May .3, 1894] 



NA TURE 



taking a vote a large majority decided that some re- 

 solution should be framed. Not the least important 

 feature of the meeting were the speeches made by Sir 

 Frederick Young (formerly chairman of the " Forest 

 Fund"), and others who had taken up an antagonistic 

 attitude in the correspondence. Having visited the place 

 and heard the explanations given on the ground, these 

 gentlemen admitted that as the result of the afternoon's 

 inspection they had seen good reason for modifying their 

 views, and they finally voted for the following resolution, 

 moved by Prof. Boulger and seconded by the Rev. W. C. 

 Ilowell, of Tottenham: — "That in the opinion of this 

 meeting the general action of the Conservators in the 

 recent thinnings has been judicious." Forty-one voted 

 \\\ favour of this resolution, and eight against. The views 

 of those whose opinions should count for much in re- 

 assuring the public that no alarm need be felt as to the 

 future of the Forest, have thus been expressed in very 

 decided terms. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. 

 A GENERAL meeting of the Association for Pro- 

 •^*- moting a Professorial University for London, was 

 held in the rooms of the Chemical Society, Burlington 

 House, on Saturday, April 28 ; the Right Hon. T. H. 

 Huxley was in the chair. 



The committee reported that having carefully studied 

 the report of the Gresham Commission, they considered 

 it is generally in accord with the principles of the 

 Association. 



In accordance with this report a resolution, moved by 

 Prof. Riicker, and seconded by Prof. Ramsay, was unani- 

 mously carried, expressing general approval of the 

 scheme. The committee were also empowered to draw 

 up a memorial to the Government, to be signed by mem- 

 bers of the -Association, and others who may agree with 

 it, urging the Government to appoint a Statutory Com- 

 mission to establish a Teaching I'niversity in London 

 on the basis of the scheme of the Royal Commission. 



This action on the part of the .Vssociation is, we hope, 

 another step towards the realisation of the scheme of the 

 " Gresham Commission.' 



It was at one time to be feared that it would be im- 

 possible to reconcile the various divergent views which 

 had been expressed as to the best constitution for the 

 University. Now, however, that the Colleges of Phy- 

 sicians and Surgeons, the Governing Body and Senate of 

 University College, and the Professorial Association, 

 have all expressed a general approval of the scheme, 

 while the London County Council finds in it nothing in- 

 consistent with its own views, it is evident that the Com- 

 missioners have achieved a remarkable success. The 

 University of London has not yet spoken, but the oppo- 

 nents of the scheme in Convocation were unable to carry 

 their resolutions, and it is to be hoped that the University 

 may yet be saved from the discredit of blocking the way. 



NOTES. 



A STATUE of Durand-Claye, the pioneer of ihe sy.'-tem for the 

 agricultural utilisation of sewage, was unveiled at Gennevilliers, 

 on Friday last. The funds for the erection of this monument 

 were raised by international subscription, in accordance with a 

 proposal made at the Congress of Hygiene held in Paiisin 1889. 



\Ve regret to announce the death, at Geneva, of the eminent 

 chemist, J. C. Galissard de Marignac. \Ve have also to record 

 the death of Laureano Calderon, Professor of Biological 

 Chemistry in Madrid University. 



The KazanSociety of Naturalists will celebrate the twenty-fifth 

 anniversary of its foundation on May 25, by a general meeting 

 of members, at which a statement will be re.id of the works 

 published by the Society during its existence. 

 NO. I 279, VOL. 50] 



The 'limes says that the Attorney- General has given his 

 sanction to the sum of ^25,000, the residue of the legacy of the 

 late Mr. Richard Berridge, being given, in trust, to the British 

 Institute of Preventive Medicine, for the endowment of a 

 laboratory devoted to the bacteriological and chemical examina- 

 tion of the water supply, with special reference to the best means 

 of preventing Ihe conveyance of disease through water. A large 

 laboratory is now in course of erection for the purpose on the 

 site secured by the institute at Chelsea. 



Earthquakes continue to be felt in Greece. A severe dis- 

 turbance, having its centre in Atalanti, occurred on Friday, April 

 27 (see p. 7), and the Times correspondent says that the inroads of 

 the sea in this district have extended inland for a distance of 

 three kilometre.'. The surface of Ihe sea in many places is 

 colouied with the products of submarine eruptions. A chasm 

 has opened in Ihe ground not far from .\talanti, »nd extends in a 

 south-westerly direction for about twelve kilometres. 



.At the anniversary meeting of the Zoological Society, held 

 on Monday, Sir William H. Flower, K.C.B., F. U.S., was re- 

 elected President, Mr. C. Drummond, Treasurer, and Dr. P. 

 L. Sclater, F.K.S., Secretary to the Society for the ensuing 

 year. The following were elected into the Council, in the place 

 of retiring members: — Dr. John Anderson, F.R.S., Mr. 

 Herbert Druce, Sir Joseph Fayrer, F.R.S., Major Henry P. St. 

 John Mildmay, and Prof. A. Newton, F. K. S. 



The opening meeting of the British Association this year will 

 take place on Wednesday, .-Vugust S, when Prof Burdon 

 Sanderson, F.R..S., will resign the chair, and the Marquis of 

 Salisbury will assume the presidency and deliver an address. 

 On Thursday, August 9, a soiree will be held. On August 10, 

 a discourse will be delivered by Dr. W. H. White, C.B., 

 F.R.S., on "Steam Navigation at High Speeds'' ; on August 

 13, Prof. J. S. Nicholson will lecture on " Historical Progress 

 and Ideal Socialism "; on August 14 there will be another 

 soiree, and the concluding meeting will be held on Wednesday, 

 August 15. 



The committee for the establishment of a station at Cumbra;, 

 for the study of marine zoology and botany, are making good 

 progress with their arrangement.-;. The Ark has now been 

 put into order for the summer months, and the services of an ex- 

 perienced keeper secured. Mr. David Robertson, the well-known 

 "naturalist of Cumbrx'," lakes a w.irm interest in the scheme, 

 and is giving it his personal supervision. A number of students 

 have intimated their intention of availing themselves of ihe 

 facilities for research thus provided. .\ con siderable sum has 

 been subscribed for the erection of a permanent building, and 

 also for the annual expenses of the station — about half of what 

 is required in each case ; and the committee have good hopes 

 that the remaining half will soon be obtained. 



The Geologists' Association have arranged an excursion to 

 Oxtedand Tilsey for Saturday next, under the direction of Mr. 

 G. Leveson Gower and Mr. \V. Topley, F. R.S. The district 

 is not only interesting geologically, but contains a number of 

 archieological remains. During Whitsuntide a long excursion 

 has been arranged to Cambridge and Ely, and on M.iy 26 Mr. 

 John Hopkinson and Mr. Worthington G. Smith will conduct 

 a party to Luton, Caddinglon, and Dunstable. In the 

 neighbourhood of Caddinglon are numerous pits in Drift 

 (brick-earth, &c. ), and Tertiary remanic beds, worked for clay 

 and sand for brick-making, and for gravel. In these pits Mr. 

 Smith discovered an old Palxoliihic land-surface on Tertiary 

 remanic-, surmounted by re-laid Tertiary clay, and contorted, 

 implementiferous red plateau drift. On this Pala:olithic lloor 

 llint flakes of all kinds occur in hundreds, nearly all as keen- 

 edged as knives. That these llakes were made on the .<pot is 



