2 7S 



NATURE 



[January 17, 1S95 



Geographical Magazine for February IiJ94, he will find 

 the following passage : " On one occasion, in the north 

 of the Erebus-and-Terror Gulf, we saw large schools, 

 numbering 300 to 500, of the common black-throated 

 Penguin, swimming together ; the movements of each 

 school being controlled by a single individual of larger 

 size, which followed in the rear.'' It is quite possible 

 that this error may have arisen through the fact that, as 

 a rule, the Penguins, when allowed, in the Zoological 

 Gardens, to enter their tank, dive straight off the board 

 leading into the water, and remam under water until 

 all the fishes in the tank are caught and devoured. .After 

 that they usually betake themselves straight back to the 

 board. But that they can swim duck fashion, when they 

 wish to do so, admits of no doubt whatever. 



The volume is illustrated by a series of Gambier 

 Bolton's photographs, which are certainly the best ever 

 taken of " Life at the Zoo.' Of these we are kindly 

 permitted to reproduce two. One of them represents 

 the Tiger " listening to soft music," and forms part of 

 a series made to illustrate " .Esthetics at the Zoo." The 

 other shows the Martial Hawk Eagle, a rather rare bird 

 from South .Africa. On the whole, we can cordially 

 recommend this volume for readers of the lighter litera- 

 ture of Natural History, and even as containing a certain 

 amount of novel information on " Life at the Zoo." 



INTERCOLONIAL ASTRONOMY AND 

 METEOROLOGY. 



WE learn from Mr. R. L. J. Ellery, F.R.S , that a 

 conference representing the three colonies of 

 New South Wales, South .Australia, and \'ictoria, met at ' 

 the Observatory, Melbourne, on October 29. Mr. H. C. * 

 Russell, F.R.S. , from Sydney, and Sir Charles Todd, 

 F.R.S., from Adelaide, were present. 



i\) As regards Australian standard time, it was 

 resolved to advise the respective Governments to 

 adopt for that purpose the time of the meridian of 

 150 E. 



It was also agreed to advise that the changes from one 

 hour zone to another shall take place at the eastern and 

 western boundaries of the several colonies. 



(2) A proposal, by Sir C. Todd, was adopted to the 

 eifect that the three observatories should co-operate in a 

 special series of observations for determination of co- 

 latitude, and for testing the applicability of the present 

 refraction tables to astronomical work at the various 

 observatories. 



(3, It was resolved, at Mr. Russell's suggestion, to 

 carry out systematic cloud photography at each 

 observatory, as an aid to weather forecasting. 



(4) As to agricultural forecasts, it was agreed to : 

 " That in each of the colonies represented a forecast of 

 ;hc weather shall be sent to all the principal telegraph 

 stations each day, except Sunday (.Saturday's forecast 

 being for 48 hours), and that forms to contain a 

 week's forecasts be used, which it is proposed shall 

 be posted on a special board at the station receiving 

 forecasts." 



(;) It was resolved that the storm signals to be used 

 be fhesame as used in England. 



(6; On the suggestion of Mr. Russell, it was agreed 

 that further determination of the differences of longitude 

 of Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, should be carried 

 out, and that periods when there was high atmospheric 

 pressure at one place, and low at another, be selected for 

 the operations, with the view of ascertaining if large 

 differences of atmospheric pressure between the eastern 

 and western stations had any influence on the longitude 

 results. Mr. Russell undertook to draw up a programme 

 for this undertaking. 



NO 13 16, VOL. 51] 



NOTES. 

 English geologists will be gratified to le.irn that the veteran 

 Prof. Preslwich has been elected a Vice-President of the 

 Geological Society of France. It is, we believe, the second time 

 only that this honour has been conferred on one who was not a 

 French subject. The Council of the Geological Society of 

 London has formally offered to Prof. Preslwich its congratula- 

 tions on the distinction thus received. 



M. Mascart has succeeded M. Tisserand as President of the 

 Paris Societe d'Encouragement. 



The death is announced of Prof. Karl v. Ilaushofer, 

 Director of the Technische Hochschule at Munich, and 

 Professor of Mineralogy in the University of that city. 



Dr. G. M. Dawson-, C.M.G., F.R.S., has been appointed 

 Director of the Geographical Survey of Can.ida, in succession 

 to Dr. A. R. C. Selwyn, who has been superannuated. 



We regret to note that the Duke of Argyll was attacked by 

 sudden indisposition while addressing a meeting at GLisgow on 

 Tuesday evening. His condition at first gave rise to serious 

 concern, and it was not till a late hour that he recovered 

 sufl'iciently to be conveyed to the residence of Lord Kelvin, 

 where he is staying. 



.At Fishmongers' Hall, this evening, the Marquis of Lome 

 will present the prizes and certificates obtained by students in 

 connection with the City and Guilds of London Institute. 



The twenty-second annual dinner of the old students of the 

 Royal School of Mines will be held on Friday, January 25, at 

 the Criterion Restaurant. A number of distinguished visitors 

 are expected to be present, and arrangements have been made 

 for a large gathering of associates and old students. 



Thk annual meeting of the People's Palace Chemical Society 

 will be held on Thursday, January 24, when Dr. T. E. Thorpe, 

 F.R.S., will give an address on " Some causes and conditions 

 of chemical change." The chair will be taken by Prof. 

 Tilden at 8 p.m. Tickets may be obtained by ajiplicition to 

 the hon. sec, Mr. Thomas Yetton. 



The Association for the Improvement of Geometrical 

 Teaching will hold a general meeting at University College, 

 Gowcr Street, next Saturday. In the morning, the report of 

 the council will be re.id, and the new oflicers will be proposed 

 for election. During the day, papers will be read on 

 "Algebra in Schools," "The Association's Syllabus of 

 Geometrical Conies," "The Conies of Apollonius," and 

 "Notes on Mensuration." 



The forty-eighth annual general meeting of the Institution 

 of Mechanical Engineers will be held on Thursday evening, 

 January 31, and Friday evening, February I. The annual 

 report of the Council will then be presented, and the election 

 of the President, Vice-Presidents, and Members of Council will 

 lake place. The following papers will also be read and discussed, 

 as far as lime permits :— " The Determination of the Dryness of 

 Steam," by Prof. W. Cawlhornc Unwin, F.R.S.; "Com- 

 parison between Governing liy Throttling and by Variable 

 Expansion," by Captain H. Riall Sankey. 



Thk freshwater biological station, which was established at 

 PIrrn three years .igo through the cfTorts of Dr. Olto Z.icharias, 

 seems to be assuming quite an internalion.il character. From a 

 recent report of the director, «c learn th.it nine investigators 

 worked at the station during the summer semester of last year, 

 and of these four were German, two English, two French, and 

 one Russian. Much interesting woik seems to have been. 



