36 
THE NATURALIST AND COLLECTOR 
The Carolinian zone embraces the 
states of Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, 
and the states west of the Mississippi 
as far as Colorado. Here the tulip tree 
blackberry, sassafras and persimmon 
first appear. The opossum, gray fox, 
squirrels, Carolina wren, tufted-tit, 
cardinal, gnatcatcher and yellow 
breasted chats are residents of this 
region. 
The austrouparion zone includes 
the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama and parts of the adjoining 
states. Here are found the painted 
bunting, mocking-bird, chuck-wills- 
widow, red-cockaded woodpecker, etc., 
and the cotton rats, wood rats, little 
spotted skunks and fur-tailed bats 
abound. 
The tropical zone, farther to the 
south is restricted to southern Florida 
and southeast Texas. The tropical 
trees grow here such as mangrove, dog¬ 
wood, royal palm, and mahogany. 
Among the birds are found the Zan- 
aida dove, white-crowned pigeon, quail 
doves, Bahama honey-creepers, caro- 
cara eagle, Bahama vireo, etc. 
These zones are divided and subdi¬ 
vided into provinces, which would 
prove not only disinteresting, but too 
complicated for the general reader, so 
they are omitted and only the primary 
divisions given 
Henry O. Scott. 
Meteors as Satellites. 
STRONOMERS conceive it to be 
possible for the earth, under 
certain circumstances, to cap¬ 
ture as satellites some of the roving 
meteoric bodies known to be numerous 
in space, instead of bringing them to 
the surface as aerolites. As these 
bodies are too small to be seen,—a 
mass of 100 tons being invisible at 
800 or 1000 miles when brightly lighted, 
the earth may actually be attended by 
hundreds of invisible moons. Sir J. 
Hershel was even of the opinion that 
such moons do not only exist, but that 
they may be large eneough to be visible 
for brief intervals when beyond the 
earth’s shadow; and Sir John Lubbock 
has supplied formulae for calculating 
the distances from observations of this 
kind. M. Petit, director of the Observ¬ 
atory of Toulose, has been led by ob¬ 
servation and calculation to conclude 
that the earth is attended by at least 
one meteoric stone of considerable 
size. It is about twenty-six times 
nearer than the moon, its orbit being 
about 5000 miles from the earth’s sur¬ 
face or 9000 from the center; and the 
tiny moon revolves around the earth in 
three hours and twenty minutes. 
The Oldest Book. 
T 'H E Papyrus Prisse, found by 
Prisse in a tomb of Thebes and 
now in the National Library 
at Paris, is thought to be the oldest 
book in existence. The tomb con¬ 
tained a mummy of the first Theban 
dynasty, dating back twenty-five cen¬ 
turies before Christ; but the book is 
much older, its title page proclaiming 
it to be of the time of King Assa, who 
lived about 3350 B. C. The book is 
divided into fourty-four chapters, 
written in hieratic rhythmic language. 
It contains a series of maxims and say¬ 
ings, directing those in authority to 
perform all their duties as perfect men, 
taking wisdom and science as guides, 
and to be modest, moderate and care¬ 
ful nob to abuse their powers. The 
author describes himself as 110 years 
old, and posessed of all honors and 
favors to be conferred by Egyptian 
royalty. 
Zircon has been found in California. 
