Sept. 2, 1875J 



NA TURE 



387 



At the third meeting, August 16, Covarrubias from Mexico, 

 and Metzger from Java were present. 



After the discussion of various business matters, the Zone 

 observations, the computations on minor planets, and the reduc- 

 tion of the observations made during the transit of Venus 1874, 

 December 8, Engineer Metzger made from Java 'different 

 communications on the astronomical and geodetlcal proceedings 

 at Java. Professor Scheibner spoke on the use of the theory of 

 elliptical functions in the theory of perturbations, and communi- 

 cated a prize-question concerning this matter by the Tablonowski 

 Society at Leipzig. He also communicated very interesting 

 results of his researches in dioptrics.— Professor Neumayer gave 

 a statement on the regulations and field of labour of the Hydro- 

 graphical Office at Berlin, and of the Scientific Institutions under 

 its direction, the Observatory at Wilhelmshaven and the Deutsche 

 Seewarte at Hamburg. Professor Winnecke described the new 

 orbit-sweeper of the Strasburg Observatory, and announced the 

 beginning of a review of the nebula. The equipment of the 

 new Observatory at Strasburg is made with the direct intention 

 of activity in this branch of astronomy. — Professor Bruhns 

 remarked, that at the Leipzig Observatory charts for the nebula 

 are made, which are visible in a comet-seeker. — Professor Bakhuy- 

 zen communicated his researches on the latitude of Greenwich, 

 and its diminution in the later years. 



The election of the New Council concluded the meeting : 

 President, Professor Struve ; Vice-President, Professor Bruhns ; 

 Secretaries, Professors Schonfeld and Winnecke, 



NOTES 



The Valorous, which accompanied the two Arctic ships, the 

 Alert and the Discovery, as far asDisco, with coals and provisions, 

 arrived at Plymouth on Sunday. She has really nothing remark- 

 able to tell, which is so far satisfactory. Severe storms were 

 met with in crossing the Atlantic, but all three vessels seem to 

 have borne themselves well, though the Alert and Discovery each 

 lost a whale boat, a loss which was made up to them by the 

 Valorous before leaving Disco. The Valorous was the first to 

 reach Disco, which she did on July 4, the other two not coming 

 up till the 6th. The ships remained together at Disco till the 

 15th, the two exploring vessels filling up from their consort as 

 much coals and provisions as they could stow away. During 

 their stay at Disco, officers and men seem to have enjoyed them- 

 selves and to have been treated with the greatest courtesy and 

 kindness by the Danish officials and the natives. Mr. Kraup 

 Smith, the Inspector of North Greenland, had orders from his 

 Government to pay every attention to the Expedition, and he 

 carried out his instructions most liberally. He provided the 

 Expedition with sixty-four dogs and an Esquimaux. While at 

 Disco the naturalists of the three ships were employed collecting 

 botanical and geological specimens on shore and dredging in and 

 outside the harbour. A very large number of plants were found, 

 some believed to have been previously unknown in this part of 

 Greenland. The Alert and Discovery\\z.s\nz been put into com. 

 plete trim, the Expedition left Godhavn on July 15, and on the 

 1 6th the Valorous took leave of her consort ships, after seeing 

 them fairly on their way to their work in the high north. The 

 Danish officials' reports as to the weather are favourable, leading 

 to the belief that the navigation of Melville Bay and northwards 

 will be comparatively easy. It is hoped that suitable winter 

 quarters will be found for the Discovery on the north shore of 

 Lady Franklin's Strait, from whence hunting parties will issue. 

 The /i/tv/ will then press onwardsj alone to the north, landing 

 depots, building cairns with records at intervals of about sixty 

 miles. The surest way of reaching the Pole, in Captain Nares's 

 opinion, is not to risk failure by pushing forward away from the 

 land. The Alert will probably winter in 84° and begin sledge 

 travelling so as to get information of the country, and then in 

 the summer of 1876 will push boldly northwards. The grand 

 achievement will be done by a system of depots and auxiliary 

 .vledges, enabling the foremost to be absent about 112 days, and 

 to advance upwards of 500 miles from the ship. The Discoi'ery, 



in the meantime, will go on exploring and advancing slowly. 

 At the British Association on Tuesday, a paper by Mr. C. H. 

 Markham, who accompanied his cousin to Disco in the Alert, 

 was read ; and Mr. Carpenter, who with Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys 

 sailed in the Valorous for dredging purposes, added a few words. 

 He said, when they parted with the Alert and Discovery they had 

 every reason to believe from the state of the wind and weather 

 that the Expedition would go on favourably. He thought it was 

 more than probable that the Discovery was now in her winter 

 quarters, and the Alert was somewhere further north. The letters 

 which the ships wo aid deposit would probably reach England 

 before Christmas, and after that it is not likely they would hear 

 anything of them until next summer, or perhaps later. On its 

 way home the Valorous struck on a sunkea rock to the north of 

 Ilolsteinberg, but happily came off without serious damage. 

 Temperature, soundings, and dredgings were made by the 

 Valorous in its homeward journey, many interesting forms 

 having been obtained. In a series of temperature soundings 

 taken, 33° and a decimal was found to be the lowest When 

 the Valorous parted wiih the Expedition everybody on board the 

 two ships was in perfect health. 



The annual meeting of the Ray Society was held at Bristol 

 on Friday ; Sir Philip Egerton presided. The Report of the 

 Council stated that the arrears in the issue of volumes were at last 

 overcome. The volumes for 1873 and 1874 had been distributed, 

 and much advance had been made in the " Memoir on the 

 Aphides," by Mr. G. B. Buckton, proposed as the volume for 

 1875. The very beautiful plates drawn and presented to the 

 Society by Mr. Buckton are now with the colourer, and the 

 whole will be sent to the binder probably in November. In 

 addition to Mr. Mivart's monograph on the Tailed Amphibia, 

 and Prof. Westwood's on the Mantidae, Mr. G. Brady has pro- 

 mised a work on the Copepoda, and it is found that the MSS. 

 and sketches of the late Mr. Hancock are sufficient to complete 

 the long-promised monograph on the British Tunicata. The 

 balance-sheet showed over 214/. in hand. The names of Prof. 

 Bentley, Mr. Hudson, Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys, and Mr. Mennell were 

 withdrawn from the Council, and those of Dr. A. Carpenter, 

 Mr. Collinson, Mr. Currey, and Dr. Millar were substituted for 

 them. Sir Philip Egerton was re-elected president, Mr. S. J. A. 

 Salter treasurer, and the Rev. Thomas Wiltshire secretary ; 

 and cordial votes of thanks were given to them for their services. 



The Nantes Meeting of the French Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science was brought to a close last Thursday. It 

 has been decided with much propriety that next year's meeting 

 will be held at Clermont Ferrand, where the new Observatory 

 of Puy de Dome is sure to prove a great attraction. The 

 Observatory will be then in working order, and every- 

 thing will be ready for the inspection of visitors. Havre 

 has been chosen as the meeting-place for 1877. This meeting is 

 sure to be a success, Havre being almost to Paris what Brighton 

 is to London. M. Dumas has been appointed a vice-president 

 of the permanent council in room of M. Faye, who has resigned. 

 The accession of M. Dumas in the governing body is sure to 

 infuse new life into the Association. Most of the foreigners 

 present belonged to Oriental nations, being Greeks, Ottomans, 

 or Persians. We hope to give an abstract of the proceedings 

 next week. 



The twelfth congress of the Italian Scientific Associations was 

 opened at Palermo on Aug. 29 by Count Mamiani, in presence 

 of an audience exceeding two thousand persons. Count Mamiani 

 began by thanking the Municipality of Palermo for the hospit- 

 able reception it had given brother Italians as well as strangers, 

 and explained that the future Congress will assemble under the 

 new name of the Italian Association for the Promotion of 

 Science. No longer representing a little aristocracy of savants. 



