1896. NEWS OF UNIVERSITIES, ETC. 67 



Son's Safe Company, and it is estimated that the total expense connected with them 

 will amount to /^/j,^oo. In view of the greatly increased requirements of the new 

 museum, the annual subsidy has been raised from £1,600 to /a, 000. During the 

 past year the number of visitors was 38,054, some 8,000 more than had previously 

 been registered. The increase is in part attributed to recent events in the Transvaal. 

 "Visits from the inhabitants of Cape Town are comparatively rare." Among recent 

 additions is a skin and skeleton of the square-nosed rhinoceros, R. simus, presented 

 by the Hon. C. J. Rhodes, and to be mounted at his expense by Rowland Ward and 

 Co. It is intended to model this with the nose six inches from the ground, and the 

 apex of the horn touching the ground, a position vouched for by Mr. Selous. Mr. 

 Peringuey points out the difficulty of acquiring fresh specimens of the large South 

 African Mammals : elephants are dangerous, hippopotami are eaten by crocodiles, 

 Tsitutunga antelopes live in malarial marshes, the gemsbok is protected by game- 

 laws, and the attention of our mighty hunters is directed to the Matabele. 

 Dr. G. Corstorphine, the keeper of the geological and mineral department, has 

 re-arranged the minerals, and has personally obtained many specimens from the 

 chief South African mining areas. It is intended that the collections made by the 

 officers of the Geological Commission shall be stored in the museum, and, so far as 

 desirable, placed on exhibition, while in time maps, diagrams, and sections will be 

 available for illustration of the local geology. Some remains of fossil reptiles 

 obtained by Mr. E. H. L. Schwarz from the Prince Albert district of the colony are 

 being developed by him. The services of a mason, a taxidermist, and an artist 

 modeller are much to be desired at this museum. We are glad to see that the 

 Trustees encourage co-operation with other local institutions. Mr. Corstorphine 

 has given several demonstrations to the South African College students, and hopes 

 in the new museum to be able to extend them to others of the public. The entomo- 

 logical collection and library have been placed at the disposal of the Government 

 Entomologist, with the suggestion that the museum should benefit by his researches. 

 The Trustees also suggest " that the services of the Marine Biologist be secured in 

 the same manner, which could be done to the mutual advantage of the Department 

 of Agriculture and of the Museum." 



Visitors to Paris during the summer ought not to miss the very interesting 

 exhibition that has been opened at the Musee Guimet since April 21. There are 

 exhibited here numerous collections brought back of late years from different parts 

 of the world by French explorers. Among them are objects of ethnological interest 

 from Cambodia, Thibet, Corea, Japan, and Siberia. 



Science states that a catalogue of the types and figured specimens of fossil 

 animals in the U.S. National Museum has recently been completed, and includes 

 3,644 species. This, we believe, is a slip-catalogue, and we do not know whether its 

 publication is contemplated. 



The Royal Geographical Society's Medals have been awarded as follows : the 

 Founder's Medal to Sir William Macgregor, for services in connection with the 

 exploration and mapping of British New Guinea; the Patron's Medal to Mr. St. 

 George Littledale, for his journeys in Central Asia and the Pamirs ; the Murchison 

 grant to Yusuf Sharif Khan Bahadur, native Indian surveyor, for work in Persian 

 Baluchistan ; the Gill memorial to Mr. A. P. Low, of the Canadian Survey, for 

 explorations in Labrador ; the Back grant to Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, also of the Canadian 

 Survey ; and the Cuthbert Peek grant to Mr. Alfred Sharpe, for journeys in 

 Central Africa. 



The National Home-Reading Union will hold its Eighth Summer Assembly 

 at Chester, from June 27 to July 6. Natural science will be represented by J. E. 

 Marr and G. F. Scott Elliot, who are to lecture on the geology and botany of the 

 district respectively, while H. Y. Oldham is to give a lecture on geography. Some 

 interesting excursions are planned. Further information may be obtained from 

 Miss Mondy, Surrey House, Victoria Embankment, W.C. 



