Jan. 31, 1878] 



NATURE 



271 



their friends in St. James's Hall, but as the hall holds 

 only 2,000, and as there are between 3,000 and 4,000 

 Fellows, we suspect, making all allowances, that many 

 hundreds will be disappointed. Why does the Society 

 not boldly take the Albert Hall and admit the outside 

 public at a moderate charge ? We are sure there would 

 be a balance over after clearing expenses. 



Berlin Geographical Society.— The Berlin Gesell- 

 schaft fiir Erdkunde celebrates on April 27 and 28 the 

 completion of its fiftieth year. The festival committee, 

 consisting of Baron v. Richthofen, Dr. Nachtigal, Dr. 

 Jagor, and other well-known explorers, have issued invita- 

 tions to all the geographical societies of Germany and 

 Austria to send delegates. It is expected that over a 

 thousand will be present at the closing dinner. This 

 society, founded by Alexander von Humboldt and Karl 

 Ritter, has manifested from its commencement a vitality 

 and energy second to none of the European geographical 

 societies, and forms in Berlin a favourite gathering-place 

 for the leading minds in all departments of science. Its 

 membership numbers at present 700. 



Australia. — An exploring party sent into the interior 

 from Port Darwin, North Australia, under the leadership 

 of Mr. Sergison, has returned to the latter place, and 

 reports that in the vicinity of Victoria River, which runs 

 into the Queen's Channel on the west coast of the 

 Northern Territory, as well as near Fitzmaurice River, 

 which flows more to the north, and near Daly River, 

 which runs into Anson Bay, it discovered land with ex- 

 cellent soil, with a comparatively cool climate, and with 

 numerous creeks in every direction. 



Arctic Exploration. — The preparations for the 

 Dutch North Polar Expedition are being actively con- 

 tinued, as the expedition is to sail in May next. The 

 first and principal halt will be made at Spitzbergen, The 

 erection and fitting up of a station for meteorological 

 observations is reserved for a future expedition ; the 

 present one, however, is to select the place best adapted 

 for a station of this nature. 10,000 florins are still 

 wanting to cover the expenses of the expedition. 



Canada. — On December 22 last a Canadian Geogra- 

 phical Society was founded at Quebec. The principal 

 aim of the society will be to obtain a thorough knowledge 

 of the geography of Canada. 



NOTES 



The distribution of the prizes for 1877 by the French Academy 

 of Sciences took place on January 28 under the presidency of 

 M. Peligot. For the two great prizes in mathematics and in 

 physical science no memoir worthy of mention has been sent to 

 the academy. The subjects were very limited in their scope and 

 it is said that tlie academy proposes to alter its system and confine 

 itself to giving its highest prizes to independent workers irrespec- 

 tive of the subject-matter of their work. Among other prizes 

 awarded we at present mention the following : — The Plumet prize 

 was taken by M. de Freminville, for his improvements in marine 

 steam engines ; the Fourneyran prize was awarded to M. Malet, 

 for tramway steam-engines, as used from Bayonne to Biarritz ; the 

 Lalande prize in astronomy has been rightly awarded to Prof. 

 Asaph Hall, the discoverer of the satellites of Mars ; the Valz 

 prize to the Brothers Henry, for their celestial maps ; the 

 Montyon prize in physiology was awarded conjointly to Prof. 

 Ferrier and MM. Carville and Duret j the Lacaize prize for the 

 best work in physics has been given to M. Cornu, the well-known 

 professor of the Polytechnic School for his determination of the 

 velocity of light by direct measurement ; the Breant prize 

 (4,000/.) to the discoverer of a cure for cholera has not, of 

 course, been awarded, [but the interest of that sum has been 

 given to M. Rendu, for several memoirs of etiology. A copy 



of Laphuie's works, magnificently bound, has been delivered, 

 as usual, in the name of Laplace's deceased wife, to the pupil 

 of the Polytechnic School who has passed the most successful 

 examination. The young laureate for 1877 is M. Dougadot, a 

 native of Carcassonne (Aude), where he was bom in 1855. 



On January 1 1 the centennial of Linne's death was observed in 

 nearly all the cities of Sweden. In Stockholm the Academy of 

 Sciences held a special session, attended by King Oscar, at 

 which Prof. Malmsten delivered an interesting oration on the 

 scientific achievements of the great botanist. At Upsala the 

 occasion summoned together a number of notabilities who 

 listened to an address from the Swedish botanist, Prof. Th. 

 Fries. The university of Lund celebrated the day in a 

 similar manner, the rector issuing, in connection with it, a 

 short sketch of Linne's residence there, and Prof. Ogardh 

 delivering the oration. At Frankfort-on-the-Main the memor- 

 able day was celebrated by a solemn rrieeting of the " Frcie 

 deutsche Hochstift," in the Goethe House. The president, 

 Prof. Volger, in a brilliant ^speech, gave an outline of the 

 life, the mental development, the activity, and importance of 

 Linne, and closed by praising the mental ties whi6h unite all races 

 and nations. The meeting unanimously resolved to send a con- 

 gratulatory telegram to King Oscar XL, of Sweden, which was 

 then sent off, written in the Latin language. An hour later his 

 Majesty telegraphed his thanks in the same language. At 

 Amsterdam, where the great Swedish botanist passed the 

 early part of his Ufe, there was also a Linne celebration on 

 Jan. 10. At the same time an exhibition of objects relating to 

 him, such as manuscripts, medals, portraits, &c., was arranged. 

 Prof. Oudemans deliveredthe memorial speech. 



The French Scientific Association has issued the programme 

 of its weekly lectures for the next three months, and provides a 

 most promising list of famous names and attractive subjects. 

 Among them we notice Prof. Dumas, "Eulogy on Leverrier ; " 

 M. Wolf, " Variability of the Nebuloe," which were given on 

 January 26; M. Comu, "The Phylloxera," February 2; M, 

 Jamin, "Electric Illumination," February gj Prof. St. Claire 

 Devi'le, "Liquefaction of Gases," February 23; Prof. Bert, 

 "Inflaence of Light on Life," March 9; Prof. Mascart, 

 "Atmospheric Electricity," March 23; M. Tissandier, "The 

 Upper Regions of the Air," March 30; M. Blanchard, 

 "Geographical Distribution of Animals," April 13. The 

 lectures take place at the Sorbonne, and as admission 

 is easily obtained by strangers, they offer visitors to Paris an 

 admirable opportunity of hearing the leading French savants. 

 The first meeting, on January 26, was attended by more than 

 1,000 people, under the presidency of M. Dumas. The pro- 

 ceedings were opened by a report read by M. Milne-Edwards, 

 the president of the Association, reviewing the work done by 

 the Association, which was created by M. Leverrier more than 

 fifteen years ago. It is owing to the assistance lent by the 

 Association that weather-warnings have been so largely popu- 

 larised in rural France and the agricultural service established 

 by the physicist of the observatory. 



Japan has an active archaeological society, bearing the title of 

 Kobutzu-Kai {Society of Old Things). Its members, number- 

 ing 200, are scattered throughout the land, but meet once a 

 month in Yeddo. They consist chiefly of wealthy Japanese 

 gentlemen, learned men, and priests ; the latter especially have 

 been the means of bringing before public attention a vast 

 number of ancient objects which have been hidden in the 

 treasures of the temples, or preserved in private families. H. 

 von Siebold, Attache of the Austrian Embassy, at Yeddo, and a 

 member of the society, has lately ipubUshed a bfochtire, which 

 wUl serve as a guide for the systematic archaeological study of 

 the land ; von Siebold has lately made a most interesting dis- 



