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NA TURE 



{April 19, -1877 



other similar relics. A petition has been sent to ihe ministry to 

 put a stop to this iconoclastic zeal. 



A WORK has just appeared in Berlin from the pen of Fried- 

 rich von Biirenbach. in which the author endeavours to show 

 that the main features of the evolution theory were partially 

 comprehended and advocated by Herder. 



The German Ornithological Society instituted, during the 

 past year, an extensive series of observations by means of sche- 

 dules, on the dates of nest-building, appearance of the young 

 broods, movements of migratory burds, &c. The statistics 

 resulting from the first year's observations are now being com- 

 piled and will shortly be issued in book form. 



The following College Lectures in the Natural Sciences will 

 be given at Cambridge during Easter Term, 1877 : — Gonville 

 and Caius College : On Organic Analysis and Elementary Or- 

 ganic Chemistry, by Mr. Apjohn. Christ's College: On the 

 Elements of Electricity and Magnetism, by Mr. Chrystal. St. 

 John's College : On Chemistry, by Mr. Main. Instruction in 

 Practical Chemistry will also be given. On Stratigraphical 

 Geology, by Mr. Bonney ; On Elementary Geology ; On Palaeon- 

 tology, by Mr. Bonney. Trinity College : On Electricity (con- 

 tinued), by Mr. Trotter; Elementary Physics (Light, &c.), by 

 Mr. Trotter ; Vertebrate Embryology with Practical work, by 

 Mr. Balfour ; Practical Elementary Biology, by the Trinity 

 Prselector in Physiology (Dr. Michael Foster). Sidney Sussex 

 College : On the Morphology of Cryptogams, by Mr. Hicks. 

 Downing College : On Chemistry, by Mr. Lewis ; On Com- 

 parative Anatomy and Physiology, by Mr. Saunders. 



The Trieste papers describe an extensive stalactite cavern, 

 consisting of several galleries, lately discovered in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the city. 



Another valuable addition has been made to the already 

 enormous ethnographical treasures of the Berlin Museum by the 

 purchase of the extensive collections of the African traveller, 

 Piaggia, The explorer, Schweinfurth calls it the best collec- 

 tion of the kind in existence, and unrivalled in its special de- 

 partment. Although much larger sums were offered by specu- 

 lators, Piaggia preferred to dispose of it for 75,000/, to the Berlin 

 Museum, with the condition that -it Should be preserved in 

 special apartments bearing his name. 



Father Secchi has invented a new electric seismograph 

 with moving smoked paper, which indicates the direction, num- 

 ber, intensity, duration of the shock?, and many other details of 

 great value in connection with seismography. 



The principal article in the April number of Petermann's 

 Miitheilungen is on the condition of the bed of the Pacific Ocean 

 based on the researches of the Tuscarora, the Challenger, and 

 the Gazelle. It is accompanied by a carefully prepared and 

 unusually clear chart, showing by a variety of tints the results 

 which have been obtained. 



The forthcoming number of the Italian geographical journal 

 Cosmos will contain an article urging that Italy ought to take a 

 part in Arctic exploration. 



It is stated that the Berlin gorilla, to which we have referred 

 on more than one occasion, is to be brought to London during 

 the present season. 



The annual session of the Congress of French Learned Societies 

 took place at the Sorbonne on April 4, 5, 6, and 7, More than 

 1,000 savants from all parts of France, mostly professors in the 

 several academies, were registered, 300 of whom belong to the 

 . scientific sections. M. Leverrier v/as the president of the scien- 

 tific dei artment. The question of weather warnings raised seve- 

 ral interesting discussions. The final meeting took plaqe as usual 



on the 7tb, the minister lor public instruction, M. Waddington, 

 being in the chair. Gold medals were granted to M. Alluard, of 

 the Puy de-Dome Observatory ; M. Tisserand, astronomer to the 

 Observatory of Toulouse ; Rollin, professor at Bordeaux for 

 meteorology ; Rouville, professor at Montpellier for geology ; 

 Grand-Eury, professor at the School of Mines at St. Etienne for 

 geology. Nine silver medals were also granted to several provin- 

 cial scientific men, and a number of similar distinctions to the 

 members of the other sections. 



The Geographical Society of Paris held last week an ex*^ra- 

 ordinary meeting for the purpose of procuring funds to build a 

 large house for its own use to be ready by the time of the next 

 International Exhibition. A sum of 300,000 francs is neces- 

 sary, and will be raised by 1,000 bonds of 300 francs each. 



M. Leverrier has been elected President of the Association 

 Scientifique de France for the fifteenth time. The society spent 

 about 1,200/. in scientific experiments last year. 



We have received from the United States Geological Survey 

 a Hypsometric Map of the United States and a Drainage Map 

 of Colorado. 



News has been again received at Munich after a long time, 

 from the African traveller. Dr. Erwin v. Bary. He had safely 

 returned to Ghat from his journey into the Valley Mihero. He 

 is the first European who has visited the hot springs of Sebar- 

 baret, and seen the crocodile-pond. Interesting geological and 

 geognostlc, results, with a collection of many hitherto unknown 

 plants have been gained from this journey. It was very dangerous 

 owing to the war of the Asgar with the Hogar of Tuareg, and 

 the traveller was in constant risk of attack. The sheikh of 

 Tuareg, Jehenuchen, 102 years old, has lost two sons, so he is 

 not easily propitiated. The murderer of the Dutch traveller, 

 Alexandrine Tinne, whose unhappy fate excited European sym- 

 pathy, goes about freely in Ghat. Dr. v. Bary will endeavour, 

 notwithstanding the danger, to penetrate further into the country 

 of the Tuareg, in order to prosecute his geological and botanical 

 inquiries. 



In a recent note in Foggendorff^ s Antialen on Maxwell's 

 electromagnetic -theory of light. Dr. Frohlich finds that the 

 application of that theory to good electric conductors leads to 

 results which are in direct contradiction with experience. It is 

 not, however (he considers), to be therefore wholly rejected, as 

 the researches of Boltzmann, Schiller, Silow, and Root show 

 that its consequences agree with experience very well in the case 

 of dielectrics (solid bodies, liquids, and gases). And the cause 

 of its divergence in the case of metals may probably be found in 

 the simplicity of the theory. The processes in the interior of 

 metals are of course more complicated than those which occur in 

 transparent or non-conducting dielectric media. And as little as 

 the reflection of light on metallic surfaces can be deduced from 

 the simple undulation theory, is it possible for Maxwell's theory 

 to represent such compligated processes. 



A CORRESPONDENCE has recently been going on in the Journal 

 of ihe Society of Arts on the suitability of the leaves of the coffee 

 plant as a substitute for tea. There is nothing new in this 

 suggestion, for in Sumatra as well as in Jamaica coffee leaves 

 are "cured" in a similar manner to those of tea in China for 

 use in the production of a beverage. In some parts of India 

 likewise the leaves are gathered, partially dried, fermented, and 

 finally roasted in imitation of the commercial kinds of tea. Con- 

 sidering the composition of coffee leaves there can be no doubt.] 

 that if properly and carefully cured they might in time become 

 of some commercial value. Whether the husk which surroui 

 the coffee seed could also be so utilised is another question ti ; 

 has been raided. This coffee husk seems to be generally used i.i 

 Arabia under the name of " kishr." In a letter on this subjcc 

 in a recent number of the above journal a correspondent com- 



