Oct. 15, 1885 | 
NATURE 
581 
pages, so that the whole paper would make a considerable 
volume dealing with temperatures in the Alpine regions of 
Austria. 
M. p’ABBADIE begs us to state that the earth-tremors observed 
in his apparatus (NATURE, vol. xxxii. p. 568) about two miles 
north of the Spanish frontier coincided with the many earth- 
quakes in the south of Spain. There were no such phenomena 
in Egypt. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 
past week include a Bonnet Monkey (AZacacus sinicus 6) from 
India, presented by Mr. L. C. Phillips ; a Ring-tailed Coati 
(Nasua rufa &) from South America, presented by Lieut. W. 
¥F. Tunnard, R.N. ;.a Black Wallaby (Halmaturus ualabatus 6 ) 
from South Australia, presented by Mr. R. E, Wootton 
Isaacson ; a Javan Cat (Felis javanensis) from Java, presented 
by Capt. T. H. Franks ; a Puma (Felis concolor 6) from South 
America, presented by M. Rodolfo Aranz ; two West Indian 
Rails (Avamides cayennensis) from Brazil, presented by Mr. J. 
C. Fraser; a Levaillant’s Amazon (Chrysotis levaillanti) from 
Mexico, presented by Mr. H. D. Astley, F.Z.S.; a Silver 
Pheasant (Zuplocamus nycthemerus):from China, presented by 
Mrs. James ; three Robben Island Snakes (Coronella phocarum), 
a Hoary Snake (Coronella cana), a Elaps (Z/aps hygie), 
a Reddish Pentonyx (Pelomedusa subrufz) from South Africa, 
seven Geometrical Tortoises (TZestudo geometrica) from the 
Orange River, South Africa, presented by the Rey. G. H. R. 
Fisk, C.M.Z.S. ; a Rose-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensts) 
from Moluccas, deposited ; a Blue and Yellow Macaw (dra 
ararauna) from Trinidad, received in exchange ; eight Summer 
Ducks (x sponsa, 48 42) from North America, purchased ; 
a Bennett’s Wallaby (Halmaturus bennetti?), born in the 
Gardens. 
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 
WEEK, 1885, OCTOBER 18-24 
(For the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 
Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, is here 
employed.) 
At Greenwich on October 18 
Sun rises, 6h. 31m. ; souths, rrh. 45m. 9"9s. ; sets, 16h. 59m. ; 
decl. on meridian, 9° 47’ S.: Sidereal Time at Sunset, 
18h. 48m. 
Moon (two days after First Quarter) rises, 14h. 51m. ; souths, 
2oh. om. ; sets, th. 17m.* ; decl. on meridian, 10° 27’ S. 
Planet Rises Souths Sets Decl. on meridian 
. m, - m. h, m. Gi aay 
Mercury ... 6 37 II 51 T7005 9 43S. 
Venus LOL 97, 14 30 18 23 23 20S. 
Mars o 6 7 38 15 10 16 38 N. 
Jupiter 3 35 9 54 16 13 3) (GING 
Saturn ZO 4rtae., © (440 12 57 ZZ aUTNs 
* Indicates that the rising is that of the preceding and the setting that of 
the following day. 
Phenomena of Jupiter's Satellites 
Oct. h. m Oct. h. m. 
Zier ae 2a letra: ino: 22 4 10 I, occ. reap. 
The Phenomena of Jupiter’s Satellites are such as are visible at Greenwich. 
Oct. h. 
200e ce ao) Saturn at least distance from the Sun. 
ZONE lS Saturn stationary. 
GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
THE work done by Lieut. Wissmann in his exploration of the 
Kassai River, the great southern tributary of the Congo, is 
second in importace only to the discovery of the Congo itself. 
It will seriously modify the conjectural geography of that part 
of Africa. He found the river to be of immense volume, and 
navigable from its junction with the Lulua. He found the 
Sankuru and the Lubilash to be one river, which, instead of 
flowing northwards to the Congo, turns westwards, and joins 
the Kassai. As it approaches the Congo Kassai receives the great 
Koango, and enters the main river by the Kwamouth, after 
receiving the water of Lake Leopold. Thus the river which on 
Stanley’s last map joins the Congo west of Stanley Falls cannot 
be the Lubilash, and, moreover, must be of no great length. 
This discovery of Lieut. Wissmann, along with that of the 
Mobangi by Mr. Grenfell, greatly increases the navigable 
waterway of the Congo system. 
THE September number of Petermann’s Mitthetlungen has for 
its principal article the first part of an account of Paulitschke 
and Hardegger’s journey to Harar, by Dr. Paulitschke. It is 
accompanied by a map of the districts traversed. The present 
instalment describes the circumstances under which the journey 
was undertaken, the preparations at Zeila, where the English 
consul was able to put the travellers in friendly communication 
with Abu Bakr, the Governor of Zeila, who gave them the most 
important help, and the details of the journey as far as Bussa, 
on the frontier of the Northern Gallas country. Dr. Schinz 
asks the question whether Namaqua-Land or Nama-Land is 
correct, and decides in favour of the latter. ‘‘Namaqua” is a 
Dutch corruption ; the term ‘‘ Nama” is applied to Hottentots 
in general, without any distinction of sex; ‘‘namaqua” is 
properly ‘‘namagu” or ‘‘namaga,” the nominative and dative 
plural of ‘‘nama” ; ‘‘qua” is therefore doubly wrong as a 
suffix, and Namaland is the proper term. M. Rabot writes on 
the Stor Borgefjeld in Nordland in Norway, and the usual 
literary and geographical news brings the number to a con- 
clusion. 
THE last number (Band xxviii. No. 29) of the Afitthezlungen 
of the Geographical Society of Vienna contains a paper on the 
ethnic members of the western Somali and north-eastern Galla 
tribes, by Dr. Paulitschke, accompanied by a map; six letters 
from Dr, Lenz on his Congo expedition, and the first part of a 
paper by Herr Jiilg on the erosive action of the sea on coasts ; 
the bibliography of Africa for the last half year, and the usual 
notices of geographical works conclude the number. 
M. BRAN DE SAINT PoL-Ltas, who was sent on a scientific 
mission to Tonquin and Java, returned to France towards the 
close of September. He brought back with him numerous 
specimens of the flora and fauna of the districts through which 
he travelled. 
THE chief geographical societies in Germany have resolved to 
erect a monument to the late Dr. Nachtigal on Cape Palmas, 
where he lies buried. It is intended to have it so large that it 
will serve as a landmark to seamen. 
THE Godeffroy Museum at Hamburg, illustrative of the 
natural history of the South Sea Islands, has been sold to the 
Ethnographical Museum of Leipsic. 
THE GREAT OCEAN BASINS? 
I 
‘THE ancients, down to the time of Aristotle—and most of 
them for a long time afterwards—regarded the earth as a 
great plain surrounded on all sides by the mighty, deep, gently- 
flowing stream of the ocean. 
In the geography of the Homeric age there was not supposed 
to be any communication between the Mediterranean and this 
all-encircling ocean river. When, in consequence of the ex- 
cursions of the Phcenicians, the communication through the 
Pillars of Hercules became known, ideas respecting the outer 
sea gradually changed. At first, curiously enough, the Atlantic 
Ocean was regarded as muddy, shallow, and little agitated by 
the winds—a belief apparently associated with the supposed 
subsidence of the legendary island of Atlantis. The world, as 
known to the ancients down to about 300 years before Christ, 
is represented in this map of Hecatzus. 
There seems to be no doubt that the spherical form of the 
earth was known to some philosophers even before the time of 
Aristotle—the proof that the earth is a sphere being indeed easy 
to minds that had received a mathematical training—but these 
have been few in all ages, and an idea so directly opposed to the 
apparent evidence of the senses could only be expected to win 
its way with difficulty. Indeed, at the present day the majority 
of even educated people are unable to give any reason for their 
belief that the earth is a sphere, other than that navigators are 
now in the habit of sailing around it. 
* Lecture delivered at the Aberdeen meeting of the British Association by 
Mr. John Murray, Director of the Challenger Reports. 
