THE AUSTRALIAN. NATURALIST. 91 
In New Zealand a plant much resembling the Kava plant 
of the South Seas and closely allied to it, Macropiper excelsum, 
is indigenous. The Maoris call it Kawa-Kawa, but make no 
use of it nor do they appear to have had any idea-of such a 
preparation as the Kava of the South Sea Islands. Consider- 
ing the undoubted origin of the Maoris in these islands, and 
the identity of the name Kawa-Kawa with the Kava-Kaya of 
many of the islands, this is somewhat remarkable. 
The nature of the chemical principles of the Kaya root 
has been investigated by several chemists. There is present a 
erystallisable substance called Kavahin or Methysticin, which 
erystallises from ‘the alcoholic solution in white silky needles, 
but is physiologically quite inert. 
The real active principle of the root, to which it owes its 
properties, consists of two obscure resins which were named by 
Lewin who first isolated them, Alpha-Kava-Kava resin and Beta- 
Kava-Kava resin.* 
THE ECLIPSE AT CASINO. 
By F. M. Irby. 
To a kindly professor whose advice to onlookers appeared 
in the Brisbane Courier, 1 am indebted for the adyice which 
enabled the enclosed drawings and notes to be made. I laughed 
when I read, “Have two sharp pointed pencils by you,” but, 
acting upon it I tied a second one in the corner of my handker- 
chief and, but for this, both sketch and note would have ended 
abruptly. September 21, 1922, waked at daylight, all the birds 
in the tea-tree swamp singing, lovely morning, clear blue sky. 
Sky bright and clear, at 3.9 p.m., moon’s edge on sun. ~ Ten 
minutes to’ 4.strong wind started, sudden curious drop in tem- 
perature, had to put jackets over our light dresses, temperature 
69°, night-scented stocks started to unfold flowers, yellow cassia 
leaves closed, sparaxis flowers partly closed. 5 past 4, tem- 
perature 67, 7 past 4, temperature 66, fowls waiting to be fed, 
hen with chickens gone to bed. Quarter past 4, a flash like 
that made by a patent gas lighter and the last bit of sun went 
out, temperature 64. Birds flew wildly to shelter pf trees, hens 
ran to fowl house, some too late to find their way, staggered 
*Jour. Soe. Chem. Ind. London, Vol. VIIT., p. 304, and 
Vol. IX., p. 411. 
