Notes and Comments. 
53 
pollination of the flowers. This agency was to be found in 
night-flying moths — a surmise advanced by Darwin at the 
very outset of the controversy, but not carried further by him. 
THE PRESS AND GEOLOGY. 
The daily paper is occasionally entertaining. In des- 
cribing the * remarkable developments ’ of a company in 
excavating the well-known section in the Millepore Limestone 
near South Cave railway station, E. Yorks., it is stated ■ the 
presence of stone in this locality, where chalk is so prevalent, 
was originally discredited, and archaeologists have pronounced 
this discovery of stone in the vicinity of numerous chalk 
quarries as highly remarkable.' 
A VANISHING HILL. 
Similarly, The Leeds Mercury records a conversation with 
a Goole sea-captain respecting a hill which is ‘ slowly settling 
down and gradually running away into the river,' due to 
‘ strong currents in the river which have worn away the 
land.’ We learn that ‘ Somewhere about midway between 
Goole and Hull, clearly to be observed from the Blacktoft 
jetty, but on the opposite side of the river, is a hill which, 
years ago, completely hid the church and the houses of the 
village of Alkborough from the eye of the passing vessels. 
Only the top of the church spire was to be seen. In the course 
of time the hill seems to have grown smaller, because at the 
present day not only is the spire visible, but the church and 
the village as well, and yet, apparently, the church is as far 
from the river shore as it was in former days when onty the 
spire could be seen oyer the hill-top.' All this has occurred 
during the past thirty years. Possibly the fact that during 
that period the ships have increased in size, and consequently 
the captain has been able to see further over the hill than 
formerly, explains this ‘ miracle ’ ! 
THE EDINBURGH REPORT. 
W ithin twenty days of the same year as the meeting in which 
the British Association was held, its Report appeared, bound 
in respectable cloth for those who sent the necessary extra 
two shillings. Compared with pre-war days, it is still on the 
‘ thin ’ side ; yet in its 560 pages, is a good survey of the 
various efforts to advance science, made at Edinburgh. Be- 
sides the numerous Presidential Addresses, there are several 
valuable reports of Committees of Research, dealing with 
Seismology, Tides, Credit, Currency and Finance ; En- 
gineering Materials ; Pictures for Schools, etc. There are 
brief summaries of the papers read at the sections [these we 
should like to see extended] and the Report of the Corres- 
ponding Societies' Committee. This includes Sir Richard 
Gregory's address on * The Message of Science,’ and a ‘ List 
1922 Feb. 1 
