322 
NATURE 
[ August 5, 1886 
have yet to learn how far these atmospheric movements 
were connected with or independent of the eruption. 
There are some excellent geologists in New Zealand 
who have now a rare opportunity of investigation. No 
mud-eruptions at all comparable in magnitude to those of 
this summer in New Zealand have ever been known. 
The connection of these with the explosion of Tarawera, 
the relation of the latter to the lava-reservoir inside, the 
nature of the so-called “ flames” and “‘ pillar of fire” so 
conspicuous on the night of the eruption, the sources of 
the “ fire-balls,” and many other details, offer a wide and 
most interesting field for the colonial observers. Geolo- 
gists all over the world will await with much interest the 
publication of their investigations. ARCH. GEIKIE 
NOTES 
THE honour of knighthood has been conferred on Mr. Philip 
Magnus, the head of the City and Guilds Technical Institute at 
South Kensington. 
Last Saturday a banquet was given to M. Chevreul by French 
students to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of his 
birth. 
THE death is reported on June 22 of Dr. H. F. Hance at 
Amoy, at which place he was Her Majesty’s consul. Although 
no independent work bears Dr. Hance’s name, he has done 
more than any other man to make us acquainted with the flora 
of China, both of the empire and of the British colonies. His 
contributions to botanical literature are to be found in period- 
icals, very largely in Trimen’s Yournal of Botany ; and the 
number of species described by him for the first time is very 
great. He was a contributor to the herbaria at the British 
Museum and at Kew, It is to be hoped that his herbarium will 
be brought to London and deposited where it can be consulted, 
and his types readily compared with those of other authors. A 
full synonymic catalogue of all the known Chinese plants is now 
in course of publication by Messrs. Forbes and Hemsley, and is 
greatly needed. 
UNDER the energetic management of Dr. Adolph Bastian the 
Administration of the Berlin Royal Ethnological Museum has 
commenced to publish a series of original communications ex- 
planatory of the varied contents of that superb collection. 
According to the present programme four parts of about 60 
large octavo pages each, with two or more plates of illustrations, 
will be issued yearly by the Berlin publisher, W. Spemann, at 
the price of 16 marks, or 4 marks each. Judging from the three 
parts, which have already appeared for the year 1885-86, the 
series promises to develop into a vast encyclopedia of anthro- 
pological subjects. Many of the communications constitute in 
themselves more or less exhaustive essays on special branches of 
ethnology, and to some of thema peculiar value attaches, because 
contributed by the collectors or observers themselves. Such, for 
instance, is the paper on funeral rites in the Pellew Islands, con- 
tributed to the first number by the traveller, Kubary, who has 
spent many years in the Oceanic regions, and made a special 
study of the Polynesian and Micronesian islanders. The same 
number contains a report on Richard Rohde’s expedition to the 
Paraguay and Brazil (Matto Grosso) in 1883-84, followed by the 
traveller’s account of the Bororo and Guato tribes in the Upper 
Paraguay basin. Of great value is Dr. O. Finsch’s paper in 
Part II. on the ethnological collections from the South Sea 
Islands, some 3090 objects, of which more than half found their 
way to the Berlin Museum. The importance of securing speci- 
mens from this region before it is too late is well shown by the 
experience of this traveller, who on revisiting New Britain in 
1884-85 was no longer able to procure several objects which 
wood-carvings, are now ‘‘ manufactured ” in New Ireland ‘for 
the trade,” the natives finding good customers amongst the crews 
of passing ships. This paper is followed by the explorer Gra- 
bowski’s description of nearly 200 objects from South and East 
Borneo, many extremely rare, if not quite unique. Dr. Bastian 
concludes a characteristic essay at the end of Part III. with the 
words : ‘So walte ein Jeder seines Amtes,—und uns ist die 
Aufgabe zugefallen,—Das rechtzeitig in Sicherheit zu bringen, 
was morgen schon verloren sein mag.” 
In the July number of the American Fournal of Science, Prof. 
Rockwood, jun., of Princeton, publishes a paper (the fifteenth 
of the series) on the earthquakes of North and South America 
for the year 1885. The writer again attempts to assign to each 
earthquake a grade of intensity, based where possible upon the 
character of the physical phenomena reported. Where no such 
information was available the estimate is based on the phraseo- 
logy of the original report, taking into account the probable 
intensity of an earthquake in the locality in question. There is, 
as Prof. Rockwood recognises, a largé element of uncertainty in 
these estimates, ‘‘ but at least they are the best that can be made 
now, and better than any one else could make at a later date 
and without access to the original reports.” This last considera- 
tion alone appears to us to justify the attempted classification, 
A large proportion of the American earthquakes of the year 
occurred in California, and accordingly a small outline earth- 
quake map of that State for the year is given. The whole list 
contains 71 items: 34 belong to the Pacific coast of the United 
States, 9 to the Atlantic States, 8 to the Canadian provinces, 5 
to New England, 3 to the Mississippi valley, 5 to South and 2 
to Central America. 
WE may also take this opportunity of referring to the same 
writer's annual account of the progress in vulcanology and seis- 
mology for 1885, published in the Smithsonian Report. Most 
of the incidents recorded, and papers and other publications 
referred to have from time to time been described or reported in 
our own columns, and it is therefore only necessary to say that 
in this as in previous years the summary shows great care and 
industry, and should be an invaluable vade mecum to all interested 
in the study of these phenomena. 
THE United States Commissioners are still continuing their 
labours in the direction of acclimatising flatfish to American 
waters, which are nearly as well suited to the Plewronectide as 
English waters. Several attempts have been made to transmit 
them from our shores alive, but hitherto with little success. In- 
formation has, however, reached us to the effect that fifty soles — 
during last month were sent by the Derby Museum authorities 
at Liverpool, twenty-five of which reached their destination alive. 
Prof. Baird, the Chief Commissioner, states that the share in a 
thriving condition and feed well. They have been placed in a 
suitable habitat at Washington Station, and are being watched 
with special care. The soles, which are about three inches long, 
were transmitted in glass globes attached to the ceiling of the 
cabin of the s.s. Brzfannic. This method minimises the risk of 
injury: to the fish through the oscillation of the vessel, as the 
receptacles, being swung, move backwards and forwards with 
the motion of the steamer. The National Fish Culture Associa- 
tion intend forwarding to America another consignment of flat- 
fish next month in order to assist the operations of the Commis- 
sioners. The sole is a very delicate fish, and cannot withstand 
the strain of protracted journeys, which makes it very difficult to 
transmit. 
Messrs. J. B. Lipprncorr AND Co. have in the press a 
‘Manual of North American Birds,” by the eminent ornitholo- 
gist, Prof. Robert Ridgway, Curator of the Department of Birds, 
were readily obtainable three years previously. Others, such as | Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The author has had 
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