August, 8, 1901] 



NA TUBE 



359 



Survey {1901). Materials do not exist for a detailed correlation 

 of the strata with those in Europe, as the few identical species 

 have a wide range in time, but there is little doubt that the 

 Maryland "deposits represent a considerable portion of the 

 Eocene series. In the palxontological section the authors per- 

 sonally deal with the Echinodermata, Brachiopoda and Mollusca, 

 and have been aided by specialists in other groups. The work is 

 illustrated by pictorial views, maps and sections, and numerous 

 figures of fossils. 



We have received ihe general report of the Director, Mr. 

 C. L. Griesbach, on the work of the Geological Survey of 

 India for the year ending March 31, 1901. Eight officers have 

 been occupied in field-work. Among the regions examined are 

 the Shan States in Burma, where great difficulties had to be 

 encountered in the extensive forests and dense undergrowths, 

 while frequently the actual rock is covered by a soil-cap fifty or 

 more feet in thickness. Evidence has, however, been obtained 

 of older crystalline rocks and of Lower Silurian or Ordovician, 

 while the occurrence of Devonian, which had been inferred by 

 Mr. P. N. Datta, has been confirmed by Mr. La Touche, who 

 found Cakeola sandalina. The presence of Triassic rocks was 

 first recognised by Mr. Datta. In Assam, Tertiary, Cretaceous 

 and older strata have been mapped by Mr. P. N. Bose ; in 

 Himalayan regions. Dr. A. von Krafft has been at work on 

 Triassic rocks ; and in Baluchistan Mr. E. Vredenburg has 

 examined the complicated .structure of the Chapar range, where 

 numerous folds and overthrusts occur among Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary strata. The subject of landslips has been locally dealt 

 with by Mr. T. H. Holland, and special attention has been 

 given to gold-bearing regions and to water-supply. In palaeon- 

 tology, aid has been received from Dr. F. L. Kitchin in England, 

 Prof. Dr. Uhlig in Austria and Prof. R. Zeiller in France. 



One of the recent publications of the Geological Survey of 

 Egypt is devoted to a description of Farafra Oasis, by Mr. 

 Hugh J. L. Beadnell. This wide depression, the " Land of 

 Cattle " of the ancient Egyptians, lies in the Libyan Desert far 

 west of Assiut, one of the most important towns of Upper 

 Egypt. Although occupying a large area, the oasis appears 

 to be of little importance from an economic point of view, 

 being, in fact, a stretch of low desert with about twenty 

 isolated "bubbling springs" (Farafra), most of them on (he 

 western side. The water is entirely derived from white, chalky 

 limestone of Upper Cretaceous age, which, as observed by Prof. 

 Zittel, forms the plain and is overlaid by Lower Eocene beds, 

 the strata being bent into a gentle anticline. The depression 

 has an irregular triangular shape with the apex to the north and 

 is bounded by steep cliffs of Eocene strata on the east and 

 west, while to the south the floor rises gradually for many miles 

 until a distant escarpment is reached. A large part of the floor 

 is covered with blown sand, and the action of this drifting 

 material has eroded the chalk and left on the surface of the 

 plain numerous fragments and masses of iron pyrites and mar- 

 casite derived from that formation. The author difters from 

 Zittel in believing that there is a considerable break between 

 the Cretaceous and Eocene strata. The former rocks are grouped 

 as belonging to the Danian division, but the fossils have yet to 

 be critically examined. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Indian Wolves (Canis pallipes) from 

 India, presented respectively by Colonel Lloyd and Mr. W. B. 

 Cotton ; a Rhesus Monkey (Macactis rhesus) from India, pre- 

 sented by Miss E. M. Berney ; a iDemoiselle Crane [Anthro- 

 poidis virgo), a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fiisciis) from 

 North Africa, presented by Dixon Bey ; a Puffin {Fraterada 

 arclica), British, presented by Mr. H. C. Price ; a Cinereous 

 Vulture ( Vullur iitonachus), three Indian Rat Snakes (Zamenis 

 NO. 1658, VOL. 64] 



mucosa) from India, presented by H.E. Sir H. A. Blake, 

 G.C.M. G.; two American Jabirus {Mycteria americana) from 

 South America, presented by H.E. Sir W. J. Sendall, 

 G.C. M.G. ; three Chameleons {Chamaeleon vulgaris) from 

 North Africa, presented by Mr. A. Robinson ; a Patas Monkey 

 [Cercopiiliecus patas), a Green Monkey (Cercopilkecus colli- 

 Irichus), a Campbell's Monkey (Cercopithecus caniphelli), a 

 Bell's Cinixys ( C/«/.t;yi belliana), an Eroded Cinixys { C»j:aj/j 

 erosa) from West Africa, a Pinche Monkey (MiJas oedipus) 

 from Colombia, two Springboks {Gazclla euchore) from South 

 Africa, two Small Hill Mynahs ( Crata/n religiosa) from India, 

 deposited; two Common Jackals {Canis aureus), two White 

 Cranes (Anthropoides leucogeranos), two Imperial Fruit Pigeons 

 (Carpophaga, sp. inc.), a Purple-shouldered Pigeon (Crocopus 

 phocnicopterus), three Andaman Teal {Querquedula albigularis) 

 from India, received in exchange. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Search Ephemeris for Encke's Comet. — A circular 

 from the Centralstelle at Kiel furnishes the following ephemeris 

 for the expected appearance of Encke's Comet : — 

 Ephemeris for oh. Berlin Mean Time. 



R.A. 



Decl. 



Aug. 



6 16 55 

 23 44 



10 30 40 



11 37 42 



12 44 52 



13 52 7 



14 6 59 29 



15 7 6 S6 

 Variation of Eros. — In the Comptes rendus, vol. cxxxiii, 



pp. 262-265, M. Andre presents the results of the reductions 

 of observations made at the observatory of Lyons since February 

 1901. Three observers made independent estimations of the 

 magnitude of the planet at intervals of five minutes. It is 

 notable that the determination of the times of minima appears 

 much more accurate than that of the maxima, the mean errors 

 from a single observation in the two cases being ± 3'3 and 

 + 7'2 minutes respectively. 



From the whole of the observations the period deduced is 

 5h. i6m. IS'2S. 



Further notes are given concerning the change in form of the 

 light curve, consisting chiefly in the two sections becoming more 

 nearly equal than was the case when the variability was first 

 detected. 



Celestial Objects having Peculiar Spectra. — CjV- 

 cular No. 60 from the Harvard College Observatory contains 

 a list of 59 objects found by Mrs. Fleming from an examination 

 of the Draper Memorial photographs, which exhibit peculiarities 

 in their spectra. The positions are given for 1900, and accom- 

 panying notes describe the special features of the objects, which 

 include 19 gaseous nebulne, 6 bright line stars of Type I., and 

 22 stars of Type V. One of the gaseous nebula; is noted as 

 showing bright lines at ^5007, H3, H7, H5 and H«. .\ great 

 number of these objects (2S) are situated in the region of the 

 Large Magellanic cloud. 



It is also noted that the bright Ilfl in the spectra of r/ 

 Centauri (A.G.C. 17739), and « Apodis (A.G.C. 2087S), has 

 been found to show indications of variability. 



Motion of o Peksei in the Line of Sight. — Prof. 

 H. C. Vogel has responded to the appeal made by Mr. Newall 

 for observations of the radial velocity of this star, which, from 

 spectrograms obtained at the Cambridge Observatory, showed 

 indications of a period of variability of 42 or i6'8 days. The 

 spectra obtained at Potsdam are only about half the scale of the 

 Cambridge plates. Photographs of the spectrum were obtained 

 on six nights during November 1900, for preliminary testing, 

 and others during December 1900 and January 1901, which 

 were measured and reduced for velocity. The result of deter- 

 minations from thirteen plates is given as -3-22 km., relative 

 to the sun. No indication of variation is found, and the adopted 

 velocity is in fair accordance with the value - 2'4 km. obtained 

 by Campbell. {Astrophysical Journal, xiii. pp. 320-323.) 



