43 2 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Mr. Bosworth Smith, in a report on the 

 Kolar gold-field, in southern India, records 

 some finds of old mining implements, old 

 timbering, fragments of bones, an old oil- 

 lamp, and broken pieces of earthenware, in- 

 cluding a crucible, the remains of ancient 

 mining operations. He expresses astonish- 

 ment at the fact that the old miners were 

 able to reach depths of two hundred or three 

 hundred feet through hard rock, with the 

 simple appliances at their command. 



Bcffaloes are said to be becoming very 

 abundant and increasing rapidly in north- 

 ern Australia, where they were introduced 

 about 1S29. They are described as being 

 massive and heavy, " with splendid horns," 

 and affording fine sport for bold hunters. 



In the discussion in the British Associa- 

 tion of the report of the Committee on Science 

 Teaching in the Elementary Schools (which 

 exhibited a continued decline), Sir Benjamin 

 Browne said that the school boards would 

 be amazed at the high standard of the 

 qualifications of the lads who came to his 

 firm to be apprenticed engineers. Recently 

 a boy thirteen years of age came to him, 

 and he failed to puzzle him with problems 

 from Euclid. His opinion was, that what- 

 ever could be done voluntarily was better 

 than what could be done by the Government. 



Dr. D. G. Brinton, of Philadelphia, an- 

 nounces as in press a collection of sacred songs 

 of the ancient Mexicans, entitled " Rig Veda 

 Americana," with a gloss in Nahuatl, para- 

 phrase, notes, and vocabulary. The texts 

 are derived from two Nahuatl manuscripts, 

 one at Madrid and the other at Florence, 

 both of which have been personally collated 

 by the editor. This volume will form num- 

 ber eight of the " Library of Aboriginal 

 American Literature." 



An instrument called the telegraphone 

 has been patented, which enables the sender 

 to record his message on a cylinder attached 

 to the receiving instrument, in the absence 

 of any one to hear it, and even to repeat 

 the message back to himself for correction. 



Mr. De Cort Smith, at the American 

 Association, exhibited specimens of the 

 Shamanic masks and rattles of the Ononda- 

 ga Indians, and exemplified their use. The 

 masks are symbolical of supernatural evil 

 beings, and their aid is invoked to drive 

 away witches. The spirits are believed to 

 cause or remove illness. They are pro- 

 pitiated with feasts and sacrifices of to- 

 bacco. 



OBITUARY NOTES. 



Prof. Victor Eggertz, late head of the 

 School of Mines of Sweden, died in Stock- 

 holm in the last days of August. He was 

 the inventor of what is called the coloration 

 test for analyzing carbon in iron and steel. 



Mr. E. F. H. Francis, Professor of 

 Chemistry in Queen's College, Georgetown, 

 Demerara, and analytical chemist to the 

 Government, has recently died, aged thirty- 

 nine years. He went to the service in Brit- 

 ish Guiana from a similar position in Trini- 

 dad in 1875. 



Senor Don Sebastian Vidal, who died at 

 Manila July 28, 1889, had been for several 

 years Inspector-General of Forests and Di- 

 rector of the Botanic Garden at Manila, and 

 was the author of several works on Philip- 

 pine botany. He was practically a pioneer 

 in the investigation of the Philippine flora, 

 and has determined several peculiarities 

 distinguishing it from the allied Malayan 

 flora. 



Mr. John Ball, F. R. S., a distinguished 

 traveler, Alpine explorer, and botanist, of 

 England, died in London, October 10, 1889, 

 soon after returning from an excursion to 

 the Dolomite Alps. He was born in Dublin 

 in 1818; won high mathematical honors at 

 Cambridge ; was called to the bar, and ap- 

 pointed an assistant Poor Law Commissioner, 

 served in Parliament and as Under Secretary 

 for the Colonies, and then withdrew from 

 public life and devoted himself to Alpine 

 exploration and botany. He accompanied 

 Sir Joseph Hooker to Morocco, and wrote an 

 account of the botany and natural history of 

 the highlands of that country. He also vis- 

 ited Peru and Patagonia and the Island of 

 Tcneriffe, for scientific exploration. He 

 published an "Alpine Guide," which is 

 spoken of as a work of standard merit. 



The distinguished French chemist, Dr. 

 Augustin Quesneville, died on the 4th of 

 November, 1889, aged eighty years. He 

 was a pupil of Vauquclin's, and succeeded 

 him in his factory. Having attended Chev- 

 reul's lectures, he was admitted as a doctor 

 of medicine in 1S34, from which time he 

 devoted himself to the study of science and 

 industrial chemistry. In 1840 he founded a 

 monthly journal, called at first the "Revue 

 Scientifique," but after 1S57 the "Mcniteur 

 Scientifique," devoted to chemistry and its 

 industrial applications. This journal was 

 continued till October last, when the veteran 

 editor gave it up, on account of the pressure 

 of old age. 



"Ciel et Terre" records the death, on 

 the 10th of October, in bis sixty-sixth year, 

 of M. Francois Henri Carlier, proprietor 

 and director of the Meteorological Observa- 

 tory of Saint Martin-de-IIinx in the Landes. 

 This establishment is described as having 

 been a model one, and better furnished than 

 many state-supported observatories. The 

 observations taken there under M. Carlier 

 during the past twenty-five years form one 

 of the most important contributions to the 

 study of the climate of the extreme south- 

 east of France. 



