644 



NATURE 



[AUGUST 2 1, 19 1 ; 



these phosphate beds are believed to exist over about 

 fourteen square kilometres, and have been found to 

 contain 20 to 70 per cent, of tricalcic phosphate. 

 During the five years 1908-12 the output of phos- 

 phate has risen from 700 to 70,000 tons, and, now that 

 the mines are connected by rail with the seaboard, 

 Egypt bids fair to contribute a not insignificant portion 

 of the world's production. 



The first part of vol. viii. of the quarterly Agricul- 

 tural Journal of India contains a number of interest- 

 ing" and important papers, including the following. 

 Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy reports at length upon the 

 Psvlla disease of indigo, which apparently causes part 

 only of the unhealthy conditions observed in the 

 plants. The author considers that the insect is the 

 direct cause only of curling of the shoot tips and 

 leaves, with a checking of growth, leading to de- 

 creased weight of cut plant and a small decrease in 

 the seed yield; while the more extensive and serious 

 disease symptoms exhibited by indigo plants are attri- 

 buted to some at present unknown organism or physio- 

 logical cause quite independent of Psylla. The issue 

 includes papers on the improvement of Indian wheat, 

 by Albert and Gabrielle Howard, and that of the 

 indigenous cottons of the United Provinces, by H. 

 Martin Leake and A. E. Parr; while G. S. Henderson 

 contributes an interesting paper on dry farming, based 

 on his visit to dry-farm stations in Texas and New 

 Mexico, and C. M. Hutchinson describes experiments 

 on the relation between drainage and the growth of 



In a paper by Prof. A. J. Ewart and Mr. Norman 

 Thomson, published in the Proceedings of the Royal 

 Society of Victoria (vol. xxv., p. 193), the question 

 of the possibility of cross-inoculation of the root- 

 tubercle bacteria upon native and cultivated legu- 

 minosa? is discussed. It was found impossible to 

 cause the growth of root nodules on a number of 

 commoner leguminosae by inoculation with infusions 

 of the tubercles of certain native legumes, such as 

 Acacia mollissima, and different species of Papiliona- 

 ceae. This is apparently due to the fact that the 

 bacteria of such nodules are incapable of directly 

 adapting themselves to a new host plant. On the 

 other hand, when the bacteria from one plant are 

 grown on nutrient gelatin media, they appear to 

 develop more generalised infective power, and it was 

 found possible readily to infect peas and broad beans, 

 grown both in water cultures and in sterilised soils, 

 with bacteria from acacia nodules, isolated and culti- 

 vated on nutrient gelatin. Root-tubercle bacteria 

 taken directly from the living tubercle are, however, 

 apt to die out in sterilised soil or in water cultures 

 before they have become sufficiently generalised to be 

 capable of infecting a foreign host plant. 



The earthquake of November 8, 1912, in the south- 

 east of Luzon presented several features of interest 

 (Bulletin of the U.S. Weather Bureau). It was pre- 

 ceded by a number of slight shocks, beginning on 

 November 5. Though strong enough to cause con- 

 siderable damage, the meizoseismal area was small, 

 being only twenty-two miles long and six miles wide. 

 NO. 2 2 86, VOL. 91] 



As the Rev. M. Saderra Mas6 points out, this implies 

 that the focus was close to the surface. The earth- 

 quake was nevertheless registered at Hamburg and 

 San Fernando, more than 6000 miles from the Philip- 

 pine Islands. No lives were lost, owing to the low- 

 ness of the houses, the lightness of their materials, 

 and the ample time that elapsed before destructive 

 intensity was attained. 



Prof. Omori has recently described the extra- 

 ordinary volcanic eruption of the Usu-san in July and 

 August, 1910 (Bull. Imp. Earthq. Investigation Com., 

 vol. v., 1911, pp. 1-38). The eruption was accom- 

 panied and followed by the formation of a new moun- 

 tain on the northern flank of the volcano. By Novem- 

 ber the height of this mountain had increased by 

 510 ft., though by April, 1911, this amount was lessened 

 by 120 ft. In a later paper in the same volume of the 

 bulletin (pp. 101-7), Prof. Omori shows that the 

 elevation-phenomena were not confined to the northern 

 side. At his request the heights of the first order 

 bench marks were re-determined to the west and 

 north-west of the volcano in the summer of 191 1, and 

 along the same lines and also on the south side of 

 the mountain in the summer of 1912. The first 

 measurements indicated an elevation of the ground 

 surrounding the mountain to a distance of three to 

 five kilometres to the west, the maximum rise being 

 about 2J metres. At a greater distance to the west ■ 

 there was a slight subsidence. The measurements 

 made in 1912 showed a reversal of the movement, the 

 area surrounding the mountain being slightly lowered, 

 while that beyond to the west was slightly raised. 



The meteorological charts of the North Atlantic for 

 August, issued by the Meteorological Office and the 

 Deutsche Seewarte, contain interesting details relat- 

 ing to the ice in that ocean. On the east and north 

 coast of Newfoundland, and on the northern half of 

 Newfoundland Bank and eastwards, many icebergs 

 are still met with. The latest reports received from 

 the scout-ship Scotia relate to ice between 48 N. 

 50 W., and 47 N. 45 W., July 11 to 15. During 

 June icebergs were met with, east of 45° W., as far 

 south as the steamship routes. Small charts are 

 published by the Meteorological Office giving the 

 extreme limits of icebergs in the north-western At- 

 lantic for each of the months March to June during 

 twelve years ended 1912, and also during the year 

 1913. This year the bergs have been confined to 

 higher latitudes, as a general rule, than in previous 

 years. This is thought to be probably due to a 

 northerly extension of the Gulf Stream, a northerly 

 set having been reported by several steamers. The 

 bergs seen have been comparatively few in number 

 and of small dimensions. 



The Mitteilungen aits den deutschen Schutzgebieten. 

 vol. xxvi., part 1, contain valuable tables of monthly 

 and yearly means of meteorological observations for 

 1911, made under the auspices of the Imperial Colo- 

 nial Office, and discussed at the Deutsche Seewarte 

 under the able superintendence of Dr. P. Heidke. 

 Among several useful articles we may mention an 



