1897] NEWS 287 



hope the Colony will not be too impatient, but realise that the purely scientific 

 part of the survey must first be accomplished in more or less detail before the 

 economic problems can be satisfactorily attacked. 



According to the American Nahiralist, the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia is trying to raise $50,000 to purchase the palaeontological collec- 

 tions of Professor Cope. Since the fund received from the sale of the collection 

 is to go to the Academy for the foundation of a professorship of palaeontology, 

 it would seem appropriate that the collections themselves should become the 

 property of this society. 



We have received the last part of the Bulletin of the Natural History Society 

 of New Brunswick (No. XV.), containing a long review of the scientific work of 

 Abraham Gesner, pioneer in the geology and mineralogy of Nova Scotia, by Dr 

 G. F. Matthew. Dr Matthew also describes supposed evidence of a thysanurous 

 insect from the early Palaeozoic rocks (Little River Group) of New Brunswick. 

 The thirty-fifth annual report of the Society makes the gratifying announcement 

 that the membership has considerably increased during the year. The library 

 also increases rapidly, and H.M. Treasury has generously presented to it a 

 complete set of the ' Challenger ' Reports. 



We have received from Mr C. A. Snazelle, the energetic honorary secretary 

 of the Jersey Natural Science Association, a report of the second meeting of this 

 new society, and the first programme for the winter's meetings. In addition to 

 the meetings for general papers and lectures, there will be small sectional com- 

 mittees for various departments of detailed scientific work. We regret to learn 

 that Natural Science is so little cultivated in Jersey that the total membership 

 of the Society is still less than 50. 



Mr William Bidgood, the Curator of the Museum of the Somersetshire 

 Archaeological and Natural History Society, in Taunton Castle, has just issued 

 the sixth edition of his Guide. The Museum is chiefly remarkable for its archaeo- 

 logical collection relating to Somersetshire, while among the geological specimens 

 are the cave remains from Banwell, Bleadon, Sandford Hill, and Hutton. 



The total number of visits of students to the reading-room at the British 

 Museum during the year was 191,363, being 3,600 less than that of 1895, which 

 again was lower than that of 1894 by 8,000. This we regard in a very favourable 

 light, as it shows that the wise regulations of Sir Maunde Thompson, regarding 

 a certain class of readers, have resulted in greater comfort for the more serious 

 students. It also shows indirectly the value of Free Libraries. 



The last number of the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the 

 United Kingdom (vol. v., No. 1, issued August 1897) contains the annual report 

 of the Director and of the Council for 1896-97. Under the direction of Mr Allen 

 the Plymouth station continues to flourish and increase in utility. The Associa- 

 tion is also fortunate in retaining the services of Mr Holt, for the time beinc, as 

 Honorary Naturalist. The Lords Commissioners of H.M. Treasury in granting 

 the usual £1000 for the year 1897-98, have made it a condition that the Associa- 

 tion will give all the assistance in its power to the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries 

 in investigations which they desire to be made on the habits and migrations of the 

 mackerel visiting the Irish coast. This important work has thus been begun, and 

 the principal contribution to the new number of the Journal is Mr Allen's report 

 on the present state of knowledge with regard to the habits and migrations of the 

 mackerel (Scomber scomber). Most of the other papers also have an important 

 economic bearing. The large laboratory in the Plymouth station has been pro- 

 vided with a new flat tank, eight feet by five feet and eight inches deep, in which 

 Mr Garstang has been making the observations on Crustacea to which we refer 

 elsewhere. The sea-water supplied to the laboratory is still kept distinct from 



