Notes and Comments. 359 



place of the ichneumon flies — which there was no time to import 

 or obtain from Thirhiiere — may be disputed ; but the fact 

 remains that the attack disappeared.' 



MANX MINES AND MEGALITHS. 



In TJie Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester Literary 

 and Philosophical Society, just issued, W. H. Corkill has 

 a short paper with the above title, in which, by the aid of 

 maps and illustrations, he demonstrates the wonderful wealth 

 of material for the archaeologist and geologist in the island. 

 He describes various prehistoric remains, and his summary 

 is given under the following headings: — Stone Circles, 

 Standing Stones, Cairns and Cists, Sacred Wells, Hut Habita- 

 tions of Stone, Neolithic Floors or Platforms, Sources of 

 Metal, Precious Stones, Mermaids and Mermen, Flint Weapons- 

 and Implements. 



A MAMMOTH STORY. 



It is interesting now and again to dip into the books which 

 interested our ancestors a century ago, and the following 

 extract shows that they were entertained in a similar way to 

 what we are to-day. The extract is taken from ' The Imperial 

 Magazine, or Compendium of Religious, Moral and Philos- 

 ophical Knowledge,' Vol. I. for 1819. 'It appears, according 

 to some accounts lately received from the interior of the 

 United States, bordering on the Mississippi, that the whole of 

 the gigantic race of quadrupeds is not yet extinct ; one having 

 been recently seen in the remote deserts stretching on the 

 north-west quarter of the American continent. If these 

 accounts are to be credited, the Mammoth is not carnivorous, 

 but lives chiefly on a particular shrub, which grows plenti- 

 fully, in the districts where it has taken up its abode. It is 

 represented as never lying down to take rest, but as reclining 

 against convenient trees, where it finds repose. The mammoth 

 which is said to have been lately seen is reported to be about 

 fifteen feet high, and in other respects nearly proportionable. 

 It has no horns, is apparently inoffensive, is covered with 

 remarkably long hair, and rather bears a resemblance m 

 appearance to the Wild Boar than to the Elephant.' 



PRINTING COSTS CRIPPLING RESEARCH. 



A spirited attack upon the high cost of printing and its 

 effect in paralysing research work was made by Sir Charles 

 Oman, M.P., at the annual conference of the Library Associa- 

 tion at Manchester recently. A great part of the work of 

 scientific, literary, and historical research, he said, first took 

 shape in papers and monographs appearing in publications of 

 learned societies. At the present time there was a blight 

 upon the whole of these publications. Some had ceased 



1921 Nov. 1 



