356 NATURAL SCIENCE. May, 1897. 



afifiliated to the Yorkshire NaturaUsts' Union, its members can avail themselves of 

 the circulars issued by the Union descriptive of the natural history of various 

 districts visited. The Recorders of this Club take note of all important finds made 

 by its members, and undertake the identification of doubtful specimens. 



The Belfast Naturalists' Field-Club has again arranged with Professor Gren- 

 ville Cole for a course of instruction in practical geology. This Club does useful 

 work in organising the scientific activities of its members. Its geological section 

 has been investigating the erratic blocks of the neighbourhood on the lines of the 

 International Boulder Committee of the British Association. 



The Limerick and Clare Field-Club has, we learn from the Irish Naturalist, 

 added archaeology to its field of work, with the immediate result of raising its list of 

 members from 60 to nearly 200. We trust that the archaeologists intend to do 

 serious work, such as is now being done by so many of the Irish Field-Clubs, and 

 that they are not merely on the look-out for picnic excursions. 



From the Report of the Cheltenham College Natural History Society for 1896 

 we learn that the Old Chapel is about to be used as a Library and Art Museum, so 

 that it will perhaps be possible to devote the present Museum room entirely to 

 natural history, and so to arrange the objects more adequately. The Report 

 contains some faunal and floral lists, giving dates of first flowering, of arrival of 

 birds, and of egg-taking. Such observations are of real value in themselves, and of 

 ever greater value in their educational effect. 



Similar work used to be done by the Winchester College Natural History 

 Society, which, however, if not actually extinct, has issued no Report for some 

 sixteen years. Still the geologists, under the guidance of Mr. C. Griffith, have 

 occasionally given evidence of fruitful activity. Possibly the new museum, which is 

 to be opened on June 16, will afford opportunities for natural history work that have 

 hitherto been lacking. 



On May 18, Mr. Andree again leaves Gothenburg for Spitzbergen, in the gunboat 

 " Svensksund," to resume his attempt to cross the polar ocean in a balloon. The 

 balloon has been enlarged, so as to remain dilated for six weeks. Dr. Ekholm, 

 however, considering that it is not strong enough, has retired from the expedition, 

 and his place has been taken by Mr. Knut Frankel, a civil engineer. It is expected 

 that all will be ready for a start by June 20. A similar attempt is projected by the 

 French aeronauts, Messrs. Godard and Surcouf, who intend to start next spring in 

 a baloon with a capacity of over 35,000 cubic feet. 



Scietice for March 26 announced that a tariff Bill then before Congress imposed 

 an ad valorem duty oi 45 per cent, on scientific apparatus "imported especially for 

 colleges and other institutions," of 25 pier cent, on books imported for public 

 libraries, on books " printed m languages other than English," on books "printed 

 more than twenty years," on books " devoted to original scientific research," and on 

 works of art. 



It is also announced that the State of Minnesota intends to appoint a State 

 Phrenologist, who is to examine at least 2,000 heads /£;' anmiin. 



We do not know which of these two pieces of legislatipn is the more ridiculous 

 or astounding ; there is no question but that the former is the more dangerous, and 

 we rejoice to learn from a later number of Science that some modifications are to be 

 introduced into this extraordinary Bill. 



Octopus giganteus, Verrill {see Natural Science, March, p. 207) turns out to be 

 nothing more than a mass of blubber, probably from the head of some huge 

 cetacean. The moral of this is that one should not attempt to describe specimens 

 stranded on the coast of Florida, while sitting in one's study in Connecticut. 



