208 



NATURE 



\yan. 2, 1890 



to the study of the history of religions. The other is a Chair of 

 Biology, and has been entrusted to Prof. Pouchet, of the Natural 

 History Museum, who delivers a course of general lectures on 

 the fundamental ideas relating to zoology, anatomy, life, &c. 



At a meeting of the Senate of the University of Sydney, on 

 November 4, 1889, a letter from Dr. Hasv^ell was read, inti- 

 mating his acceptance of the Senate's offer of the Challis Pro- 

 fessorship of Biology, to take effect from March i, 1890. 



At the annual meeting of the Manx Geological Society on 

 December 28, in the Peel Grammar School, Dr. Haviland, the 

 retiring President, referred with pleasure to the fact that early in 

 the summer Mr. Robert Russell had been sent to prosecute the 

 geological survey of the Isle of Man. Dr. Haviland was also 

 able to congratulate Peel on the prospect of a system of technical 

 education being established in Christian's School, under the 

 au pices of the Cloth Workers' Company and Sir Owen Roberts. 



Mr. a. V. Garratt, Secretary of the American National 

 Electric Light Association, has sent to the members a circular 

 letter, asking them to state briefly the hardest electrical problems 

 they meet in their investigations or in the conduct of their elec- 

 trical business. He asks them also to state what feature of their 

 business is the least economical or efficient, and why, and where 

 the greatest economy could be effected if the difficulty could be 

 overcome. The answers to these queries will be digested, and 

 the results submitted to Prof Henry A. Rowland, of Johns 

 Hopkins University. Prof Rowland has con-dented to address 

 the next Electric Light Convention at Kansas City in February, 

 basing his remarks upon the problems suggested by the members, 

 and pointing out the direction in which their solution must be 

 sought- 



M. Victor Giraud, the African explorer, has just published 

 the narrative of his explorations in the African Lake Region 

 from 1883 to 1889. The work contains many illustrations. 



The fourth volume of M. Grandeau's " Etudes Agrono- 

 miques," just issued, contains a review of British and American 

 agriculture, as represented at the Paris Exhibition. 



An historical sketch of the geographical works relating to 

 Russia has been compiled by Baron Kaulbars under the auspices 

 of the Imperial Geographical Society of Russia, in which the 

 author endeavours to show the respective parts played by the 

 army and navy, with various scientific societies, in the exploration 

 and representation of the Empire. Beginning with the map 

 found by Dr. Michof in St. Mark's library, Venice, only five 

 years ago, and dating back to 1525, he traces all the labours 

 geographic and geodetic, referring to Russia. The astronomer 

 Struve figures well among the latter workers in the measure- 

 ments of various meridian arcs and the determination of 

 differences of longitude, whilst few can speak with more authority 

 than Colonel Baron Kaulbars himself on the geographical portion. 

 Hydrographical labours began with Peter the Great, and all 

 similar undertakings completed by the Russian navy have been 

 brought together ; the bibliographical sketch commencing with 

 the Baltic Sea, as being the most important in the history of the 

 navy. In the chapter chronicling the works of scientific societies, 

 accounts are given of the many explorations into Siberia and 

 Arctic regions. A long and complete list of all maps due 

 to Russian topographers is also given in historical sequence, 

 together with the various scales used. 



The Report of the Kew Committee for the year ending 

 October 31 last contains an interesting account of the experi- 

 ments carried on at the Kew Observatory ; the list of instru- 

 ments verified, especially clinical thermometers, Navy telescopes 



and sextants, and of chronometers and watches rated, is a suf- 

 ficient test of the value set upon the certificates given. The 

 death of Mr. De la Rue, the Chairman of the Committee, wilt 

 be much felt, as he was one of the most munificent benefactors 

 of the Observatory, and it was at his suggestion that the first 

 photohelio^raph was constructed and brought into use there. 

 The complete sets of magnetic, meteorological, and electrical 

 instruments have been kept in perfect working order, and sum- 

 maries of the results for the year's working are given in the 

 appendices to the Report. Sketches of sun-spots have been 

 made on 173 days, and the collection of solar negatives taken 

 between 1858 and 1872 have been handed over to the Solar 

 Physics Committee, with a view to their utilization. A good 

 whirling machine has been erected, for the purpose of examining 

 the accuracy of small anemometers and of the air-meters em- 

 ployed in measuring air-currents in mine-shafts, &c. In accord- 

 ance with a resolution of the International Meteorological 

 Committee, a thermometer of very low range has been con- 

 structed, to be used as a standard spirit thermometer for 

 temperatures ranging from zero to about - 70° C. 



Messrs. Sampson Low have issued, with Mr. Stanley's 

 permission, a shilling volume, containing "The Story of Emin's 

 Rescue as told in Stanley's Letters." It has been edited by 

 Mr. Keltie, who contributes an introduction bringing the narra- 

 tive of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition up to the date at 

 which the first of Mr. Stanley's letters was received. A map, 

 showing Mr. Stanley's routes and discoveries, is included in the 

 volume. 



At the meeting of the Photographic Society on December 10^ 

 Mr. G. M. Whipple read an interesting and valuable paper on 

 photography in relation to meteorology. There are now 32 

 observatories — 8 in this country, 7 in the colonies, and 17 

 abroad — in which photographic apparatus is used for meteoro- 

 logical observations. 



At the meeting of the French Meteorological Society of 

 December 3, 1889, M. Wada gave an account of the cyclone 

 which ravaged the southern and eastern part of Japan on Sept- 

 ember II and 12 last. The centre of the storm followed a 

 course towards N. 35° E., progressing at a rate of 30 to 43 

 miles an hour, the velocity of the wind reaching 65 miles an 

 hour. The barometer fell to 28*23 inches — a reading which is 

 only known to have occurred once before in Japan. This storm 

 raised an enormous wave, said to have been nearly 20 feet above 

 high-water mark, and which carried away 3000 houses. M. 

 Ritter explained his experiments upon the artificial production 

 of clouds in liquids and gases. With regard to the clouds in 

 the atmosphere, the author distinguishes two principal kinds — 

 viz. (i) the "stratus" and semi-transparent mist, and (2) the or- 

 dinary forms, such as "cumulus," &c., and he deals with them 

 from two points of view : the diffusion of vapour according to 

 Dalton's law, and the transference of clouds by the movement 

 of the air. He referred to the different results produced from 

 these conditions, with regard to suspension in the atmosphere, 

 &c. The details of the paper will be published in the Anntiaire 

 of the Society. 



The Jaarbock of the Royal Meteorological Institute of the 

 Netherlands for 1888 is the fortieth of the series, and contains, 

 in addition to the daily observations and summaries at various 

 stations a summary of phenological observations for 1879-88, 

 and observations at Parimaribo, Jeddah, and from the Upper 

 Congo. The preface contains an explanation of the conventional 

 signs used in this long series, and of the curious errors which 

 have occurred from time to time ; a reference to this volume is 

 therefore necessary to anyone who wishes to make use of the 



