182 
NATURE 
[F¥une 25, 1885 
carried away by the torrent. From the reports it appears that 
the eruption of Smeru was accompanied by volcanic disturbance 
all over the western part of Java. A mud spring, or rather lake, 
bubbled up into the Preanger, in West Java ; a volcano, Slamat, 
lying west of the Merapi (itself a quiescent volcano), has 
manifested signs of renewed activity, as has Klut, farther to the 
east. Lamongan, lying still farther eastward, throws out 
showers of ashes, and in Rotti, an island near Timor, mud has 
issued from the side of a mountain, and has overflowed a district 
described by the natives as twenty minutes’ journey in breadth. 
M. GASTON TISSANDIER made, on Friday, June 20, an ascent 
with a photographic apparatus to take instantaneous views. Not 
less than twenty-four were obtained on the trip, which began at 
2 o'clock and lasted up to 6. The departure took place at 
Point du-Jour (Paris), and the descent in the vicinity of Rheims. 
Mr. R. ANDERSON, F.C.S., has in the press a new and 
enlarged edition of his work on ‘‘ Lightning Conductors, their 
History, Nature, and Mode of Application.” Messrs. Spon are 
the publishers. 
Mr. Morris, the Government botanist of Jamaica, delivered 
an address before the Jamaica Institute on the 7th ultimo on the 
scientific work done, and still to be done, by that establishment, 
more especially in the local museum. The latter is still in 
course of formation, but during the past four years there have 
been brought together collections of the fish, birds, insects, 
shells, and an illustrative collection of other island productions. 
The geological collection is described as being of a most com- 
plete and useful character. It shows not only the nature, age, 
and character of the rocks, their chemical constituents, fossil 
contents, and mineral wealth, but also deals with such topics as 
the nature and origin of soils, the character and quality of 
building stone, &c. The collection of Jamaica birds contains 
about 100 specimens, leaving 8g still to be added before it can 
be regarded as complete. The insects of Jamaica, Mr. Morris 
says, are comparatively little known to science, and this field is 
especially recommended to local collectors. Up to a few years 
ago the fish of Jamaica could best be studied in Boston and 
Washington Museums, but the local museum has lately com- 
menced a collection of food fishes, and about 60 species are 
already carefully arranged and classified, Little, however, has 
been done of a practical and tangible character to develop the 
fisheries of the island. 630 species of land and freshwater shells 
have been found in Jamaica ; these are being carefully arranged, 
and indicate that the island forms a rich province in the class 
Mollusca, and that ‘‘ the classes of phenomena within her narrow 
limits afford room for the highest order of scientific studies.” 
Jamaica is particularly rich in ferns ; it contains about 500 species, 
which is one-sixth of the ferns of the whole world. The orchids 
and grasses are also being prepared for the museum, and it is 
hoped as opportunity offers to add a good collection of the 
medicinal and industrial plants. Here, as in his annual reports, 
which we have noticed on their appearance, Mr. Morris dwells 
on the immense economical value of a properly ordered and 
complete museum to an agricultural colony like Jamaica. There 
is no lack of materials ; the difficulty has been to collect, pre- 
serve, and systematically arrange collections and place them in 
such a state and under such conditions as to conduce to their 
due and proper utilisation. 
In the first days of August next an International Botanical 
and Horticultural Congress will be held in Antwerp. Amongst 
the questions which will be suggested for special consideration 
is the flora of the new Congo Free State, the methods of culture 
already existing there, and the possibility of acclimatising new 
plants. The commission appointed to carry out the preliminary 
arrangements for the Congress has drawn up a series of ques- 
tions, which, with the help of the Association Internationale 
Africaine, has been sent out to the Congo for replies. A special 
sitting will be devoted to this subject, and a herbarium of the 
principal flowers and plants of various neighbourhoods in the 
State and a collection of fruits and seeds will be accessible to 
members. The queries sent to the Congo refer to the nature of 
the soil ; the maximum and minimum temperatures ; the climatic 
conditions ; the conditions favourable to cultivation, and those 
which are unfavourable ; the food, medicinal, poisonous and 
industrial plants; the help which Central Africa offers to 
botanists for the study of tropical flora and physiology ; the culti- 
vation of vegetables on the Congo ; the principal enemies of 
cultivation in the vegetable and animal kingdoms ; and the best 
mode in which botanists and gardeners can utilise the labours of 
the Congo explorers. Like other recent Congresses the Inter- 
national Botanical and Horticultural Congress this year will 
apparently be mainly occupied with questions relating to Mr. 
Stanley’s new State. 
WE have received from Mr. F, W. Putnam, the Curator of 
the Peabody Museum of American Archzeology and Ethnology, 
two papers by him: one, a first notice of the pine grove or forest 
river shell-heap, near Salem; the other, remarks on chipped 
stone implements, which we noticed on its appearance in the 
Bulletin of the Essex Institute. 
Mr. J. MACDONALD CAMERON has printed a report on the 
bituminous deposits of the Camamii basin of the province of 
Bahia in Brazil. In addition to the purely commercial portion 
of the report, there is much interesting information with regard 
to the various descriptions of these oleaginous deposits. Mr. 
Cameron has some interesting remarks on the influence of the 
mangrove on the muddy swamps on the coast. The dirty 
greyish black mud in which the mangrove vegetation is very 
luxuriant, resembles that noticeable in England in rivers and 
streams on the banks of which oil or soap works are situated. 
He inclines to the opinion that this mud is principally formed by 
the continuous decomposition of the roots and branches of the 
mangrove trees. The tidal currents ebb and flow slowly, and 
hence do not sweep away the mud. Thus abundant food for the 
tree is ensured, ‘‘as well as a store of oleaginous material for 
the use of distant generations of human beings.” 
WE have received the report of the Hackney Microscopical 
and Natural History Society for the past year. Mr. Greenhil’s — 
paper on Hackney Brook is of much interest, although the title 
is suggestive of the investigation in the Hampstead ponds under- 
taken by the immortal Pickwick Society. Mr. Greenhill has 
hitherto classified the stone implements which he has found in 
north and north-east London into (1) Hackney brook, (2) Lea 
valley, (3) Thames valley; and the purport of his paper is to 
arrive at a sound theory as to the comparative age of these three 
valleys and their implements. The principal conclusion of the 
paper is that the brook and its valley were not formed till long 
after the Stone age. Dr. Cooke’s presidential address is a 
novelty ; it is a Christmas vagary, describing the characteristics, 
the whims and oddities of the individual ‘‘ chips” who attend 
one of the society’s excursions, 
THE Annual Report of the Bedfordshire Natural History 
Society refers to the work of preparing a new flora of the county. 
It is hoped that the first part of the work will shortly be ready 
for print. The Zyansactions of the past two years have con- 
tained a complete list of the phanerogams, mosses, and Characez 
of South Bedfordshire, by Mr. Saunders, and attempts are being 
made to form similar lists for other parts ‘of the county. The 
papers read were few in number, but these do not represent the 
work of the Society. A scheme of village lectures on scientific 
subjects has been carried out with success. 
