January 19, 1905] 



NATURE 



277 



conducted chiefly from the geological standpoint 

 with the view of determining the age of the deposits, 

 and of throwing light upon the much debated question 

 of the oscillations of sea-level in recent times on the 

 Mediterranean seaboard. 



Prof. Boule's attention was directed in the first 

 instance to the Grotte du Prince, which was almost 

 intact when excavation was commenced. Here the 

 deposits attain a thickness of more than 20 metres, 

 and consist of basal beds of marine origin upon which 

 strata of continental origin are superimposed. The 

 latter can be subdivided into a number of layers, both 

 by their physical characters and by their fossil con- 

 tents, but the point of importance is that the upper 

 and middle beds contain remains of reindeer (never 

 previously recorded in this region), ibex, marmot, and 

 woolly rhinoceros, that is, the fauna of the cold period 

 of the Quaternary, while the lower beds contain quite 

 a different fauna — Elephas anttquiis, Rhinoceros 

 mcrcki, and hippopotamus, that is, species belonging 

 to the lower Quaternary fauna. The last named de- 

 posits lie upon an old raised beach which is also dis- 

 cernible outside the cavern, along the shore rocks, at 

 a mean altitude of 7 metres. Almost all the contained 

 fossils belong to the existing Mediterranean fauna, 

 but Prof. Boule has found some beautiful examples of 



7-metre beach, described at other parts of the 

 Mediterranean littoral by MM. Dep^ret and Caizot, 

 and regarded by them as of late Quaternary date, really 

 belongs to a much more distant period, for it is 

 anterior to the subaerial deposits containing fossils 

 belonging to the older period of the Quaternary. If 

 this conclusion be correct, it affords a means of fixing 

 the age of the last oscillation of sea-level in this region. 

 It should, however, be noted that in the discussion 

 which followed the reading of the paper M. Dep^ret 

 protested against the proposed homologising of the low 

 raised beach (height 5-7 metres) studied bv him on 

 the French coast of the Mediterranean {e.g. in the Bay 

 of Pierre-Formique) with the Strombus beach in the 

 Mentone caves. The former type of beach contains a 

 fauna very different from that of the Strombus layers, 

 Strombus being absent, and all the fossils belonging 

 to living species. 



At the conclusion of his paper Prof. Boule referred 

 to the three new human skeletons which have been 

 recently discovered in the Grotte des Enfants. The 

 first of these has been studied by MM. Gaudry and 

 Verneau, and proves to be markedly Australoid in type. 

 It was obtained in a bed containing Vrsus spelaeus, 

 Hyaena spelaea, FeU.<: spelaea, &c., and rested upon 

 a bed containing molars of Rhinoceros mercki. It 



KiG. I. -Skeleton from the Grotte des Enfants. 



Strombus niediterrancus, which has been regarded as 

 characteristic of the raised beaches of the Quaternary 

 period in the Mediterranean area. But the Prince's 

 cave contains other traces of marine action of a much 

 earlier date. In its upper part, at a height of 28 

 metres, there is a calcareous encrustation due to the 

 action of the waves, below which the wall of the cavern 

 is perforated by boring molluscs. The sequence of 

 events is therefore explained by Prof. Boule as 

 follows : — 



The sea formerly stood at the 28-metre level, and 

 then gradually retired until it stood at a height of 

 7-8 metres. At this level the shell deposit was laid 

 down on the floor of the cavern. Subsequently the 

 movement of elevation was continued. Its extent is 

 difficult to determine, but the oceanographical re- 

 searches of the Prince of Monaco have shown that 

 there extends along the rochers rouges at a slight 

 depth an extensive submarine platform. This sug- 

 gests that the movement — whether of the land or of 

 the sea — continued until there was laid bare between 

 the sea and the present irregular shore line a plain 

 sufficiently extensive to become the home of such large 

 animals as elephants, hippopotami, and rhinoceroses, 

 for which the present topography allows no space. It 

 is at least certain, according to Prof. Boule, that the 

 NO. 1838, VOL. 71] 



must therefore belong to the earlier part of the 

 Quaternary period. The second skeleton was found 

 about o-bo metre above the first, and was accompanied 

 by remains of the same species of mammals. The 

 third skeleton, on the other hand, found 6 metres above 

 the first, seems to belong to the period of the reindeer, 

 that is, to the end of the Quaternary epoch. 



THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLOR.iTIOX OF L.iKE 

 TANGANYIK.i. 



THE committee for the scientific exploration of 

 Lake Tanganyika (consisting of Sir John Kirk, 

 Dr. Sclater, Sir VV. Thiselton-Dyer, Prof. Lankester, 

 Dr. Boulenger, and Mr. J. E. S. Moore) has lately 

 received news of the progress of its envoy, Mr. 

 W. A. Cunnington, who left England in March, 1904, 

 under directions to continue the researches carried out 

 by Mr. J. E. S. Moore during his two expeditions to 

 Lake Tanganyika. Proceeding by the Zambesi and 

 Shir^ route, Mr. Cunnington was most kindly re- 

 ceived at Zomba by Sir Alfred Sharpe, who granted 

 him the assistance of two native collectors. Mr. 

 Cunnington had instructions to devote his special 

 attention to the lacustrine flora and fauna of Lake 



