66 NATURAL SCIENCE. January. 



tions from various local societies of East Anglia were laid before the meeting, and a 

 lively discussion followed. Those interested in the subject may be referred to papers 

 entitled " What shall we do with our Local Societies ? " by Professor G. S. Boulger, 

 (Nat. Sci., September 1896), and "The Organisation of Local Science," by G. 

 Abbott (Nat. Sci., October, 1896). 



The German fisheries Association offers a prize of 600 marks for the best essay 

 on the history and biology of Leptomitus lacteiis, with special reference to its appear- 

 ance and disappearance in impure water. Papers must be sent in before May i 

 next, to Mr. Weigelt, 90-91 Zimmerstrasse, Berlin, S.W. 



An interesting lecture on "Flight, Natural and Artificial," was delivered by 

 Dr. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S., in the Imperial Institute on November 30. The advantage 

 of a screw propeller over a a flapping method was illustrated by some little models, 

 which were thrown up, and floated in a very bird-like manner. Lantern slides of 

 various old and new machines were exhibited, and Mr. P. S. Pilcher's machine, 

 which was displayed in the hall, was explained by the inventor. 



Dr. John Murray, of the "Challenger," was on November 30 presented by the 

 contributors to the Report with a handsome morocco album, containing all their 

 portraits. The dedication plate was designed by Mr. Walter Crane. 



Although the Russian universities are still closed to women, a medical school 

 is to be founded for them in St. Petersburg. 



The Rontgen rays applied to palaeontology, in the shape of skiagrams of fossils 

 embedded in Chalk from near Rheims, were recently exhibited to the Paris 

 Biological Society by Mr. Lemoin. The disputants over Archaopteryx, to whom we 

 suggested this method of settling their differences, have not yet communicated their 

 results to us. 



The quadrigentenary of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea-route to India, 

 which was to have been celebrated at Lisbon in 1897, has been postponed till May, 

 1898, that being the month on which the explorer reached Calcutta 400 years before. 



The eleventh German Geographical Congress will be held at Jena on April 21, 

 22 and 23, when the subjects discussed will include biological geography and polar 

 investigations. 



An international congress of experimental and therapeutic hypnotism is to be 

 held in Paris in 1S90. 



In consequence of unforeseen delays, it has been found desirable to extend the 

 time allowed to competitors for the Welby Prize (announced in our last number) till 

 January ist, 1898. Professor Emile Boirac, Paris, is to be the French member of 

 the Committee of Award. 



Mexico now ranks among the progressive nations who have legalised the use of 

 the metric 'system. The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, too, has unanimously 

 passed a resolution in favour of adopting this system, and urging the necessity of 

 bringing in a Bill for that purpose. 



With reference to Dr. Ohlin's account of the Swedish Expedition to Tierra del 

 Fuego, which appeared in Natural Science for September last, it is of interest to 

 note that the first results of the Hamburger Magalhaessischen Sammelreise have 

 just appeared. Lieferung I. is published by the Natural History Museum of 

 Hamburg, and contains a general account of the expedition, by Dr. Wilhelm 

 Michaelsen, and a particular account of the Vermes by different authors. 



