August 31, 1893] 



NATURE 



425 



chloride, CgHs.CHCIa, reacts with magnesium diphenyl in an 

 interesting manner, forming without extraneous application of 

 heat triphenylmethane, (€6115)30 H, and mignesium chloride. 



Notes from the Marine Biological Station, Plymouth. — The 

 Actinotrocha larva of Phoronis has now made its appearance in 

 the floating fauna. The Radiolaria mentioned last week, 

 though still present, have become much less numerous ; the 

 tow-nets have this week been crowded with Rhizoselenia. The 

 Siphonophore Muggiisa atlantica is abun<lant, and the medusae 

 Saphenia mirabilis and Amphimma Titania, with swarms of 

 small Obeliie, have also been observed. The Nauplii of 

 Sacculina are plentiful, and among Mollusca the larvEe of 

 /Egirus punctilticcns and the larva Cirropteron semilunare of 

 M. Sars (possessing a four-lobed velum) have been observed. 

 The Polyclad Leptoplana treinellaris is now breeding ; and 

 young metamorphosed specimens of the Opisthobranch Oscaniiis 

 membranaceus have been taken with the dredge on the bottom . 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Bonnet Monkey {Macacus sinicus) 

 from India, presented by Mrs. H. Leavilt : a Blau-bok 

 (Cephalophus pyginisus) from South Africa, presented by Mr. 

 J.^,E. Matcham ; a Yellow Baboon (CynocephalusbaboHin)hom 

 West Africa, a Banded Gymnogene (Polyboroides iyficus) from 

 East Africa, a White-necked Stork (Dissura episcopus) from 

 East Africa, presented by Mr. Thomas E. Remington ; a 

 European Tree Frog {Hyla. arborea) from Europe, two Fire- 

 bellied Toads (Bo/nbinalor igiteus) from Europe, and a Spotted 

 Salamander {Salamandra maculosa) from Europe, presented by 

 Mr. Hood ; eleven Garden Dormice (Myoscus quercinus) from 

 Spain, forty-eight Glossy Ibises {Plfgadis falcinellus) from 

 Spain, and four Marbled Ducks {Anas angustiroslris) from 

 Spain, presented by Lord Lilford, F.Z. S. ; a Rose-crested 

 Cockatoo {Cacatua molaccensis') from Moluccas, presented by 

 Lady Sudeley ; two Ypecaha Rails {Aramides ypecatrd) from 

 ' South America, presented by Mr. F. H. Chalk, a Boa {Boa 

 \constrictor) from South America, and two Great Bustards {Otis 

 tarda) from Spain, deposited ; and a Wapiti Deer {Cervus 

 canadensis) born in the Menagerie. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Honorary Disti.nctions. — From the current number of 

 'Astronomic we gather that M. Janssen, director of the 

 'bservatory of Meudon, has been made a Commander of the 

 ion of Honour. Messrs. Callandreau and Bigourdan, 

 istant-astronomers at the Paris Observatory, have received 

 :lie distinctions of Officers of Public Instruction, and MM. 

 amille Flammarion and Jordan and Hermite, of the Institute, 

 ive received from the King of Greece the Cross of the Com- 

 der of the Order of the Saviour. 



A Meteor. — An observer, writing to us from Westgate-on- 



iiea, gives ihe following account of a meteor seen there on 



Ihe evening of August 27 :^" At about 8.40 p.m. I saw a very 



rilliani meteor here. The trail, as far as I could judge, must 



lave commenced somewhere about the star /3 Sagittse, but the 



inost brilliant part of it was accurately noted as lying between 



Iwo points, 'one being halfway between o and 7 Aquilae and the 



jther being about a third of the distance (from ij) between rj 



ind S of the same constellation. The mjteor may be desaribed 



"i "rapid," and its direction of motion was south. The most 



,ing feature of this observation was the length of time (about 



minutes) the trail remained visible in the heavens, and its 



i equent change of shape. At first it appeared of a bluish- 



■,e colour and was very bright, its path describing practically 



I .light line ; but about four minutes later it had dim ned very 



.,iderably (the same colour being maintained), but the trail 



- no longer straight but distinctly wivy, giving one the idea 



lat the meleoritic dust particles must have encountered sone 



r currents travelling at right angles to its length." 



NO. 1244, VOL. 48 J 



A Bequest to .Astronomy. — By the will of Mr. Arthur 

 Leake, late of Ashby, Ross, Tasjaania, a sum of ;i{^io,O03 was 

 put by for the purpose of founding a school for the practical 

 teaching of astronomy in one of the Australian universities, 

 colleges, or leading schools. It was stipulated that a part of 

 such teaching should consist of lectures illustrated with dia- 

 grams and instruments, and the sum of £1000 could be spent in 

 purchasing the necessary equipment. From the proceedings of 

 the Royal Society of Tasmania (issued (une, 1893) it appears 

 that there is a little difficulty in determining the best means of 

 using the bequest. Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.S., C.M.G., has 

 drawn up a scheme for the proposed school which has much to 

 commend it. He points out that Hobart offers special advantages 

 of climate and position for the Leake Observatory, and suggests 

 that ;f 1800 should be spent in purchasing a photographic astro- 

 nomical telescope, to be used for work in connection with the 

 photographic chart. It is proposed that the University of 

 Tasmania shall establish a school of astronomy and the observa- 

 tory, and that the lecturer in mathematics and physics shall also 

 teach astronomy, and have general control ind direction of the 

 observatory, for which he should be paid from the Leake 

 fund ^100 per annum in addition to his salary from the uni- 

 versity. An observatory assistant is provided in the scheme 

 with a salary of ;^20d per annum. The sum of ^^50 a year is 

 set down for photographic plates, chemicals, &c., bringing the 

 total annual expenditure up to ;£'35o, which is the interest on 

 £TXiO from the Leake estate. When Mr. Russell's paper was 

 read, in August, 1892, an opinion was expressed that it was 

 unnecessary to " import an astronomical expert in order to give 

 the instruction in astronomy, and to superintend the observa- 

 tory," and that the duties of the observer might be cimbined 

 with those of the Government meteorologist. With this feeling 

 the following resolution was passed : — " The Rojal Society of 

 Tasmania having placed itself in communication with the 

 Council of the University with the view of formulating a 

 scheme for securing the benefit of the Leake bequest to the 

 colony of Tasmania, the Premier be requested to refrain from 

 making any permanent appointment to the office of meteor- 

 ologist pending the result of such conference." 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



Dr. Nansen has telegraphed from Yugor Strait, at the 

 entrance to the Kara Sea, on August 3, the message reaching 

 the Vardo telegraph office on Augu-t 23. A good voyage had 

 been made to Nova Zembla, the only unpleasant episodes being 

 the occurrence of fogs and contrary winds. On the 27th ice 

 was encountered in lat. 69° 50' N., long. 50° E., about ten miles 

 north-east of the Island of KolguelT. Dr. Nansen forced his 

 way through the ice, the Fram proving a splendid ship for the 

 purpose, and reached Yugor Strait on the 29th, making a run 

 of 250 miles in two days. The coal-ship, which was to have 

 been waiting at Yugor Strait, had not arrived, but having suffi- 

 cient coal on board Dr. Nansen intended to sail into the Kara 

 Sea on August 3, rather than risk delay by waiting. He took 

 on board "thirty-four splendid sledge-dogs." Little ice was 

 reported in the southern part of the Kara Sea, a soulherly wind 

 having driven the pack northward. If the ice does not turn 

 out worse than reported, Nansen hoped to reach the New 

 Siberian Islands before the end of August, and if he does so he 

 considers success almost certain. The Frain will touch at the 

 Olonelz River, near the Lena delta, if there is time, and send 

 farther news. 



The geography of South America has recently been receiving 

 great attention from German travellers and officials in the 

 various South American republics. In a recent number of 

 Petcrmann s Miltdlungen, Kichard Payer describes a journey 

 from Lima across the Andes and down the valley of the Uciyali 

 to the Amazon. In the course of it he visited an mtereiling 

 Tyrolese colony at Pozuzo, which he found in the course of 

 extinction, after thirty years' hard struggle on the part of the 

 colonists to maintain a footing in their remote and isolated set- 

 tlement. Dr. Brakebu-ch has from time to lime pu ilished 

 portions of the material he has been collecting for an exhaustive 

 account of the pliysical geography of the Argentine. He divides 

 the country from the crest of the Andes to the valley of the 

 Parana into successive zones — snowy summits and cliffs, high- 

 level sand-dunes formed from glacial debris, screes, alpine 

 pastures, low-level sand-dunes, salt flat.», forests^ and pampas. 



