the same age, which he considered to be close to the historical period. In this paper he stated facts which appeared to him to demonstrate the truth of his views, and described a number of sections near Amiens, in which the levels were laid down from an exhaustive survey by M. Guillom, Chief Engineer of the Northern Railway of France.

The conclusions he had thus been able to arrive at are the following: (1) That the surface of the chalk in the Valley of the Somme had assumed its present form prior to the deposition of any of the gravel or loess now to be seen there; (2) That the whole of the Amiens valley-gravel is of one formation, of similar mineral character, contains nearly similar organic remains, and belongs to a date not much antecedent to the historical period; (3) That the gravel in the Valley of the Somme at Amiens is partly composed of débris brought down by the river Somme, and by the two rivers the Celle and the Arve, and partly of material from the higher grounds washed in by land floods; (4) That the Quaternary gravels of the Somme are not separated into two divisions by an escarpment of chalk parallel to the river, as has been stated; (5) That the evidence of river-floods extending to a height of at least eighty feet above the present level of the Somme is perfectly proved by the gradual slope and continuity of the gravels deposited by them; and (6) That many of the Quaternary deposits in all countries, clearly posterior to the formation of the valleys in which they lie, are of such great dimensions and elevation that they indicate a pluvial period just as clearly as the Northern Drift indicates a glacial. This pluvial period must have immediately preceded the true historical period.

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.-Nov. 25.

Sir R. Murchison, President, in the Chair.

The following important letter relating to Dr. Livingstone was read, and it strongly encourages the hope that he is yet living, and may be continuing his journey with success. We present the letter entire, because our readers may have occasion to refer to it on future occasions, when fresh information arrives. In the course of the discussion which took place after the letter was read, additional reasons were suggested for accepting its evidence. If true, many months may elapse before the esteemed traveller, whose fate is an object of such profound interest, can make his way to any locality from which information can be transmitted.

"Zanzibar, Sept. 28, 1867. "My dear Sir Roderick,-You know that a rumour has been current on the coast to the effect that a white man has been seen near Ujyl. Such a story came to us at a time when it was quite impossible that Livingstone could be the man. Now, however, another narrative has reached us, which, if we believe, it is, I think, difficult to avoid the conclusion that our distinguished traveller

may even yet succeed, and disprove the story given us of his death by the Johanna men.

"A Banian trader at Bagamayo told me three days ago that he had heard a rumour that some white man had been seen at Uemba; of this he seemed to have no doubt. To-day he brought a native whom he introduced and left alone with me. I entered into a conversation with him, and led him in an irregular way to give a general account of his journey, without guiding his imagination by any leading questions, determining to meet him again and fill in the details. When I had dismissed him, after my first conversation, it appeared that a ship would sail for Bombay immediately, and, not to lose a chance, Mr. Churchill, the consul, to whom I gave the notes, at once sent all to Bombay, and a request that the substance might be telegraphed to the Foreign Office-viz., that we had now some grounds for believing that a white man resembling Livingstone has been seen to the south of Ujyl.

"This native, with the rest of the caravan, left Bagamayo, and passed along the usual trade route to Uemba and Marunga, where they remained trading for some time, and again returned to the coast, where, in one of the villages under Marunga, which is a region governed by several chiefs, more or less dependent on one paramount, a white man arrived with a party of thirteen blacks, who spoke Supeli. All had firearms, and six carried double-barrelled guns. The white man was of moderate height, not stout, dressed in white, and wore a cloth wrapped round the head. He gave the chief a looking-glass, and was offered ivory, which he declined, stating that he was not a trader. He then went northwards. I do not know that this man can tell much more; he is a simple carrier who formed part of a caravan, but if we can find the head man of the party, it will be possible, no doubt, then to identify this stranger, who seems to our hopeful imagination so like our long lost friend; and then only think of the revelation he will have to make to us.

"It is decided that we go to Bagamayo in two days to make inquiries, but we must do so quietly. The story of a white man having been seen at Ilruwa, to the west of the lake, is a distinct thing from the more definite narrative we now have. But the one adds confirmation to the other, and shows that if it be Livingstone, in whose track we now are, that he has more than half finished his work, and is about to go to the Albert Nyanza. I may mention that there is now no doubt that the white man of whom I wrote formerly, long ago, as having been seen on one of the lakes by an Arab, and who remained on the coast, was a Turk, one of the traders who remained on the coast at Gondokoro, who have been met with in Uganda by Zanzibar merchants. The description fully satisfied me of this, and nothing is more probable. Thus the traders of Egypt and Zanzibar have now met in the interior of Africa. Speke's route has been quickly followed; how far this has been for the immediate benefit of Africa others may judge. In the end Africa will be overrun with traders in all directions, and then the vast resources of the continent will be shown.

"P.S.-Since writing the above I have again seen my informant, and placed before him my books of photographic portraits. In the first book he did not recognize the likeness of the man he saw in the interior, although it contained a very fine side view of Dr. Livingstone. In the second he at once pointed out a staring likeness of Livingstone, which I kept as a caricature, and said, 6 That is the man. But,' he added, 'come to Bagamayo and see my master and the other men; they have seen him also, and will tell you all they know.'

"Suspend your opinion for a little, Mr. Churchill, and I go in two days to Bagamayo to make inquiries. Please communicate this view to Mr. Webb, Miss Livingstone, and other friends, but until my next maintain some caution.

"JOHN KIRK."

ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.-Nov. 13.

James Glaisher, Esq., President, in the chair.

J. Gorham, Esq., read an interesting paper on a peculiar venation chiefly traceable in the leaves of certain composite, of which the marginal veins found in Eryngo offered an interesting specimen.

At the close of the regular business the meeting was made special to alter the bye-laws. In future, the entrance-fee will be £2 2s., and the annual subscription £2 2s. The composition fee for new fellows, £21.

NOTES AND MEMORANDA.

Ross's NEW FOUR-INCH OBJECTIVE.—Mr. Ross has very judiciously decided on meeting the demand of microscopists for a low-power object-glass, adapted to viewing large live objects, polyzoa, etc., and has produced a four-inch combination of great merit and utility. Many highly interesting objects-including anatomical preparations, entire insects, small star-fishes, sponges, corals, etc.-can be shown better with this glass than with any other we have seen. With the A eye-piece of Mr. Ross' series it takes in an object 7-16" in diameter, and the field is beautifully clear and flat. With deeper eye-pieces a higher magnification may be obtained, accompanied by much greater penetration than deeper objectives and lower eye-pieces will give, which is an immense advantage in many investi gations. Mr. Ross has not hitherto, like Messrs. Beck, given his instruments enough rack-room for such low powers. He can, however, by a simple arrangement, accommodate the new glass in a perfectly satisfactory way. Every microscopist who sees the working of this four-inch glass will infallibly desire to be its possessor.

CHEAP COMPRESSORIUM AND SLIDE-CELLS.—At the suggestion of the Editor, Mr. Curteis (Mr. Baker's) has turned his attention to the manufacture of Compressoriums, which, while not pretending to all the convenience and accuracy of the most expensive kinds, will meet the average requirements of students at a

small price, and replace the clumsy and objectionable "live-box." In size and shape the Cheap Compressorium resembles two ordinary glass slides, one overlying the other. It is made of two pieces of brass-one carrying the cover, and the other the glass bed. It is raised by springs, and depressed by two screws easily worked. We have tried it with various objects, and can recommend it. As soon as an approximation to contact is obtained, the screws must be worked alternately, and very gently. Mr. Curteis' slide-cells are modifications of a plan introduced by Mr. Richard Beck. The cell is formed in an ordinary slide, with or without a back, according to its depth. The cover turns upon a pivot. They work well, provided the cover is quite free from grease; and this condition is easily obtained by washing it with a little caustic soda.

DAY VIEW OF VENUS WITH SMALL TELESCOPE.-Mr. Levander, of Canonbury, writes to us, that on the 20th of October, 2h. 50m., he saw Venus when only about 25m. 56s. east of the sun, and 9′′6 in diameter, with an inch and a half telescope, mounted equatorially by himself, and a power of about 90. A cloud obscured the sun at the time.

TEST FOR OZONE.-During a recent discussion at the French Academy on the difficulties of Ozonoscopy, M. Le Verrier stated that, when the subject was discussed last May at Metz, M. Schönbein pointed out that a colourless solution of the protoxide of thallium became yellow under the influence of ozone, and was not, like the iodine test, affected by nitrous compounds; but, unfortunately, the subject was not yet brought to a practical state.

FREE SULPHURIC ACID IN MOLLUSKS.-In addition to the Dolium galea, MM. St. Lucca and Panceri inform the French Academy that they have discovered free sulphuric acid in the glands of Tritonium corrugatum, T. cutaceum, and T. hirsutum, Cassis sulcosa, Cassidaria echinophora, Murex trunculus, M. brandaris, Aplysia cornatus, and others (not named). They observe-" Free sulphuric acid is thus found to be an element necessary to the organic functions of a numerous class of mollusks, living in stony localities, and carrying a shell formed almost exclusively of carbonate of lime, accompanied by traces of carbonate of magnesia. The strong acid is found in company with a weak acidcarbonic."

ELECTRICITY AND VEGETATION.-M. Ch. Blondeau states ("Comptes Rendus," Nov. 4, 1867), that subjecting fruits-apples, pears, and peaches-to the action of an induced electric current hastens their maturity. Having rendered seeds good conductors by moistening them, he affirms that electrizing them by induced currents causes them to germinate earlier than similar seeds not subjected to such action. He says, "Some haricot beans which were electrized exhibited a singular peculiarity. They germinated head downwards, and root upwards, in the air. That is to say, the gemmule, surrounded by its cotyledons, remained in the ground, while the root, separated by a little stem from the gemmule, erected itself in the air. This fact appears important, as explaining the reason why plants push their roots into the earth, and their stems into the air. This tendency is so strong, that efforts to cause them to act otherwise are fruitless; but it may be overcome by the electric shock, in the same way as the poles of a magnet may be reversed. We are tempted to liken the embryo to a small magnet with opposite poles."

HYBRID COTTON.-M. J. E. Balsamo states ("Comptes Rendus") that, by artificial fecundation, he succeeded in obtaining hybrids between the Nankin cotton-plant and the Gossypium barbadense, and vice versa. In both cases the cotton obtained was of a character intermediate between the two types.

LIGHT AND VEGETATION.-The same observer planted cotton-seeds in a glass vessel at various depths of garden mould, and in contact with the glass side. Some were protected by yellow paper gummed to the glass, and others left exposed to the light. The former began to grow in nine days, while the latter were found to be slightly decayed at the end of ten days.

NEW MUD-FISH FROM NEW ZEALAND.-In "Annals Nat. Hist." for November Dr. Günther describes a new mud-fish sent to the British Museum by direction of Sir G. Grey. It is about 5 inches long, possesses the general characters of Galaxias-scaleless fresh-water fishes, of which five out of twelve known species belong to New Zealand, New South Wales having three, and Van Dieman's Land

two. "Eastwards the same genus is met again in the southernmost parts of America (Falkland Islands, Patagonia, Terra del Fuego), and a minute form occurs in Chili." Dr. Günther names the new fish Neochana apoda. It has a broad, obtusely-rounded snout, mouth-cleft moderately wide, the maxillary extending below the eye, which is very small. Anterior nostril prolonged into a minute tube; several wide pores at the upper part of the head. A rather deep groove from the head along the middle of the back and abdomen. Dorsal and anal fins about as high as the tail between them, and both continuous at the base with the rudimentary rays of caudal fin. Caudal fin rounded, as long as head without snout; pectoral somewhat shorter. Brown, with irregular, blackish, transverse spots. Dr. Hector states that it was found four feet from the surface, in a stiff clay, embedding roots of trees, in a locality thirty-seven feet above the Hokitika River, three miles from the sea, which was at one time a backwater of the river during floods. Two years ago it was a swamp, but the miners pierced through the clay to a bed of gravel, and drained it. Dr. Hector adds, "Mr. Schaw, the Warden of the District, has examined seven or eight specimens of this fish, and assures me they occur in hollows of the clay, and that although when first extracted they moved freely, if placed in water they get sluggish, and soon die." He further states that the early settlers in Zealand were frequently astonished at digging up fish as well as potatoes. All these fish are very fat, and Dr. Günther found this one quite greasy.

THE NEWTON FORGERIES.-There seems now every reason to believe that the extraordinary mass of forged correspondence in the possession of M. Chasles, and which he has defended with such remarkable and ill-judged pertinacity, was fabricated by Desmaiseau between the years 1732 and 1745. He was a collector and dealer in autographs. Sir. D. Brewster says that the "celebrated deist, Anthony Collins, the friend of Locke, left him his MSS. to be published after his death; but he sold them for fifty pounds to Mrs. Collins, by whom it appears they were destroyed." Internal evidence at once showed that Sir Isaac Newton could not have written the letters ascribed to him; and the more the correspondence has been examined, the stronger has been the proof that the whole collection was fictitious.

ELECTRO-CAPILLARY CURRENTS IN PLANTS.-M. Becquerel eleucidates this subject in "Comptes Rendus." He says that he makes a transverse section of the stem of a young poplar, oak, or maple in full sap, and introduces two nonpolarized platina needles, in connection with a very sensitive galvanometer-one in contact with the central pith, and the other with one of the ligneous layers. An electric current is immediately manifest, and by its direction indicates that the pith is always positive, relative to the other parts. The maximum of effect is produced when the second needle is placed between the woody layer and the bark. The positive condition of the layers augments towards the pith. From this state of things it follows that the liquid which moistens the pith, and the cellular tissue in general, is more oxygenated than what is found in other parts of the plant. In leaves the cellular tissue is positive, with relation to other parts. The earth is found positive in relation to the roots of plants, and their stem and leaves; that is to say, in relation to the liquids which moisten them.

THE WALRUS AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.-We recommend all our readers who have not already done so to go and see the young walrus at the Zoological Gardens. He answers to the name of "Jemmy," and seems both tame and good-natured. He has improved much in appearance since his arrival, and thrives upon a diet of fish and porridge. A few days ago Mr. F. Buckland tried to tempt him with some shrimps, as "Land and Water" tells us, but he did not condescend to eat them, though fond of whelks and mussels. He does not walk as well as the sea-bear, nor manifest as much agility; but he is only a youngster, and has not had much pains taken with his education. He is now in the large pond with the seals.