NOvEMBER 19, 1896 | 
NATURE 
On 
1os) 
Tournefort’s idea. Here follows the paragraph :—‘* Memoratu 
dignissimum est, quod refert in Itinerario suo Orientali Zozrne- 
fortius: yeperisse se nimirum apud radices Ararati montis 
plantas illas que in Armenia erant vulgares: aliquantum pro- 
gressus illas invenit, quas in Italia ante viderat : altius scandenti 
ofterebantur Vegetabilia circa Lutetiam Parisiorum crescentia : 
Plantz Suecicee erant superiori loco posite. Sed summum 
montis locum proxime ad culmen, nive obtectum, plante illz 
occuparant, que sunt alpibus Helveticis et 
domesticze.”” 
Humboldt, writing in 1816, ‘‘ Sur les lois que Yon observe 
dans la distribution des formes végétales,” p. 2, attributes the 
idea to Tournefort, and its development to Linnzus. Schouw 
(“ Grundziige einer allgemeinen Pflanzengeographie” (1823), 
p- 21), almost repeats Linnzeus, but uses fewer and somewhat 
different geographical names. Edward Forbes (‘‘ Memoirs of 
the Geological Survey,” i. p. 351) also attributes the idea to 
Tournefort ; yet, as Sir Joseph Hooker states (NATURE, xxiv. 
p- 444), I also have been unable to find any such idea expressed 
in Tournefort’s works. Indeed, his account of his ascent of 
Mount Ararat, as given in the English edition of his travels, and 
verified for me by Mr. Daydon Jackson as being essentially the 
same in the French edition, is about as weak and silly a piece of 
writing as one could well find, and quite unworthy of a man of 
his reputation. True, he mentions a few plants ; but not a word 
on their distribution, except that some of them were common 
and familiar. No Alpine plant is included in his meagre list. 
Instead of being a sober narrative of the journey, it is an attempt 
to be serio-comic with witless allusions to Noah’s ignorance of 
the French language, &c.; and how the travellers filled them- 
selves with water before starting, because none was to be had on 
the mountain, and their inability to climb in consequence ; how 
they descended on their backs by the hour, and when they were 
tired of that they turned over face downwards, and other equally 
senseless and improbable things. It is only fair to add, how- 
ever, that Tournefort’s travels were published after his death, 
and probably contain matter that he would have expunged. 
So far, then, as the evidence goes as between Tournefort and 
Linnzus, the latter originated the idea, and on very slender 
materials, if taken from Tournefort, of parallelism in latitudinal 
and altitudinal distribution of plants. Considering, too, that 
Linnzus was born only a year before Tournefort’s death, it is 
difficult to find any other explanation. 
Kew. W. Borrinc HEMSLEY. 
The Work of Local Societies. 
May we beg a small portion of your space to give publicity to 
the accompanying circular, which is being issued to all the local 
scientific societiesin the United Kingdom? An abstract of Mr. 
Abbott’s scheme was published in NATURE of October 29 
(vol. liv. p. 636). A separate copy of the paper will be sent to the 
Secretary of any local society on application to the Secretary of 
the Corresponding Societies Committee, British Association, 
Burlington House. 
To the Secretary of the Local Soctety. 
Six,—We are requested by the Corresponding Societies Com- 
mittee to call your attention to a scheme drawn up by Mr. 
George Abbott (General Secretary of the South-Eastern Union 
of Scientific Societies), for promoting District Unions of Natural 
History Societies, a copy of which is enclosed. This scheme 
was discussed at the conference of delegates of the Correspond- 
ing Societies of the British Association, held at the Liverpool 
meeting of the Association last September, when the great 
advantages of federation were generally admitted, and some 
examples of it were explained. At a meeting of the Correspond- 
ing Societies Committee on October 29, the report of the con- 
ference of delegates was considered, and it was decided that, as 
the circumstances in which the local societies are placed are 
extremely varied, it is desirable that each society shall be asked 
its opinion on Mr. Abbott’s scheme, and as to what kind of 
federation it considers to be the best. We have, therefore, to 
state that the Corresponding Societies Committee will be greatly 
obliged if your Society will be good enough to favour them with 
its views on the subject at any date not later than December 
20, 1896. 
We are, Sir, yours faithtully, 
R. MELpOLA, Chairman, 
T. V. HoumMEs, Secresary, 
Corresponding Societies Committee, British Association. 
NO. 1412, VOL. 55] 
Lapponicis | 
Floating Mercury on Water. 
IN your review of Dr. Hertz’ works you mention his investi- 
gations into the question of the flotation of thin metal plates, in 
connection with which I may mention that I have made mercury 
float on water on a somewhat similar principle. A few drops of 
mercury, half an ounce of water, anda pinch of some red powder, 
red lead, red oxide or vermillion were put into a small cylindrical 
bottle and shaken. A few small globules of mercury were then 
found floating together at the centre of the water surface. The 
shaking was frequently repeated until a small dish consisting of 
a large number of mercury globules was formed, which floated on 
the water and at the centre of its surface. Its diameter would 
be about 3/8 inch, and its depth about 1/16 inch. It did not 
disappear if allowed to rest, and though it must have been broken 
up each time that the bottle was shaken, it always reformed. I 
am unable to say whether the mercury was pure or not, or 
whether an acid, alkali, or salt had been added to the water, for 
this little experiment was made many years ago. 
Glasgow, November 9. C. E. STROMEYER. 
The Swallows. 
I sAW martins, three or four stragglers at a time, hawking on 
our cliffs, on the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th of this month, and again a 
single bird in the gardens this morning. 
May I suggest as to Lord Hobhouse’s gatherings, that those 
which apparently returned were not the same birds, but new 
comers from the north. All our own sand-martins cleared out 
here in August. 
By far the vastest, and I think the latest, great congregation 
I ever myself saw, was one October 12, at Wentworth House, 
Earl Fitzwilliam’s Yorkshire seat. Almost every tree in the 
richly-wooded park was alive with their incalculable multitude. 
That was close upon 1850, 
If, as has been recently said, temperature is the sole key to the 
times of migration, it seems strange that all our varieties of the 
swallow tribe should leave so much earlier in the south than in 
the north. This town being so recent, we have very few 
swallows or house-martins ; but our swifts and sand-martins all 
disappeared this year in August. HENRY CECIL. 
Bournemouth, November 9. 
AFRICAN RINDERPEST. 
Wee reference to Prof. Koch’s present mission, I 
would venture to observe that the German Govern- 
ment does not deserve the praise given in your last issue. 
The German Government, like our own, has been guilty 
of gross negligence in not studying the nature of the 
rinderpest in 1891 and in subsequent years, when it 
killed off the cattle and the wild game in the British and 
German possessions in East and Central Africa. 
Up to the time that the epidemic reached the Zambesi, 
much might have been done, had the nature of the dis- 
ease been then understood, to limit its progress from the 
South, while the German possessions in South-west 
Africa might have been further protected had steps been 
taken to avert its progress at the Kalahavi. 
The attention of the British Government was, as you 
say, called to the danger in ample time, but it is doubtful 
if in Germany the danger was even realised. It is now 
too late for either the British Colonies, the South 
African Republic, or the Germans in the South-west 
to do anything to stop the progress of a scourge of 
the nature of which we are ignorant. Prof. Koch has 
been engaged by the Cape Government to investigate 
the nature of the disease, and in his hands we may be 
sure that this will be thoroughly done. The practical 
result may be to prevent the disease from being carried 
to Europe by means of hides, &c.; but it is too late to 
save South Africa, where all ordinary means of transport 
have been paralysed. 
I have just received a letter from Major Lugard, C.B., 
who is now at Lake Nyami, not far from the German 
frontier, which may be of interest to some. Writing on 
September 3 from his camp, near the Botletle River, he 
