68 NATURAL SCIENCE. Jan., 



Mr. H. N. Ridley, the Director of the Straits Settlements Forest and Gardens 

 Department, who is now in England, has done a good deal in the Malay Peninsula 

 during his six years of residence at Singapore, but Mr. Mayer will doubtless find 

 much left to collect if he can satisfactorily combat the difficulties and hardships 

 incident to the exploration of the less known districts. 



Letters have been received, dated the middle of November, from Prince 

 Henri d'Orleans. He had then spent some time in Cambodia, and was leaving for 

 the Upper Mekong. M. Gervais Courtellemont has returned to Paris after a visit 

 to Mecca. He is an Algerian, and his knowledge of Arabic enabled him to travel 

 as one of the faithful. He has brought back some photographs of the city of 

 considerable interest. 



Our knowledge of Africa increases. Count Gotzen has telegraphed to Berlin 

 his safe arrival at Matadi on the Lower Congo. He has succeeded in crossing the 

 continent from east to west, following closely the line taken by Emin in his last and 

 fatal journey. This route lies between those of Stanley and von Wissman. He 

 started from Dar-es-Salaam about the end of 1893. Mr. F. C. Selous is starting on 

 a shooting expedition to the Upper Nile. It is his intention to return to Matabele- 

 land in March next. He will be accompanied by his wife. 



We stated in our October number that more convenient arrangements were 

 being made for students of the Hope Collections at Oxford. We can now add, on 

 the authority of the Entomologists' Recovd, that Professor Westwood's study has been 

 thrown into the large insect room, that a room has been set apart for photography, 

 and another fitted up as a biological laboratory. As there is much material still 

 to be overhauled, Professor Poulton hopes that students will avail themselves of 

 these facilities. 



The fund raised in memory of Professor Milnes Marshall reached £783 10s. 3d. 

 Of this sum £650 have been invested in Manchester Corporation Stocks for the 

 benefit of the Marshall Biological Library, which the relatives of the late Professor 

 started by a gift of his books. The remainder of the sum, less some /20 expenses, 

 has been invested in the same securities, and provides for a " Marshall Gold 

 Medal" as an annual prize at the Owens College Athletic Sports. 



The Epping Forest Museum Committee have received a contribution of /20 

 from the Drapers' Company. 



At a meeting of the Bristol Corporation, held in December, it was decided to 

 appoint a Curator for the Bristol Museum at a salary of £200 a year. Mr. Edward 

 Wilson, who has, almost at his own expense, cared for the collections for years 

 past, has been appointed to the office. 



A second edition of the "Guide to the Field Columbian Museum " (Chicago) 

 has just been published. The Museum consists of a Columbus Memorial Hall, 

 and departments of Geology, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, and the industrial 

 arts. The guide is an admirable one, and is rendered still more useful by the 

 insertion of numerous plans showing the arrangement of the rooms. 



The Geologists' Association arranged an excursion to Elstree, under the direc- 

 tion of Professor J. F. Blake, on Saturday, November 10, to enable the members to 

 examine a fossiliferous bed of London Clay, exposed while constructing a new tunnel. 

 The heavy rain spoiled the expedition somewhat, but some typical fossils rewarded 

 the searchers. The fact that the works will be closed in March accounts for the 

 unusual date of the excursion. 



