420 



NATURE 



\A'Iarch 25, 1S75 



from high-water mark at which it had been found, which 

 was fully 300 yards. It was surrounded by low scrub, the 

 terraces behind being heavily timbered. This proved that the 

 high-water mark at that time must have been very different 

 from what it is at present. Capt. I'Vaser suggested tliat it might 

 be a portion of La Perouse's ship, which had for many years 

 been sought in vain.— Dr. Hector then read an interestrng; paper 

 on the Sumner Cave, in Canterbury, New Zealand, by Mr. A. 

 McKay, of the Geological Department, who had made excava- 

 tions there for Dr. Haast in 1S72. The exploration occupied 

 seven weeks, and on its completion the collections and notes 

 which were made were given to Dr. Haast, and the paper now 

 read was chiefly occupied with the author's own views on the 

 question— whether the moa hunters were possessed of tools other 

 than those of the rudest description ; and whether there were 

 any facts constituting a difference between them and the Maoris 

 of later times. Alter discussing the relative age of the moa 

 ovens at the Rakaia and elsewhere, the author considered the 

 Sumner Cave to be the oldest. While the evidence obtained 

 does not show that the moa liunters were in any way different 

 from the Maoris, he yet considered the period of the cave de- 

 posits as much more remote than the traditional date of the first 

 arrival of the Maoris in New Zealand— 350 years ago — and 

 thought that probably 1,350 years would be nearer the tnark. 

 He considered the asserted absence of any traditional knowledge 

 of the moa amongst the Maoris showed that the moa was exter- 

 minated either by a different race, or that the Maoris arrived at 

 a date long prior to which their traditions extend. Mr. Travers 

 mentioned as an interesting fact, that there was a family of cave- 

 men living in a cave at Port Nicholson, which was situate at less 

 than a mile from the Pilot Station at the Heads. There were 

 six or seven Maoris living there, and he had frequently visited 

 them. Dr. Hector said tliat the only grounds Mr. McKay had 

 for doubt as to the recent date of the moa's existence, seemed to 

 be the absence of Maori traditions with regard to it. He could 

 only say that modern Maoris seemed to know all about it. On the 

 whole, he thought there was no reason for jumping to the conclu- 

 sion that the moa had become extinct at a very remote period. 

 The positive evidence of the existence of the moa in New Zealand 

 was probably greater than that of the existence of the emu in 

 some parts of Victoria. Many persons were not conversant with 

 the rapidity with which animals disappear. In proof of this he 

 would refer to the bison. A hundred and fifty years ago these 

 animals roamed over the Eastern States in countless herds ; yet 

 it would now be very difficult to obtain positive proof of their 

 former existence in those States. — Dr. Hector read a paper on 

 the Tertiary series of Waiiganui, by Mr. Purnell, and observed 

 that the paper pointed out an unconformity in breaking up the 

 lower Wanganui series, which, if established, would have an 

 important bearing on the geology of the district. 



Aug. 15, 1S74. — On the alleged Pleistocene glaciation of New 

 Zealand, by Mr. W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. This paper was 

 devoted to the discussion and refutation of the theory, advanced 

 by Dr. Haast in various reports and addresses, that during the 

 Pleistocene period the physical condition of these islands 

 resembled that of Greenland, where the country is covered with 

 an ice sheet, and glaciers protrude into the sea and break off to 

 form icebergs. Alter showing that such a view is inconsistent 

 with the evidence afforded by the existing and extinct fauna and 

 flora of the country, the author argued that the former extension 

 of the glaciers was due to a great elevation of the islands that 

 followed the close of the Miocene period, to an altitude exceed- 

 ing its present elevation by four or five thousand feet, and that 

 the ensuing retreat of the glaciers was due to subsequent depres- 

 sion, the extent of which exceeded the former maximum eleva- 

 tion, and that in post-pleiocene times there has been a slight re- 

 elevation with a corresponding re-advance of the glaciers in the 

 valleys radiating from the chief mountain centres, such as Mount 

 Cook. 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, Dec. 3, 1S74. — Herr K. 

 Fritsch presented a memoir on the yearly periods in the insect- 

 fauna of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, treating in detail of the 

 yearly distribution and periodicity of appearance of insects, to- 

 gether with an account of meteorological influences upon them. 

 — Capt. Volkmer communicated a note on the drinking waters of 

 Vienna.— Dr. Daubrawa transmitted a paper on some pendulum 

 experiments. — Herr Gruber gave an account of a " coincidence " 

 apparatus lor the determination of gravity ; it was used with 

 great success for geographical measurements during 1S74, 



Dec. 10, 1874. — Herr von Wiillerstorf-Urbair reported on the 

 meteorological observations made by Schiffslieutnant Weyprecht, 

 during the Austrian North Polar Expedition. — Herr Dr. Stein- 

 dachner communicated a paper on the river-fishes of the south- 

 eastern coast district of Brazil, from the mouth of the La Plata 

 to that of the San Francisco. — Director von Littrow read a 

 telegram from the observers of the Transit of Venus at Jassy, 

 where the egress was successfully observed. 



Dec. 17, 1874. — Prof von Ettingshausen transmitted a paper 

 entitled " The Genetic Organisation of the Flora of Australia. — 

 Prof. Lieben communicated some notes on the oxidation products 

 of camphor, and also an analysis of the mineral waters of Pos- 

 chitz. — Prof Puschl gave an account of the properties of satu- 

 rated vapours. — Director Stefan read a paper on the laws ot 

 magnetic and electric forces in magnetic and dielectric media, 

 and their relation to the theory of light. — Oberlieutnant Jul. 

 Payer then gave an account of his sledge expeditions in Franz- 

 Joseph's Land, with special reference to the character of its 

 hills, glaciers, vegetation, and animal life — Dr. Holetschek 

 communicated the elements and ephemerides of Comet VI., 

 1S74, discovered by Borrelly at Marseilles on Dec. 6. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, March 8. — M. Frcmy in the chair. 

 — The President, in speaking of the sad loss the Academy has 

 sustained in the death of one of its most eminent members, M. 

 Mathieu, to whom they had just paid their last tribute of respect 

 by attending his funeral, proposed, in honour of the deceased, to 

 adjourn the meeting. — M. Broch then made a speech in the name 

 of the Commission du Metre, of which M. Mathieu was the 

 president. — Tlie meeting was then adjourned. — Four letters re- 

 lating to the Transit of Venus were received, viz. : — From M. 

 Fleuiiais, dated Pekin, Jan. 5, 1S75, giving the complete details 

 of the observations made at that station, and containing an 

 account of further scientific researches made during the lime 

 the severe cold detained the observers at Pekin, the rivers not 

 being navigable ; from M. Mouchez, dated Dec. 13, 1874, with 

 an account of the observations made on the Island of St. Paul ; 

 from M. Bouquet de la Grye, who will shortly arrive in Paris ; 

 lastly, from M. Andre, who reports that he could only observe 

 one internal contact, and that he resolved to prolong his sojourn 

 at Noumea to make exact determinations of the longitude of 

 that place. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



British.— Practical Guide to the Determination of Minerals by the Blow- 

 pipe : Dr. E. W. C. Fuchs. Translated by T. W. Danby, M.A., F.G.S. 

 (Field and Tuer).— Watford Natural History Society and Hertfordshire Field 

 Club; Laws and List of Members. — The Development Law of the Earth : 

 Prof Bernhard von Cotta. Translated by R. R. Noel (Williams and Nor- 

 gate). — St. Helena : a Physical, Historical, and Topographical. Description 

 of the Island : John C. MelUss, A I C E.. F.G.S., F.L.S. (Lovell Reeve) — 

 Report of the Proceedings of the Conference on Maritime Meteorology held 

 in London 1S74 (H. M. otationery Office)— Memoir of the Life and Labours 

 of the Rev. Jeremiah Horrox : Rev. A B. Whatton, B.A., LL. D. (William 

 Hunt and Co.) — Manchester Field Naturalists' Society. Report of the 

 Committee for the year 1874, with Accounts ot the Excursions. 



CONTENTS Page 



Lubbock's " Origin OF CiviLis.vTioN " 401 



Kinahan's "Valleys, Fissures, Fractures, and Faults", . . 403 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



Renshaw's " Cone and its Sections" 404, 



Markham's " Whaling Cruise " 404 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Antares.— S. W. Burnham 405 



Storm Warnings from the United States. — W. Clement Ley . . 405 



Meteorological Observations in the Pacific. — Rev. S. J. Whitmee 405 



Struck by Lightning. — D. Pidgeon 405 



Mr. G. Darwin's Paper on Cousin Marriages.— George Darwin . 406 



Mounting Acari for the Microscope. — W. Saville-Kent . . . 406 



The "Wolf" in the Violoncello.— Herbert F. Frvhr .... 406 



Coloured Shadows.— C. T. L. Whitmell 406 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Anthelm's Star of 1670 (11 Vulpeculae) 407 



Meteor-shower of October a.d. 855 407 



Comet 1840, 111 407 



The Birds of Borneo 407 



Phenological Phenomena 408 



Institution OF Naval Architects (fK///i ///;«/m//f;«) .... 403 



The Faraday Lecture 411 



Notes . 412 



Scientific Report of the Austro-Hungarian North Pular Ex- 

 pedition of 1872-74, HI 415 



Scientific Serials 416 



Societies and Academies 417 



Books and Pamphlets Received 420 



