14 The West American Scientist. 



made in a rude sort of gondola, propelled by a man at the bow 

 with a long pole. Most of the way down, if the day be clear, 

 views may be had of the two magnificent mountains which dom- 

 inate the valley of Mexico — Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. At 

 Santa Anita on feast days (and every Sunday and most other 

 days are feast days in Mexico, apparently), there is a great con- 

 course of the lower and middle classes of Mexicans. It is well 

 worth while for the tourist to see this phase of Mexican life and 

 try thetomales of Santa Anita, which are famous. The rich col- 

 ored flowers of Santa Anita supply the flower market of the Mex- 

 ican capital, while the Indians of Ixtacalco supply most of the 

 vegetables eaten by the capital anos. Arthur Howard Noll, 



Eagle Pass, Texas, October, 1888. 



FR UITS AND FLOWERS IN SO UTH AFRICA. 



' Yanka Girls in Zulu Land ' is a book recently published by 

 some young Americans who went there seeking health for one of 

 their number, and contains some statements that might reconcile 

 us to a life in the Transvaal even, a thousand miles from Cape 

 Town. Every street at Potchefstroom is described as a boule- 

 vard of oranges and peach trees growing side by side. ' The 

 very hedgerows are figs and quinces, while everywhere may be 

 seen lemons, shaddocks and bananas.' There is the greatest 

 variety and abundance of flowers, but even the most beautiful 

 roses are scentless. Orchids innumerable abound on the streams 

 of Fable Mountain. There are geraniums, heliotropes, lobelias, 

 a great variety of trailing vines and about 350 species of heather, 

 making the mountain sides look like warm-hued carpets. 



The climate is delightful and healthful, but the thunder storms 

 are terrific. Southern California is described, however, by others 

 as still more attractive. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



Lord Walsingham. — "Steps toward a revision of Chamber's 

 Index of (Lepidoptera Fineina), with notes and descriptions of 

 new species " in " Insect Life," 1888, pp. 81-84. The first part 

 of this valuable contribution deals with the genera Cleodora and 

 Dactylota of the former, five species are added to the North 

 America Hstfrom California, viz.: C. Striatella Hb., "exactly simi- 

 lar in all respects to the typical European form," C. modesta, sp. 

 nov., C. canicostella, sp. nov., C, tophella, sp. nov. , and C. 

 sabulella, sp. nov. The genus Dactycota was previously only 

 known by a single species from Western Europe, and it is there- 

 fore quite remarkable to have D. Snellenella, n. sp., coming 

 from Arizona. The whole of this paper illustrates the well- 

 known fact of the resemblance between the fauna of the Pacific 

 slopeof North America with that of Europe. The author states 



