578 



NATURE 



[October 3, 1907 



Thurston, has to deplore the loss, by theft, of a number 

 of valuable gold and silver coins, mostly consisting of 

 Roin;m Imperial solidi and denarii. 



Is- the third part of vol. ii. of the .\grkuUura\ Joitnial 

 0/ India .Air. H. .M. Lcfroy gives coloured illustrations, 

 with descriptive letterpress, of the various developmental 

 stajies of the two .species of Indian locusts. Of these, the 

 north-west locust (Acridium peregrinum) is normally a 

 migratory species, inhabiting dry districts, and giving rise 

 to annual swarms. The Bombay locust (.1. succinctum), 

 on the other hand, is typically a native of the moist 

 W (Stern Ghats, and only occasionally assumes migratorv 

 swarms, the members of such flights assuming an 

 abnormal red colouring. In the description of these 

 different phases, on p. 241, the references to the figures are 

 uiifortunately incorrect. As to the blaclc-spotted grass- 

 hopper fof which figures are also given), there is no 

 evidence of its ever assuming migratorv habits. The 

 proper identification of migratory locusts from different 

 parts of the country is a matter of some importance in 

 connection, not only with the distribution of the species, 

 but with agriculture. 



In the Journal of Economic Biology (vol. ii.. \o. 2) 

 Mr. E. R. Burdon publishes particulars regarding the 

 efficacy of spraying spruce trees in winter to destrov the 

 Chermes or aphids that cause the pine-apple galls. The 

 wash consists of an emulsion of soft soap and paraffin or 

 a solution of soft soap. Dr. R. S. MacDougall communi- 

 cates the results obtained in rearing broods of the pine- 

 sawfly, Lophyrus pini, from unfertilised eggs, and Mr. 

 C. G. Hewitt presents an account of the life-history of 

 the root maggot, Anthoniyia ladiciiin. 



In his annual report for IQ06-7, Mr. J. H. Hart, super- 

 intendent of the Botanical Department, Trinidad, notes 

 that there has been a large demand for sugar-canes, cacao 

 and rubber plants, also for young cedar, Honduras and 

 native mahogany trees. A considerable quantity of budded 

 stock of various citrus fruits was distributed, and an 

 attractive variety of seedless orange, locally raised, was 

 secured and budded, according to usual practice, on sour- 

 orange stock to avoid the root-rot that is prevalent in the 

 island. Hevea, Funtumia, and Castilloa were the rubber 

 plants chiefly in request ; the consignments of Castilloa 

 rubber from Trinidad and Tobago attained to com- 

 mercial quantities, and realised good prices. .\ number of 

 camphor seedlings were successfully raised from imported 

 seed, and date palms have received attention. A list is 

 given of more than twenty palms that flowered in the 

 gardens at .St. Clair during the year. 



The scientific papers in the Kcw Bidlvtin, No. S, consist 

 of a decade of diagnoses of new plants from the herbarium, 

 an article by Mr. G. Massee on degeneration in potatoes, 

 another on the cricket-bat willow by Mr. \V. J. Bean, and 

 a note by Mr. \. E. Brown defining the genus Pcrgularia. 

 Mr. Massee refers to the e.Kperience of growers that 

 '■ seed " potatoes often fail to form sprouts, and attributes 

 the sterility to two causes, i.e. to arrest of development 

 of the vascular system in the tuber, and to a want of 

 sufficient diastase. The information regarding the willows 

 i-; based on the collaboration of the cricketer, Mr. John 

 .Shaw, with the Rev. E. R. Linton, a leading e.\ponent 

 of varieties of willows. On this authority Mr. Bean states 

 that Sa/i'.v alba, var. cacrulea, bearing pistillate flowers, 

 yields the best timber, and that .'ialix viridis is suitable, 

 although inferior to the former. Since, under favourable 

 NO. 1979, VOL. 76] 



conditions, trees grow to a merchantable size in twelve 

 years, the cultivation affords a prospect of profitable 

 remuneration. 



The " Flora of the Presidency of Bombay," prepared by 

 Mr. T. Cooke, makes good progress, as the fourth part 

 of the second volume, issued in July, deals with the con- 

 cluding orders of the dicotyledons from Urticacca; lo 

 Ceratophyllacea;, the gymnosperms and the monocoty- 

 ledons from Hydrocharitaceaj to Typhacea;. Under the 

 Urticaccae the genus Ficus is prominent with eighteen 

 species, one, Ficus Tatboti, being endemic. Only two 

 gymnosperms, i.e. Ephedra foliata and Gnelum scanden.':. 

 are regarded as indigenous ; the conifers, ten in number, 

 and the two eycads noted are exotic, although Cuprcssus 

 glauca receives the name of the Goa cypress. The 

 Orehidaceae, with thirty-one genera, include a number of 

 species confined to the western peninsula, and several are 

 endemic. The Scitaminea- and Palmae contain numerous 

 economic plants, many of them introduced, that are briefly 

 described. Mr. Cooke has also given a key to DrummomI 

 and Prain's identifications of species of Agave and 

 Furcriea. 



The writer of the article on " Arch;eological Discoveries 

 in Egypt," which appeared in Nature of September 12, 

 desires to add that when the article was written nothing 

 was yet known of the results of Prof. Petrie's excava- 

 tions, which were therefore not mentioned. Since the 

 proofs were corrected, the annual exhibition at University 

 College has been held, and has shown that Prof. Petrie's 

 discoveries of this year, though by no means very exciting, 

 have been interesting enough. The best things found are 

 some splendid interments of the Twelfth Dynasty, with 

 fine coftins and models of ships, &c., in perfect condition, 

 from a tomb at Rifa, near Asyut. From other tombs in 

 this neighbourhood Prof. Petrie recovered an interesting 

 series of what he calls " soul-houses," which are the 

 small clay models of dwellings often found in tombs of 

 the Vlth-XIIth Dynasty period. They are well repre- 

 sented in our museums, but Prof. Petrie has obtained some 

 new^ and fine types. Prof. Petrie also excavated at Giza. 



We have received a long letter from the Rev. J. W. 

 Hayes, West Thurrock \'icarage. Grays, Essex, with re- 

 gard to the so-called " twin-chamber deneholc " at 

 Gravesend, recently described in the Times, and referred 

 to in our notes on September ig (p. 522). According to 

 Mr. Hayes, the two chambers were originally two distinct 

 deneholes, each with its own shaft, and being in close 

 proximity were brought into communication by a breach 

 in the dividing wall, made after the excavation of the 

 chalk. There is no true platform in either cavern, but 

 a great quantity of sandy loam occupies the floor. In 

 Mr. Hayes's opinion, the pick-marks on the roughly hewn 

 walls could have been made only by an implement of 

 metal, not by one of horn, bone, or flint; whilst he believes 

 that the caves were certainly not used either as a dwelling 

 or as a storehousi- for grain. 



In a communication to the Ceylon Observer of 

 .August 10 Mr. J. Pole records the discovery of numerous 

 Palseolithic stone weapons on hillocks at Imboolpittia. 

 Ceylon. Similar discoveries have been made by the 

 brothers Sarrasin, who have hitherto monopolised the 

 study of that interesting forest race, the A'eddahs. Mr. 

 Pole, on rather shadowy grounds, attempts to connect 

 the implements which he has discovered with the same 

 tribe. 



