1898] NEWS 287 



Island, the result of a deputation to the Premier of Tasmania. They are now 

 safe all the year round for five years. Mr C. French was again elected president. 



The Council of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall in its 84th Report 

 expresses its satisfaction over the new geological survey of the county at the hands 

 of Mr J. B. Hill. Application to the Government was made as the result of the 

 Annual Joint Meeting of the Scientific Societies of Cornwall, at Falmouth, in 

 August 189G, and Mr Hill was told off by the Survey to examine the sections of 

 the south coast last autumn. The Council also reports the complete and detailed 

 examination of the St Erth pliocene, and has under its consideration the preserva- 

 tion of the plans and sections of abandoned mines. Mr Howard Fox has been 

 awarded the Bolithogold medal, and Mr J. H. Collins has been made an honorary 

 member. 



From the Annual Report of the Yorkshire Geological and Polytechnic Society 

 we learn that the roll of members is 1C4. This is the highest since 1893, and it 

 is satisfactory to learn that all these members are in active association with their 

 Society. The editors have dated their Proceedings with the proper year of issue, 

 instead of one year earlier as heretofore. Next year we hope they will improve 

 on this and add the month, for we note that the future bibliographer will not be 

 able td say whether Mr Woodward's paper on the Yorkshire fossil fishes was pub- 

 lished in January or December 1898. The Proceedings contain a paper on Filey 

 Bay and Brigg by Mr Fox-Strangeways, which is illustrated by eight beautiful 

 photographs by Mr Godfrey Bingley. There are also portraits and obituaries of 

 Thomas Tate and John Stanley Tute. 



The Selborne Society in the September number of Nature Notes desire to wipe 

 off a printer's debt. The Society is now sumcientlv nourishing to show but a 

 small deficit in its balance sheet, but hopes to raise three hundred pounds during 

 the next three years to clear itself of debt. 



In June last we called attention to an application for subscriptions to erect a 

 suitable monument to the late Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. This was set 

 on foot by the executors. "We now note that a second committee has been formed 

 by Mr W. Wiesbaden, Professor Baldwin Spencer, and others, who are desirous 

 of founding some National Memorial which shall worthily perpetuate his name. 

 Whilst nominally the Government Botanist of Victoria, it is well known that the 

 Baron von Mueller's assistance was sought by and always freely given not only 

 to public bodies but to private individuals in all parts of Australia. Apart from 

 his purely scientific work, upon the value of which it is unnecessary to dwell 

 Yon Mueller devoted himself to the development of the more practical side of 

 various branches of work, such as those connected with Forestry, Agriculture, 

 Horticulture, Pharmacy and, not least, Geographical Exploration. His own 

 explorations in early days, both in Northern Australia as botanist in the expedi- 

 tion under Mr A. C. Gregory, and when, subsequently, he traversed alone the 

 then little known wilds of Gippsland, were of considerable importance, and his 

 deep interest in and the practical assistance which he rendered to the explorations 

 of others are well known. Not only did he spend his whole life in the furtherance 

 of the work in which, from the nature of his position, he was most deeply 

 interested, but he devoted practically the whole of his income to the assistance 

 of those who were engaged in work the object of which was to increase our 

 knowledge of the nature and products of Australasian lands. It is on these 

 grounds, therefore, tliat the committee hope that sufficient funds will be forth- 

 coming to provide for (1) the erection of some form of statue, and (2) the 

 endowment of a Medal, Prize or Scholarship, to be associated with Yon Mueller's 

 name and to be awarded from time to time in recognition of distinguished 

 work in the special branches in which he was most deeply interested, and which 



