June 30, 1887J 



NA TURE 



207 



collection of plants was described by our friend the late 

 Dr. Glehn. 



Next year, Polyakofif made another little journey to the 

 upper Irkut valley, from which he returned with some- 

 thing quite new — namely, a rich collection of stone 

 implements. There he studied the actual position of 

 the encampments of our Stone-Age ancestors, and the 

 general surroundings of their life. Afterwards, wherever 

 Polyakoff went —to Olonetz, on the Volga, on the Ural, 

 or to Saghalien — he had only to take a short walk in the 

 region he proposed to explore to have a general idea of 

 it. Then he took a shovel, or invited somebody with 

 a shovel, and indicated the place where some digging 

 ought to be done, and stone implements (Neolithic) 

 never failed to be found. His collections are as numerous 

 as invaluable. 



In 1868, he entered the St. Petersburg University— not 

 without some difficulties on account of the Latin examina- 

 tions — and the late Dean of the University, the much- 

 regretted Prof. Kessler, at once perceived that he would 

 have in Polyakoff a first-rate naturalist, and showed him 

 much attention. Polyakoff's thesis for the degree of 

 Doctor of Sciences — a monograph on the cartilaginous 

 fishes — received high praise, and as soon as he was out 

 of the University, he was appointed Conservator of the 

 Zoological Museum of the Academy of Sciences at St. 

 Petersburg. 



After that time Polyakoff was almost always out on 

 some expedition sent either by the Academy or by the 

 Geographical Society. He explored the Olonetz region, 

 the middle Volga, the lower Obi region, and recently he 

 was sent by the Academy of Sciences on a long exploring 

 journey to Saghalien and the Pacific littoral. It was on 

 his return from this last journey that he fell ill at St. 

 Petersburg, where he died in a hospital, A friend who 

 learned of his illness, and went to visit him at the 

 hospital, came too late. 



His death is the more a loss for science, as he w^as going 

 to work out in detail the exceedingly rich zoological and 

 anthropological materials which he had collected during 

 his last journeys. Only preliminary reports of these 

 journeys have been published. Part of his researches on 

 the Stone Age have been embodied in Count Uvaroff's 

 work ; others have appeared in the publications of 

 the Academy of Sciences, the Russian Geographical 

 Society, and the St. Petersburg University Society. His 

 preliminary report on the Obi journey (containing an 

 admirable description of the Ostiaks, whom he thoroughly 

 understood) has been translated into German ; and there 

 is also a German rendering of his preliminary report, or 

 rather letters, on Saghalien. But most of his observa- 

 tions remain unpublished. It is even doubtful whether 

 his field note-books contain all his observations and 

 generalizations, and whether they were kept in such a 

 state as to render publication possible. 



In zoology, Polyakoff's name will remain associated 

 with the description of the Eqiius prjevalski, a separate 

 species established by him, which is the real ancestor of 

 our common horse, discovered by Prjevalski in the Ala- 

 shan Mountains of Central Asia. .. 



NOTES. 



The dinner given to Prof. Tyndall is going on at Willis's 

 Rooms as we go to press. The hosts number more than two 

 hundred, and many of the most eminent men in the country are 

 present. 



On April 12, 1S86, the Local Government Board appointed 

 a Committee to inquire into the efficacy of M. Pasteur's treatment 

 of hydrophobia, and in'o any dangers which might be connected 

 with its employment. The Committee consisted of Sir James 



Paget, Dr. Lauder Brunton, Dr. Fleming, Sir Joseph Lister, 

 Dr. Quain, Sir Henry Roscoe, and Prof, Burdon Sanderson, 

 with Prof. Victor Horsley as Secretary. Dr, Lauder 

 Brunton, Sir Henry Roscoe, and Dr. Burdon Sanderson, with 

 the Secretary, visited Paris in order to study M, Pasteur's 

 methods ; and after their return Prof. Horsley conducted a 

 series of experiments with a view to the settlement of certain 

 points about which he and his coadjutors had felt some doubt. 

 A copy of the Report of the Committee has been sent to the 

 Times, and it appears that the Committee unanimously express 

 confidence in M. Pasteur's system. 



The sixteenth meeting of the French Association for the 

 Advancement of Science will be held at Toulouse from Thurs- 

 day, September 22, to Thursday, September 29 next. Notice of 

 intention to be present at the meeting should be given to the 

 Secretary of the Association, 4 Rue Antoine-Dubois, Paris, 

 before July 15. 



The Evening Standard of Tuesday is our authority for the 

 statement that addresses from the Church of Ireland, the Metro- 

 politan Board of Works, the Royal Society, and the Ancient 

 Order of Foresters, were presented to the Queen on Monday 

 last. Let us hope that this is not true. 



The third annual general meeting of the Marine Biological 

 Association took place on Friday last in the rooms of the 

 Linnean Society, Burlington Hotise. Prof. Flower presided, 

 and among those present were Mr. Thiselton Dyer, Mr. Crisp, 

 Prof. Bell, Prof. Charles Stewart, Prof. Ray Lankester, and Sir 

 John Staples. The report for the past year stated that the 

 Council had devoted attention chiefly to the superintendence and 

 fitting of the laboratory at Plymouth, and to preparations for the 

 work of the Association in connexion with that laboratory. It 

 is expected that the laboratory will be ready for partial occupa- 

 tion in the present summer, but the tanks and cirailation of sea- 

 water cannot be completed for some months to come. The 

 Council had decided to issue a journal, which might serve not 

 only for the circulation of the official publications of the Associa- 

 tion, but also as a means of inquiry and exchange of informa- 

 tion among those who are interested in marine biology in its 

 relation to the sea fisheries of the United Kingdom. A first- 

 rate biological library was one of the most important appliances 

 which the Marine Biological Association must possess in its 

 Plymouth laboratory. The Council trusted that the members 

 and friends of the Association would assist in the formation of 

 such a library by gifts of books. The Association was willing 

 and anxious to co-operate with individuals or associations in any 

 part of the British Islands who were engaged in the study of the 

 natural history of marine fishes or in researches in marine biology. 

 The Council had to record with deep regret the death of one of 

 the vice-presidents of the Society, Mr. George Busk. Some 

 formal business having been despatched after the adoption of the 

 report, the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the 

 chairman for presiding. 



A special general meeting of the Fellows of the Royal 

 Horticultural Soc'ety was held on Tuesday "to consider the 

 results of the negotiations and inquiries which have been made 

 by the Council as to the future maintenance and housing of the 

 Society," Sir T. Lawrence, who presided, said the Council 

 thought it would be wise as soon as possible to carry on their 

 operations at Chiswick ; and this view met with general 

 approval. The meeting adopted a resolution requesting the 

 Council to take such steps for the housing and maintenance 

 of the Society as might appear best calculated to preserve its 

 character and utility and promote the horticultural interests com- 

 mitted to its charge, .and insisting upon the importance of 



