THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
239 
perhaps on the horizon of the Kimmeridge Clay ; 
but I do not know whether Geologists hav e accura- 
tely fixed it or not. When residing at Steyning 
in Sussex, of which place I was the curate in 1859 
I found a pit from which sand had been excavated 
in the Lower Green-sand containing the mortar- 
like band, (l)'with a few characteristic fossils, 
and an abundance of balls of indurated clay, about 
one and a half feet beneath the surface. Suspec- 
ting them to contain phosphate of lime, as they 
much resembled specimens from Farnham, in 
my collection, I transmitted then to Messrs Borton 
Bros., Chemists of Brighton, who kindly under- 
took to analyze then. The result proved that they 
contained over 80 p. c. of phosphate of lime — 
higher, in fact, than any I had ever heard of. 
Such is a brief account of the original discovery 
of phosphate nodules, which in less than twenty 
years opened out a new epoch in the history of 
agricultural manures. Practical men have reaped 
golden harvests from the discovery, though very 
few of the thousands who have benefited by it, 
know that it was the late Professor. J, S. Henslow 
— ever ready to impart his scientific knowledge 
and discoveries for the benefit of others — who first 
called public attention to the commercial value of 
Phosphate nodules. He rests from his labours, 
but the results of his active disinterested mind 
will be of lasting benefit to his country. 
He died at Hitcham Rectory, Suffolk where 
he was the Incumbent. 
On the extraordinary abundance 
of Deiopeia pulchella Beis in Malta. 
It is worthy of notice that that this pretty moth 
has occured in unusual abundance this year, and 
at the moment of writing (10th August) and for a 
fortnight past if has been the commonest moth 
to be seen on the wing. I do not remember in 
fact ever having had occasion to record such. 
(1) This band luts been recognised by geologists 
and described as a “ phosphate paste” intermediate 
between the Gault and Lower Green-sand. It is 
about 1^ feet in thickness, and remarkable for its 
uniform continuity. It was doubtless the same 
band which Mr. Paine discovered re-appearing 
on the south side of the North Downs at Farnham 
Steyning being situated, an the north side of the 
South Downs. 
extraordinary numbers of any butterfly or moth. 
In the open country and in fields, especially where 
the Heliotropium europaeum , on which the Deio- 
peia feeds grows, it is a most curious sight to see 
the innumerable quantities of this pretty species, 
fluttering here and there looking like large animated 
snowflakes. Nor is it only by daylight that the 
moth appears, but also in the night it is found 
in great numbers attracted by the lights. Mr. R, 
Briffa, a friend of mine and a gentleman greatly 
interested, in our lepidoptera was telling me that 
at Sliema there where thousands of the species 
flitting about in every part of the gardens and 
fields. The same may be said of all other parts of 
the island as I have seen TheMarsa, Corradino, No- 
tabile, Attard and many other places teeming with 
this moth and its catterpillar. 
As to the cause of such an unusual frequence I 
believe it is to be refered to the rains which fell 
during the late spring causing an overgrowth of 
the Heliothropium. The extra abundance of this 
plant from which the moth derives its sustenance 
may therefore in a measure account for the unu- 
sual numbers of this insect. 
For those of our readers who have not had an 
opportunity of examining it, I may add that the 
moth is white with small red and black spots on 
the forewings and with white underwings bor- 
dered with black. It is subject to much varia- 
tion sometimes the black dottings predominating, 
sometimes the red ones, but it is a very characte- 
ristic form and very easily distinguished. 
Alfred Caeuana Gatto. 
The Eruption of Etna. 
During the last month the eruption of Etna 
underwent many varying phases of activity, at 
one time abating to such an extent as to suggest 
exhaustion, and then breaking againout with great 
violence. 
From the 1st to the 5th of August it subsided, 
but on the 6th ult. activity was renewed with 
redoubled violence and kept up until the 15th ult, 
after which it waned again. On the 6th a succes- 
sion of earthquakes, that were felt in Syracuse, 
and that equalled in intensity those that ushered 
in the outbreak on the 12tb. of July, were expe- 
