THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
69 
Vine and Olive culture in Algeria. 
Among the many dangers that beset the viti- 
culture of Algeria, the most formidable are those 
due to atmospheric disturbances. In spring, hail- 
storms frequently destroy the young shoots, the 
flowers are often ruined by fogs, and the ripe 
fruit by the sirocco. 
Another serious enemy is the Phylloxera, but 
the officials have been fairly successful in dealing 
with this pest. Another is the Altise, a small 
beetle which causes great destruction, particularly 
when in its larval condition. The mode of killing 
the Altise, commonly adopted is to place bundles 
of grass and vine cuttings around the yard when 
winter is approaching; in this the insects conceal 
themselves in large compact masses, and the whole 
is then set on fire. 
Other diseases, the oidium, anthrachnosis, pero- 
nospera, and chlorosis. It is calculated that the 
want of intelligent treatment of these diseases 
causes the owners of the vineyards to lose annually 
nearly a third of the crop. 
The olive seems to grow everywhere in Algeria 
except in marsh ground, and attains dimensions 
quite unknown on the northern coast of the 
Mediterranean. 
H. E. B&tjn. 
Deforestation of Servia. 
►Servia is rapidly being disafforested, and from 
the reports that have lately been made it seems 
that the most lamentable effects are already fol- 
lowing on the great want of foresight that has 
been shown. 
Since the declaration of Servian independence, 
the Servian peasants have cleared vast tracts of 
land of the fine woods with which they were 
formerly covered, for the purposes of agriculture, 
and the usual consequences of drought in summer 
and heavy floods in winter are already beginning 
to manifest themselves. 
The government have endeavoured to interfere, 
but most of the restrictions that they have passed ! 
have been carried out in such a perfunctory 
manner that their statutes are considered but as 
a dead letter, I 
The south and the south-west of Servia contain 
the finest supplies of timber, and it is from these 
districts that the greater part of the oak staves 
that are used in cask-making, are obtained. 
At Vrania, along the Turkish frontier, there are 
some magnificent oak forests; while the fir, the 
juniper and the walnut thrive luxuriantly on the 
great Kopavnik Range, and on the heights of the 
Nischava valley, and Zlatibor. 
Remarkable natural phenomenon 
near Cephalonia. 
BY 
W. G. Fostepw 
On the western side of the Bay of Argostoli there 
is a heaving rock, which, unchanged by the roughest 
or calmest weather, rocks to and fro with the 
regularity of a pendulum. It is separated from a 
fixed mass of rock against which it opens and 
shuts in its perfect motion; at one time it will 
jam a knife in the crevice, from which in a few 
seconds, extraction would be impossible, whilst 
the next moment you can easily insert your hand 
when its maximum aperture has been reached. 
The phenomena has been carefully examined 
by many scientific men, divers have been sent 
below to ascertain if it be the result of a detached 
rock from a neighbouring cliff having fallen on to 
another and thus becoming very finely balanced, 
as all logan stones usually are. 
However it was not only shown to be a perfectly 
solid rock, but it does not require the motion of 
water to sway it. as so often we find it erroneously 
stated, the motive power for swaying it being 
furnished by an apparently inexplicable cause. 
Nearly opposite to this rocking stone, another 
remarkable phenomenon is to be found, consisting 
of a body of water, equal in bulk to about a 
million gallons per day, running in from the sea 
at four points on the coast rapidly for a certain 
distance until it gradually becomes sucked intc 
the earth and disappears. By conducting the 
water into an artificial canal for a few yards, and 
by collecting the four points of supply into one 
enough motive power is obtained to drive two 
mills. The stream after being thus utilised, is 
allowed to follow its own course, and is lost among 
the rocks It has no possible outlet. 
Zante. 
