February i6, 191 i] 



NATURE 



515 



whirlpool in the centre of the ceiling, in which is 

 -figured a cuttle-fish with its outstretched arm. 



The council chamber is richly but gracefully ornate, 

 though more orthodox. The large lecture theatre is 

 of excellent Florentine architecture, with fine panels 

 bv M. Louis Tinayre, who has accompanied the 

 Prince on board the Priucesse Alice during several 

 voyages, not only in the Mediterranean and tropics, but 

 also in Spitsbergen. One panel represents oceano- 

 graphical operations on the deck of the Princesse Alice, 

 especially the taking on board of a trawl and a trap 

 from the deep sea. Another represents a whale-boat 

 in charge of the Prince, who is fast to -a whale. A 

 .third represents the selection of the larger material 

 •from the trawl on the deck of the ship, while a fourth 

 ■pictures finer work being carried out below, inside the 

 scientific laboratory. 



The inauguration was presided over by the Prince 

 of Monaco himself, and was graced by the presence 

 ■of the President of the Republic, M. Fallieres, and 

 many members of the Government, and by Ambassa- 

 -dors and Ministers of Foreign Powers at Paris. There 

 were also the members of the "Conseil d '.Administra- 

 tion " and of the '"Comite de Perfectionnement." A 

 guard of honour, formed from the Republican Guard, 

 lined the streets outside the building, and the band of 

 the Republican Guard played the " Marseillaise " and 

 the Monagasque national anthem as the President of 

 the Republic and the Prince of Monaco entered the 

 •lecture theatre. 



The proceedings were opened by an eloquent address 

 by the Prince of Monaco, who pointed out that the 

 opening of the institute was the crowning of the work 

 he had devoted his life to during the last twenty-five 

 years. He rhen proceeded to give an account of the 

 aims and objects of the museum and institute, which 

 have already been given in the pages of Nature. 

 Finally, he gave the reason why he had chosen Paris 

 as the seat of the institute, and it is best to quote' the 

 Prince's own words in his fine peroration, which left 

 a deep impression on the audience. 



" Si j'ai choisi cette capitale pour y centraliser mon 

 oeuvre, c'est que Paris a gagnd la reconnaissance du monde 

 intellectuel : les lettres lui doivent un rayonnement in- 

 comparable, les arts ont chez lui une de leurs plus 

 g^n^reuses patries, la science lui doit I'affranchissement 

 <^ui ouvre a la pens6e des champs sons bornes. Mais 

 c'est aussi parce que certaines ames demeurent toujours 

 sous I'influence de 1 'atmosphere ou sont n^es leurs 

 premieres affections et ou leurs vieilles tendresses sont 

 mortes ; ou des peines ont fortifid leur courage et oil les 

 contingences de la vie ont orient^ leurs efforts. 



** Le mus^e oc6anographique de Monaco semble un 

 vaisseau ancr^ sur la c6te avec des richesses extraites de 

 tous les abimes ; je I'ai donn6 comme une arche d'alliance 

 aux savants de tous les pays. 



" L'^ifice ou nous sommes recueillera la quintessence 

 du travail 61abor^ par I'oc^anographique qui planera 

 id^alis^e sur ce vaste domaine universitaire, au milieu du 

 Act grandissant de la science. Et je le confie k cette ville 

 de Paris qui m'a enseign^ le travail et dont 1 'esprit et le 

 coeur ont si souvent dirig6 1 'esprit et le coeur de ITiumanitd 

 entifere." 



The Prince was followed by M. Maurice Faure, 

 Ministre de I'lnstruction Publique, speaking in the 

 name of the Government, who eloquently thanked the 

 Prince on behalf of France and the University for his 

 gift. 



Others who spoke were M. Armand Gautier, 

 president de I'Academie des Sciences, and M. Liard, 

 vice-recteur h I'Academie de Paris, as well as M. 

 , Perrier, directeur du Museum d'Histoire naturelle. 



Finally, M. Henri Bouree, aide-de-camp to the 



Prince of Monaco, gave some very excellent photo- 



p^raphs and kinematograph views of work on board 



the Princesse Alice. These included some very mar- 



NO. 2155, VOL. 85] 



vellous colour photographs of living invertebrates that 

 had been gathered during some of the cruises — the 

 most striking of which was a brilliant physalia, 

 glittering with translucent violet in the sun. The 

 kinematograph also showed the movement of the 

 physalia in a glass tank. Willia.\i S. Bruce. 



THE OBSERVATORY AT MESSINA. 

 T N connection with seismological investigations, 

 •■• Italy is the possessor of a prestige which we 

 trust will grow. It was the first European country 

 in which the study of earthquakes received special 

 recognition and Government support. It systematised 

 seismometry, and through M. di Rossi published the 

 Bollettino del Vulcanismo Italiano, which, I believe, 

 was the first journal ever issued which dealt specially 

 with hypogenic activities. The work commenced in 

 Italy was extended in Japan, and at the present time 

 every civilised country in the world has established 

 earthquake observatories and recognises the scientific 

 and practical importance of what is now a new 

 science. From the knowledge we now possess of 

 earthquake motion new rules and formulae for the 

 use of builders and engineers have been established. 

 These have been extensively applied, and we see that 

 the new types of structure withstand violent move- 

 ments, while ordinary types in their vicinity have 

 failed. The new science has already justified its 

 existence by thus minimising the loss of life and pro- 

 perty. A side issue of seismometn.- has led to the 

 localisation of faults on railway lines and to altera- 

 tions in the balancing of locomotives. The result of 

 the latter has been to reduce the consumption of fuel. 



Now we know that in whatever part of the world 

 we live it is possible to record large earthquakes, even 

 if their origins are so far removed as our antipodes. 

 These teleseismic records have increased our know- 

 ledge respecting the interior of our planet, thrown 

 light upon the cause of certain cable interruptions, 

 indicated suboceanic regions where depths are chang- 

 ing, and have had a far-reaching importance in many 

 other directions, both scientific and practical. 

 Although we now know that practical seismometry 

 is open to everyone, still there are particular sites 

 which seem more suitable than others for particular 

 investigations. 



The popularity of the seismologist would be en- 

 hanced if, like the astronomer, he had the power to 

 predict. The latter tells us exactly when we shall 

 see the next eclipse of the moon. We stand outside 

 our door at the appointed time ; the eclipse takes place, 

 and we are again reminded of the accuracy of astro- 

 nomical calculations. Whether the eclipse did or did 

 not occur at the minute specified, so far as the general 

 public are concerned, might not matter verv much, 

 but it would matter if the eclipse reallv meant, as it 

 was supposed to mean in the Middle Ages, a portent 

 of a great disaster. What the public imagine they 

 would like to know about an earthquake is the time 

 at which it might occur. If this could be stated, and 

 at the same time something about the character of 

 the expected disturbance in earthquake districts, seis- 

 mology would be liberally supported. Astronomers 

 have received the support of nations since the days 

 of astrology, while seismology' is in its childhood 

 seeking for more extended recognition, and it is only 

 as this is afforded that the public should look for 

 replies to their difficult inquiries. 



Through the Straits of Messina there is a fault or 

 line of faults in the earth's crust, and from time to 

 time,^ as in 1783, and in 1908, along these, sudden 

 yieldings have taken place. It has been suggested bv 

 many seismologists that before such reliefs of strain 

 take place a measurable amount of rock-bending may 



