FEBRUARY 21, 1907 | 
NATURE 399 
because the walls running in this direction have suffered 
less. A peculiar alteration in the position of statues in 
the square is deserving of record, as it may subsequently 
throw some light on the direction of the earth movement. 
On the south side of the square is a statue of the Queen. 
The figure is turned slightly to the left on the pedestal. 
In a corresponding position on the north side of the 
square another statue is turned slightly to the right. The 
statue of Pére Dupont, facing north-east, was thrown 
eff the pedestal and lay broken on the ground; another 
statue, facing west, is snapped across the middle, and 
the bust has dropped on the lower part of the pedestal, 
within a 
but not overturned. These four statues are 
hundred yards or so of each other. In Kingston the 
earthquake was revealed to most persons by a _ strong 
swaying, side to side motion, which soon changed to a 
sharp up and down shake, and then terminated. The 
grating of the bricks and stones as they slid over each 
other was the first sound that distinguished it from the 
ordinary West Indian earthquake. Gusts of wind blew 
after sunset, and between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. another shock 
was felt. During the night this was followed by six or 
seven others, and these were repeated during the subsequent 
day and night, but without causing further appreciable 
damage. 
Tue London County Council has decided to issue, under 
the superintendence of Dr. A. C. Haddon, a series of hand- 
books to the ethnological collection of the Horniman 
Museum, Forest Hill. The first of these, compiled by 
Dr. H. S. Harrison, has just made its appearance under 
the title of ‘‘ From Stone to Steel,’’ being a handbook of 
the cases illustrating the Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages. 
It is well illustrated, and describes clearly and concisely 
the various types of weapons and implements met with 
in the superficial deposits of Europe. The chief types of 
the human race met with in Europe are also noticed, 
while a general survey of the history of stone and metal 
implements in non-European countries is added. 
HORSE-BREEDING in Wisconsin forms the subject of 
Bulletin No. 141 of the University of Wisconsin Agri- 
cultural Station, issued in November last, the report being 
drawn up by Mr. A. S. Alexander.. New laws for the 
licensing of stallions for public service in Wisconsin came 
into foree in January of last year, and the present report 
deals with the working of these laws, and at the same 
time suggests such further enactments as appear necessary 
to improve the breed of horses in the State. Special atten- 
tion has been directed to the elimination of unsound 
horses, and with the present powers it has been found 
possible to enforce the retirement of a considerable number 
of stallions coming under this category. The ultimate aim 
of the authorities is, however, to get rid of all but pure- 
bred stallions for stud purposes; but, as elsewhere, farmers 
and breeders do not respond as heartily as might be 
desired to efforts which are essentially for their own 
benefit. 
“Tue Laws in Force against Injurious Insects and 
Foul Brood in the United States’ is the title of the sixty- 
first bulletin issued by the Entomological Bureau of the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the text being drawn up 
by Dr. L. O. Howard, the entomologist and chief of the 
section, and Mr. A. F. Burgess, secretary of the 
American Association of Horticultural Inspectors. Bulle- 
tins covering much the same ground were issued respec- 
tively in 1895 and 1898, and the publication of the present 
issue has been rendered necessary by the enactment of 
NO. 1947, VOL. 75] 
new laws and the active interest in the subject recently 
manifested by several States in the Union.’ From the pre- 
face, it appears to have been found impossible to bring the 
work absolutely up to date, although practically all the 
more important laws are included. The issue also includes 
an account of meetings of the 
Association of Horticultural Inspectors from 1897 to 1905. 
the annual American 
IN the course of an article on the biology of the sandy 
tracts of Illinois, by Messrs. C. A. Hart and H. A. 
Gleason, forming the seventh part of vol. vii. of the 
Bulletin. of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural 
History, the first-named author observes that sand-dwelling 
insects display a remarkable similarity in colour to their 
surroundings, this being essential owing to their exposed 
condition. The similarity is chiefly restricted to the dorsal 
surface, and is noticeable in insects of all orders. In the 
case of the Carolina grasshopper, individuals taken from 
the sandy tract appeared to be paler than those from the 
surrounding darker ground. The moulting of these insects 
takes place in daylight, when the colourless fresh exterior 
is exposed to the action of rays reflected from surrounding 
surfaces, and it has been suggested by Vosseler that these 
rays may by some kind of photographic action produce an 
approximation to the general colour of the environment. 
How the eflect is produced remains to be explained, but the 
explanation seems a probable one. 
Accorpinc to Beilage sur allgemeinen Zeitung for 
January 30, an expedition is in course of being organised, 
under the auspices of the Royal Academy of Sciences of 
Berlin and the Government of the Dutch East Indies, 
for the purpose of exploring Java in search of further 
remains of Pithecanthropus. The originator of the idea 
appears to be Frau Prof. Selenka, widow of the late Prof. 
Selenka, of Munich, who has already travelled extensively 
in Borneo for the purpose of collecting embryos of the 
orang-utan. Dr. Elbert is attached to the expedition as 
geologist, whilst Dr. Maskowski, of Berlin, goes out as 
zoologist. A Dutch engineer, Mr. Oppenoorth, will have 
charge of the surveying and excavating operations. The 
Pleistocene voleanic breccia from which the original re- 
mains of Pithecanthropus were obtained by Prof. Dubois 
at Trinil is believed to have a wide extent in the moun- 
tains of Java, reaching in some places to a height of 100 
metres or more above and it is proposed to 
examine this stratum thoroughly in a number of the more 
promising localities. We may cordially endorse the hope 
expressed by our German contemporary that the expedition 
will succeed in its object, and bring to Europe a collec- 
tion which will throw some definite light on the ancestry 
of the human race. 
sea-level, 
Tue Times of February 4 contained an article on the 
grouse-disease inquiry, the results of the 
work of the departmental committee up to the present time. 
The committee, it will be remembered, was appointed 
by the Board of Agriculture, with the proviso that it was 
to find its own funds. It is for the most part composed of 
owners of grouse-moors, with Lord Lovat as chairman. 
From the point of view of progress in the inquiry, it is 
unfortunate that the work of investigation has coincided 
with a period of complete health among British grouse. 
The article criticises, not altogether favourably, a 
pamphlet issued by the committee under the title of 
“Notes on the Grouse,’’ purporting to give a résumé of 
all that is known about the disease. Among its omissions 
is the absence of any reference to the theory that the 
midge may be the carrier of the infection. Whether 
summarising 
