Native Names Research Articles

On the “Habitat” of Lophiomys

ON reading the review of “Cassell's Natural History,” vol. iii., given in NATURE, vol. xxi. p. 136, I find that both the author and the reviewer do not appear to have been aware that the “habitat” of that most interesting rodent, Lophiomys imhausi, is well known. The rich and interesting Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, of Genoa, amongst its many rarities, contains a magnificent specimen of the Lophiomys, mounted skin and skeleton, which specimen was caught at Keren in the Bogos land, in June, 1870, and forms part of the fine collections made at that place by Dr. Beecari and Marquis Antinori. The native name of the Lophiomys, according to Antinori, is Tzechiza.

African Exploration

MR. STANLEY'S letter and the map in the Telegraph of Monday enable us to realise somewhat more fully the nature and extent of the discoveries made by the intrepid traveller. Mr. Stanley is bent on calling the great river, so much of which he has explored, by the came of Livingstone. As a rule we think it a mistake to change native geographical names where these can be satisfactorily ascertained. In the case of the Lualaba-Congo, however, the river seems to have quite as many names as there are tribes or villages on its banks, and it would be a happy solution of the difficulty to confer upon it the most memorable name among African explorers. Mr. Stanley himself has taken great pains to obtain accurately the native names of tribes and places, and he animadverts with severity on geographers for crowding the map of Africa with names that probably correspond to nothing. For this they cannot be greatly blamed, neither need he be too hard on previous travellers for misunderstanding the significance of native words.

VIII. Remarks on “Clicks” with an Investigation of the Etymon of some South-African Native Geographical names

VIII. Remarks on “Clicks” with an Investigation of the Etymon of some South-African Native Geographical names

Book Reviews

MR. DE RICCI'S book has the appearance of having been put together hastily, to catch the mild and short-lived excitement connected with the annexation of Fiji. A large proportion of it consists of extracts from other works thrown together without much attempt at systematic arrangement; the result is a somewhat undigested mass of facts and figures about Fiji. Still, the book does contain a great deal of useful and interesting information, and will give its readers a very fair idea of the history and the physical and social condition of our most recent annexation. The information given may be regarded as trustworthy, as it is taken from the works of Wilkes and Seemann, and from various official documents. Appended are lists of the native names of timber-trees and of the fauna; but very much more valuable is the long systematic list of all the Fijian plants at present known, compiled partly from previous writers and partly from the author's own observations. The two maps add to the value of the work—one of the Fiji Archipelago, and the other showing the position of the colony in reference to America, Asia, and Australia.

Gipsy native names

Gipsy native names

The Botany of the Speke and Grant Expedition, an Enumeration of the Plants collected during the Journey of the late Captain J. H. SPEKE and Captain (now Lieut.-Col.) J. A. GRANT from Zanzibar to Egypt. The Determinations and Descriptions by Professor OLIV

The Botany of the Speke and Grant Expedition, an Enumeration of the Plants collected during the Journey of the late Captain J. H. SPEKE and Captain (now Lieut.-Col.) J. A. GRANT from Zanzibar to Egypt. The Determinations and Descriptions by Professor OLIVER and others connected with the Herbarium, Royal Gardens, Kew; with an Introductory Preface, Alphabetical List of Native Names, and Notes by Colonel GRANT. (Continued) Get access Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Volume os-29, Issue 2, August 1873, Pages 69–104, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1873.tb00233.x Published: 09 April 2009 Article history Accepted: 22 July 2008 Published: 09 April 2009

I. The Botany of the Speke and Grant Expedition, an Enumeration of the Plants collected during the Journey of the late Captain J. H. SPEKE and Captain (now Lieut.-Col.) J. A. GRANT from Zanzibar to Egypt. The Determinations and Descriptions by Professor O

I. The Botany of the Speke and Grant Expedition, an Enumeration of the Plants collected during the Journey of the late Captain J. H. SPEKE and Captain (now Lieut.-Col.) J. A. GRANT from Zanzibar to Egypt. The Determinations and Descriptions by Professor OLIVER and others connected with the Herbarium, Royal Gardens, Kew; with an Introductory Preface, Alphabetical List of Native Names, and Notes by Colonel GRANT Get access Oliver Oliver 1Herbarium, Royal Gardens, Kew Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Volume os-29, Issue 1, June 1872, Pages 1–69, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1872.tb00232.x Published: 09 April 2009 Article history Accepted: 22 July 2008 Published: 09 April 2009

New Zealand Forest Trees

IN the last number of NATURE is a paragraph relating to some New Zealand woods, which the writer observes are “deserving of a better fate than to be cut down wholesale and used as firewood.” Five timber trees are mentioned, of which the native names only are given.

A Ride through the disturbed Districts of New Zealand, together with some Account of the South Sea Islands

THE title-page sufficiently describes this book, which is illustrated by some nice woodcuts, and several coloured lithographs of less merit. There is a good description of the Geysers of New Zealand, and of the state of the native insurrection in 1865; with some exciting narratives of attacks on Papuan cannibals in the New Hebrides. A good-sized house, built in a lofty tree and used as a fort, was seen in one of the Solomon Islands. One cannot but regret that the opportunities possessed by our officers on the Pacific Station for investigating the little-known natural history of the islands, are so seldom utilised. The author of this book often shoots, but hardly seems aware that his game could be of any other use than for food. The only natural history passage in the book is the following, dated Upolu, Samoan Islands:—“Saw a very rare bird, the Dodunculus, native name, which is peculiar to this island. It has the feet of a pigeon, beak of a hawk,” &c, &c. Dodunculus! native name!! A Ride through the disturbed Districts of New Zealand, together with some Account of the South Sea Islands. Being Selections from the Journals and Letters of Lieut. the Hon Herbert Meade, R. N., edited by his Brother. With Maps and Illustrations from the Author's Sketches. (Murray, 1870.)

III.—AN EXAMINATION OF KOLBEN'S ASSERTION THAT HOTTENTOT WAS THE NATIVE NAME OF THE RACE.

Transactions of the Philological SocietyVolume 11, Issue 1 p. 11-14 III.—AN EXAMINATION OF KOLBEN'S ASSERTION THAT HOTTENTOT WAS THE NATIVE NAME OF THE RACE. Hessleigh Wedgwood, Hessleigh WedgwoodSearch for more papers by this author Hessleigh Wedgwood, Hessleigh WedgwoodSearch for more papers by this author First published: March 1866 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-968X.1866.tb00003.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume11, Issue1March 1866Pages 11-14 RelatedInformation

XIX. On the corundum stone from Asia

Having contributed to bring into notice the mineral substance from the East Indies which is generally called Adamantine Spar, I beg leave to lay before the Royal Society the following account of its history and introduction. About the year 1767 or 1768, Mr. William Berry, a very respectable man, and an eminent engraver of stone, at Edinburgh, received from Dr. Anderson, of Madras, a box of crystals, with information of their being the material used by the natives of India, to polish crystal, and all gems but diamonds. Mr. Berry found that they cut agate, cornelian, & c.; but, in his minute engraving of figures, upon seals, &c. the superior hardness of the diamond appeared preferable; and its dispatch compensated for the price: the crystals were therefore laid aside, as curiosities. Dr. Black ascertained their being different from other stones observed in Europe, and their hardness attached to them the name of Adamantine Spar. My friend Colonel Cathcart sent me its native name, Corundum , from India, with some specimens, given to him by Dr. Anderson, in 1784, which I distributed for analysis.

II. A catalogue of some Guinea-Plants, with their Native Names and virtues; sent to James Petiver, apothecary, and Fellow of the Royal Society; with his remarks on them. Communicated in a letter to Dr. Hans Sloane. Secret. Reg. Soc

Sir, The Following Plants, with their Native Names and Vertues , I Sometimes since received from my Worthly and Reverend Friend, Mr. John Smyth , whilst he was Minister to the Royal African Company in the English Factory at cabo corso , vulgarly called cape coast in Guinea .