352 



NA TURE 



[August 13, 1903 



the whole country then becomes a practical desert, over 

 which clouds of fine dust are swept by the wind. In order 

 to exist during this season of drought, the Ancylus closes 

 up almost the whole of the inferior aspect of its limpet-like 

 shell by a growth of shelly matter continuous with the 

 margin of the latter, leaving only a small circular mouth 

 at one end. As is well known, many land molluscs, more 

 especially Helix pomatia, are in the habit of sealing up the 

 apertures of their shells during seasons of drought or heat, 

 but in none of these is the substance with which the mouth 

 is closed identical with that of the shell. In localities where 

 there is no marked dry season, the Chaco Ancylus remains 

 throughout the year in its normal condition. 



In part i. of the general report and statistics relating 

 to mines and quarries for 1902, issued by the Home Office, 

 we note evidence of a general increase in production with 

 regard to coal, fire-clay, ironstone, gypsum, rock-salt, &c. 

 It is interesting to find that gold ore showed an increase 

 from 16,374 tons in 1901 to 29,953 tons in 1902. 



In a paper on the diffusion of granite into schists {Geol. 

 Mag., May), Mr. E. Greenly suggests that the granitoid 

 matter that has been injected lit par lit was intruded while 

 the surrounding rocks were at a high temperature, and 

 this view would help to explain the occurrence of lenticles 

 of granite in complete isolation from the parent mass. 



A USEFUL map of Peru, on the scale of i : 3,000,000, or 

 an inch to a little more than forty miles, has been issued 

 by Mr. Eduardo Higginson, Consul of Peru, Southampton. 

 It shows the various ports and havens, railways completed 

 and in progress, telegraphs, roads, forests, petroleum de- 

 posits, &c. On the back of the map are printed numerous 

 particulars relating to the country, such as climate, agri- 

 culture, artesian wells, mineral wealth, manufactures, and 

 various statistics. Of the industries, that of indiarubber 

 is especially described. 



To the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association for 

 June (vol. xviii. part ii.), Dr. Catherine A. Raisin con- 

 tributes an article on the formation of Chert, with especial 

 reference to the bands and nodules in Jurassic strata. In 

 some cases the silica may have originated from hot springs 

 aided by the action of algae ; in other cases silica may have 

 been directly derived from the sea water, but more often 

 through the agency of siliceous organisms. Molecular 

 changes that subsequently took place in the rocks have 

 led to the dispersal and concentration of the silica in 

 patches or layers. Mr. Jukes-Browne gives an account of 

 the zones of the Upper Chalk in Suffolk. 



In a paper on " The Marl-Slate and Yellow Sands of 

 Northumberland and Durham," Prof. G. A. Lebour 

 {Trans. Inst. Mining Eng.) remarks that these Permian 

 strata rest on the stained edges of eroded Carboniferous 

 rocks. Discussing the origin of the yellow sands which 

 occur at the base of the Permian group, he is disposed to 

 agree with R. Howse that they were wind-blown, and that 

 consequently the overlying Marl-slate may rest somewhat 

 irregularly upon them. Some of the inequalities observ- 

 able between the divisions are, however, due to the fact 

 that springs carry away portions of the sands, and this 

 subterranean erosion leads to subsidence of the overlying 

 Marl-slate or Magnesian Limestone. The Marl-slate is 

 made up of thin limestones and shales, with marine shells 

 and remains of land-plants, as well as amphibia, and 

 numerous fishes the nearest existing analogues of which 

 inhabit rivers and lakes. The organic remains thus indicate 

 estuarine or lagunal conditions. 

 NO. 1763, VOL. 68] 



A German Bohemian Archaeological Expedition to Asia 

 Minor, conducted by Drs. J. Juthner, K. Patsch and 

 H. Swoboda, and Architect F. Knoll, left Konia (Iconium) 

 on April 4 on a roundabout journey to Isaura, to link on 

 with the work of the Vienna Academy. They visited 

 various towns and villages between Konia and the Lake of 

 Bey Schehir, and investigated the interesting Hittite 

 temple at Fassiler previously discovered by the American 

 explorer Sterrett. In Kyzyldschakioj they made their most 5 

 valuable epigraphical discovery of two fragments of a lime- 

 stone stele, which is important since it bears on the history 

 of the second century 13. c, and illustrates certain aspects 

 of Greek public law. An illustration is gi%-en of the ruined 

 gate of the acropolis of ancient Isaura which confirms the 

 statement that very little now remains. More than three 

 hundred inscriptions were found, and numerous photographs 

 were taken of monuments and landscapes ; the map 

 accompanying the report in Deutsche Arbeit (vol. ii. Heft 

 10, p. 784) was drawn by Prof. Juthner. 



Prof. James Walker's " Elementary Inorganic Chemis- 

 try," published by Messrs. Geo. Bell and Sons, and re- 

 viewed in our issue for June 19, 1902, has been translated 

 into German by Margarete Egebrecht and Emil Bose. The 

 translation has been published by Messrs. F. Vieweg and 

 Son, of Brunswick. 



A SECOND edition of the " Guide to the Search Depart- 

 ment of the Patent Office Library, with Appendices," has 

 been published at the Patent Otlfice, Chancery Lane. The 

 first appendix is a descriptive list of unofficial class-lists, 

 ana digests of English and foreign patent specifications, 

 and the second contains a select dictionary of words and 

 phrases associated with inventions introduced under letters 

 patent. 



We have received copies of the Compte rendu of the pro- 

 ceedings of the 1901 meeting of the Soci^t6 Helv^tique des 

 Sciences Naturelles, held at Zofingen, and that of the 1902 

 meeting held at Geneva. The two volumes of Verhand- 

 liingen and Actes, containing the papers presented and 

 addresses delivered in connection with the same meetings, 

 have also reached us. 



Subjects of scientific interest take a prominent place in 

 the current issue of the Century Magazine. Mr. Frank 

 W. Stokes, who accompanied the Swedish South Polar 

 Expedition under the leadership of Dr. Otto Nordenskjold, | 

 contributes an article entitled " An Artist in the Antarctic," ' ? 

 which is accompanied by three beautifully coloured plates 

 by the author, and these give a vivid impression of the 

 region described. M. J. Deniker writes of Lhasa, under 

 the title "New Light on Lhasa, the Forbidden City." 

 Miss A. K. Fallows explains, in a well illustrated paper, 

 the means adopted to secure for New York a supply of 

 pure milk. 



The first part of vol. ii. of "The Fauna and Geography 

 of the Maldive and Laccadive Archipelagoes : being an 

 Account of the Work carried on and of the Collections made 

 by an Expedition during the Years 1899 and 1900," which 

 is being edited by Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, has been issued 

 by the Cambridge University Press. The first part of vol. i. 

 of this work was reviewed in our issue of April 3, 1902, and 

 the remaining volumes will be dealt with after the publica- 

 tion of the concluding part. The present fasciculus contains 

 reports by Prof. S. J. Hickson, F.R.S., and Miss E. M. 

 Pratt on the Alcvonaria of the Maldives, by Sir Charles 



