July i8, 1895] 



NATURE 



275 



relations are being displayed in the greater gardens, and with the 

 most gratifying results, (geographical questions are asked and 

 answered by skilful grouping of species, and in the n.ost attractive 

 way. The bearing of climate on the structure, habit, and 

 possibilities of plants is made prominent in an interesting fashion. 

 The capabilities of useful plants and the extension of their range 

 of usefulness comprise another phase of illustration which 

 always sets visitors to thinking. Beyond and, we may say, 

 above these questions, which are pretty strictly utilitarian, there 

 comes nowadays another class of illustrations which are of the 

 highest educational value in a community, namely, the 

 biological features which are invested with such important 

 relations to all departments of intellectual activity." 



We regret to announce the death of Prof. K. Tietjen, for 

 many years past Director of the Recheninstitut of the Berlin Ob- 

 servator)', and editor of the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuih ; 

 also of Prof. G. F. W. Sporer, of the Potsdam Observatory, 

 well known amongst astronomers for his solar observations. 



A STATUB to Boussingault was unveiled at the Paris 

 Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers last week. The French 

 Minister of .\griculture, who presided at the inauguration, 

 pointed out how very largely Boussingault's work had benefited 

 agriculture. The funds for the erection of the monument were 

 raised by public subscription, through a Committee of which M. 

 Schloesing was the president. 



A FEW days ago, the Municipal Council of Paris, and 

 the General Council of the Seine, presented Dr. E. • Roux, 

 who has devoted so much attention to the anti-toxic serum 

 treatment of diphtheria, with two gold medals struck in his 

 honour. M. Pasteur was unable to be present on account of 

 ill-health, but he sent a letter in which he expressed hi.s great 

 gratification at the way in which the municipality were publicly 

 expressing their appreciation of the work of his pupil and 

 collaborator. 



Sir William 11. Flower, K.C.B., has been elected a Cor- 

 respondant of the Paris Academy of Sciences ; and Prof. Cohn 

 has been elected to succeed the late Marquis de -Saporta, as 

 Correspondant in the Section of Botany. 



The death is announced of Dr. Hermann Knoblauch, Presi- 

 dent of the Kaiserliche Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Akademie 

 of Halle. He died in the seventy-sixth year of his age on I 

 June 30th. 



Dr. Fabian Franklin, Professor of -Mathematics in the 

 Johns Hopkins University, has resigned his position in order to 

 take up editorial work on the Baltimore A'eivs. 



M. Pail .Siniknis has returned from Turkish Armenia 

 with large collections of rare plants. 



Sir Kdwari) Lawson will distribute the prizes to the 

 students of the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School this 

 afternoon, at 4 o'clock. Next Thursday evening, the distribu- 

 tion of i)rizes to the students of the Dental Hospital of London 

 will be made by Sir William MacCormac, at a conversazione to 

 be held in :he Royal Institute Calleries, Princes Hall, 

 Piccadilly. 



The University of Chicago has decided to add Terrestrial 

 Physics to the subjects taught in the Physical Department under 

 Prof. Michelson, says the Aiiieriian Meteorological /oiiriial. 

 Dr. L. A. Bauer has just commenced courses in terrestrial 

 magnetism, thermodynamics of the atmosphere, and dynamic 

 meteorology. This step marks a new era in the development of 

 the study of meteor(jlogy in the United States. 

 NO. 1342, VOL. 52] 



Prof. F. Omori, of the Seismological Institute of Tokio, con- 

 tributes an interesting paper on the velocity of earthquake- waves to 

 the Bollettino of the new Italian Seismological .Society (vol. i., 

 1895, PP- 52-60). The chief value of his investigation lies in the 

 fact that the distances traversed are generally short and the times 

 exceedingly accurate, so that we thus obtain some idea of the 

 surface-velocity in the neighbourhood of the epicentre. The 

 mean velocity for twenty-five earthquakes (1891-94) is found 

 to be 2 "04 km. per second. Prof. Omori also shows that for 

 earthquakes originating in the same region, the velocity is prac- 

 tically constant, whatever be the intensity of the initial disturb- 

 ance or the distance of the place of observation from the centre. 



The prizes and metlals of the Paris Societe dEncouragement 

 have just been awarded. The prize of twelve thousand francs 

 (^480), awarded every six years to the author of the most use- 

 ful discovery to French industry, has been given to Prof. 

 Lijipmann, for his method of photographing colours. Amon^ 

 the other awards we notice the following : Prize of 2000 francs 

 to M. F. Osmond for his works on the microscopic analysis of 

 steel, of which an account is given in the May Bulletin of the 

 Society ; 500 francs to M. Gar^on for his work on "'La 

 Pratique du teinturier " ; 1000 francs to M. Ch. Tellier, 500 

 to M. Lacroix, 500 to M. Maignen, and 500 to M. Schlum- 

 berger, for the purification of potable waters ; 500 francs each 

 to M. Lartigue and M. Roux for their investigations in con- 

 nection with the electrical installations ; 1000 francs to M. 

 Guerrier, 500 francs to M. Allard, and 500 francs to M. Martin 

 for their agricultural studies. The grand gold medal, awarded 

 every six years for works which have exercised the greatest 

 influence upon the progress of French industry during the pre- 

 ceeding six years, has been given to the Comite de PAfrique 

 fran9aise for their great services to African colonisation. 



The current number of the Annales de flnstitut Pasteur 

 contains an-official account of the antirabic inoculations carried 

 out at the Pasteur Institute in Paris during the past year. From 

 this it appears that 1387 persons were treated, out of which 

 seven died subsequently. On comparing the statistics for last 

 year with those compiled for 1893, we find that although the 

 total number of admissions fell short last year by 261 of the 

 figure reached in the previous year, yet England's contribution 

 in the shape of patients rose from 23 in 1S93 ^'^ ^^ many as 12S 

 in 1894. Thus, in spite of the liroadcast circulation of a vast 

 amount of sentimental opposition to the carr)ing out of Pasteur's 

 antirabic treatment in this country, we appear to be developing 

 an increasing desire to avail ourselves of the benefits to be 

 derived from its use across the Channel ! In all, 226 foreigners 

 were treated in the Institute last year; Spain and (ireece each 

 sentling 26 ; Belgium, 16 ; Turkey, 7 ; Russia and Egypt, i 

 each ; and Holland, 2 ; whilst under the heading " Indes 

 Anglaises" we find 19 as compared with 14 last year. 



I.\" connection with the questions lately raised as to the relation 

 of spectra to molecular structure, it is interesting to recall a pa[)er 

 by Prof. Eder and and Mr. Valenta, comnumicated to the Vienna 

 Academy a year ago. Mr. J. S. Ames summarises the paper in 

 the May Astropliysical /ournal as,{o\\ovi%: — "The paper deals 

 with the difierent spectra of mercury. Observations on the arc 

 and spark-spectra and on the ordinary Geisslcr tube discharge 

 showed that all three were alike, the most prominent lines in 

 one spectrum being also the most prominent in the others. But 

 two entirely new spectra were discovered. If mercury vapour 

 is distilling at a low pressure through a capillary tube, and if a 

 spark be passed through it, spectra are observed which are quite 

 distinct from the ordinary one. If there is a large number of 

 I.eyden jars in circuit, the spectrum consists of an immense 

 number of fine, sharp lines ; but if there are no jars in circuit, 

 the spectrum is entirely changed ; it becomes a series of bands 



