256 



NA TURE 



\7a7i. 27, 1876 



wliole process occupies only from two and a half to three hours. 

 The greatest care will continue to be taken to make the Bulletin 

 a medium of the most recent information relating to astronomy 

 and meteorology, particularly the meteorology of each of the 

 regional districts, so as to secure that unity of action among 

 French meteorologists without which nothing of real importance 

 can be done. 



In the Bulletin International of the Observatory of Paris for 

 the 13th inst. is given a table showing the depth of the water of 

 the Seine at Paris on each day during 1875 by two gauges, one 

 placed on the Pont de la Tournelle, and the other on the Pont 

 Royale. The gauge on the Pont de la Tournelle is graduated 

 from the point to which the water of the Seine fell during 1719. 

 The mean height of the Seine during 1875 was 2\ feet, the 

 maximum height lo|^ feet on Jan. 28, and the minimum \ foot 

 below the zero of the scale. The greatest flood hitherto re- 

 corded was 27 feet in 1658, and the greatest drought 375^ feet below 

 zero on Sept. 29, 1865. 



It is announced that the Atlas Mitiorologique for the years 

 1872-73-74 will appear in a few days, and it is hoped that the 

 Atlas for 1875 will be ready for issue in the end of July next. 



A MICROSCOPICAL club has been founded at Honolulu, which 

 promises to be very successful. The visit of the Challenger to 

 the Sandwich Islands seems to have been the immediate occa- 

 sion of this laudable step being taken, as the late Dr. Von 

 VVillemoes-Suhm is mentioned in connection with it. Already 

 there are forty members, who have subscribed 800 dollars to 

 purchase a large microscope from Beck and Smith of London. 

 The club will find plenty of work in the investigation of the 

 natural history of these interesting islands, and we hope the 

 members will not confine their investigations merely to micro- 

 scopical subjects. 



Our readers no doubt know that we have a younger French 

 sister who appears under the name of La Nature. We have 

 just received from Germany a specimen of another of the family, 

 rejoicing in the name of Die Natiir. This seems, however, to be 

 a new series of an old-established journal, but whether it has 

 always appeared under its present name we cannot make out. 

 It is conducted by Dr. Otto Ule and Dr. Karl Miiller, of Halle, 

 is mainly devoted to natural history, and the number sent us 

 contains ssveral iateresting arlicles ; among these is one on the 

 African Steppes, by Dr. Ule. 



At the Royal Geographical Society, on Monday night, Sir H. 

 C. Rawlinson intimated that Lieut. Cameron was still at Loando, 

 and would remain there until he saw his men safely embarked 

 for their homes in East Africa. Pie will stay two months in 

 Madeira to recruit his health before returning to England, where 

 he is expected soon after Easter. Sir Henry stated that the map 

 of Cameron's route would probably be ready by the time of the 

 next meeting of the Society, as also the extremely valuable 

 register of his observations. Major-General Sir F. M. Goldsmid 

 then read a paper on the recent journey of Capt. G. Napier on 

 the Turcoman frontier of Persia. 



Successful experiments have betn carried on by the French 

 Great Northern Railway at Paris with electric lighting. With a 

 steam-engine of three-horse power, a light equal to 100 ordi- 

 nary lamps, each consuming 150 litres of gas per hour, has been 

 obtained regularly for almost any length of time. It is contem- 

 plated by the engineers of the company to place four electric 

 lamps in the large nave, which is 200 metres long and 60 metres 

 high. The lighting of the company's workshops at La Chapelle 

 will also be attempted with ten lamps. The buildings cover 

 forty acres, and are now lighted by 700 gas lamps. It is stated 

 that the Lyons Company will try to make use of Gramme's 

 magneto-electric machines to light up the way. 



TiiKRF, will be an examination at Gonville and Caius 

 College, Cambridge, on the 4th of April, for two Shuttleworth 

 Scholarships, each of the value of 60/. per annum, and tenable 

 for three years. The subjects of examination are Botany and 

 Comparative Anatomyinits mostgeneralsense(includingZootomy 

 and Comparative Physiology). Crndidates must be registered 

 medical students of the University of Cambridge who shall have 

 kept not less than eight terms, have passed the additional exami- 

 nation required for candidates for honours, and produce satis 

 factory testimonials of good conduct. For further information 

 apply to the Rev. N. M. Ferrers, Tutor of the College. 



The trustees of the Johnson Memorial Prize, Oxford, propose 

 the following subject for an essay :— " The History of the suc- 

 cessive stages of our knowledge of Nebula;, Nebulous Stars, and 

 Star-clusters from the time of Sir WiUiam Herschel." The 

 Prize is open to all members of the University of Oxford. Can- 

 didates are to send their Essays to the Registrar of the University 

 under a sealed cover marked "Johnson Memorial Prize Essay," 

 on or before the 31st day of March, 1879. 



Prof. Dewar commences his lectures as Jacksonian Pro- 

 fessor at Cambridge on Tuesday next ; the subject is Organic 

 and Animal Chemistry. 



We have received a very significant publication from the Chief 

 Inspector of Mines of Victoria, Australia, in the form of a large 

 sheet printed in Chinese, and containing the provisions of the 

 Regulation of Mines Statute for the colony, There are, we 

 believe, 1 1,294 Chinese miners in Victoria, many of whom know 

 nothing of the English language. In some of the districts they 

 are employed in quartz and in alluvial mines of great depth, and 

 the Victorian Government have acted wisely in taking this 

 method to make them acquainted with the mining regulations. 



The Report of the Kew Committee for the year ending 

 Oct. 31, 1875, shows that the usual work at the Kew Observa- 

 tory has been diligently carried on during the past year. 



We have received from their respective publishers " The 

 Year-Book of Photography" (Piper and Carter, Gough Square, 

 E.C.)andthe "British Journal Photographic Almanac" (H. 

 Greenwood, York Street, Covent Garden). Both contain many 

 admirable articles on photographic subjects, but it is to be 

 regretted that, failing a more scientific treatment of the art and 

 the development of new methods of manipulation, these an- 

 nuals, instead of recording progress, serve up the same weary 

 course of glass-cleaning, bath treatment, posing, lighting, and 

 printing, year after year. The frontispiece to the "British 

 Journal Photographic Almanac " is a charming child study by 

 Faulkner, entitled " Simplicity," but is by no means an admir- 

 able example of photo-mechanical printing. 



A FURTHER attempt is being made to introduce salmon into 

 the Antipodes this year under perfectly new conditions. The 

 New Zealand Government and Sir Samuel Wilson, of the Vic- 

 toria Acclimatisation Society, had simultaneously asked Mr. 

 Buckland to undertake the task of sending ova to Otago and 

 Melbourne respectively. Mr. Buckland, in conjunction witli 

 Mr. J. A. Youl, arranged to make both shipments at once, and 

 the eggs, collected in the Severn, Dart, Ribble, and other 

 rivers, have accordingly been sent out, packed in moss and ice, 

 by steamer, to Melbourne. The passage is estimated to occupy 

 about fifty days. One portion of the eggs will be landed at 

 Melbourne, and the others, if they are in good condition, will be 

 at once repacked and transhipped for Otago, where they are 

 estimated to arrive about a fortnight or three weeks after leaving 

 Melbourne. The eggs were all in proper condition when they 

 left London on board the Durham, and there is every prospect 

 of their reaching Melbourne, at least, in safety. 



