58 
NATURE 
[May 15, 1873 
our oysters; we may learn some day to follow in their steps? 
and turn our attention, so far as our climate will allow of it, to 
the “education” of silkworms. This art is becoming quite a 
recognised industry in France, and the success that has attended 
its adoption is very gratifying. Bamboos, Spanish broom (Stipa 
zencaissima), China grass or China nettles, Californian pines (Pizzs 
sabiniana), are among the plants which are referred to as proper 
to be introduced into France. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Mathematical Society, May 8.—Dr. Hirst, F.R.S., in 
the chair. Prof. Cayley communicated an extract from a letter 
he had received from M. Hermite ‘‘On an application of the 
theory of unicursal curves,” and then gave accounts of the two 
following papers, ‘‘ Plan of a curve-tracing apparatus,” and ‘On 
arational quintic correspondence of two points in a plane:” 
another paper entitled ‘‘ Bicursal curves” (z.e. curves with a 
deficiency ove) by the same gentleman, was taken as read.—Mr. 
S. Roberts read a short ‘* Note on the Pliickerian characteristics 
of epi- and hypo-trochoids,” &c., showing that the curves were 
unicursal: he gave also the orderand class. In connection 
with these curves Mr. J. L. Glaisher advocated the use of Mr. 
Perigal’s term ‘‘bicircloids.” Amongst the presents received 
were twenty-two memoirs, &c., by the late Prof. de Morgan, 
presented by Mrs. de Morgan. 
Geological Society, April 30.—Joseph Prestwich, F.R.S., 
vice-president, in the chair.—On the Permian Breccias and 
Boulder-beds of Armagh, by Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S., 
Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland. In this paper the 
author described certain breccias occurring in the vicinity of 
Armagh, which he referred, both on stratigraphical and physical 
grounds, to the Lower Permian series, considering them to be 
identical with the ‘‘ brockram ” of Cumberland, and the Breccias 
of Worcestershire and Shropshire, The author further referred 
to the extensive denudation which the Carboniferous beds have 
undergone in Armagh, and also alluded to the occurrence of 
beds of Permian age near Benburb, between Armagh and Dun- 
gannon,—Geological Notes on Griqualand West, by G. W. 
Stow. The geological results of a journey made by Mr G. W. 
Stow and Mr, F, H. S. Orpen from the Orange Free State into 
Griqualand West are communicated by Mr. Stow in this paper, 
with numerous carefully executed sections and a geological map 
based on the survey map prepared by Mr. Orpen for the Govern- 
ment. From the junction of the Riet and Modder Rivers (south 
of the Panneveldt Diamond-fields) to Kheis and the Schurwe Ber- 
gen, the track traversed three degrees of longitude. The return 
route north-east to Mount Huxley and Daniel’s Kuil, and eastward 
to Likatlong, on the Hart or Kolang River, was nearly as long, 
From the Modder, first south-westward and then westward, to 
the junction of the Vaal and Orange, the olive shales of the 
Dicynodon- or Karoo-series, traversed frequently by igneous 
rocks, form the country, and are seen in some places to lie un- 
conformably on older rocks, The shales reach to theend of the 
Campbell Randt, on the other side of the Orange River, and 
have been, it seems, formed of the débris of those old hills to a 
great extent, The oldest rocks of the locality are seen cropping 
out here and there in the gorges at the foot of the Randt, andconsist 
of metamorphic rocks, greatly denuded, on which the massive and 
extensive siliceo-calcareous strata of the Great Campbell Plateau lie 
unconformably. These latter and the breccias of their slopes are 
coated thickly with enormous travertine deposits. Igneous rock- 
masses occur around Ongeluk, west of the Jasper range, and then 
bright-red jasper rocks crop up near Matsap, succeeded to the 
west by the parallel quartzite range of Matsap, and again by 
other bedded jaspers, which seem to lie in a synclinal of the 
quartzite rocks, which come up again in the Langeberg. These 
are succeeded by lower rocks, consisting largely of sandstone, 
grit, and quartzite, with more or less pervading mica, as far as 
the journey extended in the Schurwe Bergen, also parallel to the 
former ranges. The maximum thickness of the successive strata 
is calculated by the author at 24,000 ft. ; allowing for possible 
reduplications, the minimum is regarded as not less than 9,000 ft. 
—On some Bivalve Entomostraca, chiefly Cypridinidie, of the Car- 
honiferous formations, by Prof. T. R. Jones, F.R.S. The larger 
forms of bivalved Entomostraca are not rare in the Carboniferous 
limestone, and some occur in certain shales of the Coal-measures. 
Geologists’ Association, May 2.—H. Woodward, F.R.S.,. 
president, in the chair.—On the valley of the Vézére (Perigord), 
its limestones, caves, and pre-historic remains, by Prof, T. 
Rupert Jones, F.R.S., F.G.S. The river Vézére, rising in the 
department of Corréze, traversing the department Dordogne, and 
joining the river Dordogne near Larlat, runs from the old meta- 
morphic rocks of the central plateau of France, through carboni- 
ferous, triassic, jurassic, and cretaceotis strata. The last men- 
tioned are chiefly limestones, nearly horizontal, presenting steep 
and often high cliffs, either washed by the river, or bordering its 
broader and older valley. The softer bands of limestone have 
been hollowed out along the valley by frost and water, and here 
and there present recesses and caves. These in several instances 
have been artificially enlarged, and in very many cases have 
afforded shelter to pre-historic people, and still retain heaps ot 
bones and hearth-stuff, with flint implements of numerous kinds, 
carved bones and antlers, and occasionally human bones. The 
most common bones and antlers are those of reindeer, which 
must have abounded in southern France, whether remaining all 
the year round or migrating from plain to mountain and back 
again in their season, for the cave-folk killed them of all ages 
in vast numbers. The cold climate necessary for the reindeer 
has long passed away; the musk-ox and the hairy mammoth 
disappeared also with the reindeer; and looking at the great 
changes in geographical outlines and contours that have taken 
place since the extinction of the European mammoth, the author 
thought that some eight or nine thousand years would not be 
too long for the bringing about of such changes, That the Old 
cave folk of Périgord saw the living mammoth, a lively outline 
sketch of its peculiar and shaggy form, on a piece of ivory, found 
in the Madelaine Cave, is satisfactcry evidence. The special 
geology of the district, the characters of the several caves and 
their contents, and the most striking of the implements of stone 
and bone were described in this paper ; the human remains found 
at Cro-Magnon, a gigantic chief and his more ordinary com- 
panions, were specially treated of; and the high probability of 
their belonging to the same race of men as the older Cave-folk 
was discussed at some length. (For details on this subject see 
NATURE, vol. vii. p. 305 ef seg.) 
Anthropological Institute, May 6.—Col. A. Lane Fox, V.P 
in the chair. A paper was read on ‘‘ Eastern Coolie Labour,” 
by Mr. W. L. Distant. The aim of the paper was to show the 
dissimilarity in the capacity and aptitude for certain work which 
exists among different peoples under the same conditions. The 
working of a large sugar estate by means of European capital, 
European appliances, and European superintendence, with the 
manual labour of some hundreds of Asiatics, including Klings, 
Chinese, Javanese, and Malays, was taken as an example. In 
describing the labours of these peoples, the differences were 
examined in their capacity for work in general, their ap- 
titudes and dislikes for certain work, and also in their methods 
of working, viz. by task or otherwise, taken in conjunction with 
their social condition, and the terms under which they are en- 
gaged. In contact with the European the Chinaman seems to 
prosper ; he bargains with him, whilst the Javanese sullenly 
works for him, and the Kling sinks to a crouching menial in his 
presence. The European seems affected in the same way ; he 
can chat with the Chinese, tolerate the Javanese, but despises 
the Kling. Europern civilisation and prejudice are confronted 
with Eastern ignorance and prejudice. It is the need of money 
that has brought these different peoples together. English, 
Scotch, Portuguese, Klings, Javanese and Chinese are only 
attracted together in the hope of gain, and under this creed 
progress and civilisation generally remain in the hands of the 
strongest and richest party.—A paper by Mr. Howorth was read 
on ‘* The westerly Drifting of Nomads from the fifth to the nine- 
teenth century, Part x. : the Alans or Lesghs.” Col. Lane Fox 
exhibited two beautifully chipped flint bracelets, four iron brace- 
lets, and other articles found in a tomb in the valley leading to 
the tombs of the Kings of Thebes; also a large and finely worked 
flint knife from a tomb inthe same neighbourhood. Lieut. S. 
C. Holland, R.N., exhibited a series of photographs of Ainos, 
and various articles of Aino manufacture.—The Rev. Dunbar 
I. Heath has been elected Treasurer in the place of the late 
Mr. Flower. 
Zoological Society, May 6.—Prof. Newton, F.R.S., vice- 
president, in the chair. The secretary read a report on the 
additions that had been made to the Society’s menagerie during 
the months of March and April, 1873, and called particular 
attention to an example of the Broad Banded Armadillo (Xenu- 
