TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 145 



country as the Antiar. The action of these two groups of poisons is diametrically 

 opposite. The Woorara affects the muscular system, destroying its action before it 

 attects the heart ; whilst the Borneo poison paralyzes the heart fii-st, leaving the 

 muscular system active for some short time alter. The author then discussed the 

 subject of the existence of nearly identical weapons (such as the blow-gim, through 

 which short poisoned arrows are propelled by the breath) amongst tribes of savages 

 widely separated from each other — the natives of Borneo, the tribes of the Hima- 

 layan mountains, and the Indians of the northern parts of South America. He said 

 there were three modes of accounting for this coincidence : — 1. They may have been 

 invented by primitive men before the various races became segregated ; 2, the dis- 

 tant tribes may have communicated with each other since tlieir separation ; 3, or 

 the invention may have been independent, analogous conditions having given rise 

 to the same ideas. The balance of probability, he thought, inclined towards the 

 second of these explanations. 



On Russian Trade vjith Bohhara. By M. Alexander Himxis. 

 The trade between Russia and the Central Asiatic nations is not large, and con- 

 sists chiefly of cattle exchanged by the Russians with the Kirgeeses for com. 

 There is certainly no matter for English jealousy. Everybody who contributes to 

 avoid such jealousies further contributes to effect the working hand-iu-hand of the 

 English and Russians, and deserves great merit in advancing geographical know- 

 ledge and calming the ferocious barbarism in Khiva, Bokhara, Kokan, &c. Their 

 influence on the sea-like Kirgees-steppes is quite as baneful as the piratical states 

 were formerly to the Mediterranean Sea. Sir Hemy Rawlinson said that M. 

 Vamb^ry might fairly claim the honour of having been the first European who 

 Lad visited and described Samarkand for 450 yeai-s. The author claimed that 

 honour for his countrjmien, the Russians. The Khan of Bokhara, being desirous 

 to explore certain parts of his kingdom in search of gold, asked the Russian Govern- 

 ment to send him some ofiicers of mines for that purpose, in consequence of which 

 a party were sent. MM. Butteneft' and Bogoslowski have published, in the Rus- 

 sian oflicial ' Mining Journal ' of 1842, Nos. 10 and 11, several articles concerning 

 the mineralogical riches, mining, money, &c., in Bokhai-a, and the meteorological 

 observations made during their journey. 



On the Ethnology of the Iranian Race. By M. Nicolas de Khanikof. 

 _ Starting with the Aryan theory of the original identity of the Hindus and Ira- 

 nians or Persians, the -writer proceeded to answer the question, Where was the 

 cradle of the Iranian family ? by an investigation into some of their most ancient 

 traditions, beginning with an analysis of the Vendidad and the poems of Firdusi. 

 The conclusion was that they were probably originally scattered to the north, west, 

 south, and east of the fertile valleys situated between the Hindoo Koosh, the Cor- 

 dilleras of Poughman and Koohi Baba, and of the well-watered plains of Herat, 

 Seistan, and Kirman. The results of a careful examination of craniological types 

 amongst the nations of these parts of Asia partly confirmed this conclusion. The 

 Persian blood, however, has been much improved by crossing, dming more than 

 2000 years, with various populations, but especially with Semites and Turanians. 



A Narrative of her Journeys in the South Slavonic countries of Austria and 

 Turhey in Europe. By Miss Mtjir Mackenzie. 



A remarJcahle Storm and Beach Wave at St. Shotts, Newfoundland, 

 By Kenneth Maclea. 



Travelliny Notes on China, Motigolia, and Siberia, 1863. 



By Alexander Michie. 



The writer left Pekin in August 1863, to proceed overland to Russia. The 



tribes who are scattered all over the desert and the mountainous country to the 



north, from the Chinese waU to the Siberian frontier, are the descendants of the 



18G4. 10 



