Sept. 6, 1877] 



NATURE 



409 



to remark on ihe panic respecting its introduction into England. 

 He approved of restrictive legislation, but said it was as much 

 needed four or five years ago as now. He believed if ilie beetle 

 could have been introduced if would have been ere now, not so 

 much among potatoes, whicli were mostly imported from America 

 for seed, in a very clean state, or through the reception of speci- 

 mens by scientific men, as in a promiscuous manner in general 

 merchandise, owing to its gi'eat abundance on the quays of New 

 Yorlf, &c. But there was much reason to e.xpect the beetle 

 could not readily be acclimatised in our moist climate. Ameri- 

 can animals in general failed to spread in Europe. Moreover, 

 Great Britain j'ossessed many insectivorous birds which had no 

 representatives in the United States. 



Prof. McNab read several important papers on botanical sub- 

 jects. One, On ihe Movement of Water in Plants^ gave an 

 account of researches by Professors Pfitzer and Iloehnel, con- 

 tinuing and confirming results arrived at by his own investiga- 

 tions. Prof. McNab also brought forward a revised classification 

 of plants, in which he adopted the term Order for the larger 

 groups sometimes called cohorts, and in which the apetalse were 

 di^tributed among the petaloid orders to which they .aie allied. 

 He further gave a synopsis of the present knowledge of fossil 

 flowering plants, shoAving that Haeckel's postulates as to the 

 evolution and period of first appearance of flowering plants were 

 already shown to be false by new discoveries. It appeared, on 

 the whole, that the gamopetalous forms arose later than the 

 dialypelala?. Prof. McNab inclined to the opinion that while 

 the monocotyledons were monophyletic, or arose through one 

 line of descent, the dicotyledons were polyphyletic, or derived 

 from several main stocks. 



Other papers of interest on botany were by Prof. Dickson, 

 On the Structure of the Pitcher of Cephalotus, and by Mr. A. S. 

 Watson, On Structural Characters in Relation to Habitat in 

 Plants. 



Prof. RoUeston described several features of interest in the 

 zoology of New Guinea, especially the new Echidna, of which 

 he had received a specimen. He deiailed the evidences of the 

 former connection by land between New Guinea and Australia, 

 and accounted for the divergence between the vegetati-n of the 

 two by influences due to the high mountains of New Guinea and 

 the great barren plains of Australia. Mr. W. Ackroyd read a 

 paper On the Colours of Animals. A contribution was read from 

 Dr. Otto Finsch, giving the results of the North German Ex- 

 ploring Expedition to Western Siberia. Dr. G. Bennett, from 

 Australia, gave an interesting account of the habits of the pearly 

 Nautilus. 



SECTION E.— Geography. 



In this Section, presided over by Admiral Sir Erasmus 

 Ommanney, the president's address consisted of a resume of 

 geographical discovery during the past forty years. Among the 

 papers read none were of special interest. 



Major Wilson read a paper by Lieut. Kitchener, R. E., Repot t 

 0/ the Line of Ln-els from the Miditerranean to the Sea of 

 Galilee. The levelling commenced in June, 1875, but was soon 

 interrupted by local circumstances. It was resumed in March, 

 1877, and carried to a successful conclusion by Lieut. Kitchener. 

 There had, as yet, however, been no opportunity of applying 

 corrections. The result of the work showed the depression of 

 the Sea of Galilee to be 682 '544 feet. Fortunately they had a 

 perfectly calm day for securing the sea-level. The sea left a 

 clearly-defined white mark at its highest part ; the depression 

 shown by Kitchener's observations was some forty or fifty feet 

 greater than had been generally supposed. The depression of 

 the Dead Sea was 1,292 leet, which gave to the Jordan a (all of 

 a little over 6cx) feet ; this fall was nearly even throughout, 

 although there were one or two rapids in its course. The deepest 

 part of the Jordan Valley would be 1,300 feet below the level 

 of the Mediterranean. 



Commander Cameron read a paper On the Proposed Stations in 

 Central Africa^ as Bases Jor Future E.xploration. He thought 

 the best means for the exploration of the continent would be 

 the establishment of trading societies after the fashion of the 

 East Indian and Hudson's Bay Companies, but the spirit of the 

 age was against the granting of sovereign powers to commercial ' 

 companies. That being so, he considered a system of central 

 stations, placed at intervals of from 200 to 250 miles distant, the 

 best available. The new stations should be placed under the 

 charge of a consul or a vice-consul, or of consular agents, but if i 



the British Government hesitated to undertake the responsibility, 

 the Seyyid of Zanzibar should be asked to accept it, and he 

 believed most of the traders and shyas would recognise the 

 authority of his highness. The stations might be turned to 

 account, not only for the purpose of map making, but ol ascer- 

 taining the commercial value of the surrounding districts, 

 obtaining meteorological observations and botanical and zoolo- 

 gical collections, accustoming the neighbouring populations to 

 the nature and advantages of civilised rule, systematically extir- 

 pating the slave trade, and diverting the trafiic now employed 

 in this infamous trade to the development of the enormous 

 national wealth of the continent. In concluding, Commander 

 Cameron made an appeal on behalf of the British Society for 

 Alrican Exploration. He warned his audience that unless 

 Britain speedily bestirred itself it would lose the pre-eminence it 

 long enjoyed among the countries of Europe. At the call of its 

 sovereign the little kingdom of Belgium had contributed 12,000/. 

 for the fitting out of an expedition. Portugal had contributed 

 20,000/., and he hoped the British public would not fail to do 

 their duty as respects the opening up to civilisation of Africa. 

 The more rapidly the light of civilisation is introduced into the 

 cf ntinent the more rapidly would the slave trade .and domestic 

 slavery die away and become a thing of the past. 



A paper by Mr. W. H. Tietkens, On the Latest Exploring 

 F.xpedition across Austmlia, was read by Mr. Bates. It described 

 the journey made in 1S75 by Mr. Ernest Giles, accompanied by 

 the author of the paper and by Mr. Young, from the settlements 

 of South Australia to those of Western Australia. The result 

 of the journey was the conclusion that the occupation of some 

 portions of the country cannot be long delayed, being well 

 adapted for wool growing, but the writer confirmed the opinion 

 expressed by other travellers that the region between lat. 21° and 

 30°, and long. 123° and 132°, can never be colonised, and that 

 any while men settling in it would become like the wandering 

 nomads now inhabiting it. The expedition was most adven- 

 turous owing to the attacks made upon it by some of the 

 natives, and also to the difficulties arising from scarcity of 

 water, which, at one time, threatened to terminate the career of 

 the travellers. 



Mr. Trelawny Saunders called in question the conclusions 

 come to by the author of the paper as to the future of 

 Australia, and said such a future would be a serious matter 

 for Plymouth, which was one of the great ports of emigration 

 to Australia. He placed against this opinion the authority 

 of Mr. Landsborough, who had recently described the great 

 physical changes taking place in the Australian continent, 

 in consequence of the occupation of it by our countrymen. 

 Trees were growing where none were previously to be seen, the 

 natives being prevented from burning the long grass for the 

 purpose of getting game. The growth of forests would cause 

 a greater rainfall, and lead to the improvement of the productive 

 qualities of the country. 



Col. Godwin-Austen read a paper On the Course of the 

 Brahmaputra or Sanpu. The author's argument, founded on 

 researches and surveys in Assam, was that the true outlet of 

 this great river was by the Sukushiri, and not, as was generally 

 supposed, by the Deipong. 



THE FRENCH ASSOCIATION AT HAVRE 

 Havre, August 30 

 "T^HE final meeting took place this afternoon at 2 o'clock, 

 under the presidency of M. Broca. 



Montpellier has been selected as the place of meeting for 1879. 

 The University of Montpiellier has been for centuries a rival to 

 Paris, and even now is bohl enough to compete with its formid- 

 able rival. Montpellier is also notable as the birthplace of 

 Autuste Comte, the founder of Positivism. A number of 

 scientific gentlemen have subscribed a large sum to receive the 

 Association m 1879 ; the General and Municipal Councils will 

 also vote a large sum. 



It has been suggested by some influential members that the 

 meeting of 1880 should be held in Algeria. But the vote will 

 not be taken till next year at Paris. The year 1S80 is the fiftieth 

 anniversary of the conquest of Algeria. There are at the present 

 time very few scientific institutions in the colony. Should the 

 choice be made, the Algiers Academy would probably be then 

 transformed into a University for Algeria. 



The Association, at the close of the Havre meeting, has voted 



