

 essay on the mathematical analysis of the theories of electricity 

 and magnetism, edited by Dr. A. J. von Oeltingen and Prof. .V. 

 Wangerin, and No. 62 is a translation of papers on the jihysiology 

 of plants, published by Thomas .Vndiew Kniglu helwecn 1.S03 

 and 1812. This is edited by Prof. H. Ambronn. .\ third 

 volume (No. 60), just received in the same series, contains papers 

 by J.-icob Sleiner on geometrical construction, and is edited liy Dr. 

 Oeltingen. In the Aide-memoire Series, published by Gaulliier- 

 \'illars, we have received two books on ballistic subjects, viz. 

 " Balistique Exterieure," by M. E. N'allier, and " Bouches a [ 

 Eeu," by Lieut. -Colonel E. Hennebert. We have also before 

 us " An Elementary Text-book of Mechanics," by Mr. W. 

 Briggs, and Mr. G. H. Bryan, F. U.S., jiublished in the 

 Tutorial Series of the University Correspondence College. The [ 

 volume is concisely and clearly written, and may be recommended | 

 as a useful text-book. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Rhesus Monkey (Maeacus rhesus, 9 ) from 

 India, presented by Mr. R. Norton Stevens ; a Yellow Baboon 

 (Cynocephalus baboiiin, ? ) from Parrapatti, Eastern Coast of 

 Africa, presented by ,Mr. J. V. Williams ; a Kinkajou (Ceno- 

 leptes iaudivolvulus, 9 ) from Denterara, presented by Mr. Sydney 

 Matthews ; three Alligators (.■ll/igalor mississi/ipicnsis) from 

 Florida, presented by Mr. Ernest H. Sliacklelon : two Green 

 Turtles (Chclone viridis) from Ascension, presented by Com- 

 mander Duncan Campbell ; a Common N'iper ( / 'i/>cra herns), 

 British, presented by .Mr. A. Old ; a Macacjue Monkey (/I/ikvj.hX 

 cynomolgus) from Java, a Lion (Felts leo, 9 ) from India, a Sooty 

 Phalanger (Pha/angisia faliginosa, var. ) from Tasmania, a 

 Larger Hill Mynah (Gracnia intermedia) from Northern 

 India, a (jrcater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Caealua galrrita) 

 from Australia, a Derbian Sternothere (Slernol/urnis derliiaiins) 

 from West .\frica, three South American Rat Snakes {.SpiMes 

 7'aria6i/is) from South America, deposited ; a Blossom- 

 headed Parrakeel (Pa/ieornis (yano(cphalus) from India, s 

 TulxTculated Iguana {Iguana Inherailala) from the West Indic!| 

 purchased ; three Pumas (h'elis eomolor), eight Black Sala- 

 manders (Salamatidra atra), born in the tlardens, two Tri- 

 angular-spotted I'igeons(Ci)/««Ma ^w/Hirir), two Crested Pigeons 

 {Oiypliaps loplwles), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Rotation oi- VnNt's. — Since our note last week on this 

 subject, Signor G. Schiaparelli has published in the Aslrotiomistke 

 Xa</iri,/ilcn (Ho. 3304) two letters concerning markings observed 

 on the planet in July, and llair bearing upon ilie ipieslion of 

 rotation. The planet was observed from July 3 to 8 under all 

 kinds of conditions, and the conclusion arrived at was that " the 

 aspect of the dusky markings distributed over the disc did not 

 undergo any important mwTificalion in form or siluaticm during 

 this periotl. Save a few small cxcejitions, all the variations 



