236 NATURAL SCIENCE. Sept. 





The Smithsonian Institution has secured a table at the Naples Zoological 

 Station for the use of American investigators, in response to a memorial signed by 

 nearly 200 working biologists. 



According to Erytheu, Messrs Sandberg and Leiberg are at present engaged, 

 under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, in botanical 

 exploration on the Columbia plains. The late summer and early autumn they expect 

 to give to the eastern slope of the Cascades and the desert plains beyond. Mr. John 

 Macoun is devoting the season of 1893 to the botany of Vancouver Island. 



We understand that a new zoological quarterly will shortly be issued by the 

 Tring Museum, containing memoirs on Mr. Rothschild's collections, partly by 

 himself and his curators, partly by other specialists. 



A new part of the "Notes from the Leyden Museum" (vol. xv., no. 3, July, 1893) 

 has been issued. The contributions are technical papers on systematic zoology, the 

 only one of general interest being a Comparative List of the Birds of Holland and 

 England, by F. E. Blaauw. It appears that Holland is the regular home or resort 

 of 221 species of birds, while the larger area of the British Isles has only 211 species 

 — of course excluding casual visitors. 



The collection of Italian fossils made by the late Baron A. de Zigno, of Padua, 

 has been acquired by the University of that city. It comprises many type-specimens 

 of Vertebrata described in the Baron's memoirs, and will form an important addition 

 to the fine Geological Museum in the University building. 



A new hall has just been opened at the Industrial and Art Museum of Melbourne. 

 It is a fine large room, with a wide gallery running round, and is lighted by sky- 

 lights. It is devoted chiefly to Practical Geology and Mining, and, besides 

 containing numerous models and examples of mining machinery, has a fine collection 

 of rocks and minerals, at present being excellently arranged by Mr. Walcott. 



Owing to the prevailing depression the public scientific institutions of Australia 

 are in a bad way. The vote for the Australian Museum, Sydney, has been reduced 

 by a half, which involves the dismissal of over a third of the staff, and considerable 

 lessening of the salaries of those who remain. A large new hall has recently been 

 built at this Museum, chiefly for the reception of the geological collections. It is, 

 however, impossible to exhibit the specimens, as no money is forthcoming to provide 

 fittings for the cases. 



Similar tales of woe reach us from other places. The collections of the 

 Queensland Geological Survey were only a year ago moved from Townsville to 

 Brisbane, where they have been displayed in appropriate quarters by Mr. Jack and 

 his assistants, Messrs. Rands and Maitland. Now, since the Government can no 

 longer pay the rent for the building, they must be shifted into rooms of little more 

 than half the size. 



The Ethnological Collection belonging to the Museum at Auckland, N.Z., has 

 recently been moved into a new hall, where it has been admirably arranged by the 

 curator, Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., who has drawn up and printed very useful 

 descriptive labels. The collection is especially rich in Maori curios, but contains 

 also many valuable specimens from the South Sea Islands. 



