496 



NATURE 



[March 23, 189- 



during the passage in a state of ignition through the atmosphere, 

 as it remained visible for nearly three-quarters of an hour, first 

 as a straight line, and then, evidently caught by the westerly 

 wind, becoming gradually contorted, and, slowly expanding and 

 disappearing, it passed overhead like a long thin twisted cloud 

 of pale blue smoke." 



During the latter part of last week the high pressure over 

 France gave way, and several shallow secondary depressions 

 passed across our islands, accompanied by northwesterly winds, 

 snow and hail showers. Sharp frosts occurred in places at 

 night, the shade minima varying from 20° to 23°, while the grass 

 temperatures were much lower, the thermometer on Saturday 

 night falling as low as 12° to 16° in the Midland counties and in 

 London ; but during the bright intervals of the day-time the 

 maxima reached 50" and upwards. Towards the close of the 

 week an anti-cyclone which previously lay off our south-west 

 coasts spread over the United Kingdom, and extended eastwards 

 over the continent. The weather during the next few days be- 

 came fine and bright generally, with the exception of fog in the 

 neighbourhood of London and the south-east of England. 

 The maximum day temperatures exceeded 60° at several 

 stations, but the nights continued exceptionally cold, the 

 ground being thickly coated with hoar frost. Such severe 

 frosts as those experienced on several nights during the 

 past week rarely occur so late in the season. The Weekly 

 Weather Report for the week ending the i8th instant shows 

 that, notwithstanding the very low minimum temperatures, the 

 averages for the week were rather above the mean in England 

 and the south of Ireland. Rainfall was considerably in excess 

 of the average in the north of Scotland, but less in all other 

 parts. The greatest amount of bright sunshine was recorded in 

 the north-east of England, where there was 52 per cent, of the 

 possible amount ; the lowest average amount was 18 per cent, 

 in the north of Scotland. 



With the view of enabling masters of vessels to know what 

 weather to expect at sea in the far East, and to choose the best 

 routes, all the observations recorded in the archives of the Hong 

 Kong Observatory made between 0° and 45°, and between Sing- 

 apore and 180° E. Gr. are being tabulated, and will serve 

 for the construction of maps, which will ultimately make it 

 possible to issue pilot charts for the China Seas. Dr. Doberck 

 invites all persons having old log-books in their possession to 

 send them to him on loan. There are log-books of our large 

 lines which, if forwarded to the proper quarters, might help to 

 make passages shorter, pleasanter, and safer. 



The Societies forming the Scientific Alliance of New York 

 have held their first joint meeting, the object being to present the 

 needs of science in that city, and the plans and purposes of the 

 Council of the Alliance. The addresses delivered on this occasion 

 have now been published as a pamphlet. We may note that the 

 membership of the societies is over 650, and is said to include 

 the names of nearly all persons in New York who are interested 

 in pure science. 



Columbia College, New York, has received from Mr. 

 Loubat an endowment which is to be used for the encourage- 

 ment of the study of (l) The history, geography, and numis- 

 matics, (2) the archeology, ethnology, and philology of North 

 America. It will permit an award at least every five years 

 alternately in these two groups of subjects. This year two 

 prizes of 1000 dollars and 400 dollars will be given for the best 

 works published in English on the subjects in question. The 

 author need not be a citizen of the United States. The works 

 must have been published since January i, 1888, and must be 

 based on original research. Copies must be sent, not later than 

 June I of the present year, to the president of Columbia Col- 

 NO. 1221, VOL. 47] 



lege, whose secretary will furnish copies of the regulations 

 adopted. 



Mr. Thomas Steel, of Victoria, has been visiting severa! 

 zoological gardens in Great Britain and America ; and in the 

 February number of the Victorian Naturalist he gives an in- 

 teresting account of some of his experiences. In the London 

 Zoological Gardens he was naturally attracted especially by 

 animals and birds from Australia, The kangaroos seemed to 

 him to have very small quarters compared with those set apart 

 for kangaroos in the Melbourne gardens. Nevertheless, he 

 thought them " fairly healthy and sleek." Mr. Steel was much 

 pleased with a pair of Australian brush turkeys, who were 

 evidently " quite at home in their enclosure." The laughing 

 jackass, however, was the animal which interested him most 

 strongly. He had "quite a thrill of pleasure" when he recog- 

 nised its "well-remembered voice." Of the collection of 

 animals in the Central Park, New York, Mr. Steel formed no 

 very high opinion. He was much surprised that so mighty a 

 city should be "so far behind in a matter of this kind." Of the 

 " dejected-looking lions " in the Central Park he says that they 

 were greatly to be pitied. They were "cooped up in the 

 smallest of cages, with no proper shelter and no exercising 

 yard." 



The Keiv Bulletin, appendix ii. 1893, consists of a list of 

 the new garden plants of the year 1892. The list includes not 

 only plants brought into cultivation for the first time during 

 1892, but the most noteworthy of those which have been rein- 

 troduced after being lost from cultivation. Other plants in- 

 cluded in the list have been in gardens for several years,^ 

 but either were not described or their names had not been 

 authenticated until recently. These annual lists, as the Bulletin 

 points out, are indispensable to the maintenance of a correct 

 nomenclature, especially in the smaller botanical establishments 

 in correspondence with Kew, which are, as a rule, only scantily 

 provided with horticultural periodicals. The lists also. afford 

 information respecting new plants under cultivation at Kew, 

 many of which will be distributed from the Royal Gardens in 

 the regular course of exchange with other botanic establish- 

 ments. 



Prof. P. H. Schoute and some other Dutch mathema- 

 ticians have undertaken to edit, under the auspices of the 

 Mathematical Society of Amsterdam, a " Revue Semestrielle 

 des Publications Mathematiques.^' The first part of the first 

 volume has just been issued by W. Versluys, Amsterdam. The 

 " Revue" appears likely to be of service to mathematicians far 

 beyond the limits of Holland. 



The Smithsonian Institution has published a collection of 

 translations of some of the best recent memoirs issued in Euro- 

 pean countries on " The Mechanics of the Earth's Atmosphere." 

 The work has been prepared by Mr. Cleveland Abbe, who ex- 

 presses his conviction that "meteorology can be advanced beyond 

 its present stage only by the devotion to it of the highest talent 

 in mathematical and experimental physics. 



The geological department of Colby University, U.S.,. 

 has published a useful "Summary of Progress in Min- 

 eralogy and Petrography in 1892," by W. S. Bayley. The 

 volume consists of monthly notes contributed to the Atnerican 

 Naturalist. 



Mr. Elliot Stock has issued a little volume, by " Medicus," 

 showing how the height and chest measurement may be 

 increased by systematic exercise. The title of the volume is 

 "How to Improve the Physique." 



In the current number of the Comptes Rendiis there are two 

 papers on the use of the electric current in producing high tern- 



