532 Dr. F. A. Bather— The Mount Torlesse Annelid. 



plateau, each little waterfall illustrating in its own small way many 

 of the characteristics so magnificently displayed by its gigantic 

 forerunner and originator. Another equally impressive line of 

 evidence is afforded by the gradual falling away of the angle of 

 slope in the Batoka Gorge itself as it is followed down from its 

 present termination at the Falls. Here, as everyone may see, 

 its walls, carved out as it were but yesterday, are approximately 

 perpendicular, but even here they are already beginning to crumble 

 down under the influence of the weather; at the distance of a few 

 miles below the Falls, where they have been longer exposed to this 

 influence, the average inclination falls to not more than 60°, and 

 still farther eastward to 45° or less ; and finally, in the lower part* 

 of the Gorge, instead of the familiar wall-like lines of crags, we find 

 that the river is bounded only by rugged hillsides whose average 

 slope from crest to base is often not more than 30°. 



The processes that have operated during the immeasurable past 

 must continue also into the immeasurable future, so long as the 

 Zambesi continues to thunder seaward over the edge of its upland 

 basin. Imperceptible though the rate may be when measured by 

 the short span of our human life, yet surely is the river gnawing its 

 path backward into the heart of the continent ; and the geologist, 

 noting how already at the rapids above the Leaping Water the 

 trench is deepening that draws down more and more of the flood 

 at the expense of the shallower portions of the Falls, may look 

 forward with confidence to a future when either here or along some 

 still lower trench at present undeveloped the main trough of the 

 river will become fixed. The present lip of the Falls will then be 

 left dry to form another ' Knife-edge ' around which the torrent will 

 swirl in turmoil as it passes away from its new place of descent 

 at some line of crags at present submerged under the placid waters 

 of the upper river. 



II. — The Mount Toelesse Annelid. 

 By F. A. Bather, M.A., D.Sc, F.G.S., British Museum (Natural History). 



AMONG the geological specimens obtained by Mr. H. T. Ferrar, 

 while the " Discovery " was visiting New Zealand, are seven 

 rock -fragments containing tubular shells, and an eighth with some 

 obscure markings. They are labelled as follows : — 



No. 17. AnneHd tubes? Mt. Torlesse. H. T. F. Dec. 8th, 1901. 

 No. 18. ,, ,, „ ,, 



No. 19. ,, „ ,, ,, 



No. 20. Scaly markings. ,, ,, ,, 



No. 21. Annelid. Mueller Glacier. Presd. Capt. Button, F.E.S. 



No. 22. AnneM tubes ? Kowai River. ,, 



No. 23. ,, Wilberforce Eiver. ,, 



No. 24. ,, Gorge of the Ashley. ,, 



Specimen No. 20 may at once be dismissed with the remark that 

 it is merely an irregular imprint, showing no structure ; even the 

 "scaly markings" of the label appear due to incipient cleavage of the 



