A NEW part of the quarto ‘* Fransactions 9 of the Zoological 
Society,” just issued, contains three papers by Prof, Owen. The 
last of these is of special interest, as containing the first account 
of a new extinct Struthions form from Australia, proposed to be 
called Dromornis aust alis, for the full description of which we 
must refer our readers to the paper in question. 
7 THE post tertiary fauna of Australia is extremely rich in 
| Macropodide, or Kangaroo, many of which greatly exceed any 
of the existing species in size. Pro‘essor Owen kas lately de- 
scribed a large series of these in a memoir presented to the 
Royal Society, and has divided them into nymerous genera, 
founded upon somewhat minute distinctions in the characters of 
‘the teeth. We have just received from Mr. Gerard Krefft, 
Curator of the Sydaey Museum, a photograph of the teeth of a 
_ giant of the race, the four molars together measuring from before 
backwards as mitch as three inches. It is ynaccompanied by 
any description, and pending the publ. cation of Prof. Owen’s 
memoir, we are unable to say whether it belongs to either of 
a species described thecein. 
_ THE tank containing the Spring Lobster or Sea Crayfish, 
Palinurus vulgaris, at the Brighton Aquarium, No. 26, is 
invested with special interest at the present moment, oa account 
_ of the appearance, during the last few days, of innumerable 
young. Until within late years, the early condition of this, ‘the 
) largest of our British crustacea, was regarded as a distinct species, 
allied to Squille, representing the Stomapadoys instead of the 
Podopthalmous order of their class; it was thus described by 
Leach uoder the nam: of Pa pyllosa) mz connune. The celebrated 
Belgian naturalis', Prof. Van Benelen, was one of the first to 
establish the identity ‘of these two forms, and the result of his 
praisewor:hy investigations was simply and amply confirmed by 
the receat arrivals at the Brightoa tanks. Ta this ‘ ‘ Phyllosoma a 
phase, the ovate body is so remarkably transparent and flattened 
out, that even when several inches in length they can scarcely 
be distinguished at the surface of the sea, waere they often float 
in countless numbers. Some very fine eee of these crustacea, 
; illustrating this interesting staze of their development, are 
exhibited in the typical invertebrate szries in the Royal College 
of Surgeons. The specim2ns at the Bsighton Aquarium just 
exciuded from the egg are very minute, scarcely exceeding half- 
an-inch in total length, and although swarming in their tank are, 
on account of their extreme pellucidness, ealy visible on the 
most close inspection. ‘The “berried hen” producing this large 
brood of young, was added to the collection about a month ago. * 
An adjoining tank, No. 28, is teeming in a similar manner with 
the young of the Common Lobster, Homarus vulgaris. 
THE number of the {‘ Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of 
Bengal,” containing a report of the annual meeting, has just 
been received. The chief feature of this meeting was the admir- 
able address of the president, Dra. Oldham, from which we 
are glad to see that under the auspices of this Society, a very 
large amount of valuable work continues to be done to the 
literature, archzology, ethnology, and natural history of India. 
For years the Indian Government ignored the acknowledged 
claims which this Society had upon | jt, in return for the Society’ s 
handing over to Government its invaluable collection. It is 
gratifying to he told by the president that the Government of 
India have acceded in full to the claims of the Society. This 
gives us some hope that the Government, who haye, the presi- 
dent tells us, sanctiqned the necessary expenditure for photo- 
graphic observations of the forthcoming Transit of Venus, will, 
as the Society desires, maintain and render permanent the small 
establishment about to be fixed for this object on some elevated 
spot, for the special purpose of solar observation in connection 
with meteorology, The British Association at its last meeting 
requested the Society tourge the Indian Government to establish 
NATURE 
23! 
and maintain a an n observatory for this purpose in India. The 
direct yalue, both to science and to commerce, of the work of 
such an observatory would be incalculable; and we hope the 
Society will continue importunate until the Gogerament accede 
to its wishes. We are moreover glad to see that a committee of 
the Society has been organised to supplement the work of the 
Challenger by exploring the Indian seas, an almost virgin soil ; 
the acigeee funds for the purchase of instruments have been 
granted, and we hope the ship, which is all that is wanting, will 
be forthcoming when the instruments are ready. Altogether the 
Society must be congratulated on the work i it does amid many 
discouragement. 
TELEGRAPHIC intelligence has been received in Berlin an. 
nouncing that the English steamer conveying the German 
African “exploring expedition to Congo has bzen wrecked off 
Sierra Leone. There was no loss of life, but all the effects 
and scientific instruments of those on board were lost. 
Socks of earthquake occurred on the morning of July 12 at 
Rome, Frosinone, Alatri, and several other places. Nodamage 
was done. The shocks and subterranean roaring continue in 
the neighbourhood of Alpago. A rather strong shock of earth- 
quake occurred on the same day in the Valley of Lira, at Isola. 
The workmen left the manufactories, and several houses were 
damaged. 
Mr. J. L. HappDEN, C.E., who was blinded by watching the 
electric light at Constantinople, is reported as having recovered. 
ON June 15, according to the official jouraal of the Viceroyalty 
of Konieh, in Asia Minor, snow fell heavily on the mountain 
called Bulgardagh, in the Kaza of Erkeli, In some places the 
snow was five feet deep. : 
We have already referred; to the U.S. exploring expedition 
to Montana, in connection with the survey for the Northern 
Pacific Railroad. The correspondent of the Mew York Tribune, 
writing from Fort Rice in the Upper Missouri, near a newly- 
founded town called Bismarck, gives details concerning the 
organisation of the expedition, which was expected to set ont 
fcom Fort Rice at the end of June. There isa large military 
escort as a protection against the Indians, and the scientific parly 
is well equipped. It is expected that the waggons which carry 
out supplies will return loaded with specimens of the natural 
products of the region, especially of the Yellowstone Basin, 
to be arranged systematically, and depos‘ted in the National 
Musuem cf the United States. The results of this expedition, 
so liberally fitted out by the American Government, are likely 
to be of great service to science. 
Tue Zimes of India contains an accoynt of the death of a 
huge boa- -constrictor which infested same marshy groynd at the 
foot of the hills near Poodoocottah. The animal was regarded 
as sacred by the natives, who would not molest it, although only 
on the morning when Dr. Johastone and Mr. Pennington, with 
great danger to themselves, brayely hunted it up and shot it, it 
had swallowed a young child. The animal is about 21 feet long, 
and its stuffed skin is to bz deposited in the Madras Museum, 
As might be expected, Mr. G. J. Symons’ “ British Rainfall 
for 1872,” considering the unusual wetness of the year, is of 
great interest to meteorologists. The author deserves great 
credit for the immense trouble he has taken in putting together 
ina handy and useful form such a multitude of statistics, and 
the great care he appears to have taken to secure accuracy. The 
greatest rainfall in the three kingdoms during 1872 occurred at 
The Stye in Cumberland, 1,077 ft. above the sea-level, where it 
reached the extraordinary amount of 243'9Sin, ; th2 smallest 
amount was at Silsoe in Bedfordshire, where it was only 2618 in., 
unusually small as compared with most other places. The 
