THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
139 
earth’s surface, irrespective of the climatic condi- 
tions there existing, (2) That during certain 
meteorological conditions mid-air explosions may- 
result in rainfall over extended areas. (3) That 
the liberation of energy necessary 7 for such rain- 
falls is not due, except initially, to the mid-air 
explosion, but to the energy stored up in the moist 
air from which the rain is derived. (4) That the 
meteorological conditions which must exist for 
the successful action of mid-air explosives would 
probably in most though not in all cases them- 
selves result in a natural production of rain. (5) 
That a comparatively high difference of electric 
potential between different parts of the air, or 
between the air and the earth, is possibly favora- 
ble for artificial rain-making when taken in 
connection with other meteorological conditions. (6) 
That an undirected mid-air explosion is not as 
likely to produce a general up-rush of air. 
We have received an intimation that among 
the echinoclerms collected by Mr. John H. Cooke 
in the Malta Miocene strata and sent by him 
to the British Museum, there are five new species, 
Echinus, nov. sp., Studeria , nov. sp Hemiaster , nov. 
sp ., Agassizia , nov. sp ., and Lovenia nov. sp ., Mr. J. 
W. Gregory, f.g.s.,f.z.s. of the British Museum has 
undertaken the determination of them, and will 
shortly publish a paper on the subject. 
To the south of Algeria and Tunis there exists 
a great depression stretching westward from the 
Gulf of Gabes to a distance of about 235 miles, in 
which are several chots or small lakes, sometimes 
only marshes, and in many places covered with a 
saline crust strong enough to bear the passage of 
camels. 
Systematic test borings in the districts of Ha- 
genau, Zabern, Strasburg and Molsheim have 
resulted in the discovery in the province of im- 
mense bituminous deposits, for the exploitation 
of which no fewer than seven large companies 
have been formed to whom the whole stretch of 
country between Hagenau and Sulz on the one side, 
and Wasselnheim on the other, has been tempora- 
rily transferred. Careful examination, according to 
Industries , has shown that the petroliferous bitu- 
men in Hagenau Forest is to be found at an average 
depth of 820 ft. while in the other districts the depo- 
sits have been met with at a depth of from 80 ft. 
Some of the companies mentioned propose con- 
structing a net-work of private railways connecting 
the oil fields. 
A curious application of zoological facts is given 
by M. Fallot, of Marseilles. Last June some 
fishermen discovered in the harbour of Marseilles a 
floating body in an advanced stage of decomposi- 
tion. The tissues presented the transformation 
known as saponification and with the peculiar 
appearance of the skin indicated, according to 
standard medical authority, that the body had 
not laid in the water more than four months and 
a half. The clothing yet clung to the body, how- 
ever, and was covered with barnacles. The e 
were found to be of two successive generations, 
and, as they are known to fix themselves to floating 
objects during April and May, it was concluded 
that the body had been in the water at least 
thirteen months. 
The introduction of the olive into Malta is at- 
tributed to the Greeks, who colonised the island 
about 700 P>. C. These people, — and especially 
the Bliocians — ousted the Phoenicians from their 
“pride of place” as the masters of the .Mediter- 
ranean, and established colonies for themselves 
in the Western Basin, in Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, 
Southern France, and Malta, and thus propagated 
not only their commerce but also their arts, 
literature, and ideas. They have even left traces 
of their blood, and it is to this that the women of 
Provence are said to owe the classical beauty of 
their features. 
The largest bee keeper in the world, says the 
Californian , is Mr. Harbison of California, who 
has 6000 hives, producing 200,000 pounds of hone} 
yearly. In Greece there are 30,000 hives, producing 
3.000. 000 pounds of honey; in Denmark 80,000 
producing 2,000,000; in Russia, 110,000. producing 
the same ; in Belgium 200,000, producing 5,00< >,0~>0; 
in Holland 240,000, producing 6,000,000; in France 
950.000, producing 23,000,000; in Germany 1,450,- 
000 and in Austria 1,550,000, each producing 
