Jane 21, 1888] 



NATURE 



183 



of Prof. Schorlemmer's position as one of the principal 

 pioneers of the science of organic chemistry and one of its fore- 

 most exponents, both as a teacher and a writer. Prof. Thorpe, 

 F.R.S., proposed the health, long life, and prosperity of Dr. 

 Schorlemmer, and referred to the fact that Glasgow, which had 

 conferred honour on him, had produced such men as Black and 

 Thomson, names familiar to all chemists. 



Dr. Asa Gray left Harvard College in trust, to aid in the 

 support of the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, the 

 copyrights of all his books, upon condition that proper provision 

 should be made for the renewal and extension of these copy- 

 rights by new editions, continuations, and supplements, such as 

 might be needed in the study of botany, and as might best 

 enhance and prolong the pecuniary value of the bequest. 



Prof. Lovering has resigned the Chair of Mathematics and 

 Natural Philosophy which he has held at Harvard for fifty years. 

 In accepting his resignation, which takes effect in the autumn, the 

 President and Fellows of the College have expressed warm 

 appreciation of his services. Prof. Lovering has been President 

 of the American Association, and still presides over the American 

 Academy. 



Prof. McNab, Swiney Lecturer on Geology in connection 

 with the British Museum, wiil begin a course of twelve lectures 

 on the fossil plants of the Palaeozoic epoch on Monday next, at 

 the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road. 



Last night the conversazione of the Society of Arts took place 

 at the South Kensington Museum. 



A conversazione will be given by the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons, at the College, on Wednesday, June 27 ; and by the 

 Royal Geographical Society, at Willis's Rooms, on Friday, 

 June 29. 



Ax International Horticultural Exhibition is to be held at 

 Cologne from August 4 to September 19. 



We have received from Messrs. West, Newman, and Co., 

 samples of two kinds of botanical drying paper. One of the 

 kinds differs but little from tbat which they have supplied for 

 many years, which was originally manufactured, purposely for 

 drying plants, by a paper-maker of the name of Bentall, who 

 lived at Halstead in Essex, and contributed, a generation ago, to 

 the distributions of the London Botanical Society. This paper 

 has been largely used for the last thirty years, and combines in a 

 very satisfactory manner the merits of a high degree of absorb- 

 ence with a reasonable toughness. No doubt, for drying plants, 

 it is the best paper that can be got, but yet, excepting; gra-ses, 

 Cyperaceae, and mosses, one or more changes are required in the 

 first few days to make satisfactory specimens in a climate like 

 that of England. 'I he new paper is quite without glaze, and 

 seems a little more absorbent than the old "Bentall." The 

 other kind is copied from an American model, a paper not made 

 expressly for botanical use, sent to England by the late Dr. Asa 

 Gray. It is twice as thick as the "Bentall," much more rigid, 

 and very absorbent ; a serviceable paper to mix with the lighter 

 kind for home use, but too heavy to carry about in large 

 quantities. 



According to La Nature, an immense terrestrial globe, con- 

 structed on the scale of one- millionth, will be shown at the Paris 

 Exhibition of 1889. A place will be set apart for it at the centre 

 of the Champ de Mars. The globe will measure nearly 13 

 metres in diameter, and will give some idea of real dimensions, 

 since the conception of the meaning of a million is not beyond 

 the powers of the human mind. Visitors to the Exhibition will 

 see for the first time on this globe the place really occupied by 

 certain known spaces, such as those of great towns. Paris, for 

 instance, will barely cover a square centimetre. The globe will 



turn on its axis, and thus represent the movement of rota- 

 tion of the earth. The scheme was originated by MM. T. 

 Villard and C. Cotard, and La Nature says that it has been 

 placed under the patronage of several eminent French men of 

 science. 



We have received a sample of tobacco grown by Messrs. 

 James Carter and Co., at a farm in Kent, and cured by Messrs. 

 Cope Brothers and Co. It represents one of the first experi- 

 mental crops brought to maturity, and passed through the various 

 processes of manufacture, in this country, since the time of 

 Charles II. The packet is accompanied by a card, on which 

 we find the somewhat discouraging counsel: "Examine 

 leisurely— use warily — smoke sparingly." Mr. Goschen was 

 asked 1 he other evening in the House of Commons whether he 

 would cause an inquiry by experts into the results attending the 

 experiment made by Messrs. Cope, with the view, if possible, of 

 relaxing the fiscal restrictions upon the culture of tobacco in 

 Great Britain. The Chancellor of the Exchequer cautiously 

 replied that " only experience would show the value to smokers 

 of this tobacco, and no inquiry by experts would be so valuable 

 as that practical test. If any hon. member wished to try it, 

 samples would be placed in the smoking-room. It was impos- 

 sible to give any form of relaxation in the fiscal regulations 

 which would injure the revenue." 



. According to the Kavkaz newspaper, a shock of earthquake 

 was felt at Julfa, in the Armenian province of Erivan, on May 

 15, about midday. The first shock was followed by a stronger 

 one, which lasted for about three seconds, and seemed to have a 

 direction from east to west. 



The Council of the Italian Meteorological Society held its 

 first annual meeting at Turin on Sunday, April 15, under the 

 presidency of Padre Denza. It was decided to hold the third 

 general assembly of the Society at Venice, in September next, 

 just before or after the Congress of the Alpine Club at Bologna. 

 The establishment by the Society of a new Observatory in the 

 Argentine Republic was notified, and also of four new meteoro- 

 logical stations in Italy. The arrangements being made with 

 respect to the hygienic stations at five large cities were explained, 

 as well as the proposed method of publication of the observa- 

 tions. The President submitted the Report of the Geodynamic 

 Committee, nominated at the meeting at Aquila (Nature, 

 vol. xxxvi. p. 614), with reference to seismological observations 

 and the protection of buildings. The Report, which is printed 

 in the monthly Bulletin of the Italian Meteorological Society for 

 May, consists of nine articles, and will be distributed to the 

 Prefects and Mayors of districts liable to earthquake-shocks 



The Hydrographer of the Admiralty has issued notices of the 

 recent establishment of the following storm-signals : — (1) By 

 the Japanese Government, at forty-seven stations on the coasts 

 of Japan. A red ball, or one red light, to indicate that strong 

 winds are probable from any direction. A red cone, or three 

 red lights in the shape of a triangle, to indicate that strong winds 

 are probable, at first from the northward or southward, according 

 as the apex is upwards or downwards. (2) By the harbour 

 authorities at Chittagong, relative to the signals at that port. 

 A ball, or three lights placed vertically, to indicate that a 

 severe cyclone is near Akyab, and will probably advance 

 towards Chittagong. A drum, or two lights placed vertically, 

 to indicate the early approach of a severe cyclone, with its- 

 attendant storm-wave. We take this opportunity of suggest- 

 ing the desirability of introducing more uniformity in these 

 signals in different countries, wherever practicable. 



The atomic weight of the element osmium has been re-deter- 

 mined by Prof. Seubert. The necessity for this re-determination 

 has been felt ever since the principle of periodicity began to take 



