192 



NATURE 



{July 8, 1875 



Investigating the Causes of Steam-Boiler Explosions. 

 These many appointments to places of responsibility are 

 evidences of the rare sagacity, skill, sound judgment, and 

 integrity of character which were qualities conspicuous to 

 all who knew him well or dealt with him in his various 

 duties. Upon taking charge of the Cambridge Observa- 

 tory, he proceeded with energy to complete its equipment, 

 adding to its already famous resources a meridian circle, 

 constructed in accordance with his designs by Throughton 

 and Simms of London — an instrument whose performance 

 has been pronounced by competent judges the best of its 

 kind in the world. The distinguished astronomer, Adams, of 

 Cambridge, England, subsequently ordered an instrument 

 from the same makers to be constructed on the same 

 model. Prof Winlock also secured for this Observatory a 

 very perfect astronomical clock, made by Frodsham of 

 London, from which, through contrivances of his own, 

 true time is telegraphed to neighbouring cities. He also 

 set the famous equatorial instrument of the Observatory 

 upon a new career of usefulness and glory in astronomical 

 spectroscopy. In 1870 he put into regular working effi- 

 ciency a mode of observing the sun — namely, by a single 

 lens, a heliostat, and photograph — which he independently 

 conceived, and was the first to utilise as a form of syste- 

 matic observatory work. French astronomers have lately 

 been contending with one another about priority in the 

 conception of this method of observation, which was so 

 important a part of the equipment for observing the 

 transit of Venus last December furnished to American 

 expeditions ; but in all that really constitutes effective 

 originality, the honour of this invention undoubtedly 

 belongs to Prof. Winlock. He was, however, almost 

 entirely indifferent, in the singleness of his devotion to 

 his favourite science, to popular fame, or even to con- 

 temporary recognition. Besides his observatory work, he 

 was engaged on two occasions in the direction of expedi- 

 tions to observe solar eclipses — namely, that to Kentucky 

 in August 1869, and that to Spain in December 1870. 

 Though ingenious as an inventor, his judiciousness was 

 so much more prominent a quality that his originality is 

 shown rather in a thoroughness and detailed efficiency of 

 contrivance than in the more brilliant qualities that dis- 

 tinguish the more famous inventors. Very numerous 

 little but very effective improvements in astronomical 

 methods distinguish the astronomical art of the present 

 day ; and in these Prof. Winlock's originality was consider- 

 able. Among his published works, besides the " Annals of 

 the Observatory " under his directorship, are a set of tables 

 of the planet Mercury (arranged with characteristic 

 neatness and ingenuity) ; brief papers in astronomical 

 journals and mlYiQ Proceedings of the American Academy 

 of Arts and Sciences. He was a native of Kentucky, and 

 the grandson of General Joseph Winlock, who entered 

 the American army at the beginning of the Revolutionary 

 War, and also served in the war of 181 2, and was a 

 member of the convention which drew up the constitu- 

 tion of the State of Kentucky. 



INDIA MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON 



THE India Museum, which was opened in South 

 Kensington last month, was founded by the Court 

 of Directors of the Honourable East India Company 

 in 1798. In i860 it was removed from Leadenhall Street 

 to Fyfe House, and in 1869 to the India Office. The 

 galleries of the Exhibition Building, in which it is now 

 temporarily lodged, have been leased from H.M. Com- 

 missioners for the Exhibition of 1851 for three years. 

 The lower gallery is devoted to Raw Products, and the 

 upper gallery to Manufactures. The present arrange- 

 ment of the India Museum Collections is to a large 

 extent only temporary, and fulfils mainly the purpose of 

 bringing them into view preparatory to their final classi- 

 fication. The preparation of Descriptive Catalogues will 



go hand in hand with the completion of the different 

 groups. 



A handy little penny Guide has in the meantime been 

 officially issued, which will be found of considerable 

 service in enabling the visitor to make a systematic 

 inspection of the large collections which have been for so 

 long stowed away in various cellars and ware-rooms in 

 the topmost story of the New India Office. Now that 

 this Museum has been brought " to the light of common 

 day," and that the public has a chance of estimating the 

 value of its treasures, we are sure that when the lease of 

 the Exhibition rooms expires, permanent accommodation 

 will be allotted to it, we hope in connection with an 

 India Institute so ably advocated by the Director of 

 the Museum, Dr. Forbes Watson. On four days of the 

 week the charge for admission is only one penny, and 

 sixpence on the other two days. We purpose at present 

 to give some account of the Botanical and Zoological 

 Collections in the Museum. 



Room No. I is devoted to the commercial products 

 of the vegetable kingdom, with the mechanical appli- 

 ances associated with their cultivation, collection, or 

 preparation, and is under the superintendence of Dr. M, 

 C. Cooke. A complete collection of thete products is 

 exhibited in small tin cases with glass fronts, which are 

 arranged in metal frames, and suffice to give a general 

 view of the productions of the country. Supplemental to 

 this the principal trade articles receive special illustration 

 in a more extended manner in central cases. As this is 

 a new feature in the arrangement of this section, it will 

 take some time before it can be fully and properly deve- 

 loped. What has been done with cotton will in part 

 illustrate what is intended with other products. In this 

 instance the cotton is shown from all parts of India, at 

 first in the boll, then in the seed ; afterwards cleaned, 

 together with the seed and oil therefrom, with the waste 

 obtained in the processes of cleaning and spinning and 

 its economic applications. The processes of spinning are 

 next illustrated, with the resultant twists and yarns. 

 These are succeeded by grey and bleached cloth, printing 

 blocks, samples of dyed and printed fabrics, and coloured 

 yarns. Underneath these cases are arranged the agricul- 

 tural implements employed in the cultivation of cotton, 

 churkas and rollers for cleaning it from the seed, models 

 of spinning wheels and other appliances illustrating the 

 manipulation of the cotton fibre. Above the cases are 

 displayed drawings of the varieties of cotton plants, and 

 of the natives at work at the different processes through 

 which the cotton passes from the ploughing of the soil to 

 the complete woven fabric. By this mode [the whole 

 history of the progress of cotton from first to last is exhi- 

 bited at one view, or at least as much of it as could be 

 compressed within available space. Hitherto, although 

 agriculture, and especially its food products, has been 

 fully illustrated, forestry has not had by any means the 

 share which its importance demands. It is contemplated 

 therefore to expand this new division considerably by the 

 addition of collections of the timbers of the three presi- 

 dencies and of native states, each by itself, so as to show 

 the character of the forests in each division, accompanied 

 by maps and drawings or photographs of the trees. 

 The products of the forests, other than timber, will be 

 shown collectively for the whole of India, accompanied 

 by such diagrams, drawings, and statistical tables as may 

 be necessary ; and the fungoid pests and enemies of 

 arboriculture will also be illustrated. Already this illus- 

 trative mode of exhibition has commenced, but will evi- 

 dently proceed slowly, as diagrams, drawings, and tables 

 will have to be constructed, and probably some of the 

 illustrations must be obtained direct from India. 



It may be remarked that Cinchona Bark from the 

 Neilgherry plantations, as well as from Kangra, has the 

 honour of a case to itself, and it is hoped that soon 

 another important drug recently introduced — Ipecacuanha 



