436 



NATURE 



{August 2 2, 1878 



the Lyceum, but for the City of Valparaiso generally. The 

 new Museum does not appear to be well off for funds, but Mr, 

 Reed has many friends and correspondents in this country who 

 will be able to serve him by exchanges. 



The second marine excursion of the Birmingham Natural 

 History and Microscopical Society to the Island of Arran, in 

 the month of July last, proved most successful. Twenty- eight 

 members, including six ladies, formed the party, who travelled 

 by Pullman cars and family carriage by Midland railway, going 

 by night and returning by day. A small steam yacht — the 

 Lizzie — was chartered for a week. There were also botanical 

 and geological excursions daily to the many interesting parts 

 of the island. The results of the dredgings were most satis- 

 factory, and a beautiful series of specimens was taken, in- 

 cluding Luidia fragillisivia and two or three Nudibranchs new 

 to the locality. The towing-net — on an improved principle, de- 

 vised by Mr. Henry Allport — was also used most successfully, 

 and many interesting forms of marine life taken, notably 

 Bipinnaria and Pluteus. The examination of these and other 

 microscopic objects in the evenings in the ladies' drawing- 

 room proved a great attraction. Preliminary reports have been 

 made to the society and the specimens exhibited : — General, 

 by Mr. Edmund Tonks, B.C.L., president, and Mr. Sam. 

 Timmins, F.R.S.L. ; Botanical, by Mr. John Morley, hon. 

 sec. ; Dredging Arrangements, Mr. John F. Goode ; and 

 Marine Zoology, by Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S. The Geo- 

 logical Report, by the Rev. George Deane, D.Sc, F.G.S., 

 was deferred. A full account of the proceedings will appear 

 in an early number of the Midland Naturalist. The excursion 

 extended from July 19 to 27, and a most interesting and en- 

 joyable week was passed. A resolution was unanimously passed 

 suggesting to the society that the next excursion should be to 

 Falmouth. 



We have on several occasions drawn attention^to the interest- 

 ing department in the Paris Exhibition devoted to school equip- 

 ments, and it is hopeful to find that in connection therewith, a 

 Times Paris correspondent has discovered the success of the 

 French in their efforts to impart to the nation a technical educa- 

 tion. " One of the most interesting and instractive departments 

 of the Exposition," the Times correspondent writes, "is that 

 devoted to the illustration of the working and results of the 

 system of French popular education both in Paris and in the 

 Provinces. The foreign visitor who observes with admiration 

 throughout the country the evidences of the general artistic and 

 technical skill of the French workmen of every class will see in 

 this Educational Department of the Exposition the key to the secret 

 of that success. When will the corporation of London be able 

 to match the interesting educational results here displayed by the 

 sister municipality of Paris ? " 



Under the presidentship of Lord Hardwicke the opening 

 meeting of the thirty-fifth annual congress of the British Arch^o- 

 logical Association began on Monday at the ancient town and 

 port of Wisbech. 



Zoologists will be glad to know that the " Rules for Zoolo- 

 gical Nomenclature," drawn up by the late H. E. Strickland, 

 F.R.S., at the instance of the British Association, have been 

 reprinted. The " Notes " were prepared after consultation with 

 many zoologists, British and foreign, and are now brought out 

 under the care of Mr. P. L. Sclater. The publisher is Mr. 

 Murray. 



Prof. Broca opened the International Congress of Anthro- 

 pology at the Paris Exhibition by a short address, in which he 

 pointed out the necessity of rigid observation as the only means 

 of obtaining trustworthy data on which to build the science. 



We are glad to learn that the French balloon service has not 

 een disorganised by the resignation of Col. Laussedat. The 



new head of the service is General Farr, who distinguished him- 

 self va. the last Franco-German war in the northern part of 

 France. 



Dr. Ernst, of Caracas, writes us that by an oversight in his 

 note on the earthquake of Cua (Nature, vol. xviii, p. 130) the 

 direction of the shock was not given. It came from E.N.E., or 

 more exactly E. 15° N. 



The article on the Elasmotherium from which our description 

 was obtained (vol. xviii. p. 387) appeared in No. 23 of the 

 Russian journal Niwa for 1878, p. 411. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Lion {Felis led), a Patas Monkey {Cerco- 

 pithecus ruber) from West Africa, presented by Mr. W. H. 

 Wylde, s. s. Agra ; a common Paradoxure {Paradoxurus typtls) 

 from India, presented by Mr. Edwin Etty Sass ; two Common 

 Buzzards (Buteo vulgaris), European, presented by Master 

 Valentine Marks ; two Herring Gulls {Lams argentatus), Euro- 

 pean, presented by Mr. Thomas Landseer ; a Crested Ground 

 Parrakeet {Calopsitla nova-hollandia) from Australia, presented 

 by Mrs. Parker ; a many -zoned Hawk {Melierax polyzonus) from 

 East Africa, presented by Mr. C. H. Fisher ; a Copper-head 

 Snake {Cenchris center trix) from Pittsburg, U.S.A., presented 

 by Dr. F. Painter, F.Z.S. ; a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cynO' 

 molgus) from India, two Barbary Apes {Macacus inuus) from 

 North Africa, two Beautiful Parrakeets {Psep/wtus pulcherrimus) 

 from Australia, thirteen Greek Land Tortoises ( Testudo grcecd) 

 European, deposited ; a Bladder-nosed Seal {Cystophora cristata) 

 from the North Atlantic, six Common Kingfishers [Alcedo ispida) 

 British Isles, purchased. 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



Dublin, Tuesday. 



SINCE we last wrote the British Association week has 

 come and gone with even more than its wonted rush 

 and whirl of incessant engagements. That the meeting 

 has been a successful one in every respect is unques- 

 tionable. Though no very original papers have been 

 read or any great sensation excited in any section, as at 

 Plymouth, by the telephone, yet the meetings have been 

 above the average in general interest, the evening lectures 

 and entertainments having been specially attractive, and 

 the attendance extremely good. This meeting will 

 always be memorable for the splendid address of the 

 president. Dr. Spottiswoode. 



The proceedings have been very fairly and fully re- 

 ported in the local papers. Is it too much to hope that, 

 ere long, the Association may see its way to utihsing the 

 energy now invariably displayed by the provincial press 

 in giving to its members an early, full, and revised report 

 of the proceedings of the meeting in a more convenient 

 form than in the columns of a newspaper ? We are 

 aware that this question has often been mooted, and 

 indeed it has not been untried, but for its permanent 

 success a well-considered scheme is necessary, and 

 doubtless the local press, as well as the sectional 

 secretaries (more especially if some honorarium were 

 attached to one secretary in each section) would gladly 

 lend their aid. If we may judge by the constant in- 

 quiries for such a report that reach our ears at each 

 meeting of the Association, it would seem to be a widely- 

 felt want. Our own columns have, to a large extent, 

 been opened to meet this need; but it is obvious that 

 the constant pressure upon our space only permits a 

 partial report of the proceedings, whilst the discussions 

 upon the papers, often extremely valuable, have no per- 

 manent record, even in a condensed form. 



There is another point upon which we may venture to 

 say a word or two, and that is, the desirability of giving 

 a little more attention to the fact that a large majority of 



