May 12, 1870] 
of the slates and auriferous beds of quartz in semi-elliptical 
forms, with the gneiss at the base of the ellipse. On this ground 
it was suggested that a correct mapping of the gneisses of Nova 
Scotia would have an important influence on the development of 
the mineral resources of the province. A plan of some of the 
lodes in the Waverley gold district showed the result of opera- 
tions in 1869, subsequently to the publication of a geological 
map and sections of the district furnished to the Department of 
Mines by the author in 1868. Citations were made from the 
annual reports just issued of the Chief Commissioner of Mines 
and of the Inspector of Mines, confirming the correctness of the 
author’s plans exhibiting the geological structure of Waverley, 
which is a type of all the Nova Scotian gold districts. Principal 
Dawson spoke in confirmation of the fact that the Palzeozoic 
rocks are underlain by Laurentian gneiss, &c., quite to the 
eastern coast of British North America, and stated that the same 
relation occurred in Newfoundland, and had been traced south- 
wards into Massachussetts. He confirmed Mr. Hind’s views 
generally, and stated |that the Lower Silurian of Nova Scotia 
includes no great fossiliferous limestone, like that of the interior 
of North America. The supposed Zozoox discovered by Dr. 
Honeyman, was probably distinct from 2. canadense, but was 
certainly a Foraminiferal organism allied to Zozoon; but as 
Eozoon bohemicum is of later date than £2. canadense, the presence 
of Zozoon did not necessarily indicate Laurentian age. Prof. 
Ramsay suggested that other organisms besides Zozoon aided in 
building up these great calcareous masses. He inquired as to 
the mode of occurrence of gold, and suggested that the gold is 
obtained at the anticlinals merely because the exposure is better, 
and that it will be found to pervade the synclinalsfalso. Mr. 
Henry Robinson had visited the Waverley district in company 
with Prof. Hind, in the winter of 1868, at which time the mining 
on the lodes referred to in the map before the society was at a 
standstill, the lodes having been lost by reason of a fault. He 
thought it was very satisfactory to find that the explorations of 
Prof. Hind, and the theoretical position which he assigned to the 
lodes, had been completely verified. Mr, Robinson also stated 
that gold is being mined in the synclinals by sinking shafts 
and driving cross-cuts. Mr. Hind remarked that all the Lower 
Silurian in Nova Scotia was auriferous, and that the gold was 
derived from the underlying Laurentian rocks. He stated that 
Sir W. E. Logan had indicated an auriferous zone in the Lau- 
rentian of Canada. Gold was finely distributed in the slates of 
Nova Scotia, as in Victoria, in the neighbourhood of lodes, 
according to Mr. R. Brough Smyth. 
Chemical Society, May 5.—Prof. Williamson, F.R.S., 
President, in the chair. The following gentlemen were elected 
fellows: G. Matthey, T. Steel, T. Allen.—Mr. Brown read a 
paper on “ Vapour densities,” wherein he gave a historical review 
of the various methods employed for the determination of such 
densities. —Mr. Church communicated the analyses of two Cor- 
nish minerals. The one, Restormelite, may be regarded as a 
variety of kaolinite, standing nearest to the lithomarge group, 
The analysis gave the following figures :— 
H,O i oe 11°68 per cent. 
SiO, Syste 45'21 a 
Fe,O, Deer ” 
anos : 5 an 12 
meee, (orkk sce e 
RACs i 8 ALES os 
This corresponds pretty well with the formula of kaolinite, 
Al,O,, 2 SiO,+2aq., if we suppose a partial replacement of 
hydrogen by sodium or potassium, and of aluminium by iron. 
Restormelite may be considered as preserving in its alkalies more 
evident traces of its feldspathic origin than are usually 
found in such alteration products, The second of the 
above-mentioned minerals is Chalcophyllite. Thejrecorded ana- 
lyses of this mineral were so unsatisfactory that Mr. Church 
thought it worth his while to submit to a new investigation. The 
figures he obtained in his analysis led him to assign to chalco- 
phyllite the formula 8 CuO, Al, O3, As, O; -+ 24 aq. The 
mineral cannot be dried eyen in vacuo without an entire change 
in its appearance. The beautiful green and transparent crystals 
become of a more bluish tinge, and quite opaque. This change 
corresponds to a loss of 13°79 per cent. of water.—Messrs. 
Bolas and Gloves communicated a paper on their newly-dis- 
covered tetrabromide of carbon. This compound is obtained by 
heating bisulphide of carbon with bromide of iodine in a sealed 
NATURE 
37 
tube to a temperature of 150° C for about forty-eight hours, 
adding afterwards caustic soda to the contents of the tube, and 
submitting the mixture to distillation, when the tetrabromide of 
carbon will distil over. Bromoform and bromopicrin, when 
treated with bromide of iodine, yield the same result. The 
bromide of iodine can be replaced by antimony terbromide. 
Tetrabromide of carbon is a white crystalline substance, melting 
at 91° C., insoluble in water, but readily soluble in ether, hot 
alcohol, benzol, American oil, bromoform, and chloroform. 
Sodium amalgam reduces it, first to bromoform, then to 
methylene dibromide. The authors propose to carry on their 
investigations of this interesting compound, 
Anthropological Society of London, May 3.—Dr. R. S. 
Charnock, V.P., in the chair. Moore A. Cuffe, LL.D., 9, 
Camden Crescent, Bath, was elected a Fellow. A paper was 
read by Major W. Ross King, F.R.G.S., F.S.A.S., on the 
** Aboriginal Tribes of the Nilgiri Hills,’ namely, the Todas, 
Khotas, Erulas, and Kurumbas, especially noticing the former, 
as being the most singular and important. The author, who 
was three years among these tribes, described in turn the 
characteristic features and peculiarities of each, with detailed in- 
formation as to their very curious social customs, and religious 
rites and ideas; showing the marked distinction existing 
in every point between tribes occupying one and the 
same area, and in constant communication with each other ; 
pointing out the fact that each people retained its own language ; 
and their remarkable isolation from the surrounding enormous 
population of the plains. The striking similarity between the 
rites, practices, and monuments of the Todas and those of the 
ancient Celts of Britain was shown; a passing allusion was made 
to the evidences of an early western migration as traceable 
through intervening countries in the existence of similar rites and 
customs; and the presence on the Nilgiri hills of Druidical 
circles, cromlechs, kistvaens, and tumuli was described, precisely 
similar to those so well-known in our own country. While 
commenting on the analogies thus apparent between the 
ancient Celts and some of these Hill Tribes, the author took 
occasion also to remark on their similarities in other respects 
to the Jews of old, to the Kaffirs, and to the ancient 
Romans, not as being likely to lead to any theory of origin 
in those quarters, but as possibly qualifying the reliance 
to be placed on every point of Celtic resemblance. In con- 
clusion, the author, who illustrated his paper by the exhibi- 
tion of several drawings, and of some interesting native orna- 
ments, &c., summed up the various theories prevailing as to the 
probable origin of these tribes, of whose history we are still so 
ignorant, and recommended the subject to the Society as one 
worthy of their investigation. 
Linnean Society, May 5.—The following foreign members 
were elected in the place of those who have died during the past 
year :—Prof. Spencer F, Baird, of Washington; Herr George 
Ritter von Frauenfeld, of Vienna; Dr. William Lilljeborg, 
Prof. of Zoology at Upsala; Dr. Charles Naudin, of Collioure, 
Pyrenees; and Sig. Roberto di Visiani, Prof. of Botany at 
Padua.—A letter was read from Dr. Ernst, of Caracas, on a 
peculiar plant belonging to that country known as “incense,” 
a small tree forming a striking feature in the scenery. It was 
described by Humboldt and De Candolle under different names, 
its affinities not having been accurately determined, Dr. Ernst 
has established its right to form a distinct genus, to which he 
gives the name of Libanothamnus.—Dr. Hooker read _a com- 
munication from Dr. Kirk, vice-consul at Zanzibar, on ‘‘Copals.” 
One characteristic by which fossil copal is known from the recent 
resin, in addition to its greater transparency, is the so-called 
**goose-skin.”” Dr. Kirk has ascertained that the fossil copal 
shows no trace of this goose-skin when first dug out of the 
earth, but that it makes its appearance only after cleaning and 
brushing the outer surface. Specimens exhibited of both recent 
and fossil copal contained imprisoned flowers, leaves, and 
insects, in a beautiful state of preservation. Captain Grant 
states that the true copal gum-tree is a climber which climbs to 
a great height among the forest trees, and finatly becomes com- 
pletely detached from its original root, when the copal exudes 
from the extremities of these detached roots. Large pieces of 
the resin fetch a very high price even in that country. : 
Zoological Society, April 28.—John Gould, F.R.S., V.P., 
in the chair. The Secretary read some notes on the principal- 
additions to the Society’s Menagerie during the month of March, 
