336 THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
Animal Plagues. 
tion of this reef, just as that observed at Palmarola 
by Dr. Johnston Lavis. (1) 
The studies of Hamilton, Dolomieu. Spallanzani, 
Gemmellaro, Lyeli and in fact almost everyone 
who has visited Etna, have advanced many theo- 
ries to explain the formation of these rocks and 
have not yet exhausted the vast field of research 
which they offer to the naturalist, researches 
which render these reefs, already celebrated for 
the part they play in mythology, a sacred monu- 
ment for the history of science. 
The landing at Acicastello is beneath a cliff of 
globular basalt, which, like the neighbouring 
reefs, has also been studied by so many 
renowned geologists, is also rich in different min- 
erals, and its peculiar structure has given rise to 
so many theories and hypotheses. Upon this cliff 
stands the historic ruins of the castle of Aci, glo- 
rious ruins that merit more care and preservation, 
and from whose walls one may enjoy a splendid 
panorama. By the side of the globular basalt 
projects a remnant of pelagonite tuff rich in beau- 
tiful zeolites. Amongst the most important mine- 
rals found in this tuff and in the basalt, the 
following may be mentioned, Chabasite in rliom- 
bohedrons, Garnet, Herschelite, crystallized and 
globular, Phillipsite, and finally Mesotype which 
some mineralogists believe to be a mixture of 
Natrolite and Scolecite, an opinion not accepted 
by Yon Lassaulx. 
Leaving the coast we first notice a deposit of 
clay which extends northwards as far as Capo 
Molini, westwards to Nizzeti, and which south- 
wards is limited by a recent lava that has surround- 
ed different basaltic hills and even the rock of 
Aci-castello. This Post-pliocene clay (according 
to Lyeli, earlier according to Gemmellaro) contains 
little bands of Augite. From the midst of this 
clay rises numerous basaltic hills, one more inte- 
resting than the other, and which present such 
variety of structure, such mineral riches as to offer 
a vast field for the study of the Volcanologist. 
( to be continued. ) 
Many countries possess wild animals, snakes, or 
insects that are dangerous or troublesome t man. 
Some interesting particulars are given by Mr. P.L. 
Simmonds, F.L.S. In India 23,000 persons and 
over 63,000 cattle are killed by tigers, leopards, 
bears, wolves, and other carnivora, and in greatest 
proportion by snakes. Government bounty results 
in the annual killing of about 17,600 wild l easts 
and 578,000 snakes. Wolves have been troublesome 
in France, but the reward of £ 3 for each one 
killed is causing their rapid extermination. The 
Russian forests, in 1SS0, contained 170,000 wolves, 
which, together with bears, devour annually 2<.>0 
children and travellers, 500 horses, more than l'X'O 
oxen, and 4000 other domestic animals. In Austria 
160 bears, 200 hyenas and 1200 wolves are slaugh- 
tered annually. Finland loses 5500 cattle each 
year by wolves. In Java 270 persons are killed 
yearly by tigers, and 180 by crocodiles. The locust 
is a dreaded pest in northern Africa. Cyprus, and 
other quarters, where it often bring* famine. In 
Cyprus a bonus of £ 40 a ton is paid for des- 
troying the eggs, and in some years 60 tons-equi- 
valent to 4680 million locus ts-have been destroy ed. 
Australia has a liberal share of animal plagues. 
The kangaroos are an indigenous nuisance, each 
consuming as much grass as a sheep, and their 
numbers being so great that 10,000 a year for *ix 
consecutive years have been killed on a sheep run 
of 60,000 to 80,000 acres. The dingo or native dog 
is another foe of the settler, destroying many sheep. 
But the most formidable pest is the introduced 
rabbit, for whose destruction hundreds of thou- 
sands of pounds are now paid yearly, while the 
damage done amounts to millions. If undisturbed 
and sufficiently fed, two pairs of these creatures 
would in three years increase to the enormous 
number of 5,000,000. Victoria alone has 100 official 
inspectors and some 10,000 persons employed in 
rabbit extermination; while in New Zealand, which 
had not a rabbit twenty years ago but now exports 
12,000,000 skins yearly, many colonists are 
thinking seriously of vacating the country with 
their flocks and herds. 
(I) H.J. J.L. — The Vonza Islands. — Ge.ol. Mag. 
1S10, pp. 529-585, 
