.340 



SCIENCE- G OSS IF. 



A CONTBIBUTION to the botaiiy of West Laiica- 

 shu-e appears in a paper reprinted from the 

 " Naturalist," by Mr. S. Lister Petty. It refers 

 especially to the Silverdale area. 



Messrs. Blackib & Son, Limited, have issued 

 their new " Circle Series " of Science Note-books. 

 They are of the usual exercise-book appearance, 

 but ruled in definite squares for centimetres, 

 quarter-inch, and tenth of an inch. They are only 

 one penny each. 



We regret to record the death of Dr. Emil 

 Holub, the well-known African explorer. His 

 book on the countries formerly known as Mono- 

 motapa and the Marutse-Mambunda Kingdom was 

 recognised as an important contribution io African 

 literature. He wrote also volumes on African 

 colonisation and on the big game and birds of the 

 region. 



Mr. Willoughby Gardiner, F.L.S., has com- 

 piled a useful list of Hymenoptera Aculeata observed 

 in Lancashire and Cheshire. Unfortunately, with 

 the progress of building suburban Liverpool some 

 of the best localities in the district are rapidly 

 changing in character. It is, therefore, well to 

 have so full a list of the bees, wasps, and ants of 

 that district as has been issued by Mr. Gardiner. 

 His notes are of more than passing interest. 



A prehistoric sepulchral monument, of a kind 

 hitherto unknown in Europe, has been discovered 

 at Bleasdale, in Lancashire, by Mr. S. Jackson. A 

 paper on the discovery has just been issued by the 

 Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. It 

 is well known that " standing stones," whether 

 solitary or in groups such as ch'cles, are often 

 memorials of the dead, whatever other purpose 

 they may have served ; but the remarkable feature 

 in the Bleasdale monument is that wood has taken 

 the place of stone. 



The " Medical Press and Circular " has a very 

 interesting account of decapitation. According to 

 the idea of a surgeon in the United States Navy, 

 who closely watched the beheading of thirty-six 

 Chinese criminals in Canton, death was not 

 instantaneous, but came almost immediately after 

 the sword-stroke, and was due to syncope. The 

 interesting features were, that in many cases a 

 decided effort to swallow was shown ; in several 

 attempts were made to articulate in a deliberate 

 manner. The faces showed a momentary look of 

 intelligence as they fell, with a natural movement 

 of the eyes as if looking, and an opening and 

 closing of the lids. 



The deposit of a specimen of the long-haired, or 

 Mexican, spider monkey (Ateles vellerosm') at the 

 Gardens of the Zoologisal Society is a matter for 

 congratulation, as up to the present time English 

 naturalists have not had an opportunity of examin- 

 ing a living example of this species. It ranges 

 farther north than any other member of the genus, 

 being found in Mexico, and is said to occur in the 

 upper part of the basin of the Tampico River, 

 about 23° N. latitude. On the opposite side of the 

 room is a full-grown example of the very rare 

 red-bellied spider monkey (^1. rufiventrh') from 

 Colombia, of which only one other example has 

 been received by the Society, and that just thirty 

 years ago. Nothing is known of the habits of this 

 species, which owes its popular and specific names 

 to the rufous coloration of the under surface, the 

 rest of the fur being black, and rough in texture. 



An illustrated reprint has been issued of a paper 

 read by John Cadman, B.Sc, F.G.S., before the 

 Institute of Mining Engineers in October last. It 

 deals with the ironstones found in the North 

 Stafi^ordshire Coalfield. 



The thirty-second annual report of Wellington 

 College Natural Science Society for 1901 contains 

 a plate of eolithic flint implements found on 

 Finchampstead Ridges. There is other informa- 

 tion showing that the Society is taking an in- 

 telligent interest in the district surrounding the 

 College. 



There are several important papers in the last 

 issued "Journal of the Marine Biological Associa- 

 tion," vol. vi., N.S., No. 'A. They deal with the 

 marine fauna of the estuary of the river Exe, the 

 plankton of the Faroe Channel and Shetlands ; also 

 other important subjects, including a report on 

 " The Second International Conference for the Ex- 

 ploration of the Sea," held at Christiania in 1901. 



The " Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual 

 Meeting of the Association of Economic Entomo- 

 logists " has been issued by the Government Print- 

 ing Office at Washington. The U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture has j^rinted this report, according to its 

 custom. There are two illustrations representing 

 the manner of destroying weevils which attack 

 peach and plum trees in Georgia. The illustrations 

 show a large number of persons employed on this 

 work. 



A PAPER was read before the Royal Meteoro- 

 logical Society on March 19th by Mr. F. J. Brodie 

 on " The Prevalence of Gales on the Coasts of the 

 British Islands." This dealt with the thirty years 

 between 1871 and 1900. The worst year was 1883, 

 and the quietest was 1889. The highest velocity 

 of wind was on January 12th, 1899, being 78 miles 

 per hour. Forty-three per cent, of storm systems 

 advance from some point between south and south- 

 west, 39 per cent, have an easterly motion, and less 

 than one per cent, move westwards. 



It is pleasing to find that Sir James Musgrave, 

 of Carrick Lodge, Co. Donegal, has forbidden his 

 keepers to destroy a couple of golden eagles which 

 have appeared on his estate. Another one, 

 measuring 6g feet across the wings, was unfor- 

 tunately trapped ; and this led to the preservation 

 of the remaining birds. Sir James Musgrave 

 welcomes the visits of naturalists to his estate, 

 that runs for thirty miles along the coast of 

 Donegal, and includes the celebrated " Tormore " 

 breeding place for birds, which is strictly pre- 

 served. 



The latest outcome of the " nature study " 

 movement is an association which is to hold an 

 exhibition of everything connected with nature 

 teaching, in the Gardens of the Royal Botanic 

 Society of London on July 23rd and the following 

 days. The Hon. John Cockburn, K.C.M.G., is the 

 chairman of the executive committee. He, it will 

 be remembered, has been Minister of Education 

 and Premier of South Australia ; so those who look 

 for valuable education results from the holding of 

 the exhibition will have the greater reason for 

 their expectancy. We shall await the report of 

 the committee with interest. Any details as to 

 the exhibits which it is suggested should be offered 

 can be obtained from the hon. secretary, Mr. J. C. 

 Medd, at the Gardens, or Stratton, near Ciren- 

 cester. 



