» | Me - 
August 27, 1885 | 
NATURE 
401 
which are afforded at this station. An unusual number are 
engaged in original researches. The season of 1885, although 
uncomfortably hot, has thus far been exceptionally favourable 
for collection. The weather has been calmer than heretofore in 
June and July, and specimens were found in June which have 
usually not appeared until the middle of August. The com- 
pany, notwithstanding their personal discomfort from the heat, 
have maintained their full enthusiasm in the work upon which 
they are engaged ; and it now appears as if the eighth session 
of the laboratory would be more fruitful in results than its pre- 
decessors, good as they have been. 
A DUNFERMLINE correspondent writes tu us that one of the 
most important and certainly the most complete cemetery of the 
Stone Age which has been laid bare in recent times has just 
been discovered in the grounds of Pitreavie, Dunfermline, Fife- 
shire. In connection with rebuilding operations a sand-pit was 
opened, and here, in a space of 15 yards by 10 yards, no fewer 
than five cists have been discovered. The cists were constructed 
of rough sandstone flags, and four of these measured about 42 
inches in length, 20 inches in breadth, and 16 inches in depth. 
The fifth was little more than 18 inches square. A cinerary urn 
of baked clay was found in each of the large cists, but in the 
small ‘‘ grove” nothing was found but a quantity of apparently 
calcined bones. A couple of flint scrapers and a bottle-shaped 
piece of limestone—which may have done duty as a hammer— 
were also among the finds. The urns measure from 5 to 6 
inches across the mouth and from 43 to 6 inches in height, and, 
strange to say, the construction of the bowls indicate that they 
have been made at different successive periods. No. 1 urn is 
an unshapely piece of sun-dried pottery; No. 2 showed an 
advance in the shape ; and Nos. 3 and 4 are neatly formed and 
ornamented with a simple dotted pattern. The explorations 
will be continued, and it is expected that several other important 
finds will be made. Dr. Munro, the author of ‘‘ Ancient 
Scottish Lake Dwellings,” has visited the tumuli with a view to 
place a report in the hands of the Antiquarian Society of Scot- 
land. A tradition exists that the site of the mound was an old 
graveyard, and some people who haye been engaged in the 
district in agricultural pursuits for the past half a century state 
that nuierous flagstones and pieces of urns have been turned up 
by the plough or grubbed, and Dr. Munro attaches great im- 
portance to the flint scrapers, and was of opinion that the bones 
found in the small cist were human bones. 
AT the recent Railway Congress at Brussels the question 
whether it would be economical and desirable to use iron or 
steel instead of wooden sleepers was fully discussed. It was 
stated that metal sleepers of various patterns are being used in 
Holland and India to a considerable extent, and that they are 
being tried experimentally in Belgium, England, and other 
countries. An opinion was expressed that sleepers of the 
description which is being tried in England would afford good 
material support for the rails on main lines, although some 
inconvenience might be felt from a quoin of wood being used 
with it. It was also considered that other metal sleepers which 
are being tried in Holland and elsewhere had given satisfactory 
results. The cost of metal sleepers is higher than that of wood. 
They require good ballast, and there had not been sufficient 
experience from their use, in regard to their duration and main- 
tenance, to enable the section to state specifically the relative 
advantages of the new description of sleepers. It was therefore 
considered that further experience is necessary. The difficulty 
of arriving at a conclusion as to what would be applicable in all 
countries and under all circumstances was exemplified in the 
discussion of this subject by the representative of the Egyptian 
railways. He stated that iron or steel sleepers cannot be 
economically used in Egypt, because they become corroded by 
the sand. The representative of the Indian railways, on the 
other hand, informed the section that iron or steel sleepers only 
can be used in India, because the white ant destroys wooden 
sleepers. Considerable discussion took place as to the construc- 
tion of railways in regard to the curves, gradients, and works 
generally, including the question whether lines with a compara- 
tively small traffic should be laid with heavy or light rails. It 
was, however, found impossible to lay down any general pro- 
positions which could be adopted under all the circumstances in 
which railways have to be made. 
Ir may be remarked that Francois Arago was born at Estagel 
in the beginning of February, 1786, so that a centennial cele- 
bration may be expected next year. A statue was erected in 
this place twenty-nine years ago at the expense of the late M. 
Pereire. 
AN exhibition of labour was opened a few weeks ago at the 
Palais de l’Industrie, Paris. An electrical railway with a single 
rail was exhibited by M. Lartigue, and is carrying passengers 
with regularity on a zigzag line of about 200 metres’ length. A 
series of popular exhibitions with magic lanterns on the new 
features of microscopy is largely attracting public attention. 
So-called antediluvian music is played on a series of irregular 
stones which have been selected so that they represent two 
octaves when suspended by strings. 
THE American Ornithologists’ Union will hold its next meet- 
ing in New York on Tuesday, November 17. 
WE have received catalogues of electrical apparatus from two 
new firms: the first of these is the Kinetic Engineering Com- 
pany, who are agents in this country for the well-known firm of 
Breguet. They are now exhibiting Lippmann’s ingenious 
mercurial galvanometer. The second catalogue is that of 
Messrs. P. Jolin and Co., of Bristol. This enterprising firm 
describes several instruments of great use in the physical labora- 
tory, especially the dead-beat galvanometer of D’Arsonval’s 
type, and adjuncts therefore. This instrument appears to be 
specially adapted for private laboratories. We are glad to see 
new firms taking such good standing in the character of the 
apparatus they offer to the scientific world. 
THE Java newspapers report that volcanic activity in the 
island continues to increase. Another mountain, called Raun, 
broke out on June 21, casting out much steam and ashes. In 
the evening smoke was ejected in such quantities as to darken 
the horizon on the windward side, until a shower of ashes fell, 
upon which the sky cleared up. Kaun appears to be an active 
yolcano, but no such violent eruption has been known in recent 
years. On the night of July 8 anew eruption of Mount Smeru took 
place ; it was a heavy explosion followed by a stream of red-hot 
lava, which came duwn to the same spot which was laid waste 
by the former eruption. In the evening of July 9 another 
explosion followed. 
“RESULTS of Twenty Years’ Observations on Botany, Ento- 
mology, Ornithology, and Meteorology, taken at Marlborough 
College, 1865-84,” is the title of a large pamphlet embracing a 
summary of twenty years’ work. The tables are accumulations 
of facts properly registered. In the botanical notices the first 
appearances in each year are given, the day being noted as the 
day of the year, not of the month. This method is readiest for 
comparison and for striking the average. In addition the average 
for the twenty years, the earliest and latest days, the amplitude 
and the number of observations are given. The entomological 
notices are arranged in the same way, except that the earliest 
and latest appearances and the amplitude are omitted ; these are 
not a great loss, for they can be ascertained from the tables in a 
moment by any reader. In ornithology the observations include 
the date when first seen, and when an egg and the young have 
