68 NATURAL SCIENCE. July. 



The Congress of delegates from various natural history societies in the South- 

 eastern district of England was held at Tunbridge Wells, on Saturday, April 25. It 

 was decided to form an association called the " South-eastern Union of Scientific 

 Societies," under the presidency of Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, with Mr. G. Abbott, of 

 Tunbridge Wells, as Secretary. The object of the union is to aid the co-operation of 

 the societies and to promote their scientific work. It will probably be a link between 

 the smaller societies of the district, which publish no Transactions, and the British 

 Association, since the latter body only permits publishing societies to be affiliated to 

 it. Similar unions in other parts of the United Kingdom, such as the Union of Irish 

 Field Clubs and the Midland Union of Natural History Societies, have already done 

 much good work. Various papers of more or less practical nature were read at the 

 recent congress. We would suggest to the members that more good would probably 

 be done on future occasions by practical and business-like proposals for the organi- 

 sation of their energies, but of course not much of this could be attempted before 

 the union was fully formed. 



At the annual general meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union on April 22, 

 Mr. P. L. Sclater brought forward a scheme for a new synopsis of the described 

 species of birds, to be arranged in six volumes corresponding to the six zoological 

 divisions of the earth's surface. This has been referred to a committee. 



The Oxford University Junior Scientific Club has brought out a special 

 conversazione-number of its journal, price is. The information of chief interest to 

 our readers that we glean from this is that a set of anthropometrical apparatus has 

 recently been presented by Mr. Francis Gallon to the Department of Human 

 Anatomy. The eminent donor was himself present at the conversazione, and super- 

 intended the use of his instruments, which were on this occasion for the first time 

 exhibited in systematic working order to an Oxford audience. 



The Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club- celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on 

 May 20 in a somewhat appropriate fashion. The assembled members traversed the 

 same ground as that of the first meeting fifty years ago, from Prudhoe to Ovingham, 

 and through the woods to Whittle Dene. Of the original membership some ten now 

 survive, among whom we may mention Dr. Embleton, Rev. Canon Greenwell, 

 James Hardy, Richard Howse, Professor D. Oliver. The club is the third oldest 

 society in the north, the Natural History Society of Northumberland, etc., having 

 been founded in 1S29, and the Berwickshire Naturalists' Field Club in 1831. The 

 Rev. Canon Tristram is the present President. Mr. George Harkus, the Sheriff 

 of Newcastle, presided over the tea in the evening and made some congratulatory 

 remarks. 



The Geographical Association has sent to various examining bodies a memorial 

 approved by the Geographical Societies and the Teachers' Guild, requesting that 

 the teaching of geography should be based on physical principles, and that the 

 examinations should lay stress upon the scientific aspects of geography. 



There has just been founded a " Societe Suisse des traditions populaires," 

 intended to study the folk-lore and customs of the different Cantons. It will pro- 

 bably publish a review. The subscription is 3 francs per annum, and further 

 information may be obtained from Mr. S. A. Stuckelberg, of Zurich. 



The New York Academy of Sciences has formed a new section devoted to 

 psychology, anthropology, and philology, which will hold meetings on the fourth 

 Monday in each month during the academic year. There has also been started in 

 New York an Anthropological Club for informal discussion. 



Congresses and meetings are to be held as follows : — German geologists at 

 Stuttgart in August ; German naturalists at Frankfort-on-Main, from September 21 

 to 26 ; the Swiss Society of Natural Science at Zurich, from August 2 to 5, during 



