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NATURE 



[Dec. 6, 



scale of VTrAuff ^^^ to be designed of the country around each 

 college, so that pupils when out walking, may be enabled to 

 practice topography. These maps will extend to a radius of 

 thirty kilometres from the college, and will be placed in the 

 hands of masters. 



The Geographical Society of Paris will hold its anniversary 

 meeting on December 19 ; a banquet will take place at the 

 Grand Hotel on the 22nd. 



The administration of the Eastern Railway of France has inti- 

 mated to the Geographical Society of Paris that orders will be 

 given for inscribing on the wall of each station the altitude above 

 the sea, the distance from Paris, the name of the chief town of 

 the district, the name of the department, &c., &c. Thus railway 

 travellers will learn the geography of France nolens volens. 



In last week's Nature Mr. G. J. Hinde gave some details 

 concerning the earthquake of November 4 in Canada. The Niw 

 York Tribune gives some interesting details concerning the same 

 earthquake in the States as well as subsequent earthquake 

 phenomena. The shocks were felt in the east, in the west, and 

 in the south. Commenting upon them the Chicago Evening 

 Journal makes an interesting statement about the recent active 

 condition of a little-known volcano in Nebraska. The latest 

 earthquake shocks, it states, which especially affected Western 

 Iowa, and were still sharper in North-eastern Nebraska and 

 South-western Dacota, 'bring to mind the fact that the *' Ionia 

 Volcano," known to a few scieniific investigators of the west as 

 existing in the high bluffs near the little village of Ionia, in 

 North-eastern Nebraska, is diiectly in the centre of the area 

 traversed by the earthquake vibrations. Being in a retired spot, 

 miles away from any line of travel, on the west bank of the 

 Missouri River, in a bluffy region, the little volcano has attracted 

 the attention of only a few of those who make such subjects a 

 study, and hence is not mentioned, as we b«lieve, in any of the 

 works on geography or geology. The occurrence of the earth- 

 quake, with its key or centre at the Ionia volcano, makes worthy 

 of remark the fact that for a few months past this little 

 American Vesuvius has been unusually active. Its vapours 

 have arisen almost constantly, and, for the fiest time since 

 white men have viewed its action, these vapours have been 

 easily distinguishable for a dozen or more miles away. 

 The first of these disturbances of the earth's surface was per- 

 ceived on November 4 by the inhabitants of Northern New 

 Hampshire, Vermont, Western Massachusetts, Northern and 

 Central New York, and Canada. The coune of the shocks was 

 from west to east. They were especially violent in the Adiron- 

 dack Mountains region. On November 15 an earthquake shock 

 was felt in the States of Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, and in 

 Dakota Territory. The shock was a very severe one, and its effects 

 were perceptible in most of the cities of the States mentioned. 

 In Sioux City, Iowa, there were two earthquake waves, the 

 second being the most powerful and immediately following the 

 first. There was a continuous vibration lasting forty- five 

 seconds. In Kansas the shock was noticed at Topeka and 

 Atchison. At Topeka, in the Santa Fe depot, the employes felt 

 the building rocking gently from north to south. On November 

 16, the day following the earthquake in the west, a violent 

 earthquake shock was felt at Knoxville, Tenn. The shock was 

 apparently only perceived at this place in the south, as there are 

 no reports from any other southern city of such an occurrence. 



Nothing is as yet known about the Marquis Antinori and 

 his expedition. The news of his death, which did not emanate, 

 we believe, from the Italian Geographical Society, may therefore 

 be considered as premature, Matteucci, who takes a lively 

 interest in the fate of the Antinori expedition, will probably be 

 able to gather more precise and definite information at 

 Khartoum. 



Prof. Stoppani, the eminent Italian geologist, has been called 

 to occupy the chair of geology at the lostituto Superiore of 

 Florence. He delivered his opening discourse on Saturday, 

 November 17, and will give exclusively public lectures during 

 the whole following scholastic year. 



The "Science Pjimers" by Hooker, Balfour Stewart, and 

 Geikie, have been translated into Italian by Profs, Pedicino, 

 Cantoni, and Stoppani, and published in nicely-bound small 

 volumes by the editor, U. Hoepli, of Milan. 



The enormous whale captured in the Gulf of Taranto in 

 February last, has now been studied by Prof, Capellini, who 

 found it to be a new species, to v/hich he gives the name of 

 BalcBna tarentina. 



Wk are informed that Dr. Forsyth Major, of Florence, in- 

 tends to publish a periodical for the "Zoology and Palaeontology 

 of Vertebrata," which will contaia original articles in four 

 languages. We cinnot but wish the best success to Mr. Major's 

 interprise, which is the first of the kind in Italy or anywhere 

 else, we believe. 



A NEW and perfectly mounted meteorological observatory, 

 under the direction of Prof. Nardi, was inaugurated on Sunday, 

 November 25, in the Seminary of Fiesole, near Florence. The 

 funds for the same were subscribed by the Bishop of Fiesole and 

 the Italian Alpine Club Another observatory will shortly ba 

 opened under the care of the latter society, at Castel Piano, on 

 Mount Amiato, near Siena. The number of meteorological 

 stations in Italy thus amounts to about eighty, the greater part 

 of which have been founded on the initiative, and by the 

 support, of the Club Alpino, who deserve every praise for their 

 continual and strenuous efforts to further and foster the study 

 of meteorology in Italy. 



A MOST elaborate monograph has been published by a dis- 

 tinguished Italian geologist. Prof. Baretti, on the geology of the 

 large Alpine group known under the name of Gran Paradiso 

 in the Graiian Alps. 



In the Annali di Storia }laiurale del Mtiseo Civico di Geneva, 

 the illustrious traveller and botanist, Prof. O. Beccari, describes 

 the wonderful gallery or bower-constructions of the Amblyornis 

 inornata, observed by himself in the Arfak Mountains. The huts 

 and gardens, as built and laid out by this bird, which is called 

 "the gardener," seem to surpass any production of intelligence 

 and taste for the beautiful hitherto described and observed in 

 birds of the Paradise family. 



On the very rich collections made in, and sent over from, 

 New Guinea by those intrepid and persevering champions of 

 science, Messrs. O. Beccari and D'Albertis, Prof. Mantegazza 

 has completed a series of anthropological and ethnographical 

 studies, the first part: of which are now being published In the 

 Archivio per I' Antropologia e la Klnologia. It may be men- 

 tioned that the museum, founded by Prof. Mantegazza in Florence 

 contains the largest known collection of Papuan skulls, the 

 number of which exceeds two hundred. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Vervet Monkey {Cercopithecus lalandit) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. F. H. Taylor; a Green 

 Monkey ( Cercopithecus callitrichus) from West Africa, presented 

 by Mr. J. R. Phillpotts ; a Spotted Ichneumon {Hapestes auro- 

 punctatus) from Persia, presented by Mrs. Fleuss ; a Common 

 Ocelot {Felis pardalis), a Scarlet Ibis [Ibis rubra), a Fulvus Tree 

 Duck [Dendrocygna fulva) from South America, presented by 

 Mr. George Ransom; a long-eared Owl {Asso otus), European, 

 presented by Mr. W. H. Millington ; three Weeper Capuchins 

 {Cebus capucinus), a Squirrel Monkey (Saimaris sciurea) from 

 South America, two Cheer Pheasants {Phasianus reevesii) from 

 North India, purchased ; a Black-footed Fox {Canis jubatd) and 

 an Azara's Fox [Canis azarfe) from South America, deposited. 



