on the surface, sometimes in caves; generally, however, in the open and low scrub, and not in the region occupied now or formerly by the primeval forests. In the subalpine portion of the south of New Zealand, covered only with a slight vegetation, large quantities of well-preserved moa remains have been recently found, associated with relics of the natives, proving still more conclusively than heretofore that they served as food to the inhabitants, and that they were a favorite object of pursuit. The occurrence of large numbers of the bones together is thought to be due to the fact that the animals were crowded by the firing of the brush by the Maoris. They are also discovered in the swamps and peat bogs in almost all the valleys leading to the coast. One of these was at Glenmark, where the remains of a terrace, at a higher level, had been cut through by a stream, leaving a large deposit on the shoulders of the hills on both sides. Here great numbers of bones were found without any Maori implements, indicating as many as 1700 individuals that had either been carried down and smothered in the floods or had died naturally and been carried down by the water. Similar deposits occurred in caves and in bogs on the coast exposed below high-water mark, showing that there had been comparatively modern submersion; but there were no marine deposits above. These bones were also found wherever the country was favorable for the Maori camps, on the sheltered grassy plots, or among the neighboring sand-hills. Here they were associated with the cooking hollows and with stone implements similar to those now used by the aborigines. In caves the moa bones were found resting on the stalactitic shelves, and probably came there by falling through the upper chasms, or by being washed in by the water, as is now the case with the remains of the sheep. The earliest traces of the moa bones were at Poverty Bay, in the form of footmarks, in a soft pumice sandstone six or eight inches from the surface. Dr. Hector does not consider the moa to be of the tertiary age, the supposed bones from such deposits, in his opinion, belonging to a gigantic extinct penguin. H. BOTANY. RELATION BETWEEN THE MODERN AND TERTIARY FLORAS. A communication was made to the Vienna Academy by Ettingshausen, embodying his extensive researches on tertiary plant-fossils and their study in connection with modern floras. Regarding the present vegetable world as the result of a former preparatory condition, he proceeds upon the fact that the modern floras were already prefigured in the tertiary flora, not confined, however, as at present, to different distinct regions; but that plants, at present denizens of widely different portions of the earth, then flourished in the same region. The state of preservation of the fossils of temperate and subtropical plants, often occurring even in the same piece of rock, renders this fact inexplicable on the hypothesis of the mingling of the floras of mountains and lowlands, and leaves only the conclusion that these plants flourished in immediate proximity. Hence the tertiary flora, in comparison with the modern, may be regarded as a kind of compounded primitive flora, which by resolving, as it were, into its elements, produced the present natural floras, each of which consists of a principal element, and to a greater or less degree of secondary elements; the term "element" being understood to include all geological plant-forms, the analogues of which at present belong exclusively to the region of one natural flora. The tertiary flora, therefore, as it involved all modern floras, was, so far, of the same character over the whole earth. In the present flora then, regarded as the more fully developed tertiary flora, there are of course plant-forms on which the impress of the original elements may be recognized, although somewhat altered. This is very evident in regard to the principal elements, but the effect of secondary elements in the development of modern plants can also be inferred from the relationship of many modern genera and species, as well as from their distribution; and components of the natural floras, which do not seem to conform to the character of the same, clearly betray their association with components of the secondary elements; and the more or less extensive Q groups of apparently exotic plants that are met with are only to be explained as the residue of secondary elements. Examples of the extent to which the composite character of the tertiary flora has still been retained are found in Japan, the southern portions of North America, and California, where plants related to those of almost all other regions occur. He sums up his conclusions as follows: 1. The natural floras of the world are allied to each other by the elements of the tertiary flora. 2. The character of a natural flora is determined by the predominant development of one floral element (the principal element). 3. Secondary elements have also affected the composition of modern floras, according to climatic conditions. The intermixture of members of the vegetable kingdom, apparently foreign to the character of the flora, produced in this way, sometimes appears only subor dinate, but at others is of such an extent that it decidedly affects the character of the flora. 4. The species replacing each other in the regions of the different modern floras are corresponding members of similar elements.-19 C, November 14, 1874, 429. CATALOGUE OF THE FLORA OF NEBRASKA. A catalogue of the flora of Nebraska, by Professor Samuel Aughey, has been published by the University of Nebraska, with special reference to making exchanges of specimens. The general arrangement corresponds to that of Professor Gray, in his botanical works, and includes 2034 species as having been actually observed. Professor Aughey remarks that many of the native species along the eastern border of the state are rapidly disappearing, and others taking their place. Thus eight years ago the "silver-weed," Potentilla anserina, was common along the Missouri from Omaha to Dakota City, but is now rarely met with. He thinks, therefore, that the present condition of the flora of Nebraska should be put on record, so as to mark with greater accuracy the changes that may take place from year to year. VEGETATION OF AMSTERDAM AND ST. PAUL'S ISLANDS. It is a curious fact that the little island of Amsterdam, in the South Indian Ocean, is known to be covered with trees, while that of St. Paul's, only fifty miles to the south, is des titute of a shrub. Botanists have long been anxious to determine the character of the Amsterdam forest, but the difficulty of effecting a landing on the island has generally prevented the collection of specimens. In the last part of the journal of the Linnæan Society, Dr. Hooker announces that at length he has received the desired specimens, these having been collected by Commodore Goodenough, who states that they represent the only species of tree growing on the island. Dr. Hooker identifies this with the Phylica arborea of Thouars, a tree which, strangely enough, is found in the remote island of Tristan d'Acunha. It is a problem for those who study insular floras to suggest how the same plant can have established itself on these two little specks of land separated from each other by about five thousand miles of ocean. LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN ALGÆ. About twenty years ago the Smithsonian Institution published an elaborate work, by Professor William H. Harvey, of Dublin, upon the algae or sea-weeds of North America, a subject which has always been of popular interest, as nearly all persons who visit the sea-shore are attracted by the beauty of the floating weeds, and are induced to make collections for preservation. The publication of this work gave a renewed impetus to the study, and at the present time there are many collections in the United States, both public and private, the determinations of all being based upon the work referred to. No systematic effort, however, has been made to bring the subject up to date, although Professor D. C. Eaton, of New Haven, and Professor W. G. Farlow, of Cambridge, have been engaged in investigations looking toward a revision of the group. Professor Farlow has, however, just published in the proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences of Boston a new list of the species, 430 in number, and embracing about 54 additions.-Proc. Amer. Acad., 1875, 351. BOTANY OF THE LIBYAN DESERT. The Swedish botanist, Ascherson, has recently been exploring the flora of the Libyan Desert, having been attached for this purpose to the expedition of Rohlfs. Thirty-three species, belonging to 14 different families, were met with in the desert proper (e. g., at least an hour's journey from any of the oases or wells), the best represented orders being the Cruciferæ, Zygophylleæ, Leguminosæ, Compositæ, Borraginace, Chenopodiaceae, and Gramineæ. In the oases, 92 species were found in Farafreh, 189 in Dghakel, and 225 in Khargeh, besides a number of cultivated plants; but many of the former had evidently been accidentally introduced. Very few of the species were new, and these were nearly related to species already known. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AT WHICH CERTAIN Hoberlandt has lately published a table showing the maximum and minimum temperature at which a large number of agricultural seeds will germinate. From this it appears that the minimum of the largest number, including wheat, barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, sugar beet, linseed, poppy, clover, pease, mustard, etc., is about 40.55° Fahr. The minimum for carrots, sunflower, sorghum, and maize lies between 40.55° Fahr. and 50.90° Fahr. For tobacco and the gourd it is between 50.90° Fahr. and 60.12° Fahr. For cucumber and melon it is between 60.12° Fahr. and 65.30° Fahr.-21 A, Sept., 1874, 910. ASSISTING THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS. According to Böttger, a moderately concentrated solution of caustic soda or potash seems to promote the germination of seeds even more than ammonia, especially of coffee beans, which germinate with difficulty. After soaking a few hours in dilute potash solution, they often put forth snow-white radicles.-14 C, CCXIII., 1874, 444. FOSSIL FLORA OF THE WESTERN TERRITORIES. Under the title of "Contributions to the Fossil Flora of the Western Territories: Part I. The Cretaceous Flora, by Professor Lesquereux," Professor Hayden has published the sixth volume of the series of final reports of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories. The work is in quarto, and embraces one hundred and thirty-six pages and thirty plates. Very many new species are figured and described. The name of the author is, of course, a sufficient guarantee of the scientific value of this work, which covers all the known species of the Dakota group, and constitutes an important |