January 15, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



49 



with the juice of the upas-tree, projected from a 

 hollow cane, and, for very large game, use a bam- 

 boo bow and arrows. They live in bamboo huts 

 about eight feet high, thatched with palm-leaves. 

 They are ugly and timid, but inoffensive. They 

 wear the hair flowing, instead of tied up as the 

 Malays do, and are shorter than the latter, but 

 resemble them in other physical characters. They 

 are gradually becoming accustomed to Europeans; 

 and one or two Malays are attached to each com- 

 munity, on the part of the government, to protect 

 the people from injury or imposition. 



The Malpais in Michoacan, Mexico. — Carlos 

 Naulleau has visited the Malpais in Michoacan, 

 Mexico, and from his account we extract the fol- 

 lowing notes of interest : The Malpais is situated 

 four leagues from Panindicuaro, and is a region 

 four leagues long and two wide, covered with 

 fantastic emissions of a now extinct volcano. The 

 pinnacles and blocks resemble a ruined city, and 

 are so rough and angular that one would need 

 steel armor to make one's way among them un- 

 wounded. There are many caverns, natural pits, 

 and shafts to be avoided. The scene is extraor- 

 dinary : the twisted and sombre rocks are desti- 

 tute of the smallest sign of vegetation. It is said 

 that in this retreat the ancient Indians fortified 

 themselves against Cortes and his followers. The 

 place is a natural citadel, within which, it is 

 asserted, the aborigines built themselves a town 

 surrounded by a triple wall with only one entrance. 

 One legend states that thousands found a refuge 

 here, and that the place was twice visited by a 

 pestilence, the second time only sixty persons 

 escaping to Zacapu. There, in the library of the 

 Franciscan fathers, the Rev. Fermin Martinez, 

 who has given the subject much study, has found 

 some records relating to the fugitives. Among 

 the higher parts of the confused masses of lava 

 are several structures formed like teocallis, sur- 

 rounded with a narrow stairway, and connected 

 with each other by paths made of blocks of lava. 

 There are also several ruined houses in different 

 places. The most remarkable teocalli measures at 

 the base thirty-five by twelve varas, and is fifteen 

 varas high. It has been excavated for antiquities. 

 At a depth of three or four varas were found sev- 

 eral small cells built of adobe, each containing a 

 skeleton with a small jar of pottery, many arrow- 

 heads, and a few knives made of obsidian. The 

 investigations were interrupted by banditti, who 

 doubtless supposed that treasures of gold or jewels 

 were being secured by the diggers. 



Return of Aubry. — Aubry, who for two years 

 and a half has been travelling in Shoa, Galla- and 

 Somali-land, on a mission from the Ministry of 

 public instruction, has safely returned to Paris. 



His companion, Dr. Hamon, succumbed to fever 

 on the eve of his return, and died by the Hawash 

 River, between the Abyssinian mountains and the 

 Gulf of Aden. Aubry was obliged to fight to 

 escape the Somalis. In the confusion his collec- 

 tions of zoology and botany were lost ; the min- 

 eralogical and geological collections, however, 

 were saved, as well as all his note-books, maps, 

 etc. The results of his work will soon be made 

 public. 



ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. 



Comet 1885 V (Brooks). — We learn from Mr. 

 Barnard of the Vanderbilt observatory, Nashville, 

 Tenn., that he found this comet independently on 

 the evening of Dec. 27, 1885, and telegraphed im- 

 mediately to Swift his discovery, receiving in 

 reply the announcement that he had been antici- 

 pated one clay by Brooks. Mr. Barnard had re- 

 signed on the 30th of August, 1885, the zone 

 (+ 15° to — 45 ) originally allotted to him, and 

 carefully watched since 1882 : and it was only in 

 casually devoting a few hours to the field in which 

 he has been so successful that he picked up the 

 new comet. An orbit computed by Chandler and 

 Wendell shows that the comet is decreasing in 

 brightness, having passed perihelion on Nov. 29, 

 1885. 



The Lick observatory. — Professor Holden has 

 written an interesting article for the Overland 

 monthly, sketching the history of the observatory 

 to the time of his taking charge. In regard to the 

 immediate inception of astronomical work, he 

 says, "It is of the first importance to find some 

 means of paying the salaries of one or two ob- 

 servers for the years 1886 and 1887, in order 

 that the magnificent equipment may be at 

 once put to its legitimate uses. No great sum 

 is required, but a few thousand dollars at this 

 time would be of real service." It is stated that 

 the first volume of publications of the ' Lick ob- 

 servatory of the University of California ' is now 

 in course of preparation, under the direction of 

 the Lick trustees, by Capt, Richard S. Floyd and 

 Professor Holden. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



We take the following from Governor Robin- 

 son's message to the Massachusetts legislature: 

 " Although no legislation seems to be needed upon 

 this subject [topographical survey], it will not be 

 inappropriate to emphasize the importance of the 

 work, and to commend its successful prosecution 

 under the direction of the state commissioners, 

 acting in co-operation with the U. S. geologi- 

 cal survey. During the year 1885 about two 



