March 30, 1871 | 
NATURE 
433 

geological maps of New Jersey, by Prof. Cook ; the work of 
Humphreys and Abbot on the Mississippi river ; the geological 
surveys of Ohio, Indiana, and Nebraska, by Profs. Haydn 
and Newberry ; the topographical survey by the North-west 
Boundary Commission, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific 
Ocean ; and the explorations of Colorado with its wonderful 
canons. 
A PROSPECTUS is being sent out of a new work on Fungology :— 
Mycological Mlustrations, being Figures and Descriptions of new 
and rare Hymenomycetous Fungi; edited by Mr. W. W. 
Saunders, assisted in the text by Mr. A. W. Bennett, and in the 
drawings by Mr. W. G. Smith. The first number will be pub- 
lished by Mr, Van Voorst on May Ist. 
THE Meteorological Magazine for February contains a paper on 
certain Variations of Temperature during the Solar Eclipse of 
December 22, 1870, by Mr. Townsend M. Hall, the con- 
clusions of which are as follows :—“ The total amount 
of depression at the time of the greatest obscuration 
was 21°°75, and I would submit that these figures re- 
present more exactly the influence of an eclipse, than if the 
observations had been taken at any other period of the year. 
During the summer months both the atmosphere and the earth 
are so charged with heat, that a partial darkening over of the sun 
for so short a time loses, to a certain degree, its effect—the 
diminution of warmth being partially neutralised, before it can 
reach the earth, by reason of its passage through the intervening 
atmosphere. It is to be hoped that similar observations will 
have been made at some point along the line of total obscuration, 
whilst, on a future occasion, it will remain an interesting question 
to be determined by meteorologists, how far the thermal depres- 
sion varies with the season of the year and the climate of the 
“locality.” 
WE have received a paper on a Wind-direction Rain-Gauge, 
by Mr. J. R.Napier, F.R.S. The. principle of this gauge con- 
sists essentially in supporting a vessel, like the first receiver of 
an ordinary gauge, on a pivot, so that it may be turned with the 
least wind, and having a spout attached to it, leading the rain 
into vessels in fixed directions surrounding the receiver, so that 
if it rains, for example, when the wind is between N.N.W. and 
N.N.E., the north vessel receives it, or when between N.N.E. 
and E.N.E., the north-east vessel receives it, &c. ; for there are 
eight vessels which show the amount of rain and direction of the 
wind at the time. 
THE Geologists’ Association has paid visits during the past 
month to the British Museum and the Museum of Practical 
Geology ; and have arranged for excursions on April 10 to Cam- 
bridge to visit the Woodwardian Museum and the exposures of 
cretaceous strata in the neighbourhood of Barnwell, under the 
guidance of Mr. Wiltshire and Mr, Bonney ; to the Zoological 
and Hunterian collections of the Royal College of Surgeons 
April 18 ; and on April 29 to Belvedere and Crayford, led by 
Prof, Morris, the chief object of interest being the Mammalian 
remains of the newer Pliocene deposits. 
Or late years many discoveries have been made in regard to 
the habits and characteristics of the aborigines inhabiting the 
coasts of North America prior to the time of Columbus by care- 
ful examination of the artificial heaps of refuse shells, bones, &c., 
accumulated in the vicinity of their villages. The published re- 
searches of Professor Wyman and others have proved full of in- 
terest ; and as the subject continues to excite the attention of 
American archzologists, we doubt not that much now hidden 
will yet be brought to light. As these deposits are usually on or 
very near the sea, they are much exposed to the wearing of the 
waves ; indeed, their disccvery is usually due to exposure of a 

section by this influence. For this reason it is of importance that 
the examinations in question should be prosecuted before the 
heaps have entirely disappeared, as a large proportion will 
probably not outlive the next half century. We learn from Har- 
pers New Monthly that a careful search on the shores of Kent 
and Northumberland counties, on the eastern coast of New 
Brunswick, has shown that, in consequence of the wearing away 
of the soft sandstone shale of the coast for many rods, all traces 
of the shell deposits, believed to have once existed in abundance, 
have now entirely vanished. . 
ACCORDING toa recent report by Dr. Stimpson upon the Crusta- 
ceans dredged in the Gulf Stream by Count Pourtales, of the 
Coast Survey, eighty-one species, of forty-seven genera, were 
obtained, of which fifty-two of the species and nineteen of the 
genera are to be considered as new. Only a small proportion of 
the species were from great depths, fifteen alone being recorded 
as coming from below 100 fathoms. The greatest depth at 
which any of the species were found was 150 fathoms, these 
belonging to the family of the Portunide. The portion of Dr, 
Stimpson’s report on the brachyurous crabs of this collection has 
just been published in the Bulletin of the Museum of Compa- 
rative Zoology at Cambridge, already so well known for the 
merit of its zoological memoirs, and the remainder will follow at 
no distant interval. 
Dr. KESSLER claims to have discovered lately in Cassel the 
oldest herbarium known, some of the plants having been prepared 
in 1556. It contains 614 plants, properly fastened down and 
labelled, and was formed by Caspar Katzenberger. 
A PLAN has been introduced at the Society of Arts, which has 
found favour so far, for instituting a kind of British Association 
for Indian topics under the name of the Oriental Congress of 
Great Britain and Ireland. It will embrace geology, natural 
history, biology, and other branches of science, and their eco- 
nomical applications. The proposal to hold the first meeting at 
Manchester met with the approval of the representatives of the 
Cotton Supply Association. 
THE Colaba Observatory at Bombay recorded in three nights 
only in January 2°28 inches of rain. This is said to be unprece- 
dented there, and generally throughout the Presidency there has 
been a fall of rain threatening the cotton crops. 
UNDER the title of “‘ Comision de la Flora Forestal Espanola,” 
a useful account is published of the trees most suitable for forest 
cultivation in Spain, with remarks on the importance of keeping 
up the forests to maintain the equilibrium of the climate. 
AT a time when the small-pox is so prevalent, and vaccination 
has become, so to speak, fashionable, it is surprising that we do 
not hear something of the many reputed remedies of foreign 
countries, either as a cure for this disease or as an eradicator of 
its effects. The Sarracenia purpurea is well known for its sup- 
posed efficacy, and it was even introduced into this country some 
few years back. But a plant not so well known in Europe is the 
Melia Azadir-achta L. of India, the leaves of which are used 
by the natives to cover the bodies of patients recovering from 
small-pox, as they are supposed to prevent the mark becoming 
permanent. Dr. Wright says of this tree that “the leaves beaten 
into a pulp, and externally applied, act like a charm in removing 
the most intractable form of Psora and other pustular eruptions.”’ 
In a recent article, Warfer’s Weekly referred to the fact 
that torpedoes were being used for killing fish for manure on the 
coast of Florida. This business is being carried on about six 
miles below New Smyrna, at Mosquito Lagoon ; and the method 
adopted is said to consist in exploding the torpedoes in the water, 
under the schools, as they pass by. In addition to the many that 
are killed outright and float on the surface, large numbers are 
wounded, and go off elsewhere to die without being caught. This 
