476 



NATURE 



[September 17, 1891 



and are to be granted for work of many different kinds in con- 

 nection with the application of scientific methods to industry. 



A Conference on Conifers will be held at Chiswick, in 

 connection with the Royal Horticultural Society, in October. 

 It is hoped that this Conference will not only draw attention to 

 the best of these trees and shrubs from a garden or landscape 

 point of view, but show what are the best varieties to plant for 

 English-grown timber, as well as the different uses and suitabili- 

 ties of the various foreign-grown timbers. The co-operation of 

 landowners and others who may have planted these trees or 

 shrubs in years past, or who take a present interest in them, is 

 specially invited. 



Dredgers working in the Tiber to prepare for the construc- 

 tion of a new embankment brought up on September 12 a 

 magnificent ancient Roman bronze helmet. It is perfectly pre- 

 served, and is decorated with bas-reliefs. Signor Rossi, the 

 Italian archaeologist, assigns it to the second century before the 

 Christian era. 



According to the Calcutta correspondent of the Times, it is 

 understood that the Ameer of Cabul is taking steps to obtain 

 from England a geologist, a chemist, two miners, and a number 

 of mechanics. 



The Royal Meteorological Institute of the Netherlands has 

 just issued another useful work in maritime meteorology, viz. 

 "Routes for Steamships between Aden and the Straits of Sunda." 

 A previous edition appeared in 1881, but since that time steam 

 navigation to the Dutch Indies has greatly increased, and con- 

 sequently the number of logs received has afforded sufficient 

 materials to allow of a fuller discussion of the outward and 

 homeward routes for each month. Although there is a certain 

 amount of regularity both as regards the monsoons and currents, 

 yet there are considerable differences both in force and direction 

 in the same months of different years, which cannot be taken 

 into account in laying down general routes ; but tracks laid 

 down with great care from the most complete data available will 

 give the best chance of successful passages. We cannot enter 

 here into the details of the results, but we may mention that the 

 tables and charts contained ia the work show for each 10° of 

 longitude the number of vessels which have cut those meridians 

 in different latitudes, and the means of the number of hours 

 taken. The tracks show that a very considerable divergence 

 from the most direct routes is recommended in certain months, 

 according as the east or west monsoon may be blowing. The 

 usefulness of the work is attested by the fact that copies have 

 been ordered for their vessels by the French, Russian, and 

 Italian Governments. 



It is expected that in no other department of the " World's 

 Columbian Exposition " will there be a greater diversity of 

 exhibits than in that of mines and mining. Not only will there 

 be a magnificent array of diamonds, opals, emeralds, and other 

 gems, and of the precious metals, but a most extensive collection 

 of iron, copper, lead, and other ores, and of their products ; of 

 coal, granite, marble, sandstone, and other building stone ; of 

 soils, salt, and petroleum. A sub-department will take special 

 charge of the coal and iron exhibit, and later of that of copper 

 and lead. 



Mr. O. Chanute, a well-known engineer of Chicago, has 

 been studying the methods of preparing wood chemically to 

 resist decay, and has expressed the opinion that great economies 

 might be realized in America by the general adoption of these 

 methods on railways. Science says he recently examined some 

 NO. I 142, VOL. 44] 



experimental railroad ties of the most perishable kinds of wood 

 prepared by what is known as the zinc-tannin (Wellhouse) 

 process, in St. Louis, in i88i and 1882, and laid in the tracks 

 of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, at Topeka, 

 Kan. , and La Junta, Col. After nine or ten years' exposure the) 

 show excellent results, whereas they would have lasted but from 

 one to four years if unprepared. Unprepared ties of the same kind 

 of limber, laid at the same time, adjoining to the prepared ties, 

 have all decayed and been taken up, while present appearances 

 indicate that the prepared ties (red oak, black oak, and Colorado 

 pine) are likely to show an average life of ten to fifteen years or 

 moie. Mr. Chanute calls attention to the fact that the zinc- 

 tannin process not only preserves ties against decay, but hardens 

 them as well. It is found on one railroad that after three years' 

 exposure treated hemlock ties hold the spike as well, and cut 

 less under the rail than untreated white oak. 



Some time ago the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria organ- 

 ized an excursion to the Kent group of islands, the object being 

 to collect specimens, and to determine whether the group is 

 most nearly related with Victoria, to which it is closest geo- 

 graphically, or with Tasmania. At the annual conversazione of 

 the Club, held recently, Mr. C. A. Topp, the retiring President, 

 referred to the results of the expedition. The bulk of the fauna 

 and flora was found to be common to Victoria and Tasmania, 

 but there were six or seven varieties of birds peculiar to Tas- 

 mania to two peculiar to Victoria. The conclusion was that 

 the islands had been separated from Tasmania after that island 

 was disjoined from the mainland. Among the plants, several 

 forms were found varying somewhat from the typical forms of 

 the same species on the mainland ; while it was interesting to 

 find that the arboreal short-eared opossum had changed his 

 habits so far as not to feed on the leaves of the eucalypt, and to 

 keep to the ground. 



In a paper in the American Engineering Magazine, on ven- 

 tilation, Mr. Laurence Allen contends that in very many schools 

 the quantity of pure air admitted is not sufficient to expel the 

 foul air. To maintain the air in a good sanitary condition in a 

 properly constructed schoolroom, his experience confirms the 

 amount required as stated by Billings, to wit, 60 cubic feet of 

 air for each occupant per minute. For 100 pupils this amounts 

 to 360,000 cubic feet per hour. How many schools come up to 

 this requirement ? In the United States, says Mr. Allen, there 

 are many schools that contain 100 pupils and do not introduce 

 more than 25,000 feet of pure air per hour, and even that is 

 rendered in a measure ineffective, because the air is not properly 

 admitted. "The pupils do not die in the poisoned atmosphere ; 

 many of them will appear reasonably healthy. So do many 

 persons who visit and tarry in malarial districts. But though 

 the effects are not immediate and striking, they are sure, per- 

 manent, and easy to be traced to their causes in after years, by 

 those who make a study of disease and its causes. It is scarcely 

 less humane to kill a child than, by wilfully ignoring sanitary 

 requirements, to cripple it for life, physically, mentally, and 

 morally, as children are being crippled to-day in the vile atmo- 

 sphere of many schools. " 



In a paper published in the current number of the Journal of 

 the Anthropological Society, Mr. J. J. Lister refers to the great 

 development of the arms and chests of the natives of Fakaofu 

 (Bowditch Island, Union Group). He thinks it may be due to 

 the fact that they are obliged to go about so much in canoes. 

 Sir Joseph Lister, who took part in the discussion which followed 

 the reading of this paper, remarked that he would >not have 

 expected the frequently repeated action of paddling to produce 

 lengthening of the arms, although he could understand its 

 resulting in increased size of chest. He pointed out that the 

 natives of Tonga were also accustomed to use canoes, and hence 



