Jan. 28, 1875] 



NATURE 



255 



for some years becoming more and 'more scarce. Wood of the 

 largest diameter is the produce of the forests of the countries 

 bordering on the Black Sea. Large quantities arc produced in 

 the neighbourhood of Poti, from which port the wood is shipped 

 direct to England. The supply, however, from this port is, we 

 leam, becoming fast exhausted ; and it is said, unless the forests 

 of Abkhassia are opened to the trade, it must soon cease alto- 

 gether. The quantity exported from Poti during the year 1873 

 amounted to 2,897 'ons, of the value of 20,621/. ; besides this, 

 from 5,000 to 7,000 tons of the finest quality annually pass 

 through Conslanthiople, being brought from Southern Russia 

 and from some of the Turkish ports of the lUack .Sea for ship- 

 ment, chiefly to Liverpool. An inferior and smaller kind of wood 

 supplied from the neighbourhood of .S.amsoon is also shipped at 

 Constantinople to the extent of about 1,500 tons annually. With 

 regard to the boxwood forests of Turkey, the British Consul at 

 Constantinople reports that they are nearly exhausted and that 

 very little really good wood can now be obl.ained from tliem ; in 

 Russia, however, where some little Government care has been 

 bestowed upon forestry, a considerable quantity of choice wood 

 still exists ; but even there it can only be obtained at an ever- 

 increasing cost, as the forests near the sea have been denuded of 

 their best trees. The trade is now entirely in English hands, 

 although formerly Greek merchants exclusively exported the 

 weed. In the province of Trebizonde the wood is generally of an 

 inferior quality ; nevertheless, from 25,000 to 30,000 cwts. are 

 annually shipped, chiefly to the United Kingdom. 



The trade between Portugal and Great Britain is very largely 

 composed of fruits of the Citrus tribe : the value of the exports 

 from Portugal have, however, of late been considerably aug- 

 mented, and will be more so in a few years, by the large number 

 of pine-apples shipped to England. During the last two or 

 three years the cultivation of this fruit in the Azores for export 

 purposes has been largely devcloi)ed. Bananas, also, have occu- 

 pied much attention, and have been exported in such quantities, 

 and realiicd such remunerative prices, that a large and flourish- 

 ing trade may be expected. With these products already 

 established and yielding satisfactory returns, it would scarcely be 

 supposed that landowners would devote their attention to other 

 and untried crops ; yet we learn that the Phortniiini tcnax, or New 

 Zealand flax plant, has been introduced into some parts of the 

 Azores, where its growth has proved highly satisfactory ; and as 

 it is proved that it will flourish in places where nothing else will 

 grow, it may, in course of time, become an article of export. 



The distillation and manufacture of attar of rose is a large 

 and important branch of industry in Adrianople. In the 

 northern parts of the country, we are told in an official docu- 

 ment, the produce of 1873 exceeded by 35 per cent, that of 

 the previous year, the quantity distilled being some 121,875 

 ounces, valued at about 90,000/. It is chiefly exported from 

 Philipopoli to England, France, Germany, and Austria ; and 

 recently merchants in the United States and Germany have 

 opened correspondence with firms in Adrianople, with the 

 view of establishing agencies to further extend this branch of 

 commerce. 



A VALlJABLE and interesting report reaches us from New 

 Zealand, on the "Durability of New Zealand Timbers." It has 

 been drawn up by Mr. T. Kirk, F.L S., and is by far the best 

 account of the woods of that colony that we are acquainted with. 

 New Zealand has exhibited her timbers at several of the interna- 

 tional exhibitions ; and though many of them have been remark- 

 able both for size and beauty, they have never rivalled those of 

 our Austr.alian colonies, owing to want of care in seasoning, pre- 

 paring, and naming the specimens. In some practical hints on 

 seasoning timber, Mr. Kirk rightly says that no plan is so effec- 

 tive as keeping it in \vell-ventilated sheds, protected from the 



rain. He points out errors in felling and using timber, 

 which all practical foresters and builders are acquainted 

 svith, but which are unfortunately of loo frequent occur- 

 rence in many countries, namely, felling trees during the 

 growing season, using timber immediately after felling, coating 

 green or unseasoned wood with paint, &c. In the list 

 of useful woods given, which number thirty-eight distinct 

 trees, the Kauri [Dainmaia auslralis), Totara {Podocarpus 

 I'liira), and the Red Pine, ox Kxmv. {Dacrydium cupressiniiin) 

 have a first place. The first-named is the finest tree in New 

 Zealand, growing to a height of 120 to 160 feet ; its wood, also, 

 is the most valuable, being used before all others for masts, spars, 

 and other shipbuilding purposes. The wood is frequently very 

 lieautifully mottled, and would be much valued by cabinet- 

 makers in this country, were it an article of import ; but New 

 Zealand woods reach us only occasionally. The Kauri is largely 

 Used in New Zealand for railway sleepers. As an instance of its 

 durability, Mr. Kirk says that near Papakura, an ancient Kauri 

 forest has been buried at some remote period ; in some places 

 the logs still show above the surface. Much of the timber has 

 been dug up in perfectly sound condition, and used for sleepers 

 on the Auckland and Waikato Railway. Kauri timber is also 

 exported to some extent from New Zealand to Australia, Tas- 

 mania, and Mauritius ; and during the past three years the 

 quantity so exported has more than doubled. Considering the 

 limited area to which the treejis confined, it is to be hoped that 

 some system of conservancy will preserve the trees. 



The Senatus of Edinburgh University has received a favour- 

 able reply from the Treasuiy as to an endowment for the pro- 

 posed Chair of Education. Dr. Bell's trustees offered an endow- 

 ment of 4,000/., and the Senatus aiked Government to grant a 

 similar sum to complete the endowment. It is also stated that 

 the arrangements for the establishment of the Chair of Education 

 in the University of St. Andrew's are m such a state of forward- 

 ness that it is expected they will be completed forthwith, and 

 that a Professor, with a suitable endowment, will be ready to 

 enter on his duties by the beginning of next winter session. 



The Council of the Society of Arts have decided to offer the 

 Society's Fothergill Gold Medal for an effective means of 

 extinguishing fire on board ship, and they have directed the 

 Secretary to enter into communication with leading shipowners, 

 with the view of enlisting their aid in this important matter. 



An underground railway was inaugurated between Pera and 

 Galata a few days since. 



The meeting at Paris of the International Conference on the 

 Metrical System has been postponed till March I . 



On the morning of January 22 an earthquake was felt at 

 Raveima, in Central Italy. The exact hour is not stated. It 

 would be curious to ascertain whether it was connccied with the 

 rapid elevation of barometric pressure of 17 millimetres in a few 

 hours, which was observed at the Paris Observatory and in many 

 other places in France at the same time. 



At a recent meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, Prof Leidy — from a study of some fresh specimens 

 sent him by Prof Hayden, and obtained about one hundred miles 

 east of Greeley, Colorado — declared his conviction that the 

 colossal genus Bronlotlurium of Marsh is synonymous with 

 Syiiiborodon and Miobaiileiis of Cope ; and that all these must 

 give place to Tilanotherium of Leidy, of which there are probably 

 not more than two species. 



Mr. S. W. Garman describes, in the Proceedings of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History, a new American species of 

 serpent from Florida, under the name of Ildicofs iiUeiii. 



Mr. Wilco.x communicates to the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia the account of an unusual mode of 



