Jan. I, 1 8 74 J 



NATURE 



17,- 



or eighteen feet below the sea. The results were of a highly 

 promising nature, and exceeded expectation. 



The coast of Samland alilbrds a good opportunity of studying 

 the Alga.' of the Baltic ; and this forms the subject of a com- 

 munication from M. Caspary. It is known that the water of 

 the Baltic contains a much smaller proportion of salts than that 

 of the North Sea or Atlantic. According to a recent analysis 

 by Von Behr, the quantity was only o'6766 per cent. To this 

 fact, chiefly, and also to the fact of a colder climate, M. Caspary 

 attributes the much smaller number of species of Algce in the 

 Baltic than on the English coast. He enumerates only twenty- 

 five from the Prussian coast, whereas, at Falmouth, in Corn- 

 wall, 176 different species have been found. The water of tlie 

 Atlantic contains about four per cent, of salt, or nearly seven 

 times mote than the Baltic water. 



We further note, in the department of Botany, a paper in 

 which Dr. von Klingraff describes the species and varieties of 

 Sphagnum found in Prussia. In referring to the colouring of the 

 leaves as a means of characterisation, he points out that the red 

 and yellow colours almost always exclude each other. Red is 

 found in only three species ; S. acntifolitini, IcncUum and cytii/'i- 

 foliiiii! ; and each of these has a purple-red variety. On the 

 other hand, yellow is wanting in the first two, and the variety 

 coiii^estnin of the third is the only known example in which the 

 red and yellow co-exist in forms of the same species. 



Among the various organic remains found in amber, those of 

 molluscs are pecuharly rare. It might have been expected that 

 the liquid resinous matter would more readily surprise such ani- 

 mals than running or flying insects (which are abundant), while the 

 shell, after death of its tenant, would offer a longer resistance to 

 destruction than an unprotected body. It would be rash to con- 

 clude that the amber forest contained as few molluscs as our 

 present exclusively pine forests ; and botanists have shown that 

 other trees than those of the pine species must have been present. 

 In these mixed forests there were doubtless numerous molluscs, 

 and we are led to suppose that the resin-producing trees were 

 carefully avoided by them. Such is the view given by M. 

 Kiinow, who describes two snail shells found in amber, and pro- 

 bably belonging, he thinks, to the genus Helix. Only three 

 previous notices of similar discoveries has he met with ; and 

 among the 13,000 organic remains of amber in the Society's 

 collection, there is no piece of the kind in question. 



IJr. Buchholz furnishes an account of the Hansa Arctic Expe- 

 dition, and many interesting particulars as to the forms of life 

 observed in the North Polar regions. 



The anatomical collection in the University at Konigsberg 

 contains three bear skulls found in the province. These are de- 

 scribed at some length by M. MtiUer. They differ much in size 

 and form, and it is striking that such difl'erent individuals of the 

 same species should have lived so near one another (the places 

 of discovery not having been more than 20 miles apart). A few 

 similar bear skulls have been found in this country and in Ire- 

 land, and are described by Owen under the name of fen-bears. 



It has been commonly believed that living trees struck by lightning 

 are frequently consumed. In a paper on the effects of lightning 

 on trees and telegraph post», M. Caspary shows this is a mis- 

 take, and that the case is extremely rare. He cites 93 authenti- 

 cated cases of trees having been struck ; the species were as 

 follows (and here also some common notions are disproved) : — 

 I Populus albci, 2 Pirns coniiiiiinis, 2 Uhiius, 3 Piniis picea L., 3 

 Betula verrucosa, 3 Fraxinns ixeclsior, 12 Pinus sylvistris, 12 

 Picea vulgaris Link., 14 Populus moitilifera, 15 Quercus pcdumu- 

 latti, 20 Populus italica. Several valuable experiments and re- 

 sults are detailed in this paper, of which, however, accounts may 

 be found in English serials. 



Another important paper in physics treats of the arrangements 

 at a station lor measuring ground temperatures in Konigsberg, 

 and the correction of the thermometers there employed. It is 

 by Dr. Ernst Dohrn. 



Archaology claims a considerable share of the Society's atten- 

 tion ; and there is one paper by Dr. Berendt, which specially 

 deserves our notice. It enters very fully into the question of 

 certain curious "face urns" which have been found in the re- 

 gion about Dantzic, &c. The forms of these articles are calcu- 

 lated to throw a good deal of light on the ph) siognomical features 

 and the manners of the people that used iliem. 



Konigsberg now numbers over 100,000 inhabitants, and the 

 Ecwage question becomes urgent. Dr. Miiller calls the attention 

 of the Society to what is being done in other cities and countries, 

 way of improvement in this direction. 



WELLINGTON N.Z. PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 

 'T'lIE President, Dr. Hector, delivered his annual address be- 



■'• fore a meeting of members on .A.ug. 6, 1S73. Dr. Hector in 

 his opening remarks paid a tribute to the memory of Dr. Fred. 

 John Knox, who had during a life-time contributed greatly to 

 the science of comparative anatomy. Dr. Knox was an un- 

 doubted authority on all matters relating to the Cetacea, having 

 made it his chief study. As one of the oldest members of the 

 New Zealand Society he contributed largely and valuably to its 

 transactions and the museum, which latter is specially indebted 

 to him for the numerous contributions ot anatomical prepara- 

 tions. The society, during its six years' existence, has gone on 

 steadily increasing its members, who now number 142. Re- 

 ferring to vol. V. of the Transactions, Dr. Hector staled it 

 contained forty-eight original papers, some of which possess a 

 value from their originality of research which cannot fail to make 

 the Transactions in future times important for reference. 



Mr. T. Locke Travers' paper on the Life and Timts of Te 

 Raupara is a valuable j age in the history of New Zealand, as 

 the career of a man like Te Raupara is not merely of interest 

 from its association with the early history of the colonisation oi 

 these islands, but affords a subject for study in connectior 

 with the more general historical question of the rapidity with 

 which changes can be effected in uncivilised races, and the 

 aptitude which they show in acquiring the arts, both peaceful 

 and warlike, from colonists or conquerors as the case may be. 

 Mr. Travers' contribution, valuable though it is, is but a 

 small portion of the material relating to the Maori lace 

 which would find a fitting place in the Transactions of 

 the Institute. The Maoris present a peculiarity of a mental 

 type, the reason for which is not yet fully explained ; as a race 

 they show evidence of greater mental vigour than might have 

 been expected in a people possessing no written knowledge. The 

 facility with which they acquire our written language, and the 

 delight which they take in exercising it, in reducing to writing 

 their ancient waiatas (songs) and traditions is of itself a remark- 

 able evidence of their vigour of mind. It does not appear, 

 however, a reliable course in the collection of these songs to em- 

 ploy the Maori narrators to reduce them to writing, as it must be 

 a process of translation of a most complex kind, and must lead 

 to loss of accuracy both in matters of fact and in form of ex- 

 pression. A most interesting feature in the Maori langu?"e is 

 the minute detail with which natural objects have been discrimi- 

 nated and named. He contrasted this with the North .American 

 Indians, who have only names for objects of immediate and 

 practical utility in their affairs of every-day life. The Maoris, 

 on the contrary, appear to have possessed a pure love of exer- 

 cising their discriminating faculty ; every tree or shrub, useful or 

 useless, nearly every fish of large size or insignificant, and even 

 many insects and lower forms of life that would remain unno- 

 ticed by most Europeans unless specially trained to the obser- 

 vation of such objects, have all their special names to the 

 Maoris. The frequent reference made in their songs and tra- 

 ditions to these natural objects, invests them with a richness of 

 imagery that adapts them for the poetical expression of senti- 

 ments and emotions that could only have been feebly if at all 

 developed to the minds of the originators and narrators of those 

 legends. 



One of the most important events connected with this subject 

 is the publication of the poem " Ranolf and Amohia," to the 

 talented author of which all who love natural history must feel 

 grateful for the abundant allusions which he has made to the 

 characteristic features of the fauna and flora of the country, and 

 the care which he has exercised in making his descriptions accu- 

 rate. When a poet qualifies himself to appreciate the precise re- 

 lations of the objects that enter into the scenes he depicts he will 

 find that it is not necessary to sacrifice either facility or grace of 

 expression in order to obtain the impressiveness which arises from 

 strict accuracy. From this point of view Mr. Domett's poetical 

 descriptions of the natural history of the new country cannot 

 fail to aid in linking the sympathy of literatuie and fancy with 

 the study of Science, and do good service to those obiects which 

 the society has most in view. The president also eulogised the 

 eltbrts of a member of the Institute, Mr. G. H. Wilson, whose 

 graceful and vigorous pen has been devoted to the rendering of 

 those legends which relate to events that occurred in past time 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Wellington. The President 

 referred to the papers of Messrs. Mantell and Taylor as bearing 

 out his (Dr. Hector's) view of the recent date of the extinction 



