I 



OcfOBER 8, 1903] 



NATURE 



55' 



colours. Yet why should one regret that a region 

 f such preeminent scenery lies comparatively near 



, and is at times unconformably overstepped by the 

 on-geological tourist? The next series of papers 

 carries us away to Styria and the valley of the Mur, 

 where miles of torrent and ravine, of grey limestone 

 crag above and sunny maize below, await the un- 

 conventional traveller, and lure him ever eastward, 

 until he emerges on the plain of Hungary. Then 

 follows a number of papers on the environs of Vienna, 

 a city set so happily in a land of geological contrasts. 

 Until we have seen and touched it, we scarcely realise 

 that, a few miles south of Laxenburg, the dusty rise 

 over a castle-crowned projection represents the passage 

 of the Alps. South-west lies the true mountain- 

 episode of the Semmering, fully expounded, with a 

 fine map, by Franz Toula. Westward, we have the 

 narrows of the Danube, and the variety of cliff and 

 alluvial meadow so charmingly described by Prof. 

 Penck. The river runs between Melk and Krems in 

 :t pre-Glacial valley, much of which was actually ex- 

 cavated before Oligocene times. The surface-features 

 must originally have been very different, to allow of 

 the formation' of this deep cut across the southern 

 projection of crystalline rocks, which almost connects 

 Bohemia with the Alpine system. 



The Dolomites, the Adige valley, and Predazzo still 

 offer problems for many a friendly battle. The Carnic 

 Alps present a newer field, and include the superb 

 ravine of Pontebba, with a side-excursion to the lime- 

 stone-fastness of the Predil. This comparatively low 

 pass, with its fine angle on the south side, amid a 

 veritable world of rocks, would in itself show how 

 much awaits the tourist who will venture east of 

 \enice. 



Hungary will probably be dealt with in a special 

 treatise for those who made the long excursion on 

 the Danube. Bosnia and the Hercegovina are very 

 briefly touched on, since the local government has 

 prepared a separate " souvenir " for visitors. What 

 this attention means will be appreciated by those who 

 have experienced the hospitality of the " occupied 

 provinces." From a congress down to the humble 

 bicvclist, all receive a welcome in this old Slavonic 

 highland, all visitors alike are considered of interest 

 to the State. When one sits by the stream-side in some 

 level poV\c, a lake-basin of Miocene tiines, and hears 

 the muezzin call from the little wooden mosque among 

 the trees, or when one chips the gabbros in the grim 

 ravine of the Narenta, while sun-browned hill-men, 

 like stage-bandits, stride gravely past upon the road, 

 then one can realise, with a 'grateful heart, what 

 Austria-Hungary means, not only to the geologist, but 

 10 Europe. Grenville A. J. Cole. 



NOTES. 



A COMMISSION has been appointed by the French Navy 

 Board to inquire into the migrations of the sardine and 

 the causes of the disappearance of this fish. The com- 

 mission includes Prof. V'aillant, of the Paris Natural History 

 Museum ; M. Fabre Domergue, Inspector-General of Sea 

 Fisheries ; and M. Canu, director of the agricultural station 

 1 Boulogne-sur-Mer. 



Owing to the appointment of Dr. Martin to the director- 

 hip of the Lister Institute, the chair of physiology is 

 vacant at the University of Melbourne. Particulars as to 

 duties, emoluments, &c., will be in the hands of the Agent- 

 General for Victoria after October 8. The new professor 

 will be required to commence his duties on March i, 1904. 



An international exhibition of the manufacture and in- 

 dustrial applications of alcohol will be held in Vienna in 

 April and May, 1904. 



A Press despatch from Berlin states that the Imperial 

 budget for 1904, now in preparation, allots 7500Z. for com- 

 bating typhus, which is specially virulent in Bavaria. 

 Prussia and Alsace-Lorraine. 



An international congress on school hygiene is to be held 

 at Nuremberg from April 4-9, 1904, under the presidency 

 of Prof. Griesbach, of the University of Strassburg. The 

 general secretary is Dr. Paul Schubert, to whom all com- 

 munications relative to the congress should be addressed. 



A Reuter telegram from Rio de Janeiro of October 1 

 states that the Brazilian Chamber has adopted the third 

 reading of the Bill to establish an international steerable 

 balloon competition to be held at Rio in 1904. The scheme 

 has been submitted to the Senate. 



Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy, who has been appointed 

 entomologist to the Government of India, is to be stationed 

 at Surat, in the Bombay Presidency, pending the establish- 

 ment of the permanent headquarters of the Imperial Agri- 

 cultural Department now being organised under the orders 

 of Lord Curzon. 



The necessary legal formalities in connection with the 

 change of name of the Jenner Institute have now been 

 completed, the Board of Trade having sanctioned the new 

 name. The Institute will, therefore, now be known as 

 the " Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine." The 

 address, Chelsea Gardens, S.W., remains the same. 



Sir Thomas Hanbury has promised the Pharmaceutical 

 Society of Gre^t Britain securities of the annual value of 

 2$l. for presentation with the Hanbury gold medal awarded 

 biennially for research in the natural history of drugs. The 

 medal, founded in memory of Daniel Hanbury, brother of 

 Sir Thomas, was awarded this year to M. Eugene Collin, 

 of Paris. As the result of Sir Thomas Hanbury 's gift future 

 recipients of the medal will also receive the sum of 50/. 



A PROVISIONAL programme of the ordinary meetings of 

 the Royal Geographical Society for the session 1903-4 has 

 been published. Among the subjects to be dealt with in 

 the meetings of this year we notice north polar exploration, 

 1898-1902, by Commander R. E. Peary, and the Patagonian 

 Andes, by Colonel Sir T. H. Holdich. The arrangements 

 made for meetings after Christmas include, among others, 

 the Gulf Stream, by Mr. H. N. Dickson ; the regime of 

 the Nile, by Sir William E. Garstin, G.C.M.G. ; the lakes of 

 New Zealand, by Mr. Keith Lucas ; and some adventures in 

 Antarctic lands and seas, by Lieutenant E. H. Shackleton 

 (Christmas lecture to young people). 



A KITE-FLYING Competition was held at the Alexandra 

 Palace on Saturday last under the auspices of the Aero- 

 nautical Institute. The length of wire or string to be used 

 was limited to one mile, and marks were awarded on the 

 following points : — (a) The manner in which the kite leaves 

 the ground ; (h) the manner in which it ascends ; (c) the 

 steadiness of the kite ; {d) the length of time required to 

 let out the whole mile of wire or string ; («?) the greatest 

 average of the altitude as taken by a series of observations 

 during the course of one hour ; and (/) the rapidity and 

 manner of descent. Only three competitors put their kites 

 to the test, and the contest was easily won by Mr. S. F. 

 Cody, whose kite quickly reached the limit distance and 

 remained steady at that altitude in a strong wind. The 

 kite used was one of a number which is being prepared for 

 consignment to Portsmouth Dockyard. 



NO. 177 1, VOL 68] 



