N. MISCELLANEOUS. 603 



such as the founding of new scientific institutions, and the 

 modification or abolition of old ones, the sanctioning of scien- 

 tific expeditions, and applications for grants for scientific 

 purposes ; third, to consider and decide upon inventions ten- 

 dered to government for the use of the state ; and, fourth, to 

 conduct or superintend the experiments necessary to enable 

 it to perform these duties. 15 A, August 19, 240. 



WOLLASTON GOLD MEDAL. 



The Wollaston gold medal of the Geological Society of 

 London has been presented to Professor Ramsey for his re- 

 searches in practical and in theoretical geology. The re- 

 mainder of the proceeds of the "Wollaston donation fund were 

 given to Mr. Robert Etheridge in aid of his great catalogue 

 of British fossils. The success with which the band of work- 

 ing palaeontologists in England has prosecuted its labors in 

 determining the ancient fauna and flora of the island may 

 be inferred from the statement that, while of recent species 

 belonging to the animal and vegetable kingdoms less than 

 4000 are enumerated, 12,000 kinds of fossils have been de- 

 scribed. The difference between the two is most prepon- 

 derating among the mollusca, where we find over 7000 fossil 

 species, and only about 600 recent. Among the reptiles there 

 are 15 living species and 224 fossil. 12 A, March 2, 358. 



ALLEN THOMSON ON THE " PSYCHIC FORCE." 



Professor Allen Thomson, in his opening address before the 

 Section of Biology of the British Association, of which he is 

 chairman, takes occasion to enter his protest against the con- 

 sideration of the phenomena of spiritualism by scientific men, 

 instead of following Dr. Sharpey and Mr. Faraday in ignor- 

 ing the subject. In this, although no names are mentioned, 

 reference is evidently made to the paper of Mr. Crookes upon 

 the phenomena exhibited by D. D. Home, which has excited 

 so much attention of late among scientific circles. 15 A, Au- 

 gust 12, 212. 



PHENOMENON SEEN ON TEARING COTTON OR MUSLIN. 



According to Mr. Andrew Pritchard, when a piece of new 

 muslin is torn in the dark, a line of light is observable along 

 the torn edges. It is not known whether this arises from 



