Miscellaneous. 361 



greatly promoting the advancement in civilization of the inhabitants 

 of those islands to which its energies are more peculiarly applied. 

 We are informed by the Secretary, the Rev. W. Stobbs, that speci- 

 mens illustrative of natural history from the southern parts of the 

 kingdom will be peculiarly acceptable to the Society, and as we feel 

 confident that many of our readers will have much pleasure in ad- 

 vancing this promising institution, we think that we cannot do bet- 

 ter than refer them to the Secretary, whose residence is at Strom - 

 ness, Orkney. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



PRIZE QUESTION. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, — Having met with the following announcement in 

 the * Repertorium der gesammten Deutschen Literatur,' No. XVII. 

 September Heft, 1 840, and thinking it might be interesting to some 

 of your readers, I have transmitted it for publication in the Annals. 



" The Royal Academy of Berlin wishes that experiments be in- 

 stituted for the purpose of ascertaining, if only in one plant, in what 

 the physical and chemical effects of the mineral constituents and 

 salts which plants derive from the earth during the process of deve- 

 lopment consist. The inquiry to be conducted with a special regard 

 both to the substances formed by the decaying parts of the plant and 

 to those excreted by the roots ; the object of the whole being to 

 elucidate the question of the conversion of the constituents of the 

 soil, as clay, gypsum, &c., into the structure of the plant.'* A prize of 

 300 Thalers (45/.) will be awarded to the best paper on this subject 

 which may be written in the German, French, or Latin languages, 

 and must be sent in before the 31st of March 1841. The awarding 

 of the prize to be made in July. Each paper must be accompanied 

 by a motto upon a sealed envelope bearing the writer's name. 



I am. Gentlemen, your obedient Servant, 



Edwin Lankester, M.D. 



Campsall, Feb. 27, 1840. 



bottle-nosed whale. 

 The following detailed account of one of the Hyperoodons noticed 

 in the Annals for February last, has been communicated to me by 

 Mr. Henry Johnson, Royal Institution, Liverpool. — Wm. Thompson. 



Belfast, May 4, 1840. 



" I beg leave to say that, in your paper published in the Annals 

 Ann, Nat. Hist. Vol. 5. No. 32. July 1840. 2 c 



