ON INVESTIGATIONS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. 353 
seem, too, to be no time to be lost, as there are less than three square 
miles of the indigenous jungle left, and it is daily being encroached upon 
The expedition had actually only seven weeks in the Seychelles, and 
hence its work was necessarily of rather a scrappy nature. It is now 
felt that further explorations are also desirable in respect to the eleva- 
tions of the islands and to the reefs round their shores, which were shown 
in the first report of the Committee to be of peculiar nature. 
I would venture in conclusion to suggest the reappointment of the 
Committee, with a substantial grant to continue the geographical researches 
into the origin of the Seychelles Archipelago and the distribution of 
animals and plants. 
Rainfall and Lake and River Discharge.—Interim Report of the Com- 
mittee, consisting of Sir JoHN Murray (Chairman), Professor 
A. B. Macatium and Dr. A. J. Hersertson (Secretaries), Pro- 
fessor W. M. Davis, Professor P. F. FRANKLAND, Mr. A. D. 
Hat, Mr. N. F. Mackenziz, Mr. E. H. V. Metvitte, Dr. H. R. 
Mitt, Professor A. Penck, Dr. A. Srrawan, and Mr. W. 
WHITAKER, appointed to investigate the Quantity and Composition 
of Rainfall and of Lake and River Discharge. 
Tux preparation of the bibliography continues, and it is hoped that it 
will be ready next year. Meanwhile special attention may be called to 
a paper by Dr. R. Fritzsche in the ‘Zeitschrift fiir Gewésserkunde,’ 
vol. vii., part 6, pp. 21-370; ‘ Niederschlag, Abfluss, und Verdunstung 
auf der Landflachen der Erde.’ 
The Committee understand that an investigation into the relation- 
ship between rainfall and run-off is being carried out under the direction 
of Dr. Aubrey Strahan, F.R.S., with grants from the Government Grant 
Committee and the Research Department of the Royal Geographical 
Society. 
The Committee ask for reappointment, and a renewal of the grant 
made last year. 
Amount of Gold Coinage in Circulation in the United Kingdom.—In- 
terum Lveport of the Committee, consisting of Mr. R. H. InGuis 
PaLGRavE (Chairman), Mr. H. Sranuey Jevons (Secretary), 
and Messrs. A. L. BowLey and D. H. Macarecor. 
_ Tue Committee have obtained all the necessary data for estimating the 
amount of the gold coinage in circulation. These include returns from 698 
branches of banks, each stating the dates found on 200 sovereigns and 200 
half-sovereigns selected at random from the banks’ tills about the middle 
of February 1907. The Bank of England and many of the most important 
banks of the country have kindly furnished valuable information regard- 
ing the date and quantity of unmixed coin in their reserves. The reduc- 
tion of the returns is proceeding. It is found that sovereigns of 1906 
date form 13°5 per cent. of the whole circulation of sovereigns. The 
returns show a very unequal distribution of new coin throughout the 
country, sovereigns of 1906 date varying from 50 per cent. in some parts 
of London down to less than 4 per cent. in certain agricultural districts 
1907. AA 
