54 



NATURE 



[Nov. 15, 1877 



escaped the least sign of infection. It flourishes under the 

 most unfavourable circumstances, grows rapidly, and readily 

 receives grafts from French vines. 



The French Association Poly technique, created in 1830, has 

 just published its programme for 1877-1878. Lectures are given 

 by this institution to working men] in each of the twenty 

 municipal districts of Paris, and in almost every manufacturing 

 district of France, For the first time the programme of lectures 

 Is uniform, and special text-books are published at a'cheap rate 

 under its authority. No salaries are given to teachers, and no 

 fees taken from pupils. It is called "La Sorbonne de I'Ouvrier." 

 All expenses are covered by voluntary contributions. M. Dumas, 

 the perpetual secretary of the Institute has been elected 'pre- 

 sident of the Association, He has filled this important position 

 for a number of years. 



The Jardin d' Acclimaiation of Paris, as we recently stated, 

 has received a family of Esquimaux, who are quartered alongside 

 the Nubians, who were recently in London. They consist of 

 three men, a woman, and two children, and have charge of a 

 collection of phocas, white bears, and trained dogs. The 

 customary Esquimaux huts have been erected for their accommo- 

 dation, and their time is spent in the ordinary occupations to 

 which they are accustomed in the Polar regions. The Societe 

 d^ Anthropologie de Farts has appointed a commission to study 

 these unusual visitors, consisting of Dr. Broca, president, and 

 MM. Bordier, Dolly, Girard de Rialle, Mazard, and Topinard. 



The Ministry of Public Instruction has just established, in 

 Paris, a " Bibliotheque L^niversitaire," containing all works 

 appearing from the pens of the professors of the French 

 University. 



Among the medals awarded by the Photographic Society in 

 connection with their Exhibition, are one for the best micro- 

 photograph, " Proboscis of a Blowfly," to Mr. Edward Viles, and 

 a special medal to Mr. W, J, A. Grant for his Arctic Views. 



The Institution of Civil Engineers resumed its meetings on 

 Tuesday. Among the papers announced to be read early in the 

 session are, a " Review of the Progress of Steam Shipping 

 during the last Quarter of a Century," by Mr. Alfred Holt, 

 M. Inst. C.E. of Liverpool, whilst the latest development of 

 electrical invention and its application to lighting purposes, will 

 be discussed in a paper by Dr. Paget Higgs and Mi-. Brittle, 

 Assocs, Inst. C.E., entitled "Some Recent Improvements in 

 Dynamo-Electric Apparatus." 



The fourth annual meeting of the Dundee Naturalists' Society 

 was held recently. Mr. Grothe, the president, occupied the 

 chair. The secretary read the council's report for the past 

 year, which showed that it had been one of great activity and 

 prosperity. The year began with a membership, including all 

 classes, of 232, but at the date of the report this number had 

 increased to 401, being an increase of 169. The property of the 

 society had also been considerably increased during the year, 

 chiefly by gifts of books and specimens for the society's museum. 

 During the last winter nine original papers had been read by 

 members at the ordinary meetings of the society, treating of 

 geological, biological, physical, and archaeological subjects. 

 During the summer the interest in, and work of, the society was 

 kept alive by a series of very attractive excursions. One excur- 

 sion was a sea-dredging expedition, and opened up for the society 

 a new field for its energies. In order to secure a more ex- 

 haustive and systematic treatment of the various branches of 

 natural science, the society was formed into sections, three in 

 number, viz, : — i. Physical and Chemical ; 2. Geological ; 3. 

 Biological, From this arrangement it is hoped that much good 

 will result. The society is in a very healthy and vigorous 

 condition. 



The following modification of an experiment of Prof, Tyndall's 

 is described by M, Terquem in the Journal de Physique for 

 October, A trumpet-bell connected by a thick caoutchouc tube 

 with one of Konig's manometric flames, is fixed vertically over a 

 square plate, which is vibrated so as to give two nodal lines as 

 in Tyndall's experiment. If the axis of the bell be placed 

 exactly over the centre of ,the plate, the flame remains quite 

 motionless, and the same if the bell be placed above a nodal 

 line. On the other hand, the flame vibrates when the bell is 

 displaced, however little, and the vibrations become very strong 

 when [the bell is placed above a ventral segment. With two 

 similar trumpet-bells placed over two ventral segments having 

 similar, or contrary movements, the vibrations may be united on 

 a single flame, by means of a Y-tube, a drawing-tube being 

 placed in the passage of one of the vibratory movements. The 

 advantage of this arrangement consists in producing very strong 

 separate vibrations ; moreover, it is possible to give them exactly 

 the same intensity by displacing laterally one of the bells. To 

 obtain absolute motionlessness in the flame the two combined 

 movements must have exactly the same amplitude. To render 

 the flame more brilliant M. Terquem passes the gas through 

 pumice-stone soaked with benzine or the like, and incloses the 

 jet in a tube through which a current of oxygen is sent. A 

 cylinder of mica blackened interiorly, except on the side next the 

 revolving mirror, surrounds the flame. 



A RECENTLY-PUBLISHED report by the Criminal Administra- 

 tion of France gives some curious statistics with regard to 

 suicides in 1874. There were in that year 5,617 suicides, the 

 highest number ever recorded in the country. Of these 4,435 

 (79 per cent.) were committed by men, and 1,182 (21 per cent.) 

 by women. The ages of 105 of the suicides are unknown. The 

 5,512 others are thus divided : — Minors of 16 years, 29 ; 16 to 

 21 years of age, 193; 21 to 40, 1,477; 4° to 60, 2,214; ^'^^ 

 beyond 60, 1,599. Among the suicides there are enumerated 

 1,946 celibates (36 per cent.), 2,645 (4^ perxent.) were married, 

 and 881 (16 per cent.) were widowed. Of the number of those 

 forming the last two categories there were 2,259, or nearly two- 

 thirds, who had children. The civil state of 145 individuals 

 could not be ascertained. More than seven-tenths of the suicides 

 were by strangulation (2,472), or by submersion (1,514). The 

 suicides were, as always, more frequent in spring (31 per cent.) 

 and in summer (27 per cent.) than in winter (23 per cent.) and in 

 autumn (19 per cent.). As to the motives, there is no informa- 

 tion about 481 of the suicides ; the others are classed as fol- 

 lows : — Misery and reverses of fortune, 652 ; family troubles, 

 701 ; love, jealousy, debauchery, misconduct, 815 (of which 572 

 were brought about by drunken habits) ; physical sufferings, 

 798 ; various troubles, ^489 ; mental maladies, 1,622 ; suicides 

 of persons guilty of capital crimes, 59. 



At the meeting of the Eastbourne Natural History Society, 

 of October 19, Mr. Roper read an important paper on "The 

 Addition to the Flora of Eastbourne since 1875." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Tiger i^Felis tigris) from China, presented by 

 Mr. A. Yoxb&sA.ngu^-fS.'M.z.cz.c^&yi.oxikty^Macacuscynofnolgus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. H. W. Henderson ; a Saker Falcon 

 {Falco sacer) from Egypt, presented by Mrs. Arthur Coote ; two 

 Grey Plovers {^Squatarola helvetica), a Ringed Plover ((Egialitis 

 hiaticula), a Dunlin {Tringa cinclus), European, presented by 

 Mr. F. Cresswell; a Calif ornian Quail {Callipepla calif arnica) 

 from California, presented by Mrs. A. H. Jamrach ; a Ring 

 Hals Snake {Sepedon haniachates) from South Africa, presented 

 by Mr. Eustace Pillans ; a Brown Pelican {Pelecanus fuscus) from 

 West Indies, a Cape Zorilla {Icionyx zorilla) from South Africa, 

 purchased ; five Reindeer {Ranifer tarandus) from Lapland, 

 deposited ; a Cape Buffalo {Bubalus caffer) from South Africa, 

 received in exchange. 



