NA RORE 
| NoveMBER 8, 1906 
NATURAL HISTORY IN NATAL. 
WE have the pleasure of congratulating the trustees, and 
the colony generally, on the appearance of the hand- 
somely illustrated report mentioned below,” which inaugu- 
rates what is practically a new era as regards scientific pro- 
gress in Natal. As the museum was only opened to the 
public on November 30, 1904, the report is devoted almost 
entirely to an account of the building and the condition 
and extent of its collections at that date. It is, however, 
satisfactory to learn that, under the direction of Dr. E. 
Warren, the institution is already of considerable educa- 
tional value to the colony, and that it promises to be still 
more so in the near future. One of the questions which, 
as in all such cases, exercised the minds of the authorities 
at starting was whether the museum was to be solely 
devoted to local exhibits or was to contain a representative 
general series. So far as zoology is concerned, the ques- 
tion has been decided in favour of the latter alternative, 
and it has been also settled that local and foreign speci- 
mens are in the main to be exhibited in one series. 
Whether these are the most satisfactory conclusions it is 
not for us to say, but we may at any rate welcome the 
announcement that the antelopes and other ungulates, 
which form the most striking—and at the same time a fast 
disappearing—feature in the South African fauna, are to 
have a separate gallery for their display. Good progress has 
already been made with this portion of the collection, and, 
if we may judge by a photograph of one portion of the 
‘“ungulate room,’’ the mounting of the specimens, as 
exemplified by a group of waterbuck, and| the ample 
amount of case-room provided, will render this part of 
the collection as attractive and striking as its representative 
in our own Natural History Museum. We are glad to see 
that the example set by the latter institution of mounting 
the specimens either on artificial ground-work or on earth- 
covered (in place of polished sycamore) stands, has been 
adopted by the director, and we may express the hope 
that no efforts will be spared to render this series as 
complete as possible before it is too late. 
As regards the educational function of the museum, it 
was decided to defer the establishment of lectures and 
classes until such time as a special commission had finished 
its sittings and issued its report, but it is proposed that 
the institution should eventually take its share in a large 
scheme of technical education in such subjects as zoology, 
botany, and geology. 
In issuing a new scientific serial under the title mentioned 
below,? the authorities of the Natal Museum are un- 
doubtedly doing good service to the cause of biology and 
geology throughout the world, more especially as one of 
its great features is the full and sufficient illustration of the 
new species from time to time described. In this latter 
respect the trustees are setting an excellent example of wise 
liberality, for one of the crying evils of the present day 
is the continual flood of descriptions of alleged new forms 
with inadequate or no pictorial illustrations. By means of 
the large number and superb execution of the plates 
accompanying the issue before us naturalists will be able 
to form their own opinions of the validity of the new species 
described, and it is sincerely to be hoped that no financial 
conditions will be allowed to bar the maintenance in 
succeeding issues of the high standard adopted in the first 
number. There appears, however, to be every reason to 
hope that the present standard will be maintained, as it is 
stated in the introduction that such is the express wish 
of both the trustees and the publishers. It is expected that 
about two parts (of variable size) will be published yearly. 
From the number of illustrations, the price is naturally 
somewhat high (10s. in the case of the present issue). 
The editor has been fortunate in securing for his open- 
ing article a communication on South African fishes, in 
the course of which Mr. C. T. Regan describes a new South 
African beaked shark, differing from typical species of 
Pristiophorus in possessing six, in place of five, gill-slits. 
This difference is regarded by the author as of generic 
1 ‘First Report of the Natal Government Museum, for the Year ending 
December 31, 1904." Pp. 1853 illustrated. (Pietermaritzburg: P. Davis 
and Sons, 1906.) 
2“ Annals of the Natal Government Museum.’ 
(London : Adlard and Son.) 
NO. 1932, VOL. 75] 
Part i., June, 1906. 
value, and the new generic term Pliotrema is accordingly 
proposed. Several other new fishes are described and illus- 
trated by Mr. Regan. With the exception of one on the 
abnormally elongated and spirally twisted hoofs of an 
African sheep, the other articles are devoted to inverte- 
brates. Mr. E,. A. Smith, for instance, contributes a list 
of South African marine molluscs, lengthened by the addi- 
tion of some new species of his own; while other writers 
discourse on Natal zoophytes and divers other represent- 
atives of the African marine fauna, and the editor describes 
a ‘‘ Myxosporidium ’’ from an African rotifer. 
Once more we repeat our sense of the obligations under 
which biologists and geologists are placed by the liberal 
and progressive policy of the trustees of the Natal Museum. 
R: L- 
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES REGULATIONS.* 
JNDER the Weights and Measures Act, 1904, the Board 
“of Trade is required to make regulations with respect 
to weights, measures, and weighing and measuring instru- 
ments used in trade. These regulations, when made and 
laid before Parliament, are to be of general application 
throughout the United Kingdom, and will have the force 
of an Act of Parliament. The Board of Trade has accord- 
ingly prepared a code of regulations, which are, however, 
at present in draft form only. 
These new regulations are a considerable improvement 
on the various local codes which they are intended to re- 
place on January 1, 1907. They are much more definite 
and more readily understood than the somewhat oracular 
Model Regulations of 1890. The principal ‘innovations are 
the abolition of cased weights, a requirement that pewter 
measures shall contain at least 80 per cent. by weight of 
tin, the restriction of the linear dimensions of dry measures 
of capacity to certain specified limits, the prohibition of 
wooden measures turned from the solid block, and the 
exclusion of counter weighing machines constructed on the 
accelerating principle. All these are steps in the right 
direction, and it is not anticipated that they will entail 
any injustice either to manufacturers or tradesmen. 
A provision which will possibly meet with some objection 
is clause 23, which requires that the weighing instruments 
used by chemists and tobacconists shall satisfy the require- 
ments of class A. This regulation, in conjunction with 
No. 87, would appear to prohibit these traders from using 
counter weighing machines and to require them to use 
either beam-scales or balances. There may be some 
exemption for machines already in use, but the important 
clause (No. 19) dealing with this matter is unfortunately 
rather loosely worded, and admits of different interpret- 
ations. It is by no means certain, however, that this 
prohibition, although virtual and indirect, is not ultra 
vires, as the power conferred on the Board of Trade by 
section 5 (1) (d) of the Act relates to limits of error, not 
to forms of weighing machines, and would appear to be 
exceeded here. Bearing in mind the fact that the most 
vexatious regulation of the 1890 code was one which the 
law officers of the Crown subsequently declared to be 
invalid, it would be a matter for regret if the excellent 
series of regulations now under consideration were marred 
by the inclusion of any provision of doubtful legal sanction. 
The limits of error tolerated do not differ much from 
the old allowances. As regards the tests prescribed by the 
department under section 5 (1) (c) of the Act, the mode of 
applying these might be more precisely defined. For 
instance, a 1 Ib. balance is required to be correct within 
0-2 grain, and unless the inspectors are to be provided 
with standard weights of unusual accuracy it would be 
only fair to prescribe strictly the method of testing to be 
observed in such a case. The regulation on this subject 
(No. 85) appears somewhat vague. 
In framing these proposed regulations the Board of 
Trade has had the advice of a committee of experts pre- 
sided over by Mr. W. R. Bousfield, K.C., on which the 
department was represented by Major P. A. MacMahon, 
JOE Sg 
1 ‘Draft Board of Trade Regulations with respect to Weights, Measures 
and Weighing Instruments.” (London: Wyman and Sons, 1906.) 
