May 1 8, 1876] 



NA TURE 



61 



natural sciences, including mineralogy, geolc^, and ioology. 

 The donor has also given a building, at the cost of more than 

 4,000/., for the collection, tobebuilt near Charlesville, four miles 

 from Monticello. Prof. Ward, in making the collection, Will 

 visit the principal European cities. 



In the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, p. 427, Dr. 

 Robinson gives us a paper on the theory of the cup anemometer, 

 and the determination of its constants. The paper is an ex- 

 tremely valuable one, as indicating the line of research to be 

 followed in prosecuting anemometrical experiments. So far as 

 we are aware, Dr. Robinson is the first who has formed a just 

 apprehension of the viscosity of the air in its bearings on such 

 experiments, and adopted the necessary precautions in accord- 

 ance therewith. 



At the meeting of the Edinburgh Botanical Society, held on 

 the iithinst, an interesting communication was read from the 

 Rev. D. Landsborough, on experiments in growing several 

 Australian plants and trees in Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, 

 including among others the great Australian tree-fern and other 

 tree-ferns, acacias, and gum-trees. The blue gum grew ii^ 

 inches the first year, 4 feet the second, and 6 feet the third. The 

 Eucalyptus pendulosa also grows well in sheltered situations 

 along the west coast, and Mr. Landsborough expects to see it 

 generally introduced in a few years, and form a valuable addition 

 to our evergreen shrubs. 



A CORRESPONDENT writes with reference to the " Plaster cast 

 of portion of antler of reindeer from La Madelaine, Dordogne, 

 France," in the loan collection, the original of which is 

 preserved in France. The thicker end, the label states, is 

 pierced with a hole. "There are as many as four holes in 

 some specimens. Their use is unknown." Our correspondent 

 states that these implements may have been used by former in- 

 habitants of France in the same manner as a very similar tool 

 usually made of deer-horn is now in use or was very recently, by 

 Some tribes of the "Red men " of North America. Where bows 

 and arrows are in use, the arrows are made of a very hard and 

 tough willow. This willow may not always be quite straight, or 

 is liable to get warped or crooked in the process of drying. If 

 so, the bends or curves are straightened by the intended arrow 

 being put through the hole in the horn, and a strong pressure 

 applied in the proper direction to counteract the curve. This 

 has sometimes to be done over and over again before perfect 

 straightness is obtained. It may be asked why are three or 

 four holes sometimes found in the same piece of horn ? If the 

 holes are of different sizes the reply is not difficult. It is 

 probable that the people who use these tools had wood of 

 different thicknesses (say for arrows and spears) to manipulate ; 

 if so, holes of different sizes would be required. It will, he 

 thinks, be generally noticed that the edges^ of the holes are 

 rounded ; this would be done to prevent the otherwise sharp 

 edge injuring the fibre of the wood. Near the specimen referred 

 to, there is one in which one side of the hole has apparently 

 been broken away by a violent strain, possibly applied in the 

 manner and for the purpose above stated. 



The able director of the Royal Zoological Museum of Lis- 

 bon, Jose Vincente Barboza du Bocage, well known for his 

 valuable researches on the natural history of the shores of Por- 

 tugal, and especially on the Fauna of the Portuguese possessions 

 in Africa, was unanimously elected a foreign member of the 

 Linnean Society at their last meeting, May 4. Prof. William 

 Nylander, of Helsingfois, a cryptogamic botanist of deservedly 

 high reputation, also had the same honorary distinction con- 

 ferred on him. 



Parts xlvii. and xlviii. of Mr. Dresser's "History of the 

 Birds of Europe," completing the fourth annual volume of this 



important work, has just been issued with its usual punctuality. 

 Nearly 400 species of birds have now been figured and described, 

 and as the total European avifauna is probably between 600 and 

 700 species, three more volumes will be required. These will, 

 almost certainly, be issued within three years from the present 

 date, and we may therefore with great confidence anticipate the 

 suocessfiil conclusion of a monograph, which, whether for the 

 beauty of its illustrations, or for the fulness and accuracy of its 

 information, will stand in the very first rank of ornithological 

 literature. 



In Petermann's Mittheilungen for May is an article, accom- 

 panied by a map, showing the number, classification, distribu- 

 tion, &c., of the institutions for higher instruction in Germany. 

 Following the continuation of the analysis of Prejevalsky's 

 Mongolian travels is an interesting article on the recent travels 

 of Dr. Emil Helub in South Africa, mainly in the Limpapo and 

 Zambesi regions and the region of the salt-pans between Chris- 

 tiana and Mamusa. The information seems to be mainly ob- 

 tained from the Diamond News and Griqualand West Goverrk- 

 ment Gazette of Feb. 23, 1875. Probably the most interesting 

 article is a detailed account of Giles's expedition from Beltana 

 in South Australia, to Perth in Western Australia, in May- 

 November, 1875. Giles's route was on an average four degrees to 

 the south of Forrest's, which, again, was about the same distance 

 south of that of Warburton. GUes has.the same barren tale 

 to tell as his predecessors. We believe he is to make a 

 diagonal journey from north-west to south-east, though from 

 this we can hardly expect many new results. A valuable map 

 accompanies the paper in the Mittheilungen^ which is to be 

 continued. 



The latest news received by the Russian Geographical Society 

 from Dr. Miclucho Maclay is dated from Cheribon (Java) in 

 March last. He announces that before leaving Batavia he sent 

 to St. Petersburg many zoological collections, and will bring his 

 anthropological and ethnographical collections to Europe on his 

 return, in 1877, 



A BRANCH of the Russian Geographical Society will probably 

 be shortly founded at Omsk, in Siberia. 



M. DE Mainof, Secretary of the Ethnographical Section of 

 the Russian Geographical Society, has announced to the Society 

 that he is preparing a complete treatise on Russian ethnography. 

 It will appear in parts, each containing a description of a section 

 of the people. 



M. L. EstouAgIES has been charged by the Belgian Govern- 

 meat, in company with M. Sylvain Jacqueniin, civil engineer, to 

 make a scientific journey through the Transvaal Republic. 



•There is to be a Congress of Alpine Clubs at Pistoja and 

 Florence on June 10 and 11, Several expeditions have been 

 arranged. 



Mr. J. H. Angus has made a gift^to the Adelaide University, 

 of a scholarship of 2,000/. yearly, tenable for three years, to en- 

 courage the training of scientific men, especially civil engineers, 

 with a view to then: settlement in South Australia ; the winner 

 of the scholarships to spend six months of the term in visiting 

 the great engineering works of Europe or America, towards 

 which the donor gives 100/. additional. 



Mails for the Polar ships Alert and Discovery will be made 

 up for conveyance from Portsmouth on or about May 25, by the 

 steam yacht Pandora, Capt. Allen Young having kindly con- 

 sented to convey letters for the officers and crews of the Polai? 

 ships to be deposited at the depots. All letters should be sent 

 through the post-office prepaid the inland rate of postage, and 

 addressed " Arctic Yacht Pandora, Portsmouth," No letters 



