Dec. 1 6, 1875] 



NATURE 



135 



Prof. Max Muller has been elected a Knight of the Order 

 of Maximilian for Science and Art. The election to this Order, 

 as to the OiA&x pour le niMte, rests with the Kn'ghts themselves, 

 and is confirmed by the King of Bavaria. 



Our letter last week (p. 106) on the late Dr. Stoliczka's col- 

 lection of mammals was from Major H. H. Godwin-Austen, 

 Deputy Superintendent of the Topographical Survey of India. 



We take the following from the Pull Alall Gazette : — 

 In his last book (" Ziele und Wege der heutigen Entwicke- 

 lungsgeschichte ") Prof. Haeckel, the great apostle of Evolu- 

 tionism in Germany, announces the discovery of the following 

 law : — " In all the magnificent scientific institutes founded in 

 America by Agassiz, the following empirical law, long recog- 

 nised in Europe, has been confirmed, — viz. that the scientific 

 work of these institutes and the intrinsic value of their publica- 

 tions stand in ^p inverse ratio to the magnitude of the buildings 

 and the splendid appearance of their volumes." "I need only 

 refer," he adds, "to the small and miserable institutes, and the 

 meagre resources with which Baer in Konigsberg, Schleiden in 

 Jena, Johannes Muller in Berlin, Liebig in Giessen, Virchow in 

 VViirzburg, Gegenbaur in Jena have not only each advanced 

 their special science most extensively, but have actually created 

 new spheres for them. Compare with these the colossal expen- 

 diture and the luxurious apparatus in the grand institutes of 

 Cambridge, Leipzig, and other so-called great universities. What 

 liavethey produced in proportion to their means?" 



It is stated in communications received by the Scottish Mete- 

 orological Society from their observers in Iceland, that the vol- 

 canic eruptions continued till the i8th October, but since then no 

 fresh eruptions have been noted. Up to the 4th inst. the weather 

 in Iceland continued to be remarkably mild, little snow had 

 fallen, and frost had been only of occasional occurrence. 



The Times Naples correspondent, wTriting under date Dec. 7, 



gives details concerning the state of Vesuvius, which confirm \ 



Prof. Palmieri's prognostication referred to by us in a recent ' 



number (p. 94). The mountain is evidently in a state of great ' 



internal agitation, and all the circumstances seem to forbode an \ 



early eruption. There have been several earthquake shocks ! 



recently in Naples and the surrounding region, one of the most ■ 



alarming being at 3.24 a.m. on the 6th. Prof. Palmieri does ; 

 not, however, consider Vesuvius to be the centre of the dis- 

 turbances ; he is inclined to place it at Poglia. 



A Bombay telegram states that a severe shock of earthquake 

 was felt on Sunday last at Lahore and in the Peshawur district. 

 Several lives were lost. 



News has been received lately from Gen. Nausouty and one 

 of his friends who are spending the winter on the Pic du 

 Midi, one of the most elevated mountains in the Pyrenean range, 

 for the purpose of registering meteorological phenomena. The 

 temperature of 22° cent below zero C. was recorded during the 

 recent cold weather. The observers, however, felt no incon- 

 venience, as the interior temperature •f the observatory was 

 always kept above + 10° C. Last year this was impossible, and 

 the obser\'ers were obliged to give up their task and to return to 

 warmer regions, being almost starved and frozen to death when 

 retreating. 



On December 5, at two o'clock in the afternoon, a slight 

 earthquake was felt at Blideh, province of Algiers ; the duration 

 was only two seconds. A great storm was raging. 



The Gazdta Mtdica di Roma, which has reached its fifth 

 number, is a journal we would commend to the attention of 

 those interested in scientific medicine. It is well conducted and 

 printed, and the original articles seem to us to be of a high class, 

 creditable altogether to Italian medical research. 



The Auckland (New Zealand) Southern Cross hears from 

 Taupo that Mount Tongariro is in a high state of activity, 

 throwing stones for a distance of eight miles from the crater. 

 All the springs and geysers in the neighbourhood are in full 

 play, and some wonderful sights may be seen in this extraordinary 

 region. 



At Rotherham the Committee formed in the town to conduct 

 the Science Classes contains the following : a Clergyman of the 

 Established Church holding the rank of Doctor [of Divinity, a 

 Unitarian Minister, a Wesleyan Minister, a Primitive Methodist 

 Minister, and an Independent Minister. We do not need to 

 point the moral. 



A NEW periodical has been started in Paris, tmder the title of 

 Totir de France. It records excursions within the borders of the 

 French Republic, and contains maps and illustrations. It will 

 do for France what the Tour du Monde does for foreign parts, 

 its aim being to remind Frenchmen of the natural resources and 

 beauties of their own land. 



Ix the beginning of 1876 there will be opened at Paris, in the 

 Champs Elysees Palace, an exhibition, including all the objects 

 relating to the exploitation of railways and electric telegraphs. 

 This exhibition will interfere in no way with the contemplated 

 Electrical Exhibition which is to take place in 1877. 



Mr. Casella, the well-known scientific instrument-maker, 

 has sent us a specimen of a compass which wUl be a great boon 

 to the many who are ignorant of the difference between the 

 magnetic and the geographical poles, and of the fact that an 

 ordinary compass points to the former and not to the latter, 

 the difference in this country at present being about 19' 

 The great advantage of Mr. Casella's "unmistakable true north 

 compass," is that it points to the true or geographical north, 

 being corrected for use in the United Kingdom, ani capable of 

 adaptation to any locality in any part of the world. It is a card 

 compass of beautiful workmanship, swings with perfect ease, 

 and by means of a black cone on a white groun:!, the merest 

 tyro can read it. It is made in various sizes, and sold at various 

 prices, and deserves to come into extensive use. 



The projected programme of vegetable products issued by the 

 Commission of the International Horticultural Exhibition, pro- 

 posed to be held at Amsterdam in 1877, is one of the best, if 

 not the best, we ever remember seeing. It contains a list of four- 

 teen distinct articles, upon each of which information of the 

 fullest description is asked, from a complete set of specimens of 

 any particular plant of economic value through its various species 

 or varieties down to the implements used in the collection or 

 preparation of the product and the books or writings bearing on 

 the subject In the matter of vegetable fats and oils, as well as 

 in paper materials, large fields of work present themselves, and 

 much matter of great interest may be exhibited. If the exhibi- 

 tion is carried out in accordance with the designs of the pro- 

 jectors it cannot fail to be most successful and interesting. 



Tvv'o lectures, suited for a juvenile audience, will be given in 

 connection with the Society of Arts, on Tuesday, January 4, and 

 Tuesday, January 11, by Dr. W. B. Carpenter, F.R.S., on 

 " The Wonders of the Microscope." the lectures will commence 

 at 7 P. M. , and will be illustrated by the oxyhydric and electric 

 lights. 



A SAD balloon accident occurred at Vincennes, near Paris, on 

 the 8lh inst The balloon Univers ha\'ing started at 1 1 o'clock 

 in the morning descended with terrific force thirty-five minutes 

 later from an altitude of 1,000 feet. The balloon was in chaise 

 of Eugene Godard, one of the most experienced French aeronauts. 

 Eight persons were on board, amongst whom were Col. Laussedat 

 and some officers who had made the ascent for topographical 



