Nov. I, 1877] 



NATURE 



17 



The Royal Society of New South Wales, originated in 1821 

 as the Philosophical Society of Australia ; after an interval of 

 repose it was revived in 1850 as the Australian Philosophical 

 Society, by which designation it was known until 1856, when 

 the name was again changed to that of the Philosophical Society 

 of New South Wales, and finally, about ten years ago, by the 

 sanction of her Majesty the Queen, it assumed its present title. 

 Judging by its present list of members it would seem to be 

 prospering, but judging from the volume of its Proceedings (vol. 

 X. for 1876) its scientific life might be higher, and we would 

 venture to express the hope that future volumes may give us a 

 larger number of memoirs treating of that vast quadrilateral of 

 which Sydney is the acknowledged cipital. Of the articles in 

 this volume we would notice the following : On the Deep 

 Oceanic Depression off Moreton Bay, by the Rev. W. B. Clarke, 

 F.R.S. ; On some Tertiary Australian Polyzoa, by the Rev. 

 J. E. T. Woods. The species were with one exception derived 

 from the Mount Gambier polyzoan limestone, South Australia, 

 and are all described as new ; ten are described and figured as 

 belonging to the genus Eschara, two species of the genus 

 Pustulipora are described, and one Tubulipora. On the forma- 

 tion of Moss Gold and Silver, and on a Fossiliferous Siliceous 

 Deposit from Richmond River, is the title of a paper by 

 Prof. Liversidge. The composition of this deposit shows 

 that it answers to the common siliceous sinters or geyser 

 deposits. The weathered surfaces are usually marked with 

 the remains of ferns which stand out in relief, and more 

 rarely through the mass ' are to be found the remains of 

 certain fruits and seeds. These latter have been described 

 by Baron Mli ler as belonging to a plant (Liversidgea oxyspora) 

 allied to Capparidete and Bixacese, the fruits are from two-thirds 

 to nearly an inch in diameter, divided info four turgid lobes, 

 placentas parietal ; seeds turgid ; oval towards one extremity and 

 attenuated at the other ; both fern and fruits are figured. In the 

 discussion following the reading of a paper by the Rev. W. B. 

 Clarke, F.R.S., On the Effects of Forest Vegetationjon Climate, 

 many interesting statements were made as to the condition of the 

 forests in the neighbourhood of Sydney at the present tinie, and 

 so long back as forty years ago. 



Petermann's Mittheilungtn for November contains a paper 

 by Dr. G. Radde describing the journey of himself and Dr. 

 Sievers from Erzeroum to the Bin-Gol-Dagh ; the paper is full of 

 details concerning the botany of the region traversed. Under 

 the title of •* Tekna and Nun," Dr. Rohlfs gives some valuable 

 information on the part of the Sahara about the south-west of 

 Morocco, showing that it is by no means so barren as is gene- 

 rally thought, and that even the most recent maps of the region 

 are unsatisfactory. 



One of the most interesting papers in the September number 

 of the Buhetin of the French Geographical Society is an account 

 by M. Brau de St.-Pol-L'ais of his visit to the French Colonial 

 stations recently established on the coast of Sumatra, in the 

 province of Deli. The author gives many interesting observa- 

 tions on the people and the products of the part of the island 

 which he visited, and speaks hopefully of the colony, which 

 he considers an excellent basis for the exploration of the island. 

 In the same number Dr. Harmand gives some account of recent 

 journeys he made in Cambodia. 



The first map showing the whole of Stanley's" route from 

 Bogomayo to the mouth of the Congo has been published by 

 L Exploration (October 21). In this map the course of the 

 Congo is roughly shown as indicated in Stanley's letter, and that 

 also of the Ogove according to the explorations of de Brazza, 

 Lenz, and Marche. The trend of the Ogove to the south-east is 

 shown, and its probable junction with the Congo by two arms 

 indicated. 



The Geographical Society of Paris has received letters from 



the French Consul at Zanzibar informing them that a road is 

 being opened from Zanzibar to Tanganyika, for carting by oxen. 

 It is expected that ere long explorers will be able to dispense 

 with native porters. 



A Geographical paper has been started at Lyons by M. du 

 Mazet, one of the staff of the Courrier de Lyon. It will record the 

 transactions of all the provincial geographical societies of France. 

 The Lyons Geographical Society will have the advantage of a 

 number of communications from the Roman Catholic mission- 

 aries who have an old-established special seminary and college 

 in that city. 



In the Times of Wednesday last week appeared a long story 

 about ♦he discovery of the remains of Columbus in St. Domingo. 

 At Madrid, the Times Paris correspondent now states, the story 

 is declared to be a hoax, inasmuch as "a Spanish squadron 

 years ago escorted the remains to Havannab, where they lie in 

 the Cathedral." 



Under the title of " Pictorial Geography for Young 

 People," Messrs Griffith and Farran have published a neat little 

 map intended to exhibit giaphicilly the significance of the 

 various terms used in geography — continent, island, river, lake, 

 mountain, volcano, city, &c. It is necessarily exaj.;gerated, but 

 in the hands of a judicious teacher might be a valuable and 

 attractive help to the teaching of the elements of geography. 



Two severe shocks of earthquake were experienced at Lisbon 

 at 6.45 A. M. of October 25. No damage was reported. 



Under date October 17, it is reported from Smyrna, in Asia 

 Minor, that there had been, during a few days, several eaith- 

 quake shocks doing'no further harm but cracking some walls. 



It has been affirmed by P. Secchi of Rome, that iron heated 

 red is transparent to light. This is denied by M. Govi of Turin, 

 who, in a paper to the French Academy, describes some experi- 

 ments on the subject, and shows how one may be deceived in study- 

 ing the phenomena. If a mixture of borax and carbonate of soda 

 be fused in a thin platinum crucible raised to a red heat, there 

 will be seen on the exterior of the vessel the form of the liquid 

 mass with all its accidents of rapidly varying form, indicated by 

 a zone of less brightness than the upper portion of the metallic 

 surface. At first sight it is natural to infer a transparence for 

 light of the heated platinum, but (M, Govi points out) the case 

 is really one of transparence for radiant heat ; that is to say, a 

 phenomenon connected with the good conductivity of platinum. 

 The liquid, liberating carbonic acid, is less hot than the crucible, 

 and is constantly borrowing heat from it. It is inevitable, then, 

 that at every point where the liquid touches the metal, the latter 

 relatively cooled, should appear less luminous than in the neigh- 

 bouring region. M. Govi gives some other examples of the 

 phenomenon. 



" Shorthand for General Use " is the title of a little 

 volume by Prof. Everett, of Belfast, published by Marcus Ward 

 and Co. Prof. Everett's system claims several advantages over 

 Pitman's, one being that the vowels can be written continuously 

 with the consonants, and thus the word has not to be gone over 

 a second time to insert the vowels. The system appears to us 

 decidedly worth the attention of anyone wishing to learn short- 

 hand. 



We have received the eighth edition of Prof. Atkinson's 

 translation of Ganot's " Physics." About sixty pages of addi- 

 tional matter, with an equal number of illus rations, have been 

 added to this edition. Messrs. Longmans and Co. are the 

 publishers. 



Another scientific play is now being performed at the Cluny 

 Theatre, Paris, under the title of the " Les 6 Parties du Monde.'* 

 It is written by M. Figuier, the well-known scientific story-teller. 

 The sixth part of the world is supposed to be the Antarctic 



