October 15, 1903] 



NATURE 



579 



\ 



favoured in this respect, and the author directs attention 

 to the amount of information with regard to their habits 

 obtainable by the new method of photography at short 

 distances, to which allusion has been previously made in 

 these columns. 



We have received a copy of the eighth report on the 

 periodic variations of glaciers, by Dr. S. Finsterwalder and 

 E. Muret i^Arch, des Sc. phys. et nat., Geneve). 



We have received from the Queensland Department of 

 Mines, Geological Survey Reports, Nos. i8i and 183, by 

 Mr. Walter E. Cameron. The author deals with recent 

 mining developments on the Ravenswood Gold Field, where 

 rather more than 2 oz. 7 dwt. of gold per ton has been 

 raised during the past three years. He also gives further 

 particulars relating to coal, and gold, silver, and copper 

 ores in the Mackay and Bowen districts. 



Prof. W. M. Davis has sent us copies of two recent 

 essays on earth sculpture (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harvard 

 Coll., vol. xlii.). One deals with the plateau province of 

 Utah and Arizona. Evidence is given to show that the 

 greater part of the faulting had been accomplished before 

 the uplift of the region by which the erosion of the Colorado 

 canyon was initiated, but some modern faulting of large 

 amount has taken place. The other essay is on the moun- 

 tain ranges of the Great Basin, in which the author deals 

 with the effects of erosion on faulted mountain-blocks. 



The surface geology of Cheshire in its relation to agri- 

 culture is dealt with by Mr. William Edwards (Proc. Liver- 

 pool Geol. Soc, vol. ix. part iii.). He refers to the Drift 

 soils, but more especially to those derived from Triassic 

 rocks. The Keuper Marls yield some of the best soils, 

 owing to their mineral ingredients, to their physical proper- 

 ties, and in part to their colour. The author observes that 

 most of our best soils have a deep red colour, and probably 

 the value of this colour depends upon its power to absorb 

 the heat rays of the sun. 



The general report of the work carried on by the Geo- 

 logical Survey of India for the year 1902-1903 has been 

 drawn up by the new director, Mr. T. H. Holland. 

 Economic inquiries have been made with regard to coal, 

 chromite, fire-clay, gold, iron, manganese, lead, petroleum, 

 &c. Field-work was carried out in seven districts. In the 

 report on the Punjab area, reference is made to evidence 

 brought forward by Dr. Noetling, that in the Salt Range 

 the sedimentary series from Cambrian to Tertiary has been 

 thrust bodily in a southerly direction over the salt-marl, 

 and that the marl is not pre-Cambrian, but simply belongs 

 to the Tertiary salt-bearing formation, like that repre- 

 sented at Kohat. 



We have received from Messrs. Darbishire and Stanford, 

 of the Oxford Geographical Institute, Oxford, specimens of 

 a new series of outline maps which they are issuing under 

 the title of the " Autograph Handmaps," at the price of 

 one penny each. The feature of the series is that, besides 

 showing the coast lines and the principal rivers, the chief 

 hill features of the country are indicated by a very ex- 

 pressive scheme of shading, which renders the pictorial 

 value of the maps, and therefore their value in elementary 

 teaching, decidedly greater than is the case where contour 

 lines are employed. The execution is somewhat unequal, 

 but generally good ; the maps of the British Isles, Scotland, 

 and Ireland are the best. We note that in most cases the 

 name of the projection on which the map is drawn, the 



NO. 1772, VOL. 68] 



natural scale, and scales of miles and kilometres, are given. 

 The maps are printed in a dull brown colour, so that 

 additional matter introduced by teacher or pupil stands 

 clearly out. The maps are a valuable addition to the equip- 

 ment available for teaching geography, and as such should 

 be heartily welcomed. 



In the Cracow Bulletin, Mr. Ed. Janczewski proposes a 

 new classification of the species belonging to the genus 

 Ribes. The author distinguishes six subgenera, four of 

 which (Ribesia, Berisia, Grossularioides, and Grossularia) 

 are characterised by scarious scales, while in the other two 

 (Calobotrya and Coreosma) the scales are herbaceous. 



The early cell divisions in the germinating spore of the 

 liverwort Pellia form the subject of a paper by Mr. C. J. 

 Chamberlain in the Botanical Gazette. As Prof. Farmer 

 originally showed, interest attaches to the nuclear divisions 

 at this stage owing to the appearance of a centrosphere 

 and radiations. Mr. Chamberlain holds the opinion thaJ 

 the radiations represent lines of streaming material. 



It is known that the red and blue colours of many flowers 

 and fruits are due to the pigment anthocyanin, which 

 occurs in the cell sap. Mr. T. Ischimura has examined its 

 formation in hydrangea flowers, and describes the results 

 in the Journal of the College of Science, Tokio. In con- 

 formity with the reactions obtained the author concludes 

 that anthocyanin is a tannin, or a tannin derivative, and 

 shows that besides tannin, light, and generally sunlight, is 

 necessary for its formation. 



In the report for the year 1902-3, the director of the 

 Botanical Survey of India announces the retirement of Mr. 

 J. F. Duthie, who held the post of director of the Botanical 

 Department of Northern India. The investigations of the 

 various kinds of Indian yams are being continued, and 

 cultivations of fibre plants are being undertaken in order 

 to determine the sources of the fibres classed as Indian 

 hemp. Mr. C. A. Barber refers to a disease known as 

 " spike " which is destroying the sandal wood plantations 

 of Mysore and Coorg, and also reports the appearance of 

 a species of fungus on cholam leaves, similar to one which 

 is very destructive to the sugar cane. 



A USEFUL little book on " Hardy Perennials," by Mr. 

 D. S. Fish, has been published in the Rural Handbook 

 Series by Messrs. Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd. Amateur 

 gardeners will find in the book practical hints on the selec- 

 tion, arrangement, and cultivation of many hardy garden 

 flowers. 



Messrs. Ross, Ltd., have issued recently an abridged 

 catalogue for 1903, and a new edition of their " C " cata- 

 logue. Both lists are beautifully illustrated with reproduc- 

 tions of photographs taken with Ross, Ross-Zeiss, and 

 Ross-Goerz lenses, and contain full information of photo- 

 graphic and other optical apparatus. 



We have received a second edition of the discourses by Dr. 

 Stephan Waetzoldt bearing the title " Die Jugendsprache 

 Goethe's" and "Goethe und die Romantik," the first 

 edition of which was printed in 1888. An addition has now 

 been made in the form of a third discourse dealing with 

 the ballads of Goethe and their origin. 



All photographers will find something of value and 

 interest in the first number of the Practical Photographer — 

 that for October. Not only is photography regarded from 



