34 



NATURE 



{May 13, 1875 



borders of rivulets. For educational purposes in the colonial 

 schools, 100 sets of native plants have been dried and mounted, 

 each set containing fifty species. Since the publication of the 

 last report about fifty new genera have been added to the flora 

 of Australia, including many of great interest in phyto-geo- 

 graphy. Thus the genera Corynocarpus and Carmichaelia, pre- 

 viously only known from New Zealand, have been discovered in 

 Australia. A species of Ilex (holly) has also been found, and an 

 elm belonging to the section MicropteUa. About fifteen of the 

 genera are absolutely new to science. 



The excellent collection of Madeira plants formed by the late 

 Rev. Mr. Lowe, who, with Mrs. Lowe, was lost last year in the 

 wreck of the Liberia, was deposited in the Herbarium at Kew some 

 months since, and is, we understand, to be divided between the 

 British Museum and the establishment named, the latter taking 

 the uniques. It is fortunate that so valuable a collection has 

 become public property, as it contains the types of the lamented 

 gentleman's new species, and specimens of many things that are 

 now exceedingly rare in the islands. In private hands it might 

 have been neglected, and certainly would have been inaccessible 

 to most botanists. 



In the appendix to the United States Coast Survey Report 

 for 1872, now in the press, is a report by Mr. W. H. Dall on the 

 tides, currents, and meteorology of the Eastern Aleutian region 

 and the North-east Pacific, accompanied by explanatory dia- 

 grams. Mr. Ball's observations on the oceanic currents, which 

 are here tabulated and discussed up to the date of the report, 

 are of special interest as being the first series undertaken with a 

 direct view to the solution of the problems in question, and 

 result in the proof of the existence of a reflexed northerly arm of 

 the great easterly North Pacific current, denominated by him the 

 Alaska current, which had previously been surmised from iso- 

 lated observations and theoretical considerations. Mr. Dall has 

 been enabled to determine the rate and dimensions of several 

 portions of this current, and maximum, minimum, and mean 

 annual temperature. The existence of definite oceanic currents 

 in the eastern half of Behring Sea is shown to be very doubtful. 

 Some important generalisations on the relations of the Pacific 

 and Behring Sea tides to each other are made, and the peculiari- 

 ties of the compound tides of this region are graphically indicated 

 by diagrams in a new method, original with the author, and pos- 

 sessing some interest for those studying these problems. The 

 report is accompanied by numerous hydrographic memoranda 

 and table* of meteorological, current, and tidal observations. 



The figure to the letter in last week's Nature (p. 7), signed 

 X, "On the role of feet in the struggle for existence," does not 

 quite illustrate the author's meaning. He intended to draw the 

 same footprint in both cases, but in the case shown in the cut 

 on the left, each footprint should be advanced straight forward in 

 the line of the previous one, while in the other it should be 

 advanced obliquely, leaving a large part of the outline of the 

 previous one clearly marked. 



A MEETING was held on Monday last in the theatre of the 

 Royal Institution, Mr. A. J. Mundella, M.P., in the chair, for 

 the purpose of considering the best mode of extending to London 

 the benefits of the Cambridge Univer.ity Extension Scheme, at 

 which the following gentlemen, among others, were present : — 

 Sir J. Lubbock, Bart., M.P., Dr. L. PJayfair, M.P., Dr. W. B. 

 Carpenter, F.R.S., Dr. J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S., Sir H. Cole, 

 C.B., Mr. S. Morley, M.P., Prof. Fawcett, M.P., Mr. T. 

 Hughes, Q.C., Hon. G. Brodrick, Rev. W. Rogers, Mr. H. C. 

 Sorby, F.R.S., and Mr. Jas. Stuart. After Mr. Stuart and 

 Mr. Sorby had explained the object of the meeting, the follow- 

 ing resolution was carried :— " That this meeting, having heard 

 Mr. Stuart's statement, considers it desirable to introduce into 

 London the Cambridge University Extension Scheme." A pro- : 



visional committee was app jilted to cirry out the obje:ti o( th 

 meeting, consisting of Mr. S. Morley, Mr. Mundella, Mr. Jas. 

 Stuart, Rev. W. Rogers, Mr. T. Hughes, Mr. R. N. Phillips, 

 Dr. Carpenter, Mr. W. L. Birkbeck, Mr. H. C. Sorby, and Mr. 

 G. M. Norris. 



The regular annual meeting of the U.S. National Academy 

 of Science took place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washing- 

 ton on the 20th of April, and continued three days. The 

 attendance was about the same as usual, there being some 

 twenty-five members present out of the seventy-five. Numerous 

 papers of much scientific interest were brought forward. In 

 accordance with the rules of the Academy, five new members 

 were elected. These are : Prof. R. E. Rogers, Professor of 

 Chemistry of the University of Pennsylvania ; Prof. Asaph 

 Hall, one of the astronomers at the Washington Observatory ; 

 Prof. Alpheus Hyatt, curator of the Natural History Society of 

 Boston ; Prof. Joseph Le Conte, of the University of California ; 

 and Mr. Lewis H. Morgan, of Rochester. All these gentlemen 

 are eminent in their respective branches of science, and constitute 

 a valuable addition to the membership of the Academy, which 

 now embraces about eighty individuals, selected from the repre- 

 sentative men of science throughout the United States. The 

 only loss which the Academy has experienced by death during 

 the year is, as stated by the president, that of Prof. Jeffries 

 Wyman. 



Sir Charles Reed, as a member of the Gresham Com- 

 iiiittee, writes to the Times, giving the arrangements which have 

 been made for the future conduct of the Gresham Lectures. 

 The lectures are not in future to be delivered in the Latin 

 tongue. The times of deHvery are to be fixed, not by the 

 lecturers, but by the Committee. The lecturers are required to 

 deliver their own lectures, and the nomination of a substitute is 

 allowed only in case of illness. The appointment of the lecturer 

 is for one year, securing to the Committee an opportunity of 

 annual revision. It will be seen that the Committee have taken 

 a step in the right direction, and we hope that it is only the 

 first step to a radical reform. 



A scientific Society has been formed in Bedford, under the 

 title of the Bedfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club. 



In reference to Mr. Fordham's letter in last week's NATURE, 

 in which he states that in his part of the country the cowslip is 

 very abundant but the primrose is not found, Mr. J. J. Murphy 

 asks, what part of the country Mr. Fordham means ? The oppo- 

 site is true at Dunmurry, Co. Antrim, where there is plenty of 

 primroses, but few if any cowslips. 



We are glad to see that at the great International Exhibition 

 to be opened at Philadelphia next year, a Department {VII. ) is 

 to be devoted to "Apparatus and Methods for the Increase and 

 Diffusion of Knowledge." The following are the groups into 

 which the department is divided : — Educational apparatus and 

 methods. Typographic aids to the preservation and dissemination 

 of knowledge, books, periodicals, newspapers. Charts, maps, and 

 graphic representations. Telegraphic instruments and methods. 

 Instruments of precision, and apparatus of physical research, 

 experiment, and illustration. Meteorological instruments and 

 apparatus. Mechanical calculation — indicating and registering 

 apparatus, other than meteorological. Weights, weighing, and 

 meteorological apparatus — measures and coins. Chronometric 

 apparatus — time-keepers of all kinds, watches, clocks, «S:c. 

 Musical instruments and acoustic apparatus. Under Department 

 X. also there are two groups which might be classed along 

 with these :— Education : illustration of the various systems and 

 accessories of education, from the infant school to the Univer- 

 sity, including special schools of science and art, libraries, &c. 

 Institutions, Societies, and Organisations having for their object 



