re a 
Ilk 
B flDontbl^ IReview of IRatura! Science, 
Yol. II, No. 23. 
MALTA, APEIL 1st. 1893. 
{ 
4/- Per a xx 
By post 5 
CONTENTS. 
■■ Page 
1 The recent Earthquakes in Zante— W. G. Forster 317 
2 The Future of the Races 354 
•3 V ariation in Skin Colour 354 
4 The Marls and Clays of the Maltese Islands— J. H. 
Cooke, B.Sc.. F.G.S. 355 
5 Science Gossip:— Earthquake in Sicily — Helix aspersa 
among the Maltese Oranges — Bee stings as a cure 
for rheumatism— Maltese Figs— The Maltese Dog 
—The land tortoises of the Galapagos— Natural 
history of Madagascar, etc. etc. 358 
0 The Sandgate Landslip— W. Topley, F.R.S. 360 
7 Metercologieal Report for the month. 3G2 
NOTICES. 
The Mediterraxeax Naturalist is published, 
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To Correspondents. 
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London, nor through Messrs Turnbull and Co. 
of Strada Beale, Malta, nor through Messrs T. 
Smith and Co. of Str. Cristoforo, Malta. 
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Important Notice to cur Eeaders. 
IFe desire to inform our readers that is our in- 
tention to enlarge the Mediterranean Naturalist, 
and, from time to illustrate it. 
Instead , however, of publishing every won! h as 
heretofore, we shall publish every two months. 
The Recent Earthquakes in Zante. 
■: by 
W. G. Forster. 
Seismologist, Manager, and Electrician, Eastern 
Ter graph, ZANTE. 
From the traditions of the place it lias' always 
been considered pretty certain that Zante must 
invariably expect a more or less severe earthquake 
about every thirty years. I find however that 
this cycle of Seismic disturbances is common to 
all earthquake districts in South-Eastern Europe 
and Asia-Minor and that there exists also a fairly 
proven and established law which governs these 
periods of visitation, for ’ instance, whenever 
any long time has elapsed without the slight 
shocks— which average one or more a week in 
earthquake districts of non volcanic regions — and 
when to these periods of comparative quiescence 
succeeds one of constant earth tremors then a 
disastrous shock is nearly certain to take place. 
This is a very important point and cannot be ne- 
glected when the question as to the origin of the 
shocks is under consideration. 
The last strong local earthquake previous to the 
present series of shocks occurred on the 26th Oc- 
tober 1813 and although it was far less severe, it 
originated within a mile or so of tlie present one's 
centrum, as proven by a knot of submarine cable 
having been then lost, buried under tlie immense; 
mass which fell into it, at the bottom of the sea ; 
and by the measurements taken at the time. 
This earthquake had precisely the same charac- 
teristics as the present one, both previously and 
subsequently to its occurrence and although very 
many severe and slight shocks have been felt since 
