6io 



NA TURE 



[April 26, 1906 



•small in amplitude and had an average period of 6-4 

 seconds. At ih. 35m. 7s. they . were followed by the 

 second series of preliminary tremors, much larger in 

 amplitude and with an average period of 114 seconds. 

 These tremors, as is now well known, traverse the bodv 

 of the earth with velocities of about 10 or 11 and 5 

 km. per second respectively. At ih. 45m. 13s. began 

 the principal portion of the movement, consisting of 

 undulations which travel over the surface with a 

 nearly uniform velocity of 33 or 3.4 km. per second. 

 In the initial phase of this portion the undulations 

 had an average period of 44.1 seconds; in the slow- 

 period phase (which began at ih. 50m. 22s.) of 252 

 seconds, and in the succeeding quick-period phase of 

 16.2 seconds. Unfortunately, this portion of the 

 record is incomplete, for the pointer of the pendulum 

 swept off and on the drum three times, several waves 

 being thus lost, and the initial epoch of the quick- 

 period phase cannot be determined. The end-portion 

 of the disturbance began at 2I1. 1111. 4s., and consisted 

 •of a long series of unusually clear and regular waves 

 with an average period of 15.0 seconds. The duration 

 of this portion is uncertain, for these waves were re- 

 inforced at 3b.. 28m. 38s. by the undulations of the 

 principal portion which travelled through the an- 

 tipodes along the major arc joining San Francisco 

 and Birmingham. At T,h. 56m. 57s., however, the 

 trace becomes nearly steady, but a careful examina- 

 tion reveals another series of long, low undulations 

 from 4h. 58m. 32s. to 5h. 6m. 34s., which represent 

 the return of the first series of surface-undulations 

 after they had completed the tour of the globe and 

 travelled once more as far as Birmingham. The 

 interval between the first and third passages of these 

 waves is 3h. 13m. 19s., and corresponds to a mean 

 velocity of 3.36 km. per second. 



Magnitude of the San Francisco Earthquake. 



The mere fact that the earth-waves should disturb 

 a seismograph after travelling 30,000 miles is 

 sufficient evidence to show that the earthquake belongs 

 to the very front rank. If we might estimate the 

 intensity of a shock by the maximum range of move- 

 ment at Birmingham, we should have to" regard the 

 San Francisco earthquake as much stronger than the 

 Indian earthquake of April 4, 1905, but as inferior to 

 'the remarkable Central Asian earthquakes of July 9 and 

 2 3> : 9°5- The period of the larger waves approaches, 

 however, so closely to that of the pendulums themselves 

 that it by no means follows that the range and 

 epoch of the maximum displacement of the 

 instruments correspond with those of the earth's -r^" 1 

 crust. Nor can we infer much from the extent Kl , 



of the destruction of the lofty, badly-founded 

 houses of San Francisco. If the Colchester 

 earthquake of 1SS4 had originated beneath the city 

 and west-end of London instead of beneath the 

 villages of Peldon and Rowhedge in Essex, the 

 damage would have been considerable, and the 

 earthquake would have held a higher place in our 

 estimation. When, however, we consider the great 

 area covered by the injured towns in California, the 

 displacement of the superficial soil, the crumpling of 

 the railway tracks, and the widespread registration of 

 the unfelt waves, it is clear that we must give to the 

 San Francisco earthquake a place inferior, no doubt, 

 to the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and the Indian earth- 

 quake of 1897, but probably one in the same rank as 

 the Neapolitan earthquake of 1857, the Japanese 

 earthquake of 1S91, and the Indian earthquake of 

 1905. 



C. Davison. 

 NO. 1904, VOL. 7T,~\ 



THE LIFE OF THE AUSTRALIAN BLACKS. 1 



BOTH for the anthropologist, who wants well-sifted 

 and trustworthy material, and for the ordinary 

 reader who would like to know something about the life 

 of the native Australian, this is a most useful book. In 

 fact, for the latter purpose it may be said to stand 

 entirely alone. There is no other work on the Aus- 

 tralians which gives anything like so good a general 

 view ; it is clear of superfluous technicalities, eminently 

 readable, and written with so much sympathy that we 

 cease to be surprised at the success of the writer in 

 getting at such secret matters as male initiation cere- 

 monies and beliefs about Byamee, all of which are 

 strictly forbidden lore to the Euahlayi woman. Mr. 

 Lang's introduction explains the bearing of the book 

 on current controversies. 



'The Euahlayi Tribe 



Besides these two important subjects, Mrs. Parker 

 has much to tell us about the social organisation, 

 magii i.ms and their initiation, a witch woman whose 

 feats are distinctly mystifying, the life of children of 

 both sexes up to and including the initiation cere- 

 monies, burial customs, dress, amusements, the pro- 

 vision of food, and mythology ; and on many points 

 we learn something which throws light on previous 

 knowledge. Although we hear nothing of the so- 

 called sex-totem among the Euahlayi, they hold that 

 the male children are made by a lizard, the female by 

 the moon, who is sometimes assisted by the crow. 

 This looks like the raw material of the sex-totem. It 



1 "The Euahlayi Tribe, a Study of Aboriginal Life in Australia." 

 K. Langloh Parker ; with an Introduction by Andrew Lang. Pp. xx\ 

 156; with 6 illustrations by a native artist. (London: A, Constable 

 Co., Ltd., roos-) Price 7s. 6if. net. 



By 



