374 



NA TURE 



\August 14, 18 



J 



of French AgricuUuriSLS, and vice-president of the Chamber of 

 Commerce of Paris, showing the efficacy of sulpho-carbonate for 

 destroying that pest. The experiment was made on 464,557 

 plants, covering a surface of no hectares, or 272 acres. A 

 quantity of about 35 tons of sulpho-carbonate was employed with 

 10,000 cubic metres of water. The total expense was about 4/. 

 per acre. This sura will be reduced very shortly in a large pro- 

 portion by a diminution of the sulpho-carbonate, which actually 

 costs 2/. per cwt., and will be sold at I/, when the method has 

 been adopted on a large scale. The plants were unhurt, and the 

 vegetation was found to be luxuriant. Insects injurious to 

 grapes were destroyed at the same time. 



On the occasion of the inauguration of M. Thiers' statue an 

 aeronautical ascent was made at Nancy on August 4. The wind 

 was blowing from the west with a velocity of 16J kilometres an 

 hour, and no variation in the direction was perceptible from the 

 ground to 800 metres. The altitude of the balloon was taken by 

 officers from Mazleville, with a theodolite, and signals were 

 exchanged with the ground during the ascent. The signals were 

 given by the aeronauts with a (lag, and by officers with a reflecting 

 mirror placed in the end of a tube, and mounted as a telescope. 

 The officers directed the rays of the sun on the balloon, and inter- 

 cepted rays with a key in order to use the Morse alphabet. The 

 distance of Mazleville from the balloon was more than six 

 kilometres, and the signals could be seen at a much greater 

 distance. This shows that in a besieged town a passing balloon 

 could be used for giving orders to, or receiving news from friendly 

 forces. The system of communication has been invented by one 

 of the officers of the garrison. M. W. de Fonvielle w'as in the 

 car. 



In 1789 the Royal Library of Paris contained 800,000 volumes 

 and objects of every description. In 1859 the number averaged 

 1,200,000. During the last twenty years the increase has been 

 more sensible, and the actual number is estimated at 2,000,000. 

 The mean .annual increase from legal deposits alone is 20,000. 

 Out of these 2,000,000 about 450,000 are devoted to French 

 history, 200,000 to theology, 90,000 to science and philosophy, 

 60,000 to natural history, and .20,000 to English history. The 

 greater part of French and English historical and medical 

 works are arranged in printed systematic catalogues placed in 

 the hands of t e public. In less than ten years the whole of 

 the catalogues will be printed. 



The Trustees of the South African Museum at Cape Town 

 issue a very satisfactory report for 1878. Several important 

 improvements have been made in the building, valuable additions, 

 especially of insects, have been made, and the collection has 

 been inspected by a large number of South African and foreign 

 naturalists. 



A BRIGHT meteor was observed in many places in Saxony and 

 the adjacent Voigtland, during the night of July 26-27. ■^'^ 

 observer at Droeda (a village in the south-west corner of the 

 kingdom) reports : "At 12.45 ^^^ nocturnal darkness was sud- 

 denly interrupted by an illumination of the whole firmament, 

 which nearly reached daylight in intensity, and which lasted for 

 three seconds. A beautifully bright blue fire-ball was slowly 

 moving in the heavens from south to north. At Plauen the fall 

 of the meteor was observed, and at Greiz even two fire-balls were 

 seen." Corresponding news reaches us from Leipzig, Dresden, 

 Zwickau, Wiedersberg, &c. , 



Mr. Morris's report on the Ceylon coffee-leaf disease, to which 

 we have before referred, urges the necessity of uprooting trees 

 •which are very seriously aflected, and of treating the remainder 

 with a compoitnd of sulphur and lime. Grass, it is urged, should 

 not be left near the trees, and all diseased leaves should be burnt. 

 Before leaving Ceylon for Jamaica, Mr. Morris was to deliver 



an address to the Chamber of Commerce on the all-important 

 subject. 



The Times Berlin correspondent states that Dr. Schliemann, 

 after having spent a month's holiday at Kissingen, has gone to 

 pass a few days at his home in Mecklenburg, after which he 

 will proceed to London to superintend the publication of his 

 new work on Troy, embodying all his most recent researches, to 

 which Prof. Virchow will contribute the preface. 



An extremely satisfactory report for 1878 is issued by the 

 Manchester Scientific Students' Association. It contains several 

 interesting papers, including a short presidential address by Prof. 

 Williamson, and instructive accounts of the numerous excursions 

 of the Society. A satisfactory report for 1878-9 has also been 

 issued by the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, and 

 we are glad to see, from the seventh report of the Leicester Town 

 Museum, that that institute -is steadily improving. Mr. 

 Octavius Stone's New Guinea Birds are being arranged in their 

 new cases by Mr. Montague Brown, and vv'ill shortly be ready 

 for exhibition. 



The Peking correspondent of the North China Herald states 

 that a college will shortly be opened there for the training of 

 young diplomats, and it is understood that it will be under the 

 direction of a former professor in the Tungwcn College, aided 

 by competent assistants. 



Some time ago the Japan Gazette stated that the Government 

 were engaged in surveying a line of railway from the coal mines; 

 at Horouchi, in the island of Yezo, to Koishigari, a town on the 

 chief branch of the River Ishigari. The survey has now been 

 completed, but the original plan has been altered materially. It 

 appears that the country for some distance along the proposed 

 route is low and subject to occasional inundations from the over- 

 flowing of the river. One of these recently occurred, and 

 showed the difficulties of the proposed route. -It has, therefore, 

 been determined to make a shorter line to the village of 

 Horouchi, on another branch of the Ishigari, which is navigable 

 for flat-bottomed vessels. The specimens taken from these 

 coal-mines to Yedo are said to be very fine, and as the mines 

 are to be worked on the most approved system, they are expected 

 to prove a great national benefit. 



Some valuable kerosene springs are stated to have been dis- 

 covered in Uzen and Ugo, two Japanese provinces lying to the 

 nortli of Yedo. 



A Japan paper states that the new arsenal and dockyard to 

 be founded at Mih.ara for the Japanese navy will be very com- 

 plete and magnificent. Dry and wet docks are to be constructed 

 fit for the largest war-ships ; and there will be iron sheds, in 

 which ironclads and wooden war-vessels may be built without 

 hindrance from the weather, as well as foundrie,;, engine-shops, 

 rolling mills, stores, &c. The expense of these works, it is 

 expected, will be enormous, especially as there are also to be 

 barracks and fortifications for their protection. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Rude Fox (Catiis rudis) from Demerara, 

 presented by Mr. G. H. Hawtayne, C.M.Z.S. ; a Grey Flying 

 Squirrel (Scitiropteriis fimbtiatus) from North India, presented 

 by Mrs. Louisa Edwards ; a White-wliiskered Swine (Sus 

 kucomystax) from China, presented by Mr. Theodore Hance, 

 C.M.Z.S. ; a Black-faced Ibis (Geronticus mclanopis) from 

 Chili, presented by Mr. C. II. Whaley ; three North American 

 Turkeys (Meleagris ^allcpavo) from North America, presented 

 by Mr. R. Wynne Roberts ; three Common Kestrels [Tinniin- 

 ciihis alaudarius), European, presented by the Rev. J. E. 

 Campbell Colquhoun ; two Vociferous Sea Eagles (llaliaetiis 

 voci/er) from East Africa, presented by Dr. J. Kirk, C.M.Z.S. ; 



