NATURE 



[Ai-nusT 15. 1895 



of s|)ecies than had previously found favour in this 

 countr>\ Takiny Koch and Fries as his models, from 

 whom he largely borrowed, he published the first edition 

 of his "Manual" in 1S43. This new departure caused 

 considerable commotion and opposition from the older 

 school of botanists ; and the fact that liabinjjton did not 

 possess the critical acumen and originality of the masters 

 m his adopted school, sometimes exposed him to attacks. 

 Nevertheless the " Manual " was a success, passing 

 through eight editions, the last of which appeared in 

 iSSi ; and it still enjoys great favour, even among those 

 who do not go so far in the matter of species. Babington 

 was also author of several local floras : the first being the 

 " F'lora Bathonicnsis," 1834; followed by the "Flora 

 Samiensis."' 1839, and a '" Flora of Cambridge," in i860. 

 Daniel Cady Eaton, who belonged to a school of 

 .American botanists, of whom \er>' few sur\i\c now, was 

 the grandson of .\mos Eaton, the author of the formerly 

 famous '■ Manual of the Botany of North .-Xmerica," which 

 passed through many editions : and son of deneral .Amos 

 E. Eaton, also a devotee of natural histon-. I). C. Eaton 

 was bom in 1834, and early evinced a liking for botany. 

 After a successful career at school and college, he ex- 

 perienced many changes, including service in the federal 

 army during the civil war. In 1867 he was called to 

 the Botanical Chair of Vale College, New Haven, which 

 he held until his death. .As an author he will be best 

 remembered by his writings on North .American, Mexican, 

 and West Indian ferns. His principal, or at least most 

 popular, work is his " Ferns of North .America,' illus- 

 trated in colours by J. H. Emerton and C. E. Faxon. 



\V. B. H. 



NOTES. 

 Dr. Bf.Rgh, of Copenhagen, has been elected a Correspondant 

 of the Paris Academy of Sciences, in the Section of .Anatomy 

 and Zoolog)'. 



The resignation is reported of Mr. K. Trimen, F. R.S., 

 Curator of the South African Museum, Cape Town, and also of 

 Mr. R. L. J. Eller), C..M.U., F.R.S., Director of the Obserra- 

 tor)' at Melbourne. 



The deaths are announced of Dr. .\doIf (Jerslacker, Pro- 

 fes.sor of Zoologj' in the University of llreifswald ; Dr. I'ellegrino 

 Strotx;!, Director of the Natural Mi,stor)- Museum at I'arnia : 

 Prof. H. Wiimcur, Professor of Mincralog)' and Cleology in the 

 University of Brussels ; and Dr. \V. Fabrilius, .\stronomcr at 

 the Kicff Uljscrvalorj' from 1876 to 1894. 



The French .Association for the Ad\-anccment of Science met 

 at Bordeaux la.st week. It was at Bordeaux that the As.sociation 

 held its first meeting in 1872, and this year the same cordial 

 hospitality was accorded to its memticrs as was given twenty- 

 three years ago. The presiilent of the recent meeting w.is 

 M. Kmile Trelal, and in his presidential address on " La 

 Saluhrite," he indicated the place of hygiene among the .scieftces, 

 and traced its limits. 



The annual congress of the British Institute of Public lk-.iltli 

 »a.H o|x:ncd at Hull on Thurs<lay last, under the presidency of 

 the Mayor. <in Friday, Sir A. Kollit delivered an atldress as 

 president of the municipal and |>arliamentar}' section of the 

 Institute, and Dr. Cameron delivered an .iddress in the section 

 of preventive medicine. It was resolved (m Monday — " Thai in 

 Iheinlir ' lie health all municipal and local authorities 



thould ' 'I to provide crematoria, and that a |)elition 



lie prcsenlL'l t'l Parliament in .sup|X)rl of the Bill aUiut lobe 

 presented lo secure this object." Prof \V. K. Smith brought 

 forward the subject of the influence of .schools on diphtheria, 

 and in the course of his remark; contended that schools did not 



NO. 1346, VOL. 52] 



play that important part in the spread of iliphtheria which they 

 had been supposed to do. The final sitting of the congress was 

 held on Tuesday, when the reports of the several sections were 

 adopted, and a resolution was |xisseil that every house in a 

 watering-place where lodgers were accommodated should undergo 

 a survey by the sanitary authority, and lliat a certificate of fitness 

 should be compulsor)-. 



The annual summer meeting of the Institution of Junior Fn- 

 gineers, the headquarters of which are in London, takes place 

 from -August 17 to 24, the rendezvous being Belgium. The towns 

 to be visited include .Antwerp, where the municipal docks, M. 

 Kr)n"s diamond-cutting works, and other places of interest will 

 be opened to members' inspection. At Ghent, MM. Carefs 

 engine work;, M. de Ilemptinne's cotton-spinning works, and 

 M. \"an Houtle's nursery gardens will be seen ; at Brussels, the 

 electric lighting station : whilst at Liege, the works of the Societe 

 Cockerill, the \'ielle .Montagne zinc works, the St. Leonard 

 locomotive works, the \'al St. Lambert glass works, the 

 Small -Arms Factor)', and the Electric Tramway Installation 

 will be visited. In honour of the Institution a banquet is to be 

 given by the Liege section of the Society of Engineers from the 

 University, and the members will also be the guests of the 

 Societe Cockerill. .\n excursion to \'erviers, where the Chandler 

 of Commerce will entertain the visitors, is arranged for the piu- 

 ix)se of seeing works in connection with the woollen cloth in- 

 dustr)'. Here MM. Peltzers works and those of M. Duesberg- 

 Delrez, La Ves»lrc, and M. liauzeur Gerard fils, will be opened. 

 The celebrated Gileppe reservoir, from which \'erviers receives 

 its domestic and manufacturing supply, is also included in the 

 programme. . .A large number of members have notified their 

 intention of being present at the meeting, which promises to be 

 one of the most succsssful the Institution has held. 



An auto-mobile carriage race between Chicago and Milwaukee, 

 promoted by the Times- Herald of Chicago, will be decided oi> 

 Saturday, November 2, the object being to encourage and 

 stimulate the invention, development, perfection, and general 

 adoption of motor carriages. The amount offered in prizes is 

 5000 dollars, apportioned as follows: — First prize, 2000 dollars 

 and a gold medal, ojien to competition to the world ; second 

 prize, 1500 dollars, with a stipulation that, in the event the first 

 prize is awarded to a vehicle of foreign invention or manufacture, 

 this prize shall go to the most successful .American competitor ; 

 third prize, 1000 dollars ; fourth prize, 500 dollars. The third 

 and fourth prizes are open to all competitors, foreign and 

 .American. The rules laid down stipulate, among other things, 

 that no vehicle shall be admitted lo competition which depends 

 in any way upin muscular exertion, except for purposes of 

 guidance. Competing vehicles which derive their power fron» 

 lietroleum, gasoline, electricity, or steam, and which are pro- 

 vided with receptacles for storing or holding the same, will he 

 l>crmitled to replenish the .same at Waukegan, 111., and at 

 Kenosha, Wis., hut at no other |Kiints. 



DlRlNc; the pa.st week the weather over the United Kingdom 

 has l)een very unsettled, owing to the .advance of various low- 

 pressure areas from the Atlantic. Several heavy thunderstorms 

 have (Wcurred, the most severe Ijeing on Saturday night, the 

 loth inst., over the southern and south eastern parts of England. 

 In London the storm was ver)- violent, and the lightning was of 

 unusual brilliancy. The disturbance travelled from south lo 

 north, and w.\s accompanied by heavy rain. An exceptionally 

 heavy thunderstorm also occurred at Holyhead on the same 

 night, and the rain mea.sured there on the next uuirning amounted 

 to 2-68 inches. The UWkly IWallur Keforl of the loth inst. 

 .Slates that the rainfall for the week exceeded the aver.ige in all 

 districts, the amount over England Ijeing about twice as nuich 

 :is the mean. 



