168 
* THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
this lie concludes that the strata of these islands 
are of the same age. The fauna car be traced 
over an area extending from Spain to Persia, and 
it affords evidences of the former presence of con- 
tinental areas in the Mediterranean. On the 
question as to what division of time it belongs to, 
geologists and paleontologists are not agreed, for 
while some would assign it to a period interme- 
diate to the Miocene and Pliocene, others strongly 
support the view that it belongs strictly to the 
Pliocene. 
F uchs states that the marine shells of Raphina 
are of the same age as the bones of Pikermi 
among which they are found., and therefore he 
does not consider that there is any need to have 
recourse to a later period. 
The general opinion that the upper fauna of 
Siwalikwas contemporaneous with that of Pikermi 
has done much towards causing it to be considered 
as being of Pliocene age. To the author, however, 
it seems evident that it was even more recent 
than that and in support of his contention he 
mentions among other things the fact that the 
two faunas have not a single species in common. 
The following is a list of the remarkable fauna 
discovered by the anther in the island. 
Carnivore 
Machairodus. sp. Felis neas . Major. 
Lycyaena Cheer etis. Hens. 
Hycena exirnia. Roth. 
Ictiiherium Orbignyi. Gaud. 
„ robustum. Gaud. 
„ hipparionum Gaud. 
Mustela palceattica. Weith 
Promephitis Larteii. Gaud. 
Meles maraghanus. Kittl. 
Giraphidis. 
Samotherium Boissieri. Maj. 
Palceotragus Rouenii. Gaud. 
Helladotherium Davernoyi . Gaud. 
Cervidi. 
Bremotherium (?) Pentelici. Gaud. 
Equidi. 
Hipparion mediterraneum. Hens. 
„ minus Paolow (?) 
Ancilipodl 
Chalicotherium Pentelici. Gaud, 
Rosicanti 
Acanthomys Gaudryi. Dames. 
Remains of tortoises and of birds. 
Antilopidi 
Palceoryx Pallassii Gaud. 
„ rotundicornis. Gaud. 
Protoryx Carolines. Maj. 
Protoryx longiceps. Maj. 
„ gaudryi. Maj . 
„ Ilippolite. Maj. 
Helicophora rotund icprn is. YVeith. 
Gazella desperdita. Gaud. 
„ sp. 
” . S P- 
Prostrepsiceros Wooclwardii Mai. 
„ < sp. t 
Paloeoreas Lindermayeri. Gaud. 
Tragoceras Valinciennesi. Gaud. 
,, amaltheus. Gaud. 
Criotherium Argalioide; Maj. 
Capra sp. 
Suidi. 
Bus erimanthius. Roth, et Wagns. 
Rinocerontidi. 
Eh. chygnathus. Wagn. 
Eh. Schleiermacheri. Ivaup (?). 
Proboscidiani. 
Mastodon Pentelici. Gaud, and Lart. 
„ Turicensis Schinz. 
Dinotherium sp (?) 
The Meteorology of the Maltese Islands. 
The geographical position of Malta, and the 
transluscence of its atmosphere for the greater part 
of the year render the island specially suitable as a 
station for observing and registering the meteoro- 
logical phenomena of the Central Mediterranean. 
Prior to the establishment of the observatory at 
St. Ignatius College, St. Julians, no attempts seem 
to have been made to carry on a regular and syste- 
matic series of observations, and science is therefore 
greatly indebtacl to the Jesuit Fathers under 
whose direction the observatory was originated 
and is now being maintained for the very valuable 
results that are daily recorded in their College 
observatory. 
From the summary of the observations made by 
the Rev. J. Scoles, S. J. during the year 1891 w T e 
extract the following interesting items. 
The highest temperature was recorded on the 
8th. of June when the thermometers indicated a 
temperature of 155'7° Fah. in the sun; while the 
lowest reading taken on the 25th. of January was 
32 5° Fah. On the same day the standing water on 
the Marsa was frozen over, and on the 19th. of 
January snow, (not hail nor sleet) fell at ISTotabile 
and Dingli for a period of 8 hours. January 1891 was 
the coldest month that had been experienced for 
10 years. Thunderstorms pased on 13 days; lightn- 
ing was seen on 20 days> and hail fell on 14 days, 
