March 23, 1876] 



NA TURE 



415 



routes of Cameron, Livingstone, Magyar, and the Pombeiros, 

 Cameron's camping stations, all the rivers observed by Cameron, 

 and is coloured to show the orographical features. It extends 

 from 3° to 13° N. lat. 



In Monday's Times is a long letter from the Rev. S. Mac- 

 farlane, giving an account of an interesting trip in the mis- 

 sionary steamer Ellango-juan, for 170 miles up the Fly River, 

 New Guinea. The account seems t© be essentially the same as 

 that read at the last meeting of the Geographical Society. Signor 

 D'Alberlis was on board and obtained a considerable number of 

 natural history specimens. Mr. Macfarlane sums up the results 

 of the trip as follows: — " Several important ends have been 

 gained by our visit to the Fly River. We have proved that there 

 really is a navigable river there extend'n^ far into the interior of 

 the country. We have opened up the way, which has hitherto 

 been guarded with great determination by savages, and have 

 taught them the danger of attacking European vessels. On our 

 return we sue :eeded in establishing what appeared to be a genuine 

 friendship between the natives and ourselves, exchanging pre- 

 sents. We have learnt something of the character of the in- 

 terior ; and, although we found it low and swampy up to the 

 highest point we reached, we have at least proved that high 

 land is not to be reached within at least two hundred miles by 

 the course of the river, the first hundred being thickly populated 

 j by a mixed race — Papuan and Malayan — speaking different 

 \ dialect?, and at war with each other. They are an intelligent- 

 J looking, energetic people. We obtained a considerable number 

 of specimens of natural history. We were disappointed at not 

 reaching high land with populous and healthy villages suitable 

 for stations." 



The death is announced of the widow of the late Hugh Miller 

 at the age of sixty- four years. She took a chief part in editing 

 her husband's works after his death, and gave much assistance 

 to Mr. Peter Bayne in the preparation of the sturdy geolc^ist's 

 biography. 



Dr. Parkes, F.R. S., the distinguished professor of hygiene 

 at the Army Medical Schools, died on the 1 5th inst. 



The Oxford Bordett-Coutts Scholarship has been awarded to 

 . A. H. S. Lucas, of Balliol College. 



.SEVERAL letters have appeared in the Daily News calling 

 at eution to the fact that on Sunday week red snow was observed 



I to have fallen in several parts of the country — at Forest Hill and 

 Streatham in the south of London, at Reading and z.1 Thurston 



1 in Norfolk. This phenomenon was observed in ancient times 

 and is referred to by Pliny ; in modem times it has been fre- 

 quently observed in all parts of the world, and is familiar t* 

 Arctic explorers. The phenomenon is generally ascribed to the 

 presence of an algse, Prolococcus nivalis. 



We have received from the U.S. Geological and Geographical 

 ;vey of the Territories one of these valuable publications, 

 . liich it is grievous to think the caprice of a political party may 

 s jon bring to a stop. This is a preliminary map of South- west 

 Colorado, and part of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, 

 showing the location of ancient ruins. The map is oa the scale 

 of five miles to an inch, and shows not only the sites of the 

 prehistoric ruins which abound in the region, but the courses of 

 the principal rivers and of dry gulches, and by means of lettering 

 the general character of the surface of the countr)'. 



Bulletin No, I, vol. il of the Geological and Gec^raphical 

 Survey of the Territories, tmder the direction of Prof. Hayden, 

 is one of unusual interest. It contains seven articles, with the 

 following titles : — i. A notice of the ancient remains of South- 

 western Colorado examined during the simimer of 1875. 2. A 

 notice of the ancient ruins in Arizona and Utah lying about the 



Rio San Juan. 3. The human remains found near the ancient 

 ruins of South-western Colorado and New Mexico. 4. Ancient 

 art in North-western Colorado. 5. Bead ornaments employed 

 by the ancient tribes of Utah and Arizona. 6. Language and 

 utensils of the Utes. 7. Fossil Coleoptera from the Rocky 

 Mountain Tertiaries. The text is illustrated with twenty-nine 

 octavo plates, embracing cliff and cave houses, arrow-heads, 

 pottery, human skulls, &c, Mr. Scudder's article contains de- 

 scriptions of thirty-one new species of fossil Coleoptera. 



The first (section of the building for the America n Museum 

 of Natural History, in Central Park, New York, will be ready 

 for occupation in the coming summer. Some time ago, our 

 readers may remember, New York appropriated 7O0,cxx) dollars 

 to commence this edifice, and it has also set aside for this section 

 and its future extensions, iSJ acres of land worth from 

 5,cxx),030 dollars to 8,000, coo dollars. The whole edifice when 

 coaiplcte will be about eighteen times as large as that now nearly 

 ready, and will cost about 15,000,000 dollars. The collection 

 is at present in a wooden building, which is visited by an average 

 of 13,600 people per week — 2,000 more than the average weekly 

 number of visitors to the entire collections in the British 

 Museum. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Suricates {Suri^ata zenik) from S. Africa, 

 presented by Mr. G. Thorbum ; a Knot ( Tringa canutus), Euro- 

 pean, presented by Mr. C. Clifton ; a Rhesus Monkey {Macacus 

 crythrceus) from India, presented by Mr. Roi)ert Law Ogilby ; 

 a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus radiatus) from India, presented by 

 Mr, J. Shortland; a White-Cheeked Capuchin {Celnts lunaius) 

 from Braz'J, presented by Dr. L)'nn ; an Aztec Conure (Conurus 

 aztec) from Mexico : two All Green Parrakeets {Brotogerys 

 tiriacula) from S. America, purchased ; a Collared Fruit Bat 

 (Cynonyctrris collaris), bom in the Gardens. 



REPORT OF THE CAMBRIDGE STUDIES' 

 SYNDICATE 



T^HE Syndicate appointed in May last year to consider the 

 ■^ requirements of the University of Cambridge in different 

 departments of study, have just issued their Report. This con- 

 tains many features of interest. We reprint the answers of the 

 Board of Natural Science Studies to the questions sent by the 

 Syndicate. What the nature of these questions is may casHy 

 be gathered from the answers. 



I. — A — (a). The Board is of opinion that lectures are required 

 in the University on the following subjects : — I . Principles of 

 chemistry and inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, phj-sical 

 and thermal chemistry, &c., analysis, elementary qualitative^ 

 analysis, elementary quantitative, analysis (i) of mmerals (metal- 

 lurgy, &C.) ; (2) organic J (3) volumetric; {4) spectrum. 



Ca techetical lectures are also required, suited for students ot 

 different degrees of attainment. There should be also laboratory 

 teaching in practical chemistry, including qualitative and quanti- 

 tative analysis and instruction in chemical research. Probably 

 one term would suffice for each course of lectures, except the 

 general course on chemistry and perhaps the course on organic 

 chemistry which might occupy two terms each. For the special 

 courses on analysis one or two lectures a week or three lectures 

 a week for part of a term would suffice. 



2. An elementary course on physics, occupying two ttrms. 

 Special courses : — (l) General physics, dynamics, &c. (l term). 

 (2) Heat and thermodynamics (2 terms). (3) Sound and Light 

 (2 terms). (4) Electricity and Magnetism (3 terms). (5) Methods 

 of observation, &c, (l term). Higher courses (chiefly mathe- 

 matical) : — (i) Heat and thermodynamics (i term). (2) Sound 

 and light (i term). (3) Electricity and magnetism (2 terms). 

 There should be a course of practical laboratory instruction ex- 

 tending over three terms, and special laboratory teaching for 

 advanced students, 



3. A course on elementary crj'stallography, and one on mine- 

 ralc^y, together occupying about two terms. 



4. General geology, physical geography, and geolc^ical physics. 

 Stratigraphical geology. Petrolc^. Palaeontolc^ — generaL 



