Geology. 149 



New Zealand elements points to the earlier severance of that con- 

 nection. No closer connection with temperate Australia need 

 be postulated to explain the affinities of the flora of Lord Howe 

 Island and the continent. The last land connection being with 

 New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island ought properly to be con- 

 sidered an outlier of that region." ir. e. g. 



7. Block Mountains in New Zealand; by C. A. Cotton. — Dr. 

 Cotton desires to make the following corrections in his article 

 which appeared under the above title in this Journal in October, 

 1917, vol. 44, pp. 249-293 : 



Page 272, legend of fig. 13, line 2 ; for Maniototo read Manu- 

 herikia. 



Pages 277, 287, figs. 17 and 24, the blocks for these figures are 

 transposed. 



Page 278, fig. 18. For legend substitute : The Hawkdun fault 

 scarp as seen from the northern part of Ida Valley. The scarp 

 rises to between 3,000 feet and 4,000 feet above the neighboring 

 portion of the lowland. 



8. The Origin of Chert in the Burlington Limestone; by 

 W. S. Tare. Erratum.— On page 447 of the December number, 

 the not in the third line from the bottom should be omitted. 

 The sentence then reads : ' ' Evidently chert does occur in the 

 beds below the surface . . . " 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence;. 



1. Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 Charles D. Walcott, for the year ending June 30, 1917. Pp. 

 110, pis. 2. — The general conditions which affect all the depart- 

 ments in Washington have materially influenced the work of the 

 Smithsonian also during the past year. This is conspicuously 

 true in regard to aviation, a subject with which the name of the 

 Institution will always be connected. When Professor Langley, 

 against many obstacles, worked out the mathematical theory of 

 flight and demonstrated its practical possibility, nearly thirty 

 years ago, he had little idea of the extent to which the subject 

 would be developed at the present time. The work now being 

 done by the Smithsonian is along a number of different lines 

 and must contribute largely to the success of this branch of the 

 service. The National Research Council, organized by the 

 National Academy, is also spoken of in this report and the part 

 taken by it in the general Council of National Defence. In one 

 particular only are the war conditions severely limiting the 

 activities of the Institution and that is in the International 

 Exchange Service. 



The various lines of special research and exploration are being 

 carried forward as heretofore, including the geological work in 



