208 



NA TURE 



\yune 30, 1887 



immediately taking steps to secure accommodation for the Society 

 at the close of the year, either of a permanent or temporary 

 character, in some central situation in or near the City. 



On Jubilee Day the Royal Gardens, Kew, were visited by 

 31,000 people. 



The Meteorologische Zeilsclirift for June contains the first 

 part of a comprehensive discussion by Dr. W. Koppen, of the 

 Deutsche Seewarte, on the: nomenclature of clouds. The author 

 asks whether the same cloud seen from different sides should 

 receive different names ; for instance, when seen from the front, 

 sideways, from behind, above, or below ; or, whether the classi- 

 fication should refer generally to the properties observed in a 

 particular cloud, especially as regards its density and dimensions. 

 The apparent form plays an important part in Poey's classifica- 

 tion, but Dr. Koppen shows that it sometimes leads to erroneous 

 conclusions. The classifications of Hildebrandsson, Ley, Weil- 

 bach, and others, receive especial notice, but no reference is 

 made in this first article to Mr. Abercromby's recent researches. 



The Editorial Committee of the Norwegian North- Atlantic 

 Expedition (1876-78) have published the eighteenth volumeof their 

 General Report (Christiania, 1887, pp. 209 and 48 plates). The 

 memoir in question has been edited by Prof. H. Mohn, Director 

 of the Meteorological Institute at Christiania, and deals espe- 

 cially with the depths, temperature, and circulation of the North 

 Ocean, and to some extent with the winds and atmospheric pres- 

 sure. The region embraced lies between Iceland and Norway, 

 and extends northwards as far as Spitzbergen. The currents 

 naturally receive much attention, and Prof. Mohn states that he 

 has sought to explain the motion of the water as produced alike 

 by the normal winds and by the difference in the density of the 

 water ; and he points out that, while the former cause pre- 

 dominates, the latter too has full significance. The maps are 

 very clear, and the explanatory text is written both in Norwegian 

 and English, as in the previous volumes. 



The first of the vessels of the Norwegian seal-hunting fleet 

 have returned to Hammerfest from the Arctic regions, and the 

 captains report that the ice-belt this spring extended far south of 

 Spitzbergen. It appears from their reports that when they left 

 the ice-fields no vessels had succeeded in reaching that island. 

 Seals were very plentiful, and nearly all vessels have full 

 cargoes. 



The three courses of Burnett Lectures on " Light," delivered 

 by Prof. G. G. Stokes at Aberdeen in 1883, 1884, and 1885, 

 have now been issued in a single volume belonging to the well- 

 known "Nature Series.' As we had something to say about 

 each of these courses at the time of its publication in a separate 

 volume, we need only remind our readers that the first course 

 deals with the nature of light, the second with light as a means 

 of investigation, the third with the beneficial effects of light. 

 On this last subject. Prof. Stokes says in the preface to the new 

 volume : — " The benefits derived from light, which form the sub- 

 ject of the third course, are, it might have been supposed, too 

 obvious to require mention. Yet few, perhaps, have been in 

 the habit of contemplating these benefits as a whole, or have per- 

 ceived how far-reaching and of what vital importance are the 

 advantages that we derive from light, if we include in that term 

 not merely what the eye can perceive, but all that in its physical 

 nature differs from visible light only in the way in which light of 

 one colour differs from that of another colour." 



The " Queen's Jubilee Atlas," which we have received from 

 Messrs. George Philip and Son, contains an excellent series of 

 maps, those relating to the British Empire being especially good. 

 Each map is accompanied by a short explanation, with descriptive 

 and historical notes and statistical tables. A physical map of 



England is given showing the coal-fields and the heights of all 

 the mountains ; this is followed by three separate maps of the 

 British Isles showing the railways alone. 



Messrs. George Philip and Son have also issued a "Handy- 

 Volume Atlas of the World," containing no maps and plans, 

 with complete index, and statistical notes, by Mr. J. F. Williams. 

 The little volume has been carefully prepared, and is the first of 

 a series designed to present all essential geographical informa- 

 tion in a handy and accessible form. 



Among recent publications in Paris we notice the " Elements 

 de Medecine suggestive " of MM. Fontan and Segard, in which 

 the authors give numerous illustrations of the effects of hyp- 

 notism in disease, whether mental or physical ; a pamphlet, 

 by Dr. Servier, on the Val de Grace, the military hospital in 

 Paris, comprising the history of the buildings and of the institu- 

 tion ; and a book by M. Ed. Dreyfus-Brisac, on " L' Education 

 nouvelle," a series of studies well worth the attention of those 

 who take some interest in the present evolution of public spirit 

 concerning educational matters in France. 



M. G. Pruvot, maitre de conferences in the Sorbonne, has 

 recently issued a course of lectures on " Worms and Arthropoda." 

 The lectures were delivered by him in 1885-86. The work is 

 profusely illustrated. 



The Archives Slaves de Biologic, a periodical containing only 

 Slavonic work in biology, are publishing a long series of papers 

 by Danilewsky on the Hsematozoa of Reptiles and Birds. 



A FULL account of the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition, 

 1885, is presented in an Official Record, a copy of which has 

 been sent to us. The facts are brought together in a way that 

 will facilitate comparative study of the progress of the colony in 

 the various arts and manufactures, and the volume will be of 

 service to those who may undertake to organize any future 

 exposition of the industrial resources of New Zealand. 



An elaborate synopsis of the North American Syrphidse, by 

 Dr. Samuel W. Williston, has been issued as the thirty- first 

 Bulletin of the United States National Museum. Dr. Williston 

 explains that he has given especial attention to this family since 

 he began his dipterological studies eight years ago, and that he 

 has collected a large part of the species either in New England 

 or in the West. The types of all but two or three of the new 

 species described by him, together with his entire collection in 

 this family, will be preserved in the National Museum for future 

 reference and revision. 



The Manchester Microscopical Society has just issued its 

 Transactions and Annual Report for 1886. The volume con- 

 tains a valuable address on "Fresh-water Animals," by the 

 President, Prof. A. Milnes Marshall, F.R.S., and papers and 

 communications read by the members. A short paper by Mr. 

 Robert Parkes may, perhaps, suggest to some readers a pleasant 

 way of spending a few of the approaching holidays. In this 

 paper Mr. Parkes describes a dredging excursion he made some 

 time ago to Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, in company with two 

 friends. The excursion was very successful, and Mr. Parkes 

 was able to exhibit to the Society some of the specimens he had 

 secured. He assured the members that dredging was not a very 

 expensive pursuit, to be followed only by the use of steam 

 launches and a large staff. They could see by the collection 

 before them that good results might be obtained by two or three 

 joining together and dredging from an ordinary rowiftg-boat. 



The fifth volume of the Journal of the Liverpool Astronomical 

 Society has just been issued. It contains many papers, notes, 

 and reviews, and has some good illustrations. 



By ipermission of the President and Council of the Royal 

 Astronomical Society, the annual general meeting of the Liver- 



