Feb, 27, 1890] 



NATURE 



401 



sand and stones were belched forth. Stones and earth also fell 

 at Midsunoinimura, a village six miles away. No previous 

 eruption of Mount Zoo is recorded. Only one man lost his 

 life, but some cattle were killed, and 55 houses were destroyed. 

 The total loss entailed by the eruption is estimated at nearly 

 $3,500,000. 



Two rather strong shocks of earthquake were felt at Rome on 

 Sunday last, February 23, shortly after 11 p.m. They were 

 more distinct in the environs than in the city itself, and especially 

 at the Rocca di Papa in the Campagna. The Rome corre- 

 spondent of the Daily Niivi says it was remarked that flocks 

 of sheep " showed great signs of fear some time before the shocks 

 were felt." The correspondent of the Standard notes that in 

 several public buildings the gas was almost extinguished, that 

 electrical apparatus was disturbed, and that electric bells were 

 set ringing. "My own experience," he adds, "was that of 

 feeling lifted up from my seat, and then set down again with a 

 slight, but sickening, jar, while doors rattled, and furniture was 

 moved so as to produce noise in knocking against walls." 



AccoRDi NG to a telegram sent through Reuter's agency from 

 Lisbon, a slight shock of earthquake was felt on February 24 

 at Leiria and places between it and the sea coast. 



The Pilot Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean for February 

 states that the month of January was remarkable for the 

 tempestuous weather that prevailed almost uninterruptedly over 

 the steamship routes. Storms succeeded each other in rapid 

 succession, the majority of them having developed inland and 

 moved east-north-east on very similar paths from Nova Scotia 

 and across southern Newfoundland. The most notable storm of 

 the month was probably one that developed in the St. Lawrence 

 /alley, and crossed the Straits of Belle Isle early on the 3rd. Tt 

 hen moved nearly due east, rapidly increasing in intensity until 

 eaching the 20th meridian, when it curved to the north-eastward, 

 ind was central on the 5th about lat. 55° N., long. 17° W., and 

 iisappeared north of Scotland. The barometric pressure in 

 his storm was remarkably low, 27*93 inches having been re- 

 corded at 4 p.m. on January 4, about lat. 53° N., long. 23° W. 

 There was a slight increase in the amount of fog experienced ; 

 It was confined for the most part to the regions west of the 

 rand Banks. Much ice has been reported since the 5th ; the 

 )ositions and dates plotted on the chart indicate that the ice 

 eason is one of the earliest on record — nearly a month earlier 

 han usual. This is due in a great measure to the prevalence of 

 .. _ iiortherly gales east of Labrador, coincident with the 

 leavy westerly gales of December and January along the 

 Transatlantic route. 



The Japanese Government, we observe, is about to establish 

 meteorological observatory in the Loochoo Islands. This is 

 ne of the most important positions in the East for meteoro- 

 )gical purposes, for it fills up the very large gap at present 

 icisting between Shanghai and Manilla in one direction, and 

 long Kong and Tokio in the other. Besides, the Loochoo 

 iTchipelago is a specially valuable position for observing the 

 henomena connected with the course of the typhoons of the 

 hina seas. 



I iiK meeting of the International Congress of Hygiene 

 iid Demography, which is to be held in London in 1891, 

 ill probably be thoroughly successful. An organizing com- 

 littee, with Sir Douglas Gallon as President, has been 

 )r,ned, and already delegates have been appointed by the 

 ading scientific societies. On Tuesday, February 18, a depu- 

 tion waited upon the Lord Mayor to discuss the arrangements 

 lat ought to be made for the meeting. The Lord Mayor, 

 wing heard what Sir Douglas Galton, Prof. Corfield, and other 

 lembers of the deputation had to say as to the importance of 

 le Congress, undertook that the matter should be brought for- 



ward at a public meeting in the Mansion House. This meeting, 

 will take place on Thursday, April 24, and the Lord Mayor will 

 preside. 



The ninth annual meeting of the members of the Sanitary 

 Assurance Association was held on Monday, February 17, Sir 

 Joseph Fayrer, F.R. S., in the chair. Mr. Joseph Hadley, 

 Secretary, read the annual report, which concluded as follows : — 

 " Though the important bearing of the work of the Association 

 on the public health is not yet fully appreciated by the general 

 public, the financial statement for the past year proves that the 

 Association is making progress, and that after nine years' ex- 

 perience its work continues to be appreciated. The income for 

 the year was ;^398 8j. loa'., and after meeting all liabilities a 

 balance is carried forward." The Chairman, in proposing the 

 adoption of the report, said that the more he saw of the work 

 of the Association, and the need for sanitary improvement, the 

 more was he interested in its progress, and he expressed a hope 

 that not only might this Association prosper, but that others 

 might be formed, so great was the work to be done. General 

 Burne and Dr. Danford Thomas were re-elected members of the 

 executive council, and Sir Joseph Fayrer and Prof. T. Roger 

 Smith were re-elected President and Vice-President respectively. 



Some time ago we referred to the fact that the Manchester 

 Field Naturalists' and Archaeologists' Society had appointed a 

 committee for the purpose of promoting the planting of trees 

 and shrubs in Manchester and its immediate suburbs. The idea 

 has commended itself to the Corporation, and it is expected that 

 evergreen shrubs, planted in boxes or tubs, will soon be placed 

 in some of the principal squares. Meanwhile, the committee 

 are trying to obtain the aid of experienced practical men. They 

 have issued a circular with the following list of questions : — 

 " What description of trees would you especially recommend for 

 open spaces?" "What kind of shrubs, especially such as 

 would succeed in tubs or boxes ?" " What suggestions can yovi- 

 offer as to soil, treatment, and upon any important point relating 

 to tree culture in towns?" When the best information that 

 can be obtained has been brought together, it will be embodied 

 in a pamphlet, which may, it is hoped, serve as a general guide 

 for tree planting and culture. 



At the meeting of the Royal Botanic Society on Saturday, 

 the Secretary called attention to several plants of hygrometric 

 club moss from Mexico, which had been presented, with other 

 specimens, by Mr. A. Gudgeon. The Secretary stated that 

 these plants had the power, ascribed to the well-known rose of 

 Jericho, of rolling themselves up like a ball when dry, and 

 becoming apparently dead ; but that they were able to unfold and 

 grow again when exposed to moisture. The specimens shown 

 had been kept for three months in a dry place, but now were 

 green, and to all appearance flourishing. 



The following lectures will be given at the Royal Victoria 

 Hall during March : — March 4, Mr. F. W. Rudler, on "Geology 

 in the Streets of London " ; nth. Dr. Dallinger, on "The 

 Infinitely Great and the Infinitely Small " ; i8ih, Prof. 

 Beare, on "Australia"; 25th, Mr. W. North, on "Rome." 



"Our Earth and its Story" (Cassell and Co.) consists of 

 three volumes, not two, as inadvertently stated in our noti<:e of 

 the work on February 13 (p. 341). 



A series of new compounds of hydroxylamine, NHjOH, with 

 several metallic chlorides, are described by M. Crismer in the 

 current number of the Bulletin de la SociHS Chimiqne. The 

 first member of the series obtained was the zinc compound 

 ZnCIo 2NH2OH, whose existence was unexpectedly discovered 

 during the course of experiments upon the action of metallic zinc 

 on aqueous hydroxylamine hydrochloride. A ten per cent, 

 solution of this latter salt was treated with an excess of pure 

 zinc ; no evolution of gas was noticed in the cold, but on warming 



