602 



NATURE 



{April 24, 1884 



of specialised and generalised forms of the same genus ; 

 this is well seen in the hyasna. It will also be seen that 

 the Sivvalik carnivorous fauna fill up many gaps in the 

 chains of relationship, such as that between the bears 

 and dogs, the viverroids and hyaenas, and these latter and 

 the cats. 



The rock series in which these fossils occur is therefore 

 one of very great interest. From the Brahmaputra to the 

 Jhelum, for a distance of 1500 miles along the base of the 

 Himalayas, there extends with varying width a succession 

 of ridges or ranges which are known as the sub-Himalayan 

 hills. Physically and constitutionally they are readily dis- 

 tinguished from the ranges belonging to the mass of the 

 Himalayas proper. The rocks forming them are all of 

 Tertiary age, and they are divisible into an upper (the 

 Siwalik) and a lower (the Sirmur) series ; these again are 

 further divisible respectively into upper, middle, and 

 lower groups. This is the principal and classic area of 

 these rocks, but they occur also in Burmah, Perim 

 Island, and in Sind. 



With the Sirmur series, which in part consists of marine 

 (Nummulitic) strata, we have no special concern at present. 

 It is from the rocks of the Siwalik series alone that the 

 vast harvest of remains of fossil vertebrates has been 

 collected in the sub- Himalayan region during the past 

 fifty years. The fossil-bearing beds are principally con- 

 glomerates of undoubtedly fresh-water origin, indeed, 

 owing to their local development at the gorges of the 

 e,xisting great rivers, where they emerge from the Hima- 

 layas, it is clear that they were deposited at a time when, 

 so far, the configuration had been established ; but, as the 

 very highest beds exhibit signs of intense disturbance and 

 crushing, it is no less apparent that, although the main 

 drainage lines have not altered, there has been much 

 movement and upheaval, which, however, appears to have 

 been effected, not by sudden, but rather by slow and 

 gradual action. 



After much discussion as to the correlation of these 

 fossiliferous conglomerates with the established order of 

 sequence in Europe, it would appear to have been finally 

 adopted that, in spite of a certain Miocene facies in the 

 fauna, the general characteristics are such as to indicate 

 a Pliocene age. Fossil-bearing beds of Post-Pliocene age 

 occur, it may be here remarked, in other parts of India. 



Numerous and varied as the fossils from these rocks 

 are which are now preserved in the museums of Calcutta, 

 London, Dublin, and elsewhere, they do not appear to be 

 found anywhere concentrated in great quantities, the 

 specimens having for the most part been found at widely 

 separated intervals, where they lay more or less weathered 

 out ol the enveloping matrix. Though naturally mineral- 

 ised, and with but a small percentage of residual animal 

 matter, they are often beautifully preserved, but occasion- 

 ally, owing to the hardness and tenacity of the matri.x, it 

 has required the utmost patience and skill to chisel out 

 the details of structure, while sometimes it has been 

 found impossible to do so. 



Mr. Lydckker is to be warmly corgratulated on the 

 completion of this important volume, and we are glad to 

 know that he is busy with volume iii., which is to include 

 an account of the Siwalik Suina and Birds. 



AN EARTHQUAKE IN ENGLAND 

 A T last the people of these islands have been enabled 

 •^*- to realise the meaning of the term " earthquake," so 

 terrible in its significance in many other parts of the globe. 

 On Tuesday morning, at a time variously given from 

 9.15 to 9.30, a shock which was really alarming and 

 did considerable damage was felt over the Eastern Coun- 

 ties and as far west as London and even Rugby. The 

 centre of disturbance seems to have been at Colches- 

 ter, and the wave apparently travelled from south-east 



to north-west, though impressions vary on this point. At 

 Colchester, in addition to the undulations of the earth, 

 subterranean rumblings were heard, buildings rocked to 

 and fro, the streets were strewn with debris of fallen 

 chimneys, a chapel spire was thrown to the ground, and 

 other signs of seismic disturbance were evident, familiar 

 enough to those who have been in countries where such 

 phenomena are common occurrences. The shock, when 

 it was most intense, commenced with a rumbling sound, 

 increasing in intensity for about twenty seconds, and 

 then suddenly stopped. It extended to Chelmsford, 

 Cambridge, Northampton, Ipswich, Sudbury, Rugby, 

 Leicestershire ; it included London and the surrounding 

 district in its sweep, and even caused some alarm in the 

 Strand. At Woolwich it was io strong that some persons 

 attributed the shock and noise to the bursting of a heavy 

 gun. 



We have received the following communications with 

 reference to the earthquake : — 



One of the most severe earthquake shocks which has 

 occurred in England for many years took place this 

 (Tuesday) morning in the Eastern Counties. The area 

 of its chief operation layover South Suffolk and North 

 Essex, and the principal focus of the disturbance seems 

 to have been the neighbourhood of Colchester. A great 

 deal of harm has been done to property there : houses are 

 partially unroofed, many chimneys and gable-ends of the 

 very old houses in Colchester have been demolished, part 

 ofthe spire of the Lion Walk Congregational Chapel (a 

 well-known building), to the amount of twenty feet from 

 the apex, was thrown down, and other details of mischief 

 done are fast coming in. Langenhoe Church, about 

 twenty-four miles from Colche=ter, is said to be all but 

 demolished, the entire eastern end being shaken down. 

 The Rectory also severely suffered, so that little more 

 than the walls are standing. At Wyvenhoe, near Col- 

 chester, the church steeple is thrown down and many 

 houses are much damaged. Other villages around Col- 

 chester have more or less suffered : Lexden, Abberton, 

 Greenstead, Hythe, &c., all show evidences of the dis- 

 turbance in their more or less shattered buildings. The 

 shock was severely felt here at Ipswich. I was sitting 

 down at 9.18 a.m. when the first shock occurred, and it 

 nearly overbalanced me. I felt it must be an earth- 

 quake oscillation, although I had never experienced 

 anything [like it before, and accordingly waited and 

 watched for the next. The oscillations followed each 

 other for about three seconds, and apparently travelled in 

 a north-north-easterly direction. I underwent quite a 

 new experience, so vivid that I am not likely to forget it. 

 The sensation approached that of nausea. In the town 

 of Ipswich many people were alarmed, for the bells were 

 set ringing, the pictures on the walls shaking, &c. The 

 occurrence is too recent, however, to carefully note the 

 direction ofthe oscillations. The London Clay in Suffolk 

 and North Esse.x, when cut into, abounds with small 

 faults and creeps, and this shock may be leaving another 

 such token behind it. J. E. TAYLOR 



Museum, Ipswich, April 22 



At about 9.20 this morning I distinctly felt a slight 

 earthquake. The motion though slight was unmistakable, 

 the chair on which I sat, and the whole house, seemed to 

 move to and fro for the space of, as near as I could 

 judge, ten seconds. I regret I cannot give the exact 

 time when I felt the shock, as I had omitted to put my 

 watch in my pocket. A. Percy Smith 



Rugby, Tuesday, April 22 



This morning the earthquake was very perceptible here 

 at exactly 9.22. It was travelling from north to south in 

 short rapid undulations. It lasted for thirty-three seconds. 

 My chief object in writing is (o draw attention to the fact 

 that this is the second earthquake which has shaken 



