April 8, 1909] 



NA TURE 



161 



those discovered by Dr. Gann in a similar position 

 in the ruin near Benque Viejo (Proc. of the Society of 

 Antiquaries, May, 1895), and this fully establishes 

 the connection of these curious objects with the 

 builders of these now ruined cities. 



On returning to British Honduras, at the frontier 

 village of El Cayo Mr. Maler met Mr. Blancanaux, 

 a, well-known collector of natural-history specimens, 

 who told him that in the year 1882 he had included 

 aniong specimens forwarded from the Island of 

 Cozumel to the British Museum, two ancient maps 

 of Yucatan, drawn on bark or agave paper. Careful 

 inquiries have been made at the British Museum, 

 both at Bloomsbury and South Kensington, but no 



Fic. 2.— N.iranjo : Stela 30, East Side. 



trace of their arrival can be found. There is very 

 little probability of their having been overlooked, 

 as is suggested, because they were packed among 

 natural-history specimens, for ethnological and other 

 objects are frequently sent with such specimens, and 

 when unpacked are at once handed over to the depart- 

 ment concerned with them, and that such a valuable 

 prize as two manuscript maps on some form of native 

 paper could be overlooked is hardly possible. How- 

 ever, Mr. Blancaneaux is being communicated with, 

 and every effort will be made to clear the matter up. 



The next instalment of Mr. Maler's work 

 describing his explorations of Tikdl, one of the most 

 interesting ruins in Central America, will be looked 

 for with the greatest interest. 



NO. 2058, VOL. 80] 



ZOOLOGY OF THE ANTARCTIC 

 ■pROM first to last there was high courage in the 

 ^ Scotia voyage. Dr. Bruce organised it single- 

 handed, backed, ot course, by generous pecuniary help 

 from Mr. Coats and others, and he brought it to a suc- 

 cessful finish with a minimum of loss or wastage. We 

 do not forget the wise and wary captain and his loyal 

 crew, or the fearless company of scientific assistants, 

 or those who have helped to work up the results ; but as 

 volume follows volume from the unpretentious, hard- 

 working laboratory at Surgeons' Hall in Edinburgh, 

 we cannot withhold our admiration for what has been 

 accomplished essentially by Dr. Bruce 's pluck and 

 determination. Both these qualities will be needed, 

 we fear, before the tale of the Scotia voyage is fully 

 told, for working up and editing scientific results is 

 an arduous and unremunerative business, requiring 

 all the encouragement it can get and a great deal 

 more. " More power to your elbow, sir, in this 

 unromantic age." 



The two volumes before us are very different. The 

 first is an entertaining zoological log, as logs go, that 

 is, illustrated with a hundred beautiful and interesting 

 photographs, and introduced by a charming picture 

 by an artist who has himself seen ice. The second is 

 a collection of technical reports by a dozen different 

 workers, and though it is quite as interesting as the 

 log, it appeals to a smaller circle. The log would 

 have stood some more proof-reading, but we are glad 

 to say that no attempt has been made to touch it up. 

 It is a field note-book of the natural history of the 

 voyage and of the wintering in Scotia Bay, South 

 Orkneys, and it is full of interesting facts. VVe do not 

 depreciate its interest vifhen we say that with its splendid 

 series of illustrations it would make an admirable 

 book for any boy-naturalist who likes to get into close 

 grips with the real thing. VVe wish to direct atten- 

 tion to the very fine set of photographs of penguins, 

 shags, skuas, petrels, seals, and sea-lions, taken on 

 the spot, and to the exceptionally good photographs of 

 starfish, isopods, alcyonarians, and so forth taken in 

 the laboratory by Mr. T. C. Dey. As a sample of the 

 log we quote from October ii, 1903: — "The adelia 

 penguins were nearly all actively collecting stones or 

 resting from their labours, sleeping near their little 

 heaps, either upright or prone. Some were very active 

 and moved over ten yards at times in search of a good 

 stone to return with ; they throw the stones down in 

 no apparent order. Thieving was being carried on 

 extensively. The intending thief moved towards a 

 heap the owner of which was away or not looking, 

 and if he saw his chance picked up a stone and 

 returned with it; but if the owner turned and spotted 

 the thief approaching, the intending culprit walked 

 innocently by as if nothing was further from his 

 intentions than stealing a stone. If a thief was 

 caught, the owner bit at him viciously and thus warned 

 him off for the occasion, but as soon as an opportunity 

 again presented itself he returned once more on 

 thieving bent. I noticed several adelias eating snow 

 in large quantities." 



The various reports in the more technical volume 

 have been mostly passed through the Transactions of 

 the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which has thus aided 

 in the publication. They are interesting in many 

 different ways. Sometimes it is an isolated fact of 



1 Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of S.V. Scotia dunng 

 the Years igo2, 1903, and 1904, under the Leadership of Dr. William S. 

 Bruce. Vol. iv.. Zoology. Part i.. Zoological Log, by David W. Wilton, 

 Dr. J. H. Hatvie Pirie, and R. N. Rudmose Prown. Thirty-three plates and 

 2 maps, includine loo photographs by ibe Editor and the Authors ; coloured 

 frontispiece by William Smith. Pp. xiv-i-104. (Edinburgh : The Scottish 

 Oceanographical Laboratory ; Edinburgh : Thin ; Glasgow : Maclehose, 

 1908.) Price 13J. net, cloth, or los. 6ii. paper. Vol. v., Zoology. Parts 

 i.--xiii., Invertebrates. Pp. xi-i-3i3 ; 36 plates. Price 23J. 6d. cloth, 2'.5. 

 paper. 



