General News.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5151, 21 July 1885, Page 2

General News.

fossil Flora in Greenland.—lt is curious to find, in the heart of this region of volcanic rocks, in an arctic country, and in an arctic cold, the fossil remains of a flora totally distinct from that now living there, and one which implies the existence of an early period of a very temperate climate at the least. Fossilised wood, leaves, flowers, and fruits hare been found at various parts of the volcanic region of Nerth Greenland, in more than a dozen places, and have been referred to various periods—these which have been assigned to the Tertiary period alone amounting to about 137 species. From a little shelf on a rock, about 400 feet long, and out of strata amounting to scarcely more than 3 feet in thickness, I obtained no less than 75 species, including oaks, poplars.'chestnuts, planes,- saquoias, magnolia, and many others.—Good Words."

Trees have been found in Africa computed to be 5150 years old, and a cypress in Mexico is said to have reached to still greater age. The oldest individual specimen of any species is probably the cypress of Santa Maria del Tule, in the Mexican State of Oaxaca. If estimates of tree ages are to be relied upon, the life of this venerable forest monarch may have spanned the whole period of written history. At last account it was still growing, and' in -1851, when Humboldt saw it, it measured 42 feet in diameter, 146 iv circumference, and 382 feet be* tween the extremities of two opposite branches.

Owing to the popular feeling in cartain circles, for some time back, against the use of "medical comforts iv the Melbourne Hospital, the total Abstinence Society of the above named city has voted £500 towards the establishment of a hospital, to be carried on strictly in ac« cordance with temperance principles. Subscriptions towards that object are rapidly coming in, and temporary premises have already been leased.

An interesting experiment is at present being made in Victoria for the purpose of determining the amount of gold contained in mine waters. If the supposition be correct that the waters of the local mines contain an equal percentage to those of the ocean, which scientists state yield one grain of gold per 400 gallons, the issue to be proved by the experiments contemplated is as to whether or not the hypo* thesis is correct. It is computed that experiments involving 50,000 gallons per day, such as is anticipated will be at the Victory and Pandora mine at Sandhurst, or, as il was known in the early days, Bendigo, will give as a result lOOozs of gold per annum; and as the expenses incidental to the erection of the appurtenances will be comparatively small, and no further outlay will be required,,it will be seen that the experiment is fraught with much interest to a community whose staple industry is that of mining.

A distinguished Catholic lately at Rome says that the Holy Father has decided to send the Golden Rose privately to the Empress of Germany, who, though not a Catholic, has quietly used her influence ou many occasions to protect Catholic German subjects from persecution, and to smooth away the difficulties dividing the Empire from the Holy See. •