170 
NATURE 
| Fune 29, 1871 

Andes, the main line from Chile to Buenos Ayres, has been dis- 
turbed for about three miles by the eruption of hillocks. 
Aw Australian paper states that a live frog had been brought 
to the office that had been found three or four days before 
incased in the solid rock, in the drive of the Sultan mine, Barry’s 
Reef, at a depth of 4ooft. below the surface. The little animal 
Jooked bright-eyed and very lively, and was apparently none the 
worse for its long term of solitary imprisonment, 


SCIENCE IN AMERICA* 
HE forthcoming number of the American Journal of Science 
will contain an extremely interesting announcement in 
regard to American palzontology, namely, the discovery by Prof, 
Marsh in the Cretaceous beds of the Rocky Mountain region, of a 
huge pterodactyl, or flying lizard. This form has long been Known 
as characteristic of the deposits of Europe, and has always 
attracted much attention from its combination of the characters 
of the bird and reptile ; but until this announcement by Prof. 
Marsh the family was not supposed to be represented in the 
New World. The addition therefore of the pterodactyl, to the 
list of American genera, shows a marked increase in palaonto- 
logical affluence, and gives additional point to the statements 
made some time ago, that America, instead of being greatly 
inferior to the Old World in the variety of its vertebrate fossil 
remains, now bids fair to greatly exceed it in this respect. 
The name assigned to this new species is “ Pterodactylus 
Oweni” (in honour of Prof. Richard Owen of London), and it 
is believed to have had an expanse between the tips of the wings 
of at least twenty feet—We regret to learn that during the 
recent revolution on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec a large number 
of valuable collections in natural history, made for the Smith- 
sonian Institution by its correspondent in that region, Prof. 
Sumichrast, were entirely destroyed in the course of the conflicts 
of the opposing parties.—The annual report of the Smithsonian 
Institution for 1869 has, after an unusual delay, just made its 
appearance from the public printing-office, and contains the 
customary variety of interesting matter, which has made this 
report so much sought after by persons of scientific tastes in the 
United States. Preceded by the secretary’s usual report of the 
operations of the Institution for the year, it contains in an ap- 
pendix numerous articles, partly original, and partly translations 
from such foreign journals as are not readily accessible to the 
American student. Among these may be mentioned biographies 
of Thomas Young, Augustus Bravais, Von Martius, and Mari- 
anni; an important original paper by Dr. Sterry Hunt on the 
chemistry of the earth ; and one by Marey on the phenomena ot 
flight in the animal kingdom; an extended paper by General 
Simpson, upon the march of Coronado in search of the seven 
cities of Cibola; one by Sir John Lubbock, on the social and 
religious condition of the lower races of man, &c. The 
report is in no way inferior in interest to its predecessors. 
—Salt Lake City has lately been the scene of considerable 
activity, in connection with the arrival there of several govern- 
ment exploring parties, for the purpose of fitting out for their 
summer's campaign. Among these may be mentioned Mr. 
Clarence King, who continues his geological and topographical 
exploration of the fortieth parallel eastward through Colorado ; 
Major Powell, who renews his examination of the canons of 
Green River and the Colorado, and who is detained at Salt Lake 
City in consequence of the late melting of the mountain snows, 
the low stage of water preventing him from passing through the 
canons ; and a portion of Prof. Hayden’s party is also at the 
same place collecting animals and supplies for a visit to the 
Yellow Stone region.—By advices from South America we learn 
that on the 25th of April last Chili was visited by two of the 
severest earthquakes that have been experienced in the country 
since 1851. The first shock in Valparaiso was not preceded by 
any warning sound, and its suddenness and intensity created 
considerable alarm, the streets of the city being filled in a short 
time by people who rushed out from their dwellings in a state of 
indescribable confusion.—Many of our readers are familiar with 
the names of Mr. Thomas Say, of Philadelphia, and Mr. C. A. 
Leseur, as having been among the most prominent of our 
naturalists during the early part of the present century, and as 
having added many new species to the lists. The labours of 
Mr. Say were directed largely toward the invertebrata, embracing 
more particularly the insects, shells, and crustaceans. Many of 
* Communicated by the Scientific Editor of Harper's Weekly, 

his explorations were in the vicinity of Beesley’s Point, New 
Jersey, where species were obtained by him that have ever sinc 
remained almost unknown to science. Several examinations 
have been more recently made on the New Jersey coast, for the 
express purpose of recovering these forms ; and one of the most 
successful was prosecuted last spring, under the direction of 
Prof. Verrill, of Yale College, who, with several companions, 
spent a week at Somers Point and Beesley’s Point. The results 
of their labours were much greater than they had anticipated, as 
they not only obtained a large proportion of all the missing 
forms, but secured quite a number of new species, and detected 
the occurrence, for the first time, of others previously known as 
belonging much farther south, among them two echinoderms, of 
which Cape Hatteras was the limit previously ascertained. 
Their ‘‘catch” for the week summed up about 175 species of 
marine animals—about 25 of fishes, 50 of crustaceans, 25 of 
worms, 50 of mollusks, and 15 of radiates and sponges. 

MR. BENTHAM’S ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 
TO THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 
(Continued from page 152) 
ERMANY, or rather Central Europe from the Rhine to the 
Carpathians and from the Baltic to the Alps, is, as to the 
greater part of it, a continuation of that generally uniform but 
gradually changing biological region which covers the Russian 
empire. It is not yet affected by those peculiar western races 
which either stop short of the Rhine and Rhone or only here 
and there cross these rivers with a few stragglers ; the mountains, 
however, on its southern border show a biological type different 
from either of those which limit the Russian portion, indicating 
in many respects, as I observed in 1869, a closer connection with 
the Scandinavian and high northern than with the Pyrenean to 
the west or the Caucasian to the east. The verifying and follow- 
ing up these indications gives a special interest to the study of 
German races, their variations and affinities. In so far as 
formal specific distinctions are concerned, all plants and animals, 
with the exception of a few of those whose minute size enables 
them long to escape observation, may now be considered as well 
known in Germany as in France and England ; and in Germany 
especially the investigation of anatomical and physiological 
characters has of late years contributed much to a more correct 
appreciation of those distinctions and of the natural relations of 
organicraces. But much remains still for the systematic biologist, 
and especially the zoologist, to accomplish. Among the very 
numerous floras of the country, both general and local, there are 
several which have been worked out with due reference to the 
vegetation of the immediately surrounding regions, but corre- 
sponding complete faunas do not appear toexist. A few in some 
branches have been commenced ; but in these, as in the numerous 
papers on more or less extended local zoology, as far as I can 
perceive, animals, and especially insects, seem to be considered 
only in respect of the forms they assume within the region treated 
of, frequently with a very close critical study of variations or 
races of the lowest grades, but neglecting all comparison with 
the forms a species may assume or be represented by in adjoining 
or distant countries. 
Germany holds a first rank amongst civilised nations in respect 
of her biological works in most departments; they probably 
exceed in bulk those of any other country. Her publishic g 
scientific academies and other associations, her zoological museums 
and gardens, her botanical herbaria and university gardens, her 
zoologists and botanists of world-wide reputation, are far too 
numerous to be here particularised. She excels all other nations 
in the patient and persevering elaboration of minute details, 
although she must yield to the French in respect of clearness 
and conciseness of methodical exposition. Her speculative 
tendencies are well known, aud the great impulse given to them 
since the spread of ‘‘Darwinismus” appears to have thrown 
systematic biology still further into the background ; the sad 
events of the last twelvemonth have also temporarily suspended 
or greatly interfered with the peaceful course of science. Thus 
the zoological works contained in the lists I have received are 
almost all dated in 1868 or 1869, and have been already analysed 
in the reports of Wiegmann’s ‘‘ Archiv” and in the 5th and 6th 
volumes of the ‘‘ Zoological Record,” and the principal ones 
relating to exotic zoology will have to be referred to further 
on. In Systematic Botany also but little of importance has been 
published within the last ten years beyond the great ‘ Flora 
Brasiliensis,” which, since the death of Dr. vy, Martius, has been 
