6 4 



HARD WICKK S S CIE NCE-GO SSIP. 



Mars is a morning star. 

 Jupiter is a morning star. 



There will be no occupations or astronomical 

 phenomena of especial popular interest in March. 



Rising, Southing, and Setting of the Principal Planets, 

 at intervals of Seven Days, for March. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The origin of the diamonds in South Africa has 

 just been discussed before the French Academy of 

 Sciences. It was argued that the South African 

 diamonds were not formed in situ, but were emptied 

 from great depth, together with the fragmentary 

 materials in which they are embedded. The presence 

 of the diamond in its natural state, and as Carbonado 

 as well as transformed from graphite in various stages 

 of meteorites, is now placed beyond doubt. Attention 

 was called to the analogous conditions of association 

 under which this crystal occurs in South Africa and 

 also in meteorites. M. Daubree is of opinion that 

 the diamond is not (as is generally supposed) of 

 vegetable origin, but is of inorganic nature, as is also 

 the graphite found in the same rocks. This will be a 

 new idea for many geologists. 



The distinguished astronomer, Professor Schi- 

 aparelli, has been diligently studying the rotation 

 of the planet Mercury for nine years past, and has 

 just published the results of his observations. He 

 shows that Mercury revolves round the sun in the 

 same manner as the moon revolves around the earth, 

 always presenting to it the same face. Hence as the 

 period-time of Mercury is nearly eighty-eight days, 

 this must be the time of rotation on its axis. 



Some few months ago we heard a good deal about 

 a certain so-called "weather plant" {Abrm 

 precatorius), introduced by Herr Nowack to public 

 notice. It was claimed for this wonderful organism 

 that it would not only foretell weather changes, but 

 also approaching earthquakes. The plant was not 

 left without a trial at the Kew Meteorological 

 Observatory, and the results of careful observations 

 made on it are recorded in the last Bulletin. We 

 hardly need say that its supposed virtues are perfectly 

 fictitious. Perhaps we should not have taken any 

 notice of them in England if the Prince of Wales had 

 not interested himself in botany so far as to request 

 the authorities to record observations on the plant. 

 It is a highly sensitive-leaved plant, but that does 

 not make it either a weather prophet or a dreamer of 

 seismological dreams. 



Mr. W. E. Collinge, who is preparing for pub- 

 lication an account of the "Land and Freshwater 

 Mollusca of Oxfordshire," would be pleased to receive 

 copies of local lists, records, &c., from those inter- 

 ested or having such. 



At the Annual General Meeting of the Geologists' 

 Association, on Friday, February 7th, the President, 

 Mr. T. V. Holmes, delivered an address entitled, 

 " Notes on the Nature of the Geological Record." 



The Quekett Microscopical Club, owing to in- 

 crease of members and the inadequate accommodation 

 at their old rooms at University College, have secured 

 rooms at the new premises of the Royal Medical and 

 Chirurgical. 



MM. Tempere and Peragallo, of 168 Rue Saint- 

 Antoine, Paris, are bringing out some very interesting 

 series of mounted diatoms from all parts of the 

 world, recent and fossil. The value of such collections 

 cannot well be overrated. The prices asked are very 

 moderate, a series of twenty-five costing the same 

 number of francs. 



We have received from Mr. J. C. Thompson a 

 most interesting and comprehensive paper by himself 

 on the "Types of Metamorphosis in the Crustacea." 

 This formed his presidential address before the 

 Liverpool Microscopical Society, and is reprinted 

 from " Research." The paper is amplified by a 

 series of excellent illustrations. 



Mr. J. W. Williams sends us a copy of his paper 

 on " A Tumour in the Freshwater Mussel," reprinted 

 from the "Journal of Anatomy and Pathology." It 

 will doubtless be greatly appreciated by those inter- 

 ested in the pathology of the mollusca. 



The Selborne Society is bringing out a new issue 

 of its magazine, under the title of " Nature Notes." 



We are always changing old lamps for new, but 

 the new are not always improvements on their pre- 

 decessors. The latest thing in photography comes 

 from Mr. W. J. Harrison, a well-known geologist 



