202 
NATURE 
[7uly 1, 1836 
separated from the latter at a period when the connection between 
the Aral-Caspian depression and the Arctic Ocean still existed. 
Theie was certainly, in recent geological time, a connection 
between the rivers of the Balkhash basin and those of the Lob- 
nor basin, which connection probably followed the Kunges, the 
Yulduz, and the Tarim Rivers. 
THE total area of the Crown forests of Sweden at the begin- 
ning of 1885 was 5,785,535 hectares, being a seventh part of 
the total forest area of the country. The revenue from the 
same was a little less in 1885 than in 1884, but this is believed 
to be only incidental, it having risen from 750,000/. in 1880 to 
890,000/. in 1882, and 1,120,000/. in 1884. 
WE have received part 2, vol. iv. of the Zyansactions of the 
Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, containing the papers 
selected for publication and the address read by the President, 
Major Feilden, F.G.S., at the seventeenth annual meeting of 
the Society. From the report it appears that the Society now 
numbers 260 members, and is both numerically and financially 
in a very satisfactory condition. For his address Major Feilden 
chose the fascinating problem of the origin of life, which he 
strove to show must have had its advent at the poles of the 
earth, a subject which his study of the fossil and recent fauna of 
the polar regions as naturalist to the Arctic Expedition of 1875- 
76 gave him special opportunities of studying. 
to which Major Feilden arrives are that through the secular 
cooling of our planet the poles became first fitted for the recep- 
tion of life ; that in palzeozoic times the North Pole possessed a 
climate as warm, at least, as that now enjoyed at the equator ; 
that the temperature at the North Pole during the Miocene 
southwards ; and that in all probability animal life likewise 
originated at the poles, and spread towards the equator. 
Amongst the published papers, one by Mr. Clement Reid, 
F.G.S., on the ‘‘ Flora of the Cromer Forest Bed,” is of especial 
interest. Mr. Reid enumerates sixty species of plants, which he 
has obtained by the careful washing of clays from various locali- 
ties near Cromer, and calls attention to the curious fact that all 
these, with the exception of 7rafa natans, three firs, and Lsoctes 
lacustris, are still indigenous to the county of Norfolk, and two- 
thirds of them are aquatic or marsh plants, identical in species | 
with those found at the present day in almost all the Norfolk 
morasses. Mr. Edward Bidwell contributes an account of a 
visit to the Isles of Scilly in the nesting season of 1885 ; the 
Rey. H. A. Macpherson a paper on the habits and plumage of 
the Manx shearwater ; Mr. G. Smith some notes on the habits 
of the Fulmar petrel ; meteorological notes by Mr. A. W. 
Preston ; notes on the herring fishery of 1885, by Mr. South. 
well ; a second paper, by Mr. Reid, on Norf.Jk amber; and a 
list of the birds of Norfolk, with remarks, by Messrs. Godney 
and Southwell ; also a valuable paper on the gradual assumption 
of the adult plumage in the honey buzzard, by Mr. J. H. 
Godney. 
WE have received a ‘‘ Liste Alphabétique” of the Corre- 
spondence of Christian Huygens, which the Dutch Society of 
Sciences proposes to publish. The list may be obtained from 
Enschedé and Son, Haarlem. 
Dr. G. F. MarTINEAU, of Yorke House, Stourport, writes 
with reference to the article ‘‘ On the Origin of our Potato,” in 
Nature of May 6 last, p. 7, that ia turning over, the other 
day, the leaves of the sumptuous “ Hortus Eystertensis” of 
Basil Besler, printed in Nuremberg in 1613, he found an excel- 
lent plate of the plant (of which he sends a tracing), with a 
clear and full description. Certainly it is quite worth while to 
draw attention to Besler's figure and text, but it tells one nothing 
new. There are good figures in Gerarde, 1597, and Clusius, 
The conclusions | 
| by the Rev. G. H. R. Fisk, C.M.Z.S_ ; a Sand Lizard (Lacerta 
1601, Besler’s being 1613. ‘* The potato,” another correspond- 
ent writes, ‘‘is not zé/d in Virginia ; it must have been carried 
there from Peru and Chili, The only wild United States pota- 
toes are high up in the Rocky Mountains. A. De Candolle’s 
idea is that the potato was first brought to Europe, not by the 
English, but by the Spaniards.” 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past wees include a Chimpanzee (A zthropopithecus troglodytes 2 ) 
from West Africa, presented by Capt. Reginald E. Firminger ; 
a Khesus Monkey (Macacus rhesus 3) from India, presented by 
Mr, G. Ballentyne ; a Macaque Monkey (J/acacus cynomolgus $ ) 
from India, presented by Mrs. S. M. Grove-Grady ; a Banded 
Ichneumon (/Zerfestes fasciatu ) from West Africa, presented 
by Mr. G. F. Stimpson; two Egyptian Geese (Chenalopex 
egyptiaca) from Africa, presented by Col. Harris Burland; a 
Larger Hill-Mynah (Gracula intermedia) from India, presented 
by Miss Maud Bendall ; a Martinique Gallinule (/oxornis mar- 
tinicus) from South America, presented by Mr. W. J. Rae; 
Aldrovandi’s Skinks (Plestiodon auratus) from North-West 
Africa, presented by the Hon. Walter de Rothschild ; a Geo- 
metric Tortoise (Zestudo geometrica), a Semiserrated Tortoise 
( Testudo semiserrata), an Angulated Tortoise (Cherstna angu- 
/ata), two Dwarf Chameleons (Chameleon pumilus), two Keeled 
Euprepes (Zufrepres carinatus), a Spotted Slowworm (Acon ias 
meleagris), a Bipes (Scelotes bipes) from South Afcica, presented 
agili,), European, presented by Master Stanley S. Flower ; two 
| Ruffs (Machates pugnax), a Common Viper (Vipera berus), 
| British, deposited ; a Silver-backed Fox (Canzs chuma) from 
South Africa, twelve Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa @yocephala), 
period, though gradually cooling, supported a flora which spread | 
European, purchased ; a Thar (Capra jem/laica), a Pigmy Hog 
(forcula salvania), twelve Mandarin Ducks (4x galericulata), 
a Chilian Pintail (Dajila spinicauda), a Red-crested Pochard 
(Fuligula rufina), bred in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 
BLACK TRANSIT OF JUPITER’S FOURTH SATELLITE.—The 
fourth satellite of Jupiter was observed in black transit by Mr. 
E. E. Barnard of Nashville, Tenn., U.S.A., on May 8 with a 
6-inch refractor. It was first noticed as a black spot at gh. 20m. 
local mean time. Some little time previous to this it had been 
looked for on the disk but could not be seen either as a white or 
dark spot. The satellite was followed until gh. 43m., and was 
then very black and rather small and round when best seen. 
Comets Brooks I. and III.—The following ephemeris for 
Comet Brooks I. is by Dr. A. Berberich (Astron. Nachr., No. 
2731)— 
for Berlin Midnight 
1886 R.A. Decl. Log r Log 4 Bright- 
h. ms. a F ness 
July 3 Sar 33 8 43°6S. 98945 O1128 2:0. 
7 8 37 32 9 49°2 979405 O°'140O 1°4 
Il 9 024 I0 37°4 g 9811 071680 10 
15 9 20 32 «II 136 00172. O'1957 oS 
19 9 38 22. II 415 00498 0'2227. 06 
23 9,54 25) 125 3)9) 00794 0°2487 0°5 
27) NOMS 30. 2.2207, 0°1064 0°2734 0o'4 
gl FO 21) 25) 2 3911s. ONn3r4” 10-2960) ows 
The brightness on April 29 is taken as unity. 
Comet Brooks III. is now very faint, and will be soon alto- 
gether out of sight. Dr. S. Oppenheim gives (Astron. Nachr., 
No. 2735) the following places for Berlin midnight on July 4 
and 8: 
a h. m. s. 1 
July 4, R.A. 13 18 40 Decl. 16 426 S. 
8, Toh20) 07) 18 4873S. 
Nova Or1oniIs.—The new star discovered by Mr. J. E. Gore 
near x, Orionis appears for some unexplained reason to be a difh- | 
cult object for photometric observations, the estimates of its 
magnitude made by various observers differing remarkably. Thus 
Dr. G. Miiller found it a little brighter than the 6th magnitude 
+btdhee » “SO gew Ge We 
2 err OR § “eee 
