Slike strani
PDF
ePub
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][subsumed]
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]

the Black Deep formerly extended in one continuous line from the Kentish coast to the Long Sand Head, a distance of over 30 miles. Across this chain of sands there have always been shallow swatchways which communicated by somewhat circuitous channels with the deep water of the estuary. These are now 5 in number: (1) the Gore Channel, which passes close to Margate and then across the Kentish flats; (2) the Queen's Channel, which, passing between the Margate sand and Tongue sand, also leads across the Kentish flats; (3) the Prince's Channel, which leads between the Tongue sand on the south side, and the Shingles and Girdler sands on the north side, into the Black Deep; (4) the Alexandra Channel, which leads from the Prince's Channel to the Black Deep; and (5) the Duke of Edinburgh Channel, which leads from the deep water of the North Sea into the Black Deep. All these channels are buoyed. In the Gore Channel (sometimes called the South Channel), which has been in use from early times, the depth at low water is 10 feet. The shallow grounds shift backwards and forwards, but there seems to have been always as little as 10 feet at low water in some parts of this channel. In the Queen's Channel, which was buoyed in the last century, the least depth in passing over the Kentish flats is 13 to 14 feet at low water. In Prince's Channel, which was buoyed in 1846, and lighted in 1848, the least depth is 20 feet at low water, but there is a patch of 17 feet at its western end in the centre of the channel which seems to be always in this channel though not always in the same position. It is shown by Bullock in 1839, by Calver in 1862, and by the Triton in 1880. The Alexandra Channel, which is a swatchway between the Shingles and Girdler sands, had no existence in 1800, the Girdler and Shingles forming with the Long Sand a continuous chain at that date. In Bullock's survey of 1839, the Alexandra is shown as a blind inlet on the north side of the Prince's Channel, which was cut off from the Black Deep by a ridge over which the depth was 7 feet at low water. When surveyed by Calver in 1862, the least depth in the channel was 20 feet; and when surveyed by the Triton in 1888, the least depth was 23 feet. It is, however, much narrower now than in 1862, and if it continues to decrease in width will not be available for traffic, as there is not now much more than room for two large vessels to pass each other, and bad steerage might cause an accident.

Of the Duke of Edinburgh Channel, which is a broad swatchway at present dividing the Long Sand from the Shingles Sand, we have a tolerably complete history; and as this would seem to be a channel which opens and closes periodically, Plan III. has been constructed to show its condition each time it has been surveyed. The first record we have of it is on an old chart of 1794, when it is shown as a 9-feet swatchway, and is named Smugglers' swatch." When surveyed by Thomas, in 1810, it was named "Thomas's New Channel," and there was then a narrow passage carrying 30 feet at low water between the Long Sand and Shingles. In 1839, when surveyed by Bullock, and named "Bullock Channel," this 30-feet swatchway of Thomas's was obstructed by a bank in the middle, which dried at its north end, leaving a passage of 15 feet on its east side, and a very narrow gat of 25 feet on its west side, but one mile farther west a new channel was opening out, the shoalest water in which was 16 feet. This appears as an inlet into the sand-bank on Thomas's chart.

The next time it was surveyed was by Calver, in 1862, at which date Thomas's Channel had closed completely, but the channel west of it had opened out and become a wide deep-water swatchway, the least depth in which was 42 feet at low water. Early in 1882 it was thought advisable to buoy this channel, and the Triton was ordered to examine it, when a 30-feet patch was discovered near its centre. In the autumn of 1887, this patch was reported to have shoaled; and in 1888, when examined again by the

Triton, it was found to be upwards of a mile in length with 22 feet on it. In October 1889, the channel was again examined, when the least depth on the central patch was found to be 21 feet, and it had a tendency to shallow to the eastward. The channel was buoyed in the summer of 1882, and re-named by the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House "Duke of Edinburgh," after the Master of the Trinity House. It was lighted in December 1889.

The various surveys seem to show that the estuary has a tendency for the most part to return to the condition it was in about 1800. In that year there were no deep-water swatchways across the banks, and the channels that opened up subsequently seem now to be all closing again. At any rate, those in use as ship channels evidently will require constant watching.

Should the Duke of Edinburgh Channel close, and none other open out, it will materially interfere with the heavy traffic into the estuary from the southward, for it will necessitate either waiting for high water or passing round outside into the Black or Barrow Deeps, which will have to be buoyed and lighted to make them readily accessible.

There is one other shoal, the " Kentish Knock,” which may be said to belong to the estuary. This is a sandbank about 6 miles in length and 2 in breadth, on the south-east side of the outer part of the Long Sand. Its shape and area, within the contour-line of five fathoms, would appear to be fairly constant; but it had a swatchway across the north end, when surveyed by Calver in 1864, which has now entirely disappeared. Between the Kentish Knock and Long Sands is a channel, two miles wide, named the Knock Deep. At the north end of this channel the soundings are much shoaler than when surveyed by Bullock. In some cases the difference is as much as 12 feet.

Although the general tendency of the banks in the estuary seems to be to revert to the condition they were in about the year 1800, it is not possible to predict that this will certainly be the case. If, as seems probable, the condition of the estuary is due to the action of the sea in casting up banks, and of the tidal flow in cutting channels through the banks thus formed, it is evident that much will depend on prevailing types of gales. There can, however, hardly be a doubt that any diminution of the volume of the water running into and out of the estuary would diminish its power of making deep-water channels, so that any action tending to decrease the flow into and out of the various rivers should be avoided if possible; as although it is conceivable that a given type of strong winds, extending over a lengthened period, might have the effect of closing the various swatchways across the banks, it does not follow that a cessation of these winds would cause the channels to be again opened out if the volume of the tidal flow was seriously diminished. T. H. TIZARD.

NOTES.

THE respect in which science is held in France was once more exhibited in a very striking way at Saint Sulpice, Paris, on Tuesday, in connection with the funeral service of M. Hébert, Professor of Geology, member of the Institute, and honorary doyen of the Faculty of Sciences. Deputations from the Institute and Faculty of Sciences were present, and the Paris correspondent of the Times says that all the great scientific and literary institutions of Paris were represented. At the cemetery of Montparnasse, where the interment took place, speeches were delivered by M. Gaudry, in the name of the Institute; M. Darboux, in the name of the Faculty of Sciences; M. Marcel Bertrand, in the name of the Geological Society; M. Jannery, in the name of the Normal School; and M. Bergeron, in the name of the old pupils of M. Hébert.

GERMAN papers announce the death of Dr. Karl Jacob Loewig, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Breslau, Director of the Chemical Laboratory, and author of many eminent works on chemistry. He was born at Kreuznach on March 17, 1803, and died at Breslau on March 27.

THE "Inspectors' Instructions" relating to the Code of 1890 have been issued this year with remarkable promptitude. The document is one of great importance, and it is satisfactory that all who are interested in popular education will have ample time to study it before the various questions connected with the new Code are discussed in Parliament.

THIS week the National Union of Teachers has been holding its 21st Annual Conference at the Merchant Taylors' School, London. The meetings began on Monday, when the President, Mr. H. J. Walter, delivered his inaugural address. Speaking of the new Code, Mr. Walter said the teachers of the country would accept and welcome it; and although they reserved their right to criticize the details freely, and unhesitatingly to state that in many points the Code was capable of improvement, "they would work loyally with the Education Department in the endeavour to show such an improvement in the education of the country that the public would be ready to listen with attention and respect when teachers made suggestions for further changes and advance in the same direction."

M. GASTON BONNIER has been elected President of the Botanical Society of France for the year 1890, and MM. E. Roze, A. Michel, J. Poisson, and J. Vallot, Vice-Presidents.

THE International Exhibition of Geographical, Commercial, and Industrial Botany, proposed to be held at Antwerp, has been postponed till next year.

AN International Exhibition of Horticulture, which will be largely of a scientific character, will be held in Berlin from April 25 to May 5.

AN Electro-technical Exhibition is to be held at Frankfort-onthe-Main next year. It will be divided into twelve sections.

SOME exhibits in the Science Department (under the direction of the Rev. Dr. West and Mr. C. Carus-Wilson) of the Bournemouth Industrial and Loan Exhibition, opened on the 7th inst., are worthy of special notice. Among these are a collection of British and foreign oysters lent by the Poole Oyster fishing Company, and a collection of birds' eggs, for which Mr. R. G. H. Gray has received a special prize. The first prize has been awarded to Mr. E. H. V. Davies, who exhibits an interesting collection of recent and fossil local shells. The various stages in the process of developing photographs are illustrated in a series exhibited by Mr. Jones. In the Geological Section, large specimens of fluor-spar have been lent by Dr. West, who also contributes a collection of Eocene fossils from the London, Hampshire, and Paris basins. Mr. C. Carus-Wilson shows a case of remarkably well-preserved fossils of various geological ages, including a gigantic shark's tooth (Carcharodon) from Rio; also, garnets in quartz, and samples of musical sands. Leaves from the Bournemouth Beds are well represented by Mr. Bennett's collection. In the Entomological Section, Mr. McRae's collection of British Lepidoptera attracts much attention; the Khopalocera and Macro-Heterocera are nearly all represented, a large number having been bred by Mr. McRae from larvæ obtained in or near Bournemouth. A special prize has been awarded to Mr. Harding for a large astronomical telescope constructed entirely by himself. The Exhibition will close on the 21st inst., when the prizes will be distributed by the Duchess of Albany.

THE Royal Microscopical Society will hold its first evening soirée in its new rooms, 20 Hanover Square, on Wednesday, April 30, at 8 p.m.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][ocr errors]

M. LECLERC DU SABLON has been appointed to a Professor. ship of Botany at Toulouse, and is succeeded in his post of assistant naturalist to the chair of Organography and Vegetable Physiology at the Museum of Natural History at Paris, by M. Morot.

DR. LUDWIG KLEIN has been appointed Professor of Botany in the University of Freiburg-in-Breisgau,

M. PAUL MAURY has been attached to the Geographical Exploring Commission of the Mexican Republic in the capacity of botanist, and is about to depart for Mexico on a botanical expedition.

THE plans of the Danish expedition to the east coast of Greenland are now complete. Lieut. Ryder will command a party of nine, and during next summer, as soon as the ice permits, they will go by steamer to the east coast, and then devote two years to the investigation of the district between lat. N. 66° and 73°. At the end of that time they will be fetched by the steamer from Denmark.

THE French Society "Scientia" informs its members that its. next dinner, on April 30, will be presided over by M. C. Richet and by M. de Lacaze-Duthiers, in whose honour the dinner is to be given. The last dinner was given in honour of Francis Darwin.

AT the general monthly meeting of the Royal Institution, on April 7, the special thanks of the members were returned for the following donations to the fund for the promotion of experimental research: Mr. Ludwig Mond, 100; Mr. Lachlan M. Rate, £50.

AT the Royal Institution the Hon. George C. Brodrick will. begin a course of three lectures, on the place of Oxford University in English history, on Tuesday (April 15); Prof. C. V. Boys will begin a course of three lectures, on the heat of the moon and stars, on Thursday (April 17); and Captain Abney will begin a course of three lectures, on colour and its chemical action, on Saturday (April 19). The evening meetings will be resumed on Friday (April 18), when Sir Frederick Bramwell will give a discourse on welding by electricity.

THE Marlborough College Natural History Society, according to its latest Report, is in a most flourishing condition. The year 1889 was for the Society "one of continued prosperity and progress." On April 9, 1889, the Society completed its twenty-fifth year, and the members afterwards commemorated the occasion by an excursion to Stonehenge.

DR. VON DANCKELMAN has contributed to Mittheilungen aus den deutschen Schutzgebieten, vol. iii., an important paper on the climate of German Togoland, and of the neighbouring districts of the Gold and Slave Coasts. The observations are drawn from all available sources, from those first made by Dr. Isert at the then Danish settlements in 1783-85, down to the most recent observations by English, French, and German observers. A good deal of information exists, comparatively speaking, from this part of West Africa, and among the best of the observations are those made in 1888-89 by the German officials at Bismarckburg (lat. 8° 12′ N., long. 0° 34′ E.), at an altitude of about 2330 feet above the sea. A comparison of the tablesgiven for the various colonies shows that the highest air pressure occurs in July and August, and the lowest in February and March. The monthly range is small, amounting to less than 02 inch. Temperature varies considerably with the position relatively to the coast. While at Akassa, on the coast, the mean daily range is only about 10', at Bismarckburg it is double that amount. And during the hot season the range is double what it is in the cool season. relatively to the coast.

Rainfall also varies with position The rainy seasons are March to June,

and September to November. Dr. von Danckelman gives valuable statistics about the harmattan, which is generally understood to be a cold wind. He shows, however, that during the

periods of this wind the temperature both in the morning and evening is warmer than on other days, and that the mean daily temperature is nearly 2° warmer. The air on these occasions is so dry that the hygrometric tables are not low enough for

the reduction of the observations.

On one occasion the relative humidity was only 9 per cent., with a temperature of 94°.

WE have received from Mr. D. Dewar his "Weather and Tidal Forecasts for 1890." The author has previously published similar forecasts for past years, and they are said to be mainly based upon the simple idea that the prevailing westerly movement of the air in the two great belts in the north and south temperate zones is due to the continued westerly (west to east) movement of the sun and the moon, and it is claimed that the probable weather, while referring generally to the northern hemisphere, is chiefly applicable to the British Isles and neighbourhood. We have made a rough comparison of the forecasts with the actual weather experienced in the British Isles during the first three months of this year. The weather predicted by Mr. Dewar for January largely consists of cold and anticyclones, whilst the actual weather experienced was conspicuous for the absence of cold, with the exception of the first two or three days, and its mildness probably exceeded that of any January during the last half-century. At Greenwich the thermometer did not once fall below the freezing-point after the 3rd. Considering February as a whole, the forecasts were rather more successful. In March, the early part of the month was to have been mild, except in the north. The first few days were colder than in any March during the last half-century, except in the north, where milder weather was experienced. The weather predicted for the remainder of the month consists almost wholly of cold and snow, whereas the weather was exceptionally mild, and the Greenwich temperature on the 28th has only twice been exceeded in March during the last fifty years.

IN the current number of the Zoologist it is stated that a wealthy Berlin manufacturer has a shooting near Luckenwald, where the Wapiti, Cervus canadensis, has been acclimatised. Between January 20, 1889, and January 20, 1890, seven of these animals were shot there, one of them having a head of fourteen points.

DR. W. KING, Director of the Geological Survey of India, has commenced, in the current number of the Records of the Survey, the publication of the provincial index of the minerals of India, which is intended as a help towards the compilation of an annual statement showing the quantities and value of mineral products in British India, for the publication of the mining and mineral statistics of the Empire. Dr. King's classification is of a broad and popular nature. The provinces or Presidencies and Native States are taken in alphabetical order, and the mineral products of each are set down with notes as to the quantity, quality, and output. The mineral products themselves are divided into "Important Minerals," "Miscellaneous Minerals," "Gem Stones," and "Quarry Stones." Under the first head are included only coal, iron ores, gold, petroleum, and salt. Under the second head come metallic ores, borax, gypsum, asbestos, soapstone, sulphur, and the like. "Gems" include amber, beryl, diamond, garnet, jade and jadeite; while clays, limestones, marbles, kunkar, slate, &c., are grouped as quarry stones. The first instalment of the list ends with the Central Provinces. This index may help to dispel the common idea that India is rich in minerals. The greater part of the entries are mere, indications of the reported existence

1

of ores, while those which note a regular production of any commercial importance are few and far between.

IN one of the Bombay Natural History Society's papers, Mr. G. Carstensen, Superintendent of the Victoria Gardens, Bombay, makes a bold suggestion for facilitating the study of botany in India. His experience, he says, has taught him that the study

of botany is far more popular in the northern countries of the European Continent than in British possessions, and he cannot help thinking that this fact may be clearly attributed to the difference in the botanical terminology. While the terms used in English works on botany are too frequently quite unintelligible for the layman, because they are in most cases Anglicized Latin words, the terms used by German and Danish authors are generally easily comprehended, because they are translated into the mother language, refer to objects of daily life, or are derived from the language itself. He therefore proposes that the Botanical Committee of the Bombay Society be requested to revise the existing terminology, and to substitute English and intelligible terms for the more unintelligible ones. He gives a few examples of the English substitutes he proposes. The natural arrangement of plants consists of two large divisions, Phanerogams, or flower-plants," and Cryptogamous plants, or "spore plants." Flower-plants" are again divided into Dicotyledons, or two-seed-leaved.' The two seed-leaved" in the same way are divided into Angiosperms, or "seed-vessel plants," and Gymnosperms, or "naked-seeded plants," and so on. For the

66

"natural orders

he would substitute existing or new English names, and for "genera " he would substitute "forms." In a complete flower the calyx would become the " cup," the sepals "cup-leaves," the corolla the "crown," the petals "crown leaves;" the cup and crown together, now known as the perianth, would be the "floral cover," and so ou through the and ræcium and gynæcium, and the whole anatomy of the plant. The adoption of this method would, Mr. Carstensen thinks, "vastly increase the number of students of botany, and in the end would materially further the progress of this unfortunately neglected science."

THE subject of dreams seems to demand more thorough study than it has yet received from science. An American, Dr. Julius Nelson, of New York, has lately published the results of an examination he made of some 4000 of his dreams. He finds that the dreams of evening generally follow great physical or mental fatigue, and are associated with the events of the day. The same applies to night dreams, which, however, have more of a terrifying element in them. The most remarkable and pleasant are the morning dreams, occurring after complete rest of the brain. Fancy then appears to have its widest range and activity, working marvellous transformations, and giving clear vision of the past and the future. Dr. Nelson further finds that the vividness of his dreams is subject to regular fluctuations they are very vivid in December, and least vivid in March and of 28 days, and that they also vary with the seasons, so that April. An old popular superstition attaches special importance to dreams in the twelve nights from Christmas to January 6, and it is suggested that this is perhaps because dreams at that time have been fund very vivid and distinct.

THE skin of Arctic voyagers, after the long night of winter, often appears pale, with a tinge of yellowish green, on return of sunlight. The nature of this phenomenon, was, at the instance of Prof. Holmgren, studied by Dr. Gyllencreutz, in the expedition of 1882 83, and the results are given in a German physiological journal. Holmgren pointed out that the phenomenon might be subjective, due to a change in colour-sense through the long darkness; or objective, due to changes in pigment of the blood; or both. An examination of the coloursense of the men before and after the polar night revealed no

« PrejšnjaNaprej »