1040 General Notes. [ December, 
edge of the arts inferior to both the light and dark races of S. 
E. New Guinea. The peculiarity of macrodontism, z e., the ex- 
tension of one tooth over the space usually occupied by two or 
three, was noticed among the men of Rossel island. While in 
the south of New Guinea the natives are in the stone age, in the 
north they use shell implements. 
The New Zealand Earthquake-——Dr. Hector’s preliminary re- 
port upon the recent volcanic eruption in New Zealand enable 
some idea to be formed of the magnitude of this convulsion of 
nature. The outbreak commenced at half-past two on the morning 
of June roth, byan eruption from the top of Wahanga, the northern- 
most summit of the Tarawera range. This was in a few minutes fol- 
lowed by a more violent outburst from the summit of Ruawahia, 
the central peak of the same range, and this was shortly afterwards 
followed by a terrific explosion from the south end of Tarawera 
itself. For two hours vast quantities of steam, pumice-dust and 
stones were poured out. A great crack or fissure was formed 
along the east face of the mountain, and Mr. Percy Smith reports 
that the whole east end was blown away, the débris covering the 
country for many miles. Up to this time the earthquake shocks 
_which occurred were not very violent, but about 4 A. M. came a 
powerful earthshock, attendant on the outburst of an immense 
volume of steam from the site of Rotomahana lake. By 6 A. M. 
the period of active eruption had passed; but the town and 
vicinity of Wairoa were smothered in the mud condensed from 
the cloud of steam and solid matter thrown up from Rotomahana. 
The formerly abrupt sides of Tarawera are now every where 
softened by great slope deposits of material ejected from a range 
of volcanic vents, seven of which were ina mild state of eruption 
when visited by Dr. Hector. From the south-western extremity 
of Mt. Tarawera a great fissure runs south-westward for some 
seven miles. The eastern side of this has a nearly straight wall, 
but the western is very irregular and is continually altered by 
the falling in of its walls as they are undermined by the action 
of seven powerful geysers which at irregular intervals throw up 
great volumes of boiling water, stones and mud to a height of 
600 to 800 feet. Lake Rotomahana has disappeared in this 
chaos. The largest mud geyser occupies the site of the Pink 
terrace, another that of the White terrace. At its north- 
ern end this fissure commences in a great rent 2000 eet 
deep, 500 wide, and 300 deep on the side of Tarawera 
and the southern end is a bold semicircular escarpment. . 
of material. One mud geyser, about a mile sout i iar 
te is on comparatively high ground, and has built E 7 
7 mound which was several hundred feet high a few: 027 
eif a moond y 
after the chief eruption. 
a aata a aa aa a a a a a ea 
