54 



NA rURE 



[June 



1891 



Xdntus. After preliminary reports, Major Alex, von 

 Homeyer gave his reminiscences of travel in West Africa 

 some years ago, and his imitations of the notes of African 

 birds were strikingly rendered. Four different sections 

 of the Congress were appointed, the names of the 

 different delegates from foreign countries were read out, 

 as well as letters of apology for their absence from several 

 naturalists, Prof- Fiirbringer, Baron da Selys Long- 

 champs, and others. 



The officers of the different sections were constituted as 

 follows.— (1) Systematic Section : Presidents, Dr. Bowdler 

 Sharpe (London) and Prof. Claus (Vienna) ; Vice-Presi- 

 dents, Dr. A. Reichenow (Berlin) and Mr. C. G. Danford 

 (Siebenburgen). (2) Biology and Oology : President, Dr. 

 Rudolph Blasius. (3) Avigeographia : President, Dr. 

 Palacky (Prag). (4) Economic Ornithology : President, 

 Major Alex, von Homeyer. 



On the afternoon of May 17 many of the members of 

 the Congress ascended the Blocksberg, to enjoy a view 

 of the city of Budapest and the Danube flowing below— 

 a view not to be surpassed in beauty and interest in any 

 country. 



On Monday, May 18, the Systematic Section met in 

 the lecture-theatre of the Polytechnicum, which was 

 placed at the disposal of the Congress by Prof. Szabo, 

 whose work is well known and appreciated in Great 

 Britain. Papers were read by Prof Klug, on some 

 points in the anatomy of the stomach in birds, and 

 by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe on the classification of birds, 

 the latter lecture being illustrated by several large dia- 

 grams and a wax model of the phylogenetic tree, in 

 which Prof. Fiirbringer traces the evolution of birds from 

 a reptilian stock. The remainder of the work of the 

 Systematic Section consisted in the passing of the rules 

 of nomenclature, as put forward by a committee consist- 

 ing of Prof. Mdbius, Dr. A. Reichenow, Count von Berle- 

 poch. Dr. A. B. Meyer, and Dr. W. Blasius. The 

 recommendations of this committee were adopted almost 

 in their entirety by the meeting, after a two-days' discus- 

 sion, notwithstanding some protests of Dr. Sharpe, and 

 Mr. Biittikofer of the Royal Museum of Leyden, who 

 found themselves in a hopeless minority. The chief 

 points carried were : the adoption of the loth instead 

 of the 1 2th edition of the " Systema Naturae " of Linnaeus, 

 the recognition of trinomial names in certain cases, and 

 the adoption of names, even faulty in construction or 

 misspelt, with all the consequences. The tone of the 

 report, however, is so moderate, and exhibits so much 

 consideration for the methods of other ornithologists, 

 that it ought to be possible now to arrive at a definite 

 conclusion for European usage at least ; and then it 

 would be easy to assimilate the American and European 

 methods of nomenclature. 



In the afternoon of the 18th, the Congress met in the 

 Museum, and Dr. Otto Herman. M. P., gave an account of 

 the distribution of birds in Hungary, and explained the 

 collections which had been made specially for the Con- 

 gress. These consisted of beautifully mounted cases of 

 Hungarian birds with nests and natural surroundings : 

 some very rare species were included in the collection, 

 which was the work of four ornithologists — Dr. O. Herman, 

 M.P., Dr. Julius von Madardsz, Mr. Chernel, and Prof 

 Szikla. These gentlemen had each occupied a station in 

 different parts of Hungary, and had not only collected 

 the series of birds exhibited, but had also made exact 

 observations on migration and distribution. The Hun- 

 garian National Museum is a very fine building, and 

 contains a collection which fairly surprised most of the 

 visitors, the series of native birds being especially com- 

 plete. Large groups of Laemmergeiers, Sea Eagle?, 

 Ospreys, &c., with their nests, eggs, and young birds, are 

 to be seen in the Bird-galleries, and these are principally 

 the work of a well-known Hungarian ornithologist. Dr. 

 J. vcn Madardiz. The colleciion of Mammalia also com- 



NO. TI29, VOL. 44] 



prises some great rarities, and the whole Museum teems 

 with specimens procured by the veteran explorer, Mr. J. 

 von Xdntus, whose labours in Lower California and 

 Central America, as well as in Borneo and the 

 Sunda Islands, are also widely known. The Museum 

 likewise contains a fine series of insects, especially 

 Coleoptera, which were shown with much natural 

 pride by Dr. Frivaldszky, who is responsible for the 

 beautiful arrangement of the latter groups. The after- 

 noon closed with an adjournment to the Hungarian 

 Academy of Sciences, wheie Prof. Robert Collett read a 

 paper on Arctic Bird-life before a crowded audience ; 

 and the evening concluded with a banquet at the 

 "Archiduc Stephan" Hotel. 



On Tuesday the debate on nomenclature was con- 

 tinued ; and in the afternoon the Congress assembled on 

 St. Margaret's Island, which forms a most delightful 

 summer retreat for the inhabitants of Budapest, with its 

 dozens of nightingales, its ruined cloisters, and its sulphur 

 springs. 



On Wednesday, the 20th, the general meeting of the 

 Congress was held to receive the reports of the different 

 sections and committees, and the business was con- 

 cluded. A farewell banquet took place in the evening, 

 and the second Ornithological Congress came to an end. 



Next day the members were scattered in different 

 directions — some to their homes, some to join one of the 

 pre-arranged excursions. These were three in number — 

 one to the Hansdg marshes and Ferto, a second to the 

 Platten-See, and a third to the districts of the Drave. Of 

 the first excursion, in which the writer took part, he can 

 only say that, under the direction of Dr. von Madardsz, 

 the members of the Congress who accompanied it under- 

 went a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The species of 

 birds observed were niostly those unknown to an English 

 naturalist, and the hospitality dispensed by Prince Ester- 

 hazy, Baron von Berg, and Count Szdchenyi, is not likely 

 to disappear from the memory of those who had the good 

 fortune to partake of it. 



THE IMPERIAL PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL 

 INSTITUTION AT BERLIN. 



'T^ HE Imperial Physical and Technical Institution which 

 -'• was founded in 1887 at Charlottenburg, near Berlin, 

 under the auspices of the German Government, has now 

 been for some time in active operation, and recently 

 there has been issued by the executive Director, Dr. L. 

 Loewenherz, a Report on the work of the Institution up 

 to the end of last year. 



It may be remembered that the Institution has two 

 main objects in view : first, that of physical and technical 

 research appropriate to the practical development of 

 manufacture — researches for instance as to the qualities ol 

 metals and materials and as to methods of construction 

 and measurement ; the second object being that of- 

 fundamental research in theoretical problems in physics, 

 and the testing of all kinds of measuiing apparatus 

 applicable for use in science, art, and manufactuie. It 

 appears to undertake, therefore, investigations and veri- 

 fications similar to those undertaken in this country by 

 the Board of Trade, or at the Kew Observatoiy ; and, in 

 France, by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. 

 Its staff includes (exclusive of the clerical staff) a Presi- 

 dent, nominated by the Reichstag ; a Director, with a 

 Committee of seven members ; seven scientific officers in 

 the department of research ; four technical assistants, and 

 several mechanics and machinists. 



From time to time, as new methods of testing are 

 adopted, or as fresh work is undertaken, explanatory 

 papers are it sued by the responsible officers of the Insti- 

 tution (printed by Julius Springer, Berlin) ; and the fol- 

 lowing papers have, amongst others, been already issued: 

 — Karl Scheel, H. F. Wiebe, and Allr. Bottcher, on 



