226 



NATURE 



[January 9, 1896 



Dr. Donaldson Smith read an interesting paper at the 

 Geographical Society's meeting, last Monday, on his recent 

 journey from Somaliland to Lake Rudolf. He told the story 

 of the adventures of his expedition during the performance of 

 this feat. The results of the journey are of great scientific im- 

 portance. Dr. Smith has prepared a useful map, based on 

 careful astronomical observations, of the region to the north and 

 north-east of Lakes Rudolf and Stephanie, which has not 

 hitherto been explored. He has also carried a chain of observa- 

 tions across the Borana country, between the Juba and Lake 

 Rudolf. The collections proved of exceptional interest ; in 

 Somaliland, Dr. Smith has discovered an avifauna which is 

 most closely allied to that of the Cape. This is in harmony 

 with some other available evidence, and suggests a former 

 immigration into East Africa from land now submerged beneath 

 the Indian Ocean. He has found in the Borana country a fossil 

 which proves the occurrence of Lower Oolitic rocks there ; and 

 thus shows the line of connection between the Jurassic beds of 

 Mombasa with those of Shoa and Somaliland. He has also had 

 exceptional opportunities of study of a dwarf tribe, first reported 

 by Harris in 1844, members of which have only been seen twice 

 previously. Dr. Smith's study of the hydrography of the region 

 around Lake Stephanie has thrown light on the famous con- 

 troversy as to the course of the Omo, though his observations 

 do not settle it. 



The fact that calcium carbide is now obtainable commercially 

 has been ingeniously applied by M. G. Trouve for the purposes 

 of domestic lighting. The principle of his lamp is that of the 

 " Kipp" used in chemical laboratories, in various forms, for the 

 production of hydrogen sulphide and other gases. The mode of 

 arranging the contact of the water- and carbide had to be care- 

 fully worked out, as an ordinary " Kipp," charged with calcium 

 carbide and water, gives such a vigorous evolution of acetylene 

 as to be unmanageable. An estimate of the working cost of the 

 lampicompared with that of coal gas is favourable to the former 

 in Paris, where gas is costly (7j-. per 1000 feet) ; but in London, 

 if the carbide could be obtained at the same price {i,\d. per 

 lb.), the cost would still be double that of ordinary lighting 

 gas. 



Some interesting investigations on the vitality of typhoid 

 bacilli inoculated into oysters have been carried out by Mr. 

 Charles Foote. It appears that during the first fortnight follow- 

 ing the introduction of the typhoid bacilli, undoubted multiplica- 

 tion of these microbes took place, but after that time had elapsed 

 a steady decline in numbers was observed. The presence of 

 typhoid bacilli within the oyster was, however, still demonstrable 

 even thirty days after they were first introduced, and they were, 

 moreover, observed in the stomach of the oyster, where they 

 remained unimpaired in a vital condition. In some other ex- 

 periments the water in which the oysters were immersed was 

 also inoculated with typhoid bacilli, and it was actually found 

 that they lived longer within the body of the oyster than in the 

 water in which the latter was preserved. These investigations 

 materially assist in justifying the hypothesis as to the possible 

 contraction of typhoid through the consumption of oysters. 



The Publishers Circular states that the number of new books 

 issued in England in the course of last year was 5581, and of new 

 editions 935, making a total of 6516 publications. By dividing 

 these works into thirteen classes, an idea is given of the kinds of 

 literature which make up this total. In the educational, classical, 

 and philological class, 660 new-books were published, and ill 

 new editions. These numbers are a little in advance of those of 

 previous years. The number of new books classified under 

 "Arts, Sciences, and Illustrated Works" is 96, in addition to 

 16 new editions. But no definite idea with reference to the 

 NO. 1367, VOL. 53] 



issue of scientific books can be obtained from these figures, 

 owing to the unsound system of classification adopted. Why 

 illustrated works should be classified with scientific works passe> 

 our comprehension. Moreover, there is something wrong about 

 the figures, for in science alone we noticed in these columns last 

 year many more than sixteen new editions of British books. 

 Under the heading " Voyages, Travels, Geographical Research,'' 

 263 new books are given and 75 new editions. This was a slight 

 decrease on the publications of 1894. In medicine, surgery, &c., 

 153 new books were issued and 53 new editions, this being a 

 remarkable increase on the issues of the previous year. 



We note that the table of mean values for pressure, tempera- 

 ture, rainfall, and bright sunshine, which is published in the 

 Daily Weather Report issued by the Meteorological Office, has 

 been materially improved this year. In the first place, five 

 more years of observations have been added to those from 

 which the monthly means for each of the elements are calculated. 

 Secondly, new columns have been added, showing the absolute 

 maximum and minimum temperatures recorded during the month 

 and the years in which such extremes occurred. The mean 

 values are now mainly for the twenty-five years 1871-95, and the 

 extreme readings afford valuable information as to whether the 

 maximum and minimum temperatures recorded during each 

 month are exceptionally high or low for the season. A glance at 

 the table for January shows, for instance, that during the last 

 twenty-five years the highest temperature recorded at any 

 .station included in it, in that month was 59° at Nairn and Cam- 

 bridge, and the lowest, - 4° at Wick. Sunshine values at a few 

 more stations would further enhance the value of this otherwise 

 very complete Report. 



The "Triton" Society for the study of Aquaria and Terraria 

 in Berlin has recently announced its intention of awarding prizes- 

 to the amount of 1500 M. for the best original solutions of 

 certain problems connected with the management of fresh- 

 water aquaria. The competition is open to all, and the problems 

 in question are as follows : — (i) A method for the destruction of 

 the more injurious ectoparasites of fishes, e.g. (iyrodactylus, 

 Ichthyophthirius, Chilodon, Myxosporidia ; (2) a method of 

 exterminating the fresh-water polyp. Hydra, from aquaria ; and 

 (3) a method for exterminating the tube- worm, Tubifex 

 rivttlorum, from aquaria. In all three cases the methods^ 

 recommended must be simple, easy to carry out, and effective 

 in their results ; but, while fatal to the particular organisms- 

 mentioned, they must have no injurious effect upon the fish and 

 plant life of the aquarium. The essays must contain exact 

 accounts of the methods recommended, and full descriptions of 

 the experimental evidence upon which they are based, so that 

 the methods may be readily and accurately repeated. Competi- 

 tors must write in one of the recognised European languages, 

 and must forward their essays by July i, 1897, to Prof. F. E» 

 Schulze, Direktor des zool. Instituts, Berlin N., Invaliden- 

 strasse 43. The adjudicators will be Profs. F. E. Schulze and 

 K. Mobius, and Drs. Haack, Hofer, and Schillinger. For the 

 first problem two prizes will be awarded of 700 M. and 400 M. 

 respectively ; for each of the remaining problems a prize of 

 200 M. will be awarded. The Minister of Agriculture will also 

 place two State medals in the hands of the adjudicators for 

 award. Further information in regard to the competition will 

 be found in Der Zoologische Garten, Frankfurt, vol. xxxvi.. 

 No. 9, 1895, pp. 28";, 286. 



The annual general meeting ot the Institution of Mechanical 

 Engineers will be held on Thursday evening, January 30, and 

 Friday evening, January 31. The annual report of the Council 

 will be presented to the meeting on Thursday. The retiring 

 President, Prof. Alexander B. W. Kennedy, F.R.S., will induct 

 into the chair the President-elect, Mr. E. Windsor Richards. 



