1898] NEWS 71 



of three, would be unfairly diverted from these two sciences to the three which 

 entailed less examination work. The standard of knowledge required for the 

 examination in botany and zoology has been in both cases admittedly as high as 

 that demanded in each of the other subjects, and will doubtless be maintained by 

 the examiners. A memorial embodying these views has thus been presented to 

 the University Senate. 



We have frequently noticed the admirable jDublications of the Institute of 

 Jamaica, and we have now received its Annual Report for the year ending 

 March 31, 1897, which is a record of great and successful activity. During the 

 3'ear changes have been made in the arrangement of the Museum, and numerous 

 important additions are recorded. In the Department of Zoology many birds' 

 nests have been moi;nted and displayed with the specimens of birds. The latter 

 have been re-lal^elled. All the fishes in alcohol and formalin have been mounted 

 on glass, re-labelled, and several additions have been made. The Decapod 

 Crustacea have been named and ai'ranged on tablets. Many of the Echino- 

 dermata, Actinaria, and Corals have been provisionally named and displayed. A 

 four to six per cent, solution of formalin has been mostly employed as a pre- 

 servative fluid and found to work very satisfactorily, though the colours of the 

 objects are not retained for long in specimens exposed to strong light. For 

 delicate objects such as jelly-fishes and sea-anemones, it is found to be extremely 

 serviceable, perserving perfectly the natural form and histology. In the De- 

 partment of Botany additions have been made to the Herbarium by the Hon. 

 Wm. Fawcett, Director of Public Gardens and Plantations. In the Depart- 

 ment of Geology an extensive students' collection of fossils has been purchased 

 and arranged, in two cases with descriptive labels. The series illustrates by 

 actual fossils and casts the typical forms of life met with throughout the 

 geological formations. The mineralogical collection has been grouped so as to 

 illustrate, in an elementary manner, the difi'erent branches of interest in the 

 subject. Mr F. C. Nicholas has presented an elementary series of fossils, with 

 illustrative recent shells, and these have been biologically arranged. Some of 

 the specimens from the Survey Geological collections have been lent to Professor 

 R. T. Hill of the American Geological Survey, who is at present engaged upon a 

 study of the Geology of Jamaica, and has already carried out two explorations. 

 Various collecting expeditions have also been made by the Curator, Mr J. E. 

 Duerden, with very satisfactory results. 



Our American contemporary Puck prints the following jest regarding the 

 numerous attempts to reach the North Pole : — 



The North Pole Calendar 



{For the next Nine Years). 



1898. — Expedition of Haans Haansen, from Haamerfest, Norway, to find the 



North Pole. 

 1899. — Expedition of Torm Tormpsen to find Haansen. 

 1900. — Expedition of Jhim Jhornsen to find Tormpsen. 

 1901. — Expedition of Jjaik Jjaksen to find Jhornsen. 

 1902. — Return of Jjaksen with relics of Jhornsen. Marble monument erected 



to the memory of Jhornsen. 

 1903. — Return of Jhornsen with relics of Tormpsen. Brick monument erected 



to Tormpsen. 

 1904. — Return of Tormpsen with relics of Haansen. Wooden monument erected 



to Haansen. 

 1905. — Return of Haansen, dead-tired. North Pole still standing. 

 1906. — North Pole discovered by an American. Auction sale of monuments at 



Haamerfest. 



