450 



NA TURE 



[August 30, 1906 



done in the way of rabbit extermination. In the meantime 

 only laboratory experiments will be carried on. 



We have received a copy of the meteorological observ- 

 ations made at forty-four secondary stations in the Philip- 

 pine Islands during 1903. The observations are published 

 for four-hourly intervals from 2h. a.m., and occupy 1128 

 large octavo pages ; the records have been carefully ex- 

 amined under the superintendence of Father Algu^. He 

 points out that the Philippines are preeminently agri- 

 cultural, and that most of the inhabitants are engaged 

 in tilling the soil ; consequently temperature, sunshine, and 

 rain are the chief factors to be considered. Rain is the 

 most important element, as sunshine and temperature are 

 generally quite uniform and favourable. 1903 was a bad 

 year for agriculture ; drought was prevalent during the first 

 half, while there was considerable rainfall during what is 

 usually considered the dry season. Owing to the drought, 

 the havoc wrought by locusts was terrible ; time after time 

 swarms swept over the land devouring the standing crops, 

 and leaving the country-side bare and dreary. 



We have received a copy of the meteorological chart of 

 the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, issued by the Meteor- 

 ological Office, for September. This valuable publication 

 gives important information for seamen, including the 

 routes recommended, under steam and sail respectively, 

 between several of the principal ports. The wind roses, 

 which are drawn generally for areas of 5° of latitude by 

 5° of longitude, show the average conditions for the month 

 from records extending over a period of fifty years, and 

 the direction and rate of the ocean currents are indicated 

 in the usual way, from the results of observations obtained 

 during a period of sixty-five years. In addition, any facts 

 of recent date likely to be of interest are made known, 

 among which we may mention a telegram from the Indian 

 Meteorological Office, dated August 10, with reference to 

 the south-west monsoon between Aden and Bombay, and 

 to the unusually quiet weather conditions in the Bay of 

 Bengal. 



We learn from an article in the August number of the 

 Popular Science Monthly that the Government of the United 

 States intends to repeat so much of the triaiigulation of 

 the coast and geodetic survey as lies within the area 

 affected by the earthquake of April 18 last, and to carry 

 the work far enough eastward to connect the re-determined 

 points with stations that may safely be regarded as quite 

 beyond the effect of the recent disturbance. 



The flora of New Zealand presents many exceptional 

 features, and it has been Dr. Cockayne's service to describe 

 various strange vegetable productions of these and adjacent 

 islands in his charming and graphic writings. In a series 

 of ten articles that were printed in the Lyttelton Times 

 during May he has provided a general account forming 

 an epitomised survey of the ecology of New Zealand. 

 Discussing the history of the plants, he adduces evidence 

 obtained from the distribution of such plants as Veronica 

 elUptica in favour of a former land connection with South 

 America. Referring to the forests, he enumerates several 

 types, of which the filmy ferns and epiphytic lilies are 

 extraordinary. On the shore is found the tiny buttercup 

 Ranunculus acaulis, bearing only three small, succulent 

 leaves and its small yellow flower above the sand. The 

 arborescent speedwells and species of Sophora showing 

 peculiar juvenile forms are noteworthy among the shrubs. 

 In the mountain meadows a striking feature is the pre- 

 valence of white and yellow rather than blue flowers. 

 Phormium tenax, the plant furnishing the valuable fibre 

 NO Iy2 2, VOL. 74] 



known as New Zealand flax, grows in the swamps. 

 Finally, there are numerous plants eminently suitable for 

 cultivation, to mention only the Veronicas, Senecios, and 

 Olearias. 



In choosing bamboos for the garden it is necessary to 

 take into consideration the power of resistance offered by 

 different varieties to frosts. In Le Bambou (July) the 

 editor, M. Lehaie, contributes some notes on the subject, 

 quoting from his experience in Belgium. Among the 

 hardiest varieties he places Hcnonis, Ouilioi, viridi- 

 glaucescens, pubesccns, and aurca, all species of Phyllo- 

 stachys, Sasa paniciilata, and Arundinaria Japonica. He 

 also provides a list of bamboos cultivated in Europe during 

 igo6, with their synonyms. An interesting communication 

 by Prof. F. A. Forel points to the identity of Phyllostachys 

 Henonis with Phyllostachys puberula. Among the economic 

 uses of bamboos, M. J. Nogu^s makes special reference 

 to the pulp for the manufacture of paper. 



Another pamphlet on the rubber-tree Ficus elastica, 

 compiled by Mr. E. M. Coventry, of the Indian Forest 

 Department, was recently published as Forest Bulletin 

 No. 4 of the Government of India. The chief factor deter- 

 mining the distribution of the tree is said to be excessive 

 humidity of the atmosphere. For propagation, cuttings 

 and gooties have been given up in the plantations to which 

 reference is made. New plants are obtained from seedlings 

 raised in seed-beds and transferred to a forest nursery 

 that requires to be surrounded with a stockade to keep 

 out deer. Tapping is effected by making horizontal cuts 

 about half round the tree with a V-shaped gouge. The 

 excess of rubber is allowed to fall on mats placed on the 

 ground ; this and the rubber collected from the cuts and 

 bark form three grades. Results tend to show that trees 

 should only be tapped every second or third year. 



By an Act passed in 1903, the New Zealand Institute 

 and the Colonial Museum were placed on a new footing. 

 In the Colonial Museum Bulletin, of which the first number 

 has just appeared, a sketch of the history and present 

 position of the museum is found which contains much 

 information as to the progress made in forming a collec- 

 tion of Maori antiquities ; it is worthy of note that the 

 natives themselves are deeply interested in the scheme, and 

 have made valuable donations. The number also contains 

 an important article on the marine mollusca of New 

 Zealand, and an excellent series of photographs of carvings 

 and weapons recently acquired by the museum. It is un- 

 fortunate that in the mother country we are too par- 

 simonious to spread abroad in this way the knowledge of 

 our national treasures. 



The Ceylon National Review, No. 2, contains an illus- 

 trated article by Ethel M. Coomaraswamy on old Sinhalese 

 embroidery, illustrated by a collotype plate and sketches of 

 the different kinds of stitches employed. Nowadays speci- 

 mens are rare ; formerly many objects were thus decorated, 

 especially betel bags, which have been preserved in fair 

 numbers. The colours employed were three, red, blue, and 

 the undyed thread ; the designs were geometrical, or taken 

 from plants or animals. Most of the work was done with 

 the chain stitch, and the knowledge of it is now confined 

 to the old men in out-of-the-way villages. 



In Biologisches Centralblatt for August 15 Dr. J. Gross 

 concludes his paper on the relationships between heredity 

 and variation. According to the author, there may be two 

 lines of development, fluctuation and mutation, the three 

 stages of the former resulting respectively in the production 



