May 6, 1875J 



NATURE 



" Treatise on Medical Geography," to apply to them the 

 term Keraunography (to write with thunder). Mr. 

 Poey, in 1861, published a small volume in which twenty- 

 four illustrative cases are cited. The author starts with 

 the popular notion that the dendritic figures referred to 

 are derived from some near or distant tree, and then pro- 

 ceeds to account for them by means of a photo-electric 

 action in which the surface of the animal is the sensitive 

 plate ; the tree, &c., the object ; and the lightning the force 

 that impresses it. 



But in connection with our subject are other facts, 

 startling, it is true, but recurring from time to time in 

 different parts of the world, and reported by sailors and 

 others, who possess the invaluable art of recording their 

 observations without attempting to explain them. The 

 desire of explaining everything often amounts to a kind 

 of rabies, when the sane course seems to be to wait ; for 

 if a reasonable theory is impossible, an unreasonable one 

 is ridiculous. Nevertheless, some observers, if they can- 

 not explain a fact, deny its truth ; and yet such facts 

 may exist in nature, and only wait the progress of dis- 

 covery, when in due time they are gathered in under the 

 sickle of the appointed reaper. Three such facts are the 

 following : — 



1. In September 1825, the brig // Btion Servo, an- 

 chored in the Bay of Armiro, was struck by lightning, 

 and a sailor who was sitting at the foot of the mizenmast 

 was killed. Marks were found on his back, extending 

 from the neck to the loins, including the impression of a 

 horse-shoe, perfectly distinct, and of the same size as the 

 one that was fixed to the mast. 



2. In another case that occurred at Zante, the number 

 44 in metal was attached to the fixed rigging between the 

 mast and the cot of one of the sailors. The mast was 

 struck and the sailor killed. On his left breast was found 

 the number 44, well formed and perfectly identical with 

 that on the rigging. The sailors agreed that the number 

 did not exist on the body before the man was struck. 



3. M. Josd Maria Dau, of Havannah, states that in 

 1828, in the province of Candelaria, in the island of 

 Cuba, a young man was struck by lightning, and on his 

 neck was found the image " d'un fer a cheval qui avait 

 etd cloud k peu de distance contre une fenetre." 



Unexpected light was thrown upon such cases by Mr. 

 C. F. Varley (Proc. Roy. Soc, Jan. 12, 1871), in following 

 up an accidental observation during the working of a 

 Holtz electrical machine, the poles of which were fur- 

 nished with brass balls about an inch in diameter. 

 Noticing some specks on the ball of the positive pole, 

 Mr. Varley tried to wipe them off with a silk handker- 

 chief, but in vain.. He then examined the negative pole, 

 and discovered a minute speck corresponding to the 

 spots on the positive pole. This pole sometimes exhibits 

 aglow, and if in this state three or four bits of wax, or 

 even a drop or two of water, be placed on the negative 

 pole, corresponding non-luminous spots appear on the 

 positive pole. Hence it is evident that lines of force 

 exist between the two poles, by means of which we may 

 telegraph through the air from the negative to the posi- 

 tive pole. And in explanation of the above cases in 

 which the lightning-burn on the skin is of the same shape 

 as the object from which the discharge proceeded, all 

 that is necessary is that the object struck be -f to the 

 horse-shoe, brass number, &c., the discharge being a nega- 

 tive one. C. ToMLiNSON 



INAUGURATION OF THE ZOOLOGICAL 

 STATION OF NAPLES 



AFTER the first working year a formal inauguration 

 of this new institution took place on April 1 1. Dr. 

 Dohrn had invited the Italian Minister of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Signor Borghi, and the German Ambassador at Rome, 

 Herr von Kendell, to be present as representatives of 



the two countries which had most assisted in completing 

 the new establishment, the one granting the locality, 

 whilst the other paid a subvention of 3 000/. towards the 

 expenses of the construction. Unfortunately both gen- 

 tlemen were at the last moment prevented from being 

 present, but sent two letters stating their great sympa- 

 thy and the sympathy of the two Governments which 

 they represent, for the Zoological Station. 



The inauguration solemnity consisted chiefly in an 

 inaugural address read by Dr. Dohrn himself to an 

 audience of distinguished gentlemen, and a short answer 

 given by Signor Paureri, the well-known Professor of 

 Anatomy of the Naples University. 



Before giving an abstract of the address, it may be 

 permitted to say a few words about the life and work of 

 the Zoological Station during the first year of its 

 existence. 



The following naturalists have made use of its labora- 

 tories : — From England : Mr. Balfour, Mr. Dew Smith, 

 Mr. Marshall, from Cambridge ; Mr. E. Ray Lankester, 

 from Oxford. From Holland : Mr. Hubrecht (Leyden), 

 Dr. Hoek (Haag), Prof. Hoffmann (Leyden), Dr. Hoorst 

 (Utrecht), Prof. Van Ankum (Groningen). From Ger- 

 many : Prof. Waldeyer (Strassburg), Prof. Wilh, Miiller 

 (Jena), Dr. Korsmann (Heidelberg), Prof. Hesslohl (Con- 

 stanz), Prof. Greeff (Marburg:), Profs. KoUmann and Ranke 

 (Munich), Dr. Steiner (Halle), Prof. Oscar Schmidt 

 (Strassburg), Prof. Langer Lans (Freiburg), Dr. v. Thering 

 (Gottingen), Dr. Gotte and Dr. Lorent (Strassburg), Dr. 

 Vetter (Dresden), Prof. Selenka (Erlangen). From 

 Austria: Prof. Claus (Vienna) with two students of the 

 Vienna University. From Russia : Prof. Salensky (Kazan), 

 Dr. Rajewsky (Moscow), Dr. Bobretzky (Kievv), Dr. 

 Ulianin (Moskau), Dr. Rosenberg (Dorpat), Cand. Isnos- 

 koff (Kazan). From Italy : Dr. Cavanna (Florence), Dr. 

 Fanzago (Padua), Dr. Zingone (Naples). 



Some of these naturalists have been working a whole 

 year in the Zoological Station ; some have come back a 

 second time ; the greater number have only stayed the 

 winter, especially from February till May, a period when 

 the Station is likely to be visited more frequently than 

 at any other. 



If one compares the number of naturalists coming to 

 Naples in former years to study Marine Zoology with the 

 number of those who are named above, it is at once 

 obvious how great an effect the Zoological Station has 

 had on the increase. Formerly from three to five zoolo- 

 gists used to come during the year to Naples, often even 

 less, or none. From Easter 1874 till Easter 1875, there 

 were thirty-six naturalists, and during March and April 

 of this year alone there have been working contem- 

 poraneously in the Zoological Station eighteen zoologists. 



This shows how considerable in a quantitative point of 

 view the increase of scientific work done at Naples has 

 become. It is besides obvious that the arrangements in 

 the Zoological Station— the great Aquarium providing 

 almost natural conditions of life to the animals, the daily 

 supply of fresh material, the facility offered by the 

 library for consulting the literature, and the personal 

 intercourse among so many scientific men, — must have 

 also a favourable influence on the quality of the work, 

 by enabling each of the naturahsts to concentrate 

 his energy solely on the scientific difficulties of his 

 pursuit, not having at all to deal with any of the tiresome, 

 very trying, and for a single man often almost insur- 

 mountable obstacles of a more practical character which 

 are in the way of these studies. 



Besides, one must not forget that the Zoological Sta- 

 tion is still in its infancy, and has grown to its present 

 state of working order in the midst of difficulties of 

 every kind and character. Granted a greater expe- 

 rience in the line of its actions, especially a greater know- 

 ledge of the sea and its localities, currents, temperatures, 

 and other conditions affecting the life and habitat of 



