Jan. 30, 1879I 



NATURE 



301 



It is of japanned tin, can be put in the pocket, has every conveni- 

 ence for immediate use, and is altogether excellent and astonish- 

 ingly cheap. It is a pity that students of science generally don't 

 know how to use colours to give clearness to their note-books 

 and diagrams. 



Mr. Bryce Wright has just issued a catalogue of his exten- 

 sive mineralogical, geological, conchological, and archaeological 

 specimens and collections, with several well-executed illustra- 

 tions. Those interested in the subjects mentioned would do well 

 to obtain a copy of the Catalogue. 



Mr. Gower, an American, who has lectured in America with 

 Mr. Bell on the telephone, has realised an interesting improve- 

 ment on Bell's instrument. The new telephone differs mainly 

 in the form of the magnet, which has been calculated so pre- 

 cisely that the sounds can be heard at any distance from the 

 speaker in a large room. The telephonic current is so powerful 

 that the contact of a magnet can be worked by it, and a signal 

 given in a central telephonic office. 



Herr Petzold, of Vienna, sends us several specimens of 

 insects preserved apparently in Canada balsam and mounted on 

 microscopic slides, which surpass in several respects anything of 

 the kind we have seen. Herr Fetzold informs us that for years 

 he has been working to de^ise some means of preserving insects 

 and other small animals in such a way as to prevent their being 

 injured by accident or by any of the numerous enemies of 

 museum collections. By a process of mummification, and in- 

 closure in a transparent material he seems to us to have succeeded. 

 The specimens sent can be clearly seen, are natural and life- 

 like in appearance, and completely protected from all atmospheric 

 influences. 



The fall of sleet which occurred in Central France on 

 January 23 was so terrific that an immense number of large 

 branches were broken by the weight of icicles adhering to the 

 leaves. Almost all telegraphic communication between Paris 

 and Central or Southern France was interrupted by the breaking 

 of the telegraphic wires. The messages from Paris to Mar- 

 seilles were sent vi& London, Lisbon, and Malta. This state of 

 things, which had been anticipated by EUctricite, raised a 

 number of angry remarks from the principal papers. It is very 

 likely that the German system of entombing the wires of the 

 large lines will be resorted to, and special credits asked from the 

 Chamber of Deputies next session. 



The Postal Microscopical Society is not, as its name would 

 seem to imply, a Microscopical Society for Post Office officials. 

 It embraces a much wider constituency, being commensurate 

 (potentially) with the area of the kingdom embraced by our 

 postal service. It is, in short, an association for the distribution 

 by post of microscopical slides among its members, with facilities 

 for these members making remarks on the slides they receive. 

 From the Report of the fifth annual meeting we see the Society 

 has many members over England, that the organisation is 

 excellent, and works well. Several improvements are contem- 

 plated in the sphere of this Society. In consequence of a number 

 of medical men having recently joined the Society, it has been 

 arranged to circulate a special series of histo- and pathological 

 slides. These special slides will circulate almost exclusively 

 amongst the medical members, in addition to the usual fort- 

 nightly box of slides which goes the whole circuit of the Society, 

 whether members are medical or otherwise. It is also proposed 

 at the request of many members, to circulate a series of slides 

 devoted to botanical subjects ; these, after going the round of the 

 contributors, it is proposed should go the whole circuit of the 

 members. Those desiring to join the Society should apply to 

 Mr Alfred AUen, i, Cambridge Place, Bath. 



An occasional correspondent of the Daily Press of Hongkong, 

 gives a somewhat melancholy account of the condition of affairs 

 in Formosa, where it was hoped that the Chinese were showing 

 signs of progress. The Woosung Railway plant, he says, 

 continues to generate rust, the dredger so lu-gently needed has not 

 been ordered, and the scheme for introducing Swatow coolie 

 emigrants has fallen through. The accounts of the Kelung 

 Colliery are not hopeful, sickness ha\'ing prostrated European 

 and native miners alike ; in the petroleum region, too, all the 

 members of the exploring party are reported to be laid up with 

 fever. What is worse, however, in that quarter, is, the boring rod 

 has snapped low down, and the American experts are said to 

 have spent three weeks in a vain endeavour to connect it again. 

 The only favourable item of news is that there is every prospect 

 of a large sugar- crop in the south of the island. 



A CONTEMPORARY in China states that petroleum is obtain- 

 able at several places in both North and South Formosa. 

 Some time back a large spring was discovered in the hills to the 

 south-east of the Port of Owlan, in about 24° 30' N. lat. and 

 121° E. long'. The principal spring is situated close to the 

 Owlan River, at the foot of a hill. At certain times of the year 

 the river overflows into this spring, and the oil is carried away 

 down the stream. When the discovery of this well was made, 

 the oil could be tasted in the water some distance off. On ex- 

 ploring the hills behind the spring, large fire -holes were found, 

 and a small spring was met with on the top of a high hill. The 

 lofty ranges of hills to the east of the petroleimi vaUey have 

 been explored to some extent, and in almost every range were 

 found evidences of the existence of coal, but none of the veins 

 or seams are being worked. 



We have received the first two numbers of the Italian La 

 Natura, a weekly scientific journal, which we understand is the 

 new form of V Elettricila, founded some time since. La Natura 

 is mainly devoted to the physical sciences, and, judging from the 

 first two numbers, is likely to take a creditable place among its 

 scientific contemporaries. In the first number Prof. Schiaparelli 

 writes on the Pertiu-bations communicated by Jupiter to Brorsen's 

 comet in 1872, and in the second number on Recent Researches 

 on the Topography and Physical Constitution of the Moon. 

 There are several other good papers relating both to Italian and 

 to foreign science. 



Revue d'' Hygiene et de Police Sanitaire is the title of a new 

 sanitary monthly edited by Prof. E. Vallin and published by 

 Masson of Paris. 



The Annuaire of the Bureau des Longitudes for 1879 con- 

 tains as usual a great mass of useful and well-digested informa- 

 tion. It contains an interesting paper by Dr. Janssen on Recent 

 Advances in Solar Physics. 



We are glad to learn from the Royal Gazette of British 

 Guiana that a Bird Ordinance has been promulgated in that 

 colony, which is likely to prevent the stamping out of birds 

 whose feathers are so eagerly sought after by ladies to add to 

 their charms. 



We have received the first number of the Revue Mycohgique, a 

 three-weekly journal devoted to the subject of fungi, and edited 

 by M. C. Roumeguere. The Paris publishers are Bailliere and 

 Sons. 



Ik the course of a recent excavation for a railway from Persan 

 to NeuUly-en-TheUe, in the north of France, a field has been 

 cut, which contains numerous sepultures, and was probably used 

 as a cemetery at some early period. Nearly all the tombs (M. 

 Millet tells us, in La Nature) are of hard stone and composed of 

 two pieces (exceptibnally three), with transverse joints, and the 

 cover generally a single piece. One tomb is made of plaster. 



