: 
4 
island. In the South Island the volcanic formations appear to 
- belong to the later Cretaceous, Oligocene, and Miocene periods. 
~~ oa? rd. fat 
. 
ad 
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NATURE 
455 
1 10, 1873] 
The volcanic rocks of the Chatham Islands belong chiefly to the 
Upper Oligocene.—2, ‘‘On the Tree-ferns of the Coal-measures, 
and their relations to other living and fossil forms,” by Mr. 
W. Carruthers, F.R.S., F.G.S. The author pointed out that 
there existed in the Coal-measures two very distinct kinds of 
fern-stems, each represented by several species. The first group 
had a stem-structure like that of living tree-ferns. In them the 
vascular elements of the stem formed a closed cylinder round 
the pith ; and the vascular bundles for the leaves were given off 
from the out-turned edges of the cylinder, where, at regular 
intervals, corresponding to the position of the leaves, narrow 
meshes occur for this purpose. In the second group the stems 
differed from the other group chiefly in having the ends of the 
vascular plates, as seen in the transverse section, turned inwards, 
and having the bundles of the leaves formed in a complete con- 
dition in the axis of the stem.—3. ‘‘ Notes on the Geology of 
Kazirtn, Persia,” by Mr. A. H. Schindler. In this paper, 
which accompanied a series of specimens presented to the 
Museum of the Society, the author described the section pre- 
sented by the hills in the neighbourhood of Kaizirin. The 
general surface was described as consisting of nearly unfossi- 
liferous Post-tertiary deposits, immediately beneath which is an 
unstratified marine deposit containing a great abundance of fossils, 
among which are species of Ostrea, Pecten, and Cidaris (?), 
Below this deposit is a succession of strata, repeated several 
times in the hills, and at the bottom of the series in each case is 
a bed of gypsum. The spaces between the recurrent series are 
filled up with conglomerates. Beneath the gypseous series is a 
formation of compact limestone, which rises to a height of about 
1500 feet both north and south of the plain of Kaziriin ; its beds 
dip 25°, and their strike is from N.E. te S. W. 
Royal Microscopical Society, April 2.—Mr. Charles 
Brooke, F.R.S., president, in the chair.—A paper was read by 
Mr. Henry Davis on a new species of Ca//idina (C. vaga), the 
distinctive characteristics of which were fully described and 
living specimens exhibited. Mr. Davis also detailed a series of 
experiments upon the dessication of rotifers, the results of which 
tended to prove that although they could not be revived after 
having been once actually dried up, it was quite possible for 
them to survive what was generally accepted as actual dessica- 
tion, and that they would resist not only a sustained tempe- 
rature of 200°, but also exposure for a long period in the 
exhausted receiver of an air-pump with sulphuric acid. He 
pointed out and proved by experiment, that during the process 
of drying the gelatinous matter which was secreted by these 
rotifers contracted around them, forming an impervious envelope 
and effectua'ly preserving within it sufficient moisture to sustain 
life—A communication was read from Mr. Parfitt, of Exeter, 
descriptive of a presumed new animal, apparently related to the 
annelids.— A fine preparation of malpighian capsules from the 
kidney, was exhibited and described by Mr. Stewart, 
Anthropological Institute, April 1.—Prof. Busk, F:R.S., 
president, in the chair. The president read ‘Remarks ona Collec- 
tion of Ancient Peruvian Skulls presented to the Anthropological 
Institute, by Mr. T. J. Hutchinson, H.B.M. consul at Caliao.” 
The skulls were collected by the Consul from the *‘ Huacas” near 
Santos, to the north of Callao, which were considered by him to be 
thoseof Chinchas, or Huancas, or perhaps of Quichmas, or Aymaras, 
all of which tribes are now probably absorbed into the Cholas, 
a Mestizo race ; from Ancon, from Pasamayo, about thirty miles 
north of Callao, and from Cerro del Oro in the Canete Valley 
—in all 156 specimens. After giving further detailed descrip- 
tions on the authority of Consul Hutchinson, the author passed 
to the consideration of the characters presented by the crania 
exhibited. Such of the specimens as he had been able to measure 
yielded the following’ results :—‘‘The mean length was about 
6°25 in., and the breadth 5°6 in., giving a cephalic or latitudinal 
index of ‘905, only two falling below ‘800. that estimate 
were included both normally-shaped and artificially compressed 
skulls. The cephalic index of the supposed normally shaped, 
was ‘873, the greatest being 935, and the least 812; and of 
the clearly artificially deformed, *979; the greatest being 1°32, 
and the least ‘861. Those figures showed how very much the 
latitudinal index was exalted by the fore and aft compression of 
~ the skull. Thealtitudinal index of the normal skulls was ‘843, 
that of the compressed °878. The mean capacity of the larger 
and male skulls appeared to show a result of about 80 cubic in. 
result indicated that the crania were of small size. —The president 
communicated.a paper by Mr. J. M. Reade, ‘Ona human skull 
and fragments of bones of the Red Deer found at Birk Dale, 
Southport.” 
Meteorological Society, March 19. —Dr. Tripe, president, 
in the chair—The president informed the meeting that at the 
last meeting of Council a letter was read containing Mr. Glaisher’s 
resignation of the Secretaryship, and that after much considera- 
tion the Council had accepted it with great regret ; that they had 
then appointed Mr. Cator to the vacant office for the remainder 
of the session, and elected Mr. Glaisher to the seat on the 
Council thus rendered vacant, which he was glad to say Mr. 
Glaisher had accepted.—The first paper read was by Mr. R. H. 
Scott, F.R.S., ‘*On some results of weather telegraphy,” in 
which he laid before the Society some of the special circum- 
stances connected with that service. He stated that the infor- 
mation received was insufficient, both in quantity and quality, to 
give a complete idea of the weather, and showed how any serious 
extension of the system would entail greatly increased expendi- 
ture, citing the very large cost (50,000/. per annum) of the 
American signal service, the most perfect in existance. He 
drew attention to the frequency of telegraphic errors, and the 
serious results arising therefrom. He next proceeded to discuss the 
probability of our deriving benefit from additional reports from 
the Azores, &c., and showed by actual investigation that such 
reports would not be of immediate use to these islands in regard 
of giving notice of advancing storms. The modes of conveying 
warnings to ships were next mentioned, and Mr. Scott stated 
his belief that ultimately Admiral Fitzroy’s drum and cones would 
be adopted, though not perhaps in the significations originally 
attached to them.—The other paper was by Mr. W. Marriott, 
‘*On the Barometric Depression of January 24, 1872.” This 
depression occurring in the early morning hours, very few 
observations had been made at the time of lowest pressure ; 
but from those which he had received, the depression ap- 
pears to have first touched the English coast near Fal- 
mouth about midnight, and to have passed along the coast to 
Upwey, which was reached about 3 A.M.; it then took a 
northerly course and passed near Birmingham at 6 A.M, after 
which it crossed Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, 
and passed out of the Humber between 1oand 11A.M. He 
stated, however, that the evidence was insufficient to prove that 
this was its actual course, or whether it merely passed over 
England in a N.E. by N. direction at a uniform rate of about 
30 miles an hour. The lowest readings of the barometer were 
28°18 in. at 4.30 A.M. at Clifton, and 28-179 in, at 5.20A.M, at 
Evesham. ‘The paper concluded with a few remarks on former _ 
depressions. 
Institution of Civil Engineers, March 25.—Mr. T. Hawks- 
ley, president, in the chair—‘‘ The Mont Cenis Tunnel,” by Mr. 
Thomas Sopwith, jun., M. Inst. C. E. This communication 
might be considered as supplementary to a former paper read in 
1864—(Min. Proc. Inst. C. E., vol. xxiii., p. 258)—and_ de- 
scribed, (1) the Tunnel, as completed, with statistics obtained 
either by actual observation or from the Engineers in charge, or 
from official publications of the Italian Government; (2) the 
principal changes which had been introduced in the works and 
machinery underground and at the surface since the summer of 
1863. 
P MANCHESTER 
Literary and Philosophical Society, March 18.—Dr. J. P. 
Joule, F.R.S., president, in the chair.—‘‘ Observations on the 
Rate at which Stalagmite is being accumulated in the Ingle- 
borough Cave,” by W. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S. He thinks it 
evident, from his researches, that the value of a layer of stalag- 
mite, in fixing the high antiquity of deposits below it, is com- 
paratively little. The layers, for instance, in Kent’s Hole, which 
are generally believed to have demanded a considerable lapse of 
time, may possibly have been formed at the rate of a quarter of 
an inch per annum, and the human bones which lie buried under 
the stalagmite in the cave of Bruniquel are not for that reason 
to be taken to be of vast antiquity. It may be fairly concluded 
that the thickness of layers of stalagmite cannot be used as an 
argument in support of the remote age of the strata below, At 
the rate of a quarter of an inch per annum 20 feet of stalagmite 
might be formed in 1,000 years.—‘‘ On Methyl-alizarine,” and 
Ethyl-alizarine,” by Edward Schunck, Ph.D,, F.R.S.—‘“‘ On 
the Transition from Roman to Arabic numerals (so-called) in 
equivalent to brain of about 45 oz. roughly estimated, which | England,” by the Rev. Brooke Herford,—‘‘ Notes on the Vic- 
