522 
NATURE 
[ Sept. 30, 1886 
found in a ballast-pit opened by the Great Eastern Railway 
Company by the side of the line, about a mile and a quarter 
from Kennet Station, in the county of Suffolk. A reference to 
the Geological Map of the Ordnance Survey, Sheet 51, N.E., 
will show that the gravel in which this pit was opened is an 
extension of that which underlies the site of the above surface 
discovery. The implements from the ballast-pit which have 
come into my possession are of the kite-shaped and ovate types. 
Some are water-worn and abraded, in others the angles and 
edges are as sharp as if made yesterday. 
ARTHUR G, WRIGHT 
Sign-Numbers in Use among the Masai 
AMONG the numerous tribes of Central Africa the Masai are 
distinguished by their use of finger-signs to denote numbers. 
These notorious warriors rarely ever use language to indicate 
nuaobers without accompanying signs on the fingers, though 
very frequently the latter are employed without the former, 
especially in answering questions. 
As by some inadvertency I omitted giving a list of these signs 
in ‘‘ Through Masai-Land,” and Mr. Johnston, in his book 
‘* Kilimanjaro,” has followed suit, it may still be of some 
interest and value to anthropologists to learn what these are. 
English Masai Sign 
1 Nabo First finger held out alone 
2 Aré First and second fingers held out and 
alternately moved backwards -and 
forwards 
3. Uni Thumb and two first fingers placed 
tip to tip 
4 Unghwani First and second fingers laid on top 
of each other 
5 Umiet Thumb placed between first and second 
fingers 
6 Ilé Thumb scratched over nail of second 
finger 
7 Nabishana No finger indication 
8 Usiét Hand held open and vertical and 
moved up and down 
9 Naido Thumb and first finger form a circle 
by joining the tips 
First finger drawn over the nail of the 
thumb 
Same sign as in Io accompanied by 
that for 1. The same rule for the 
succeeding numbers 
The hand closed and opened rapidly 
The same as 20, but followed by the 
sign for I 
First finger held out and shaken by a 
circular movement of the wrist 
to Tomon 
11 Tomoni-obwo 
20. « Tikitum 
2t Tikitum-o-nabo 
30 Othman 
40 Artum The hand held open and vertical and 
shaken or agitated by a circular 
movement of the wrist ; not up and 
down as in 8 
50 Unum Thumb placed between first and second 
fingers, and hand asitated as in 40 
Nail of thumb scratched on nail of 
third finger 
70 Tomoni-nabishana No finger indication 
80 Tomoni-usiét Same as in 8, but sign never employed 
alone 
Same as in 9, but words always em- 
ployed along with sign 
The partially closed hand opened once 
or twice 
60 Tomoni-ile 
go Tomoni-natido 
Ipé 
Ipé-aré 
JosErH ‘THOMSON 
A GLACIAL PERIOD IN AUSTRALIA 
A GREAT many theories have been put forward to 
explain the extensive glaciation which repeatedly 
covered Europe and North America with enormous ice- 
streams. The ingenuity displayed by those who dealt 
with the subject was well worthy of the importance which 
attaches to the solution of the problem. However 
plausible some of the theories propounded may be, still 
|. 1886: 
it seems premature to approach such a question until 
all the available evidence bearing on the subject has j 
been brought together. The southern hemisphere has, 
up till very recently, revealed only a few, and not very 
important facts, regarding glaciation, and it is evident 
that glacier traces in that hemisphere must be of great 
importance to explain the cause of glaciation ; whether we 
may suppose it to be cosmic or terrestrial. J think, 
therefore, that my discoveries of glacier traces in Australia 
may be of sufficient general scientific interest to warrant 
my giving a short account of them in this journal. 
Dr. von Haast, in his excellent work on the “ Geology — 
of Canterbury and Westland (New Zealand)” gave a 
detailed account of the traces of an extensive glaciation 
in the Middle Island of New Zealand, together with a 
map, showing that at one time the glaciers on the western 
slopes of the Southern Alps in many places reached 
down to the sea, and that those which descended from 
their eastern flanks covered a large portion of the low- 
lands extending between the mountains and the coast- 
line. 
During my exploration of the central part of the 
Southern Alps I observed numerous old morainés and 
roches moutonnées in the area which, according to von 
Haast’s map, had once been covered by glaciers. Parti- 
cularly was I struck with the freshness of the striz, the 
scratches and grooves in the steep and rocky preci- 
pices on the sides of Milford Sound, that jewel of the 
Southern Alps. Capt. Hutton, who examined some of 
the other sounds has not discovered any glacial traces 
there.? 
Even now the glaciers in New Zealand reach down to 
700 feet on the west, and to 2000 feet on the east side, 
which shows that New Zealand must be subject to a very 
different climate to that in similar latitudes—44°—in the 
northern hemisphere. Like Patagonia, New Zealand is 
at the present day to a certain extent 27 a Glacial period. 
The much greater extent of the prehistoric glaciers 
shows, however, that it is now by no means at the height 
of its glaciation. 
Although a Glacial period was shown to have existed 
in New Zealand, there have not up to now been any 
definite statements regarding this subject in the mainland 
of Australia. The Rey. Tenison-Woods* examined 
certain rocks in the Blue Mountains, an insignificant 
table-land to the west of Sydney, and came to the conclu- 
sion that these, which had been supposed to indicate ice- 
action, did not do so, and that in fact there was no 
evidence of a Glacial period in the Blue Movntains. Mr. 
Howitt* came to a similar negative result regardin 
certain gravels and conglomerates, which according to 
others indicated glacial action. Griffiths,® on the othe 
hand, claims these and other conglomerates of Omeo and 
Gippsland as evidences of a Glacial period in Australia. 
Prof. Tate ® described some striated rocks found near 
Adelaide, and Stirling’ has shown that there exist ex- 
tensive traces of glacier action in certain valleys near 
Omeo. 
I myself have,® in several papers, published some 
4 R. von Lendenfeld, ‘‘ Der Tasmangletscher und seine Umgebung,” 
Erganzungsheft No. 75 von Petermann's seographischen Mitthetlungen. 
“The Time of the Glacial Period in New Zealand,” Proceedings of thi 
Linnean Society of N.S.W. for 1885. 4 
- F. M. Hutton, Proceedings of the Linnean Society of N.S.W. for 
pees. Ake of the Linnean Society of N.S.W., vol vii. p 382. 
4 Quarterly Fournal of the Geological Ssciety of London, vol. xxxv. 
ah Evidences ofa Glacial Epoch in Victoria,” Proceedings of the Royal 
Society of Victoria fur 1884. - . 
6 Tate, Anniversary Address, Tvansactions of the Royal Society of Sout 
Australia, 1879-80. : 
7 T. Stirling, ‘‘ Notes on some Evidences of Glaciation in the Austr: 
Alps,” Proceedings cf the Royal Society of Victoria for 1885: 
8 R. von Lendenfeld, “ Official Report on the Exploration of Mow 
Kosciusco to the Government of New South Wales” (Sydney, 1885.) 
“The Glacial Period in Australia,” Proceedings of the Linnean Societ 
of New South Wales for 1885. ‘‘ Report on an Exploration of Mount 
Bogong,”’ Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Victoria for 
