i8 95 . NEWS OF UNIVERSITIES, ETC. 357 



journeying to Ambolismatrasua, and making Ivolismanitra and Ambolismanga. 

 In the latter place he met with some opposition from the Governor ; but by sending 

 a special courier to the acting British Vice-Consul at Antananarivo he obtained a 

 passport from the Prime Minister, informing the natives that he was a British 

 subject and a naturalist, and has since been treated with the utmost consideration. 

 He has made a detailed exploration of the Tanala country, and has been suc- 

 cessful in finding several new mammals and reptiles, and has made an extensive 

 collection of plants. Dr. Major is in good health. He has not had any communi- 

 cations from England, and this letter is the first that has been received from him in 

 this country, although he mentions several others that he has written and 

 despatched. 



The industries of farming and oyster-culture which are pursued in Essex, have 

 caused the Council of that county to make biology an important part of its technical 

 instruction. There is a biological laboratory at Chelmsford, and a useful little 

 monthly, Biology Notes, is issued under the direction of the Staff-lecturer, Mr. D. 

 Houston. This gives the programme of work for the current month, the returns for 

 the month past, a Naturalist's Calendar compiled by the students, practical lessons 

 for use in the classes, and articles on applied biology for the benefit of the agri- 

 culturist. So successful has the work been that it may possibly give rise to a 

 permanent Agricultural College for East Anglia. 



In connection with the experiments on oyster-culture, begun last year at 

 Brightlingsea, with the help of the Colchester Corporation, a small marine biological 

 station has been fitted up. Owing to the weather, which killed the first fall of spat, 

 and to other causes, experiments to determine whether the continental system of 

 rearing oysters on tiles would succeed in the River Colne were hardly conclusive ; 

 but as the Fishmonger's Company has subscribed ^"50 to their continuance, it is 

 hoped that the question will soon be settled. Meanwhile, the expert in charge of 

 the experiments, aided by the staff, has made a good collection of marine animals, 

 which are now being used in successful demonstrations to the local fishermen. 

 Subjects out of the scope of the practical fisherman are also being dealt with ; thus 

 Mr. W. M. Webb has recently published, in the Journal of Malacology, vol. iv., p. 15, 

 an interesting description of the dimyarian stage passed through by the young 

 oyster. Those in charge of the station hope that it will soon be recognised by 

 London biologists as a place where work may be done, and whence important 

 contributions to science may emanate, to the credit of the Essex County Council. 



Dr. Scharff's paper on the Irish Caves has already extracted information, for 

 Mr. R. J. Ussher and Mr. J. Coleman contribute to The Irish Naturalist for April 

 some notes of interest on the subject. 



We are indebted to the Pall Mall Gazette for the following delicious extract 

 taken textually from the Unione Liberate, a newspaper published in Perugia : " In 

 case the Dervishes attack us the Admiralty has sent the warship * Dogali ' to the 

 island of Cuba, now the scene of a bloody strife between the Spanish and the 

 English." We commend Perugia to the notice of Professor Guido Cora and his 

 admirers. 



