presented by a single specimen, part of a milk molar of Elephas antiquus; this again is peculiar, the elephant previously met with in Derbyshire being the mammoth (E. primigenius). The presence of Elephas antiquus and Rhinoceros leptorhinus, as we learn from the discussion following the paper, led Prof. Dawkins to regard the deposits at Hoe Grange as belonging to the older Pleistocene group of caves. Among the numerous bovine remains there are no horn-cores and frontal bones to indicate the species to which these remains belong, and the measurements of several metacarpals given in the paper show that limb-bones alone are not sufficient to indicate whether the remains are those of Bos or of Bison.

The Cervida are represented by four species, the

great Irish deer (Cervus giganteus), the red deer (C. elaphus), the roebuck (Capreolus caprea), and another form, intermediate in size between the last two, which is regarded by the authors as fallow deer (Cervus dama). Bones and teeth of the last-named form were very numerous, nearly 1600 specimens having been found. If these remains are indeed parts of Pleistocene fallow deer, and we see no way to any other conclusion, they are of the greatest interest. The fallow deer has not hitherto been accepted, at least by modern writers, as a member of

the British Pleistocene fauna, but is thought to have been introduced to this country probably by the Romans.

There are two points, however, which have to be settled before we can accept this addition to our Pleistocene mammals :-(1) Are these remains certainly those of fallow deer? and if so (2) Is the deposit in which they were found really of Pleistocene age?

It is to be regretted that there are no sufficiently well preserved antlers to define the species clearly, but the limb-bones and teeth are of such a size that if there had been no question of age there would have been little or no doubt in referring them to fallow deer. In the circumstances the authors have carefully measured the teeth and made comparisons with both fallow and red deer, and feel compelled to regard these remains as parts of fallow deer or of a closely allied species. The only Pleistocene species of a size which might compare with these bones and teeth is the Cervus Browni described by Prof. Boyd Dawkins from Pleistocene beds at Clacton, and this is only known by its antler, which is distinguished from that of the fallow deer by the presence of an additional tine. It has been shown, however, that modern fallow deer sometimes have this additional tine (see NATURE, vol. xi., p. 210), and it thus becomes very doubtful whether C. Browni is really a distinct species. Although there are no antlers from Hoe Grange cave that can be compared with C. Browni, yet it seems almost certain that the authors are correct, and that these Hoe Grange remains are representatives of the fallow deer.

We have now to consider the age of the Hoe Grange deposits. There can be no question as to the Pleistocene age of the elephant, rhinoceros, hyæna, and lion, and there is no doubt as to the fallow deer bones being found with the remains of those animals; but it is just possible that the fallow deer was living in the neighbourhood at a time when a previously existing Pleistocene deposit was washed into this cave, and so the more modern animal got mixed with the older forms. In order that such a re-deposition of large bones might take place there must have been a considerable supply of water, and seeing that the cave at the present time is near the top of the plateau there is no collecting ground for water; and it becomes necessary to suppose that, at the time of the re-deposition of the bones, the land was much higher than it is now, and that it has since been denuded. But it must be remembered that this would mean a very large amount of denudation, and, if we are to accept the fallow deer as a Roman importation, this denudation must have taken place since Roman times, which seems extremely improbable. We think, therefore, that the authors are justified in regarding these particular cervine remains as those of fallow deer, and as good evidence that the species lived in this country in Pleistocene times.

A fallow deer's antler has been recorded recently by Dr. Herlaf Winge from an interglacial deposit in Denmark; and this early extension of the species so far north on the Continent makes its occurrence in England in Pleistocene times still more probable. It is remarkable that Cervus dama, or rather its equivalent, C. Browni, should have been so rarely found, hitherto, in Pleistocene deposits, seeing that it is so abundant in the Hoe Grange cave.

A word regarding the illustrations accompanying this paper, two of which, by the courtesy of the council of the Geological Society, we are able to reproduce. The views of the cave are very credit

able reproductions, but we have nowadays become accustomed to good things of this kind. It is rarely, however, that we have seen such satisfactory reproductions of photographs taken directly from the fossils as we have in the two plates. Most of the good collotype reproductions of fossils that have recently appeared are from photographs of watercolour drawings, and some of them are certainly very effective; but there is the artist's equation to allow for. In the present case, no such allowance has to be made, and the figures of the lion's jaw as well as of the teeth of the fallow deer and elephant are admirable. These plates do credit to all concerned in their production.

FIJIAN FOLK-TALES.

ETHNOLOGISTS have all along suspected that Mr. Fison has plenty of unpublished information concerning Fiji. They are grateful to him for what he has already published in the Journal of the

can be claimed is that it is of the native pattern." The tales are interesting as stories, and have increased value when compared with other tales from Oceania, but their greatest importance rests in their value as evidence of the ideas and actions of the natives before the white man came. In the introduction Mr. Fison. gives a long discussion concerning cannibalism, and he sums it up thus:

"It is impossible to establish a certainty as to the origin of cannibalism, and the question resolves itself into a comparison of probabilities, the balance being in favour of the strongest motive. This is undoubtedly Hunger. It is stronger than Superstition; it is stronger than Revenge. Man is a carnivorous animal, whatever the vegetarians may say; and in a savage state of society, if he cannot get the food for which his stomach craves, he will kusima' (crave, or hunger after flesh) until he eats his brother."

For, as Mr. Fison argues, the Fijians were formerly scantily supplied with animal food. The serious student is occasionally tantalised by hints of further

Anthropological Institute, but they clamoured for more, and even now they will not remain satisfied with the handsome book that has just been issued by the De La More Press. This new book contains a dozen folk-tales capitally told; "each contains a genuine legend as its skeleton, for the flesh with which that skeleton has been covered, the most that 1 "Tales from Old Fiji." By Lorimer Fison. Pp. xlv +175; illustrated. (London: A. Moring, Ltd., the De La More Press, 1904.) Price 7s. 6d.

net.

information, and by allusions to possible discussions of social and other questions, all of which are passed by as not being suitable for a popular book; doubtless Mr. Fison was wise in restraining himself, but, for the sake of science, it is sincerely to be hoped that he will give all his information to the world in some form or another. In the meantime we thank Mr. Fison for this publication, which can be recommended to those who like interesting information about real savages told in a pleasing manner.

NOTES.

On Friday last, March 17, the worlds of science and art combined to do honour to a man who has rendered to both services of the utmost value and of a nature that time cannot diminish-for so long as the human throat is capable of emitting musical sounds, and so long as throats are liable to disease, the great invention of Manuel Garcia will hold its place among vocalists and laryngologists. The celebration of Señor Garcia's centenary was held in the hall of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, Hanover Square, under the direction of Sir Felix Semon, chairman of the Garcia committee. Señor Garcia sat alone on a daïs, while in front of him were ranked the representatives of kings, governments, universities, scientific societies, and his old pupils who had gathered to do him honour. Sir Felix Semon announced that that morning the King had invited Señor Garcia to Buckingham Palace, and with his own hands invested him with the insignia of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and had expressed a desire to be represented at the banquet in the evening by his Lord-in-Waiting, Lord Suffield. The Marquis de Villalobar then delivered a congratulatory message from the King of Spain, and added, "In the name of His Majesty and your motherland, I invest you with the Royal Order of Alfonso XII. as a reward of your merits and the services you have rendered to mankind. I desire also to make public the sentiments of my beloved Sovereign and of his Government to King Edward VII. for the distinction he has conferred upon our compatriot, and the hearty gratefulness of Spain to all who have come here to-day to honour Don Manuel Garcia." Other tributes followed thick and fast during a crowded hour. Prof. Frankel presented on behalf of the German Emperor the great gold medal of science. Sir Archibald Geikie, Mr. Francis Darwin, and Prof. Halliburton, representing the Royal Society, presented an address, recalling the fact that their Proceedings for March 22, 1855, contained the epoch-making paper in which Señor Garcia laid the foundations of the experimental study of the voice. The Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, the University of Königsberg, the Victoria University, the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal College of Music sent distinguished representatives, who in rapid succession laid before the maestro illuminated addresses in rich profusion, until the table in front of him was heaped. We have not space to give the long list of public institutions and societies, laryngological and other, which brought tribute; but every quarter of the globe was represented, and during the proceedings a constant stream of telegrams poured in. After the addresses a portrait of Señor Garcia, painted by Mr. Sargent, R.A., and subscribed for by friends and admirers in all parts of the world, was unveiled and presented to him by Sir Felix Semon. The proceedings were concluded by a remarkably eloquent speech by Señor Garcia. In the evening Señor (now Don) Garcia was entertained at a banquet held in his honour at the Hotel Cecil.

WE learn from the Times that further papers have been published by the Government of India in respect to the late Mr. J. N. Tata's offer of an endowment in the shape of properties valued at 200,000l. for the creation of an institute of Indian research at Bangalore. Certain conditions in respect to Government assistance were attached to the offer, which was first made six years ago, and these have been the subject of prolonged discussion and correspondence between the Government, Mr. Tata during his

lifetime, and his representatives. The papers now published show that the difficulties in the way of a settlement have been removed. Guarantees have been offered by the representatives of the donor to secure the full income estimated from the endowment properties, and the management of the latter is vested in a board the chairman of which is to be an officer selected by the Bombay Government. In addition to making a grant of 2 lakhs of rupees (16,6661.) towards the construction of the necessary buildings and provision of scientific apparatus, the Government will make an annual grant to the institute of half the local assets up to a limit of 1 lakhs of rupees, provided that the institute is conducted on lines approved generally by the Government. The scheme will provide for the reference of certain questions to the advisory committee of the Royal Society, or to such other scientific authority as may be appointed for the purpose. The Governor-General in Council disavows any desire to be intimately associated with the actual administration of the institute, or to claim a determining voice in the settlement of the lines of research to be followed or the methods of instruction to be employed. The Government will exercise no more than that degree of influence and control which is justified by the grant-inaid that has been promised.

PROF. EMIL WARBURG, of Berlin, has been appointed president of the National Physical Laboratory at Charlottenburg, and his place in the university is to be taken by Prof. Paul Drude, of Giessen.

THE magnificent collection of birds' eggs possessed by the British (Natural History) Museum has been largely augmented by the gift of the splendid series brought together by Mr. W. Radcliffe Saunders, of High Bank, Tonbridge. This collection comprises close on ten thousand specimens of the eggs of Palearctic species, together with one hundred and sixty-five nests.

WE regret to record the death at the age of seventy-six of Mr. Jeremiah Slade, one of the founders of the Geologists' Association. Mr. Slade had for many years been a teacher of geology, mineralogy, zoology, and botany at the Working Men's College, the Birkbeck Institution, and the City of London College. He was an ardent microscopist and member of the Quekett Microscopical Club.

THE anniversary dinner of the Chemical Society will be held on Wednesday, March 29.

THE sixth International Congress of Applied Chemistry will be held at Rome next year, probably during the week following Easter.

THE French Société d'Encouragement pour l'industrie nationale has awarded the Lavoisier medal to M. Héroult in recognition of his electrometallurgical researches. In recommending the award the committee refers to his work in connection with the manufacture of aluminium, and the preparation of steel in the electric furnace.

OFFICIAL statistics show that the production of natural gas in the United States in 1903 was greater than in any previous year. The production had a value of 7,143,000l., or 16 per cent. more than that of 1902. Four States, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio, furnished together 94 per cent. of the supply of gas. The total volume of the gas at atmospheric pressure was 6757 million cubic metres, representing in heating value 12,129,468 tons of bituminous coal.

REUTER'S Agency has received some details of an expedition which went to British New Guinea in September, 1903,

and has lately returned to England. The expedition was organised by Major W. Cooke-Daniels, an American traveller, and it also included Dr. C. G. Seligmann, Dr. W. M. Strong, and Mr. A. H. Dunning. The objects were primarily ethnographical, but studies were also made in other branches of science, and a number of general pathological observations were made. A collection of photographs was secured by Mr. Dunning, and the travellers have brought back kinematograph pictures and a selection of phonographic records.

A CORRESPONDENT writing to the Times from Florence directs attention to the fact that the famous Tower of Galileo, on the hill of Arcetri above Florence, is now practically destroyed. This historic thirteenth century building-known locally as the Torre del Gallo-has for some months past been concealed in scaffolding set up for the purpose of raising its castellated tower by a third of its former height, of placing in its walls new windows, of adding a loggia, and, in fine, of converting the world famous "Star Tower into a pretentious modern erection. To the Anglo-Saxon race Galileo's Tower possessed a special interest, in that it was the scene of the classic meeting between Milton and Galileo.

IN No. 1395 of the Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum, Mr. C. D. Walcott continues his account of American Cambrian brachiopods, describing several new genera and species. It is explained that these notes and their forerunners are published in the hope that they may be of service to students prior to the appearance of the full monograph promised on the subject.

a

WE have received the reports of the Wellington College and of the Felsted School science societies for 1904. The former, which is illustrated, contains summaries of number of lectures delivered before the society, among which one by Mr. H. W. Monckton on the geology of the London district deserves special mention. In the Felsted report attention is directed to the lack of keenness displayed by the members of the zoological section, who failed to take nature-study seriously. Although one prize was offered for an account of the birds of the district, and a second for the best collection of butterflies and moths, there were no competitors.

In addition to the Bulletin on the fauna and flora of the plateau of Baraque-Michel, already noticed (from an author's copy) in NATURE of March 16 (p. 468), No. 12 of the Bulletin of the Belgian Royal Academy contains two biological articles of considerable interest. In the first of these, Miss J. Wery discusses the attractions offered to bees by flowers, and, as the result of direct experiments, arrives at the following conclusions. Brilliantly coloured flowers offer much greater attraction when entire than when the petals, &c., have been cut away; honey has no attractive power; artificial flowers are just as attractive as natural ones if both are under glass shades; flower perfume by itself offers but little attraction; while colour and form, apart from scent, are powerfully attractive; the mingling of the three factors, form, colour, and scent, constitutes the most powerful attraction of all. Finally, if the latter item be reckoned as 100, the attractive power exerted by form and colour will be 80 per cent., while the other factors (pollen, nectar, and scent) will only rank as 20 per cent.

In the second of the two articles from the Bulletin of the Belgian Academy referred to above, Prof. A. Lamcere discusses Darwin's theory of female sexual selection as the primary factor in the production of secondary sexual

characters in the male, and comes to the conclusion that such an hypothesis offers an inadequate and untenable explanation of the phenomenon. In place of this, the author suggests that such features in the male are the equivalents of maternity in the female, that is to say, the products which in the female are required for generative purposes are superfluous in the male, and are accordingly employed for sexual ornament. If we mistake not, the same theory has been already promulgated by Captain Barrett-Hamil

ton.

WE have received copies of four articles from the third volume of "Marine Investigations in South Africa." In describing, in two of these, the polychatous annelids collected by Dr. Gilchrist, Prof. McIntosh directs attention to the community of type between South African and European marine annelids generally, many of the types from the two areas being specifically identical, while others, in a mure or less modified form, extend eastwards into the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and westward to America. A nearly similar feature has been recorded in the case of crustaceans, and it thus seems that the distribution of invertebrates in these seais governed by very different laws from those which obtain, for instance, in the case of the commoner food-fishes. The anatomy and variation of the Flabellum-like corals form the subject of the third article, in which Mr. J. S. Gardiner has found himself compelled to dissent from the classification of corals proposed by the late Prof. P. M. Duncan. In the fourth fasciculus Dr. Gilchrist continues his investigation into the development and life-history of South African fishes describing and figuring a number of larvæ, some of which cannot at present be specifically identified.

IN the Monthly Review for March, Mr. W. E. Hodgson discourses very pleasantly on certain problems connected with salmon-fishing. After pointing out the inaccuracy of the common opinion that the north of Scotland in spring is necessarily colder than the south of England, the author proceeds to discuss the reason why loch-fishing for salmon is carried on with a minnow instead of with a fly. One reason seems to be that salmon lie deeper in the water than trout, and will consequently, owing to the set of their eyes, see the approach of a boat at a greater distance. A minnow trolled behind a boat is probably, therefore, the best lure for Salmo salar; but whether the boatmen are right in giving a sinuous course to the boat is very questionable. In the first place a boat may be rowed right over a deep-lying salmon without being seen by the fish; secondly, there is considerable reason to believe that disturbed water is conducive to the salmon biting; and thirdly, it is not unlikely that the fish which takes the trailing lure has not been lying in the wake of the boat, but may have made a dash from the side. Mr. Hodgson, who is by no means convinced that salmon fast during their sojourn in fresh water, thinks they take the minnow for a wounded fish, and dash at it owing to the impulse which makes most animals attack a cripple.

PART IV. of the third volume of Biometrika contains several memoirs of interest. Mr. Punnett contributes a careful study of variation in Spinax niger, showing, from an analysis of the characters of 263 adults and 304 embryos, that a well-marked sexual dimorphism exists in this shark, and that the variability of male embryos considerably exceeds that of male adults, this pointing to a more stringent selection in the case of the male. Homarcosis rather than intercalation or excalation is held by the author to be the more feasible explanation of the various relative positions occupied by the structures examined this sup