96 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



that the disastrous earthquake of iSth April is directly related to 

 geologic structure. " Through the region affected there are several 

 profound fractures that pass downward from the surface of the 

 ground to an unknown depth in the crust of the earth. One of 

 the most important of these fractures, or faults, as geologists call 

 them, runs through the Santa Cruz range of mountains. Shortly- 

 after the earthquake he examined the ground in the vicinity of 

 this old earth fracture, and found that there had been a new 

 displacement along the same line. This fact suggests that there 

 was a readjustment of the strains and pressures that affect the 

 rocks of the earth's crust, and that this readjustment caused the 

 rocks to slip upon and against each other along this old line of 

 fracture. Such a slipping would necessarily cause a jarring of 

 the entire region along and near the fault line ; this jarring we call 

 an earthquake. It seems somewhat remarkable at first that the 

 area affected should extend so far up and down the coast, while it 

 is comparatively narrow. This is because the faults through this 

 part of the State are all approximately parallel with the Santa 

 Clara Valley, and when one of these readjustments takes place 

 it is likely to follow old lines of weakness in the earth's crust. 

 He then points out where evidences of the slipping can be seen, 

 and mentions the case of a fence crossing the fault line which 

 shows a gap of eight feet, while other places show a vertical dis- 

 placement of two feet or more. On the top of Black Mountain 

 both movements are visible, the result being either that the 

 mountain has risen about two feet and moved three or four feet 

 towards the south-east, or that the parallel ridge, Castle Rock, 

 has sunk about two feet and moved three or four feet towards 

 the north-west. This can only be determined by a new survey. 

 When one considers the enormous mass of rocks involved in these 

 movements — a height of 2,700 feet — the violence of the earth- 

 quake shock is not to be wondered at." Perhaps one of the most 

 remarkable freaks of the earthquake was the overturning of the 

 statue of the great American naturalist, Louis Agassiz, which 

 stood in front of Stanford University. After the earthquake it 

 was found, feet uppermost, embedded to the shoulders in the 

 concrete walk, and when released was found practically un- 

 injured. 



Lichens. — Herr Ludwig Scriba, Hichst a Main, Hamptstrasse 

 4, Germany, is desirous of obtaining specimens of Cladonia from 

 Australasia, and will pay the expenses of anyone collecting and 

 forwarding material to him in quantity. 



Fungi. — Herr H. Sydow, Schoneberg, near Berlin, Apostel 

 Paulurstrasse 24, Germany, is desirous of obtaining fungi, 

 especially parasitic ones, from Australia, and will be pleased to 

 correspond with collectors. 



