March 7, 1878] 



NATURE 



371 



to England, where he remained till the visit of Lepsius in 1842, 

 when he went out as artist in that expedition, which resulted 

 in a large foUo work of about twenty vols., published under the 

 auspices of the King of Prussia, The Egyptian Court at the 

 Crystal Palace was erected from Mr. Bonomi's designs and 

 under his superintendence. He was also employed in the 

 British Museum in arranging the department of Egyptian anti- 

 quities. Mr. Bonomi has rendered great service, not only by 

 his illustrations, but also by his writings on subjects connected 

 with the various countries in the east which he visited. These 

 will be found in the Transactions of the Royal Society of 

 Literature, Syro-Egyptian Society, British Association, &c. Mr. 

 Bonomi leaves a great mass of notes and sketches of hiero- 

 (^lyphics which may yet be of great value to Egyptology. 



At the General Monthly Meeting of the Royal Institution on 

 Monday, the special thanks of the members were given to 

 Mr. Warren De la Rue, D.C.L., for his donation of 50/. for the 

 benefit of the Chemical Laboratory. 



We would remind our readers that subscriptions are still 

 being received for the Simon Testimonial Fund. A marble 

 bust is the form of testimonial that has been decided on, and a 

 small copy of this will be presented to each subscriber of two 

 guineas and upwards. No testimonial was ever better deserved. 

 Subscriptions may be sent to Robarts, Lubbock, and Co., 

 Lombard Street, to the Hon. Secretary, i, Adam Street, 

 Adelphi, or to the Treasurer, General Register Office, Somerset 

 House, 



The Atlas of Colorado, soon to be issued by the U.S. Geo. 

 logical Survey of the Territories, under Prof. F, V. Hayden, 

 embodies the results of the geological and geographical work of 

 the survey during the years from 1873 to 1876 inclusive. This 

 Atlas will contain the following maps : — i. A general drainage 

 map of Colorado on a scale of twelve miles to the inch. 2, An 

 economic map of the same region, having as its basis the above- 

 mentioned drainagemap. This map will indicate the areas of arable, 

 pasture, timber, coal, mineral, and desert land in as great detail 

 as possible on the scale. 3. A general geological map, on which 

 the areas covered by the principal foimations will be shown. The 

 drainage map will form the basis for this also. 4. A map 

 showing the scheme of the primary triangulation in the state. 

 Scale twelve miles to the inch. 5. Six topographical sheets 

 showing the same area as that covered by the general drainage 

 map, but in much more detail. The scale of these sheets is four 

 miles to an inch. The relief of the country is indicated by 

 contour lines, at vertical intervals of 200 feet. The area covered 

 by each of these sheets is 11,500 square miles, 6. Six geo- 

 logical sheets, of which the bases are the six topographical sheets 

 just mentioned. On these the detailed geology is expressed by 

 colours. With the appearance of this map, Colorado will be 

 better known, topographically and geologically, than any other 

 State. 



One of the leading publishing houses of Paris is making 

 arrangements for the speedy appearance of an enormous work» 

 " ELtudes sur I'Exposition de 1878," under the direction of M. E. 

 Lacroix. This work is intended to be a complete record of the 

 progress made in ?11 the arts up to the present date, and its 

 thoroughness and value have been assured by the promised co- 

 operation of a large number of leading authorities. The French 

 "Ministers of Public Works, of Commerce, and of Agriculture 

 have already promised all necessary assistance on the part of the 

 Government, so that the undertaking will start under the most 

 fgvpurable auspices. 



Dr. Schliemann intends to resume his excavations at 

 Hissarllk as soon as the country is at all safe to live in. 



The Society of Arts prize of 10/. for the best set of blowpipe 

 apparatus that could be sold retail lot one guinea, h^s been 



awarded to Messrs. Letcher, of Camborne and St. Day, Com- 

 wall. A second prize, consisting of a bronze medal, has been 

 awarded to Herr Osterland, of Freiberg. 



The establishing of a branch of the U.S. National Observa- 

 tory, to be'placed at some elevated point in the West, has lately 

 been agitated, and_f.much is expected as the result of its com- 

 pletion. 



On July 16 an International Exhibition of the Paper Trade 

 will be opened at Berlin and will last until August 31. The 

 programme of the exhibition is already finally settled, and the 

 objects exhibited will be divided into eight different groups, viz. : 

 I. Raw materials and articles used for making paper, paste- 

 board, &c. 2. Machines and tools used for making and working 

 paper. 3. Paper and boards of all descriptions. 4. Paper, as far 

 as it is employed forjprinting, paper-hangings, &c. 5. Articles 

 made of paper ox papier-mAchi. 6. Paper as used for technical or 

 building purposes. 7. Writing and drawing materials. 8. Objects, 

 books, &c., relating to the history and literature of paper. A 

 number of prizes will be awarded for the best contributions. 



The system of agricultural weather- warnings in France, 

 carried on under the direction of the Paris Observatory, continues 

 to be rapidly developed and extended to all parts of the country. 

 The warnings are now sent to 1,432 communes spread over all 

 the departments of France except that of Lozere. 



A NOVEL and valuable application of electricity, designed to 

 prevent the possibility of collisions on railways, is now the sub- 

 ject of experiment in the Marseilles station. It consists of an 

 electric mirror, in which all the movements on a line 100 kilo- 

 metres in length are brought vividly before the eye, and enables 

 the station-masters to follow exactly the progress of every train. 

 By this means it is hoped that all accidents resulting from delays 

 or too rapid runs can be entirely avoided, and arrangements are 

 being made for the general introduction into the stations of the 

 new invention. 



A Vienna mechanician has recently succeeded, after many 

 fruitless trials, in constructing a sewing machine which does not 

 require the person working at it to submit to the unpleasant and 

 unhealthy necessity of constant bodily exertion, viz., setting the 

 machine in motion by the foot. Since, for pecuniary reasons, 

 the application of electricity, steam, or water power was im- 

 possible, the inventor of the new machine was restricted to 

 gravitation or elasticity, and he, preferring the latter force, has 

 contrived to make springs strong enough to keep an ordinary 

 sized machine in motion for hours. A system of cog-wheels is 

 arranged underneath the surface of the table upon which the 

 machine is fixed, and by a handle at the side the spring is wound 

 up with the greatest facility. The velocity at which the machine 

 works is entirely at the option of the person using it, and can be 

 regulated ad libitum, and in the simplest manner. 



Opportunity has been taken recently by MM. Raehlmann 

 and Witkowski to observe the eye-motions of persons asleep, 

 new-born children, blind persons, and also in circumstances 

 presenting some resemblance to sleep, viz., drowsiness, intoxica- 

 tion, chloroformic sleep, and epileptic attacks, these cases 

 having in common the failure of the will or the power for 

 binocular vision. In every instance strongly uncoordinated 

 movements were observed. The result is regarded as opposed 

 to the idea of a mechanism possessed at birth for producing regu- 

 lar motions of the eyes, and as agreeing with Helmholtz's view :— 

 '• Though each eye has a quite independent muscular mechanism 

 .... we have only learned to perform those movements which 

 are necessary for seeing a real point distinctly and simply." 

 Where this interest is not yet present, as in newly-born infants, 

 or where it disappears, as in the case of the blind, and in the 

 sleeping, there OCCUr divergences from the law of adaptation. 



