668 
NATURE 
[AUGUST 27, I@r4 
had shown, by the study of the fossils of the enor- 
mous deposits of chalk in his own country, that 
not only must the deposition of this thick forma- 
tion have occupied vast periods of time, but that 
the changes taking place in the fauna during those 
periods furnish us with evidence by means of 
which the almost homogeneous mass of strata 
could be divided into a number of clearly recog- 
nisable “paleontological zones.” Heébert’s dis- 
tinguished pupil, Prof. Charles Barrois, of Lille, 
by a general reconnaissance over the chalk areas 
in the British Isles, proved that these zones could be 
traced through the length and breadth of our land. 
Jukes-Browne took up the task of working out the 
details of this classification of the English chalk 
strata, and after traversing during nine years the 
Cretaceous areas of the south and west of England 
published his results in three volumes of the 
Survey Memoirs. 
In the winter of 1888-9 the state of his health 
caused Jukes-Browne to go to Barbadoes; there 
he worked at his favourite studies with such good 
purpose as to be able to publish, in conjunction 
with Prof. J. B. Harrison, a most valuable descrip- 
tion of the upraised oceanic deposits in that island. 
Besides his survey memoirs, and many papers 
in scientific journals, Jukes-Browne wrote three 
geological text-books and a work of more general 
and speculative character, “The Building of the 
British Isles,” and some of his books have passed 
through several editions. The value of his scien- 
tific labours was recognised by the award of the 
Murchison medal by the Geological Society and | 
by his election to the Royal Society. In 1902 the 
state of his health compelled his retirement from 
the Geological Survey, and the last twelve years 
of his life were passed at Torquay, where he died 
on August 14. Je Wee 
NOTES. 
A CentraL NEws message from Melbourne on 
Tuesday, August 25, states that a number of members 
of the British Association attending the Australian 
meeting are curtailing their proposed tour and prepar- 
ing for a speedy departure for England. Exactly what 
this message signifies is, however, not quite clear. 
The Sydney session did not begin until August 20, 
and the intention was to proceed to Brisbane after- 
wards, but the whole meeting was not to last more 
than about three weeks from August 8. 
been discovered at Muir of Ord, about ten miles’ 
Cees ee eee, andy aibab tests Yare, being | affiliated to the union, if they have no special earth- 
applied to discover the nature of the oil and its com- 
mercial value, if any. 
THE outbreak of war has, of course, made it im- 
possible for drugs to be obtained from Germany as 
has hitherto been the case. In this connection the 
Government has appointed a committee to consider 
questions in relation to the supply of drugs in the 
United Kingdom. The members of the committee 
are: Dr. J. Smith Whitaker, Sir Thomas Barlow, 
Dr. E. Rowland Fothergill, Dr. B. A. Richmond, 
Dr. F. J. Smith, Dr. W. Hale White, with Dr. E. W. 
Adams as secretary. 
THE Government of Madras recently undertook an 
investigation into the causation, prevention, and pos- 
sible cure of diabetes, and secured the services of Dr. 
S. W. Patterson as investigator. We learn from the 
Allahabad Pioneer Mail that the sum of 50,000 rupees 
has been given by the Raja of Pithapuram for the 
purpose of carrying out the project, and that the 
Surgeon-General with the Government of Madras has 
been requested to submit to the Government by an 
_ early date proposals for providing Dr. Patterson with 
the necessary staff and laboratory accommodation. 
Tue twenty-fifth annual general meeting of the 
Institution of Mining Engineers will be held at Stoke- 
on-Trent on September 9, under the presidency of Sir 
W. E. Garforth, when the following papers will be 
read, or taken as read:—The absorption of oxygen 
by coal: part ii., the quantity of oxygen absorbed; 
part iii., the thermal value of the absorption; part iv., 
the influence of temperature; part vi., the ratio of 
spontaneous heating of coal, T. F. Winmill; the 
absorption of oxygen by coal, part v., the influence of 
temperature on the rates of absorption of different 
parts of the Barnsley Bed, J. I. Graham; self-con- 
‘tained rescue-apparatus and smoke-helmets for use in 
irrespirable atmospheres, Dr. J. S. Haldane; the un- 
known clays in coal-mines, Dr. J. W. Mellor. 
In the June number of Folk-lore Mr. J. H. Powell 
discusses the rite of hook-swinging in India. He 
describes, with numerous good photographs, the cere- 
mony which he witnessed in the Manbhum district of 
Chota Nagpur in 1912; and he has collected accounts 
' of the rite from that of Duarte Barbosa in Malabar 
down to recent times. He compares it with the 
meriah sacrifice of the Khonds, which Sir J. Frazer 
explains to be a fertility rite, and he regards it as a 
survival of human sacrifice. The facts recorded in 
_ the article are useful, and the argument is ingenious; 
but the object of the ceremony still remains obscure. 
On the analogy of other swinging rites in other parts 
| of the world, it may be suggested that the rotation 
of the victim is intended to disperse, as a fertility 
| charm, the mana of the performer, who by submitting 
to the rite is believed to be sacrosanct. 
Tue Congress of Archeological Societies, in issuing 
E ; ; é | its report for the past ear, directs attention to the 
It is reported in the Times that an oil well has | 5 P y af dane 
passing into law of the Ancient Monuments Consolida- 
tion and Amendment Bill, and suggests that societies 
works section, should appoint some competent member 
to watch over the earthworks in their district. It 
| announces with pleasure that steps have been taken to 
| place Worlebury Camp, Somerset, under the protection 
of the Act, and that steps have been taken to stop 
the damage that was being done to Bokerly Dyke and 
some ancient remains near Bristol. But much de- 
struction, as at the Burh of Edward the Elder at 
Witham, and of Whitehawk Camp near Brighton, still 
Sir Lauder Brunton, Dr. A. Cox, Prof. A. R. Cushny, | continues, and it is pointed out that the absence of 
NO, 2339,) VOl./93) 
+ ili a 
