A^ov. 2, 1871 



NA TURE 



NOTES 

 In our present number we give a portion of Prof. T. Sterry 

 Hunt's Address at the InJianopolis meeting of the American 

 Association, and propose in following numbers to reprint some 

 of the more important papers read at the meeting. The next 

 meeting will be lield at San Franciico, and the follo.ving oflicers 

 wcr» electfd for the meeting of 1S72 : Treiident, Prof. J. 

 Lawrence Smith, of Louisville; Vice-President, Prof. Alex. 

 Wiuchell, of Ann Arbor ; Permanent Secretary, Prof. Joseph 

 Levering, of Cambridc;e ; General Secretary, Prof E. S. Morse, 

 of Salem ; Treasurer, William S. Vaux, of Philadelphia ; 

 Auditing Committee, Dr. H. Wheatland, of Salem, and Prof. 

 1 1, L. Eustis, of Cambridge ; Standing Committee, Ex Officio, 

 Mcisrs. Smith, Winchell, Lovering, Morse, Vaux, Gr.iy, Barlcer, 

 Pu'nam. Committee from the Standing Committee to arrange 

 for next meeting. Profs. J. L. Smith, Asa Gr.ay, Joseph Lover- 

 ing, in connection with a committee from the Association at 

 brg», consisting of Profs. J. L. Smith, J. D. Whitney, and 

 O. C. Marsh. 



The Senateof the University of London on Wednesday last 

 week exerci.-ed for the fir=t time its privilege, under the Public 

 Schools Act, of appointing a member of the governing body of 

 Rugby and Charterhouse Schools. To Charterhouse it appointed 

 Mr. Busk, F.R.S., President of the Royal CoUegeof Surgeons, thus 

 recognising the claims of science in the direction of education. 

 To Rugby it nominated Dr. Temple, Bishop of Exeter (late head 

 master of Rugby). 



The Inaugural Meeting of the Newcastle College of Physical 

 Science on Tuesday last week was a great success. The Council 

 decided unanimously, on the application of upwards of seventy 

 Ladies, to make no distinction of sex in the admission of pjp ils, 

 placing all on a footing of exact equality. The tot.^1 "number of 

 students admitted up to the time of the inaugural ceremonial, was 

 fifty-one. In contrast to this we may note that last week the 

 governing body of the University of Edinburgh rejected by a 

 small majority Dr. Alexander Wood's motion, " That, in the 

 opinion of this Council, the University authorities have, by pub- 

 lished resolutions, induced women to commence the 'study of 

 medicine at the University ; that these women, having prose- 

 cuted their studies to a certain length, are prevented from com- 

 ]ileting them for want of adequate provision being made for 

 their instruction ; that this Council, without again producing any 

 opinion on the advisability of women studying medicine, do 

 represent to the University Court, that, after what the Senatus 

 and Co'jrt have already done, they are at least bound in honour 

 and justice to render it possible for those women who have 

 already commenced their studies to complete them." 



According to M. Le Verrier, Prof. Alluard of Clermont- 

 Ferrand has obtained a grant of the necessary funds for estab- 

 lishing his long-projected observatory on the summit of the 

 Puy-de-Dome. 



F'athers Secchi and Denza and M. Diamilla Miiller are 

 engaged in organising a series of researches in the Mont Cenis 

 turmel, for the purpose of ascertaining what variations gravity 

 and magnetism may undergo there. 



The Mayor and other inhabitants of the town of Belfast lately 

 expressed their sense of Prof. Wyville Thomson's many efforts for 

 the encouragement of Science, and for the improvement and gra- 

 tifieation of the working classes, in a suitable address, accom- 

 panied by a valuable service of plate. 



The Bulletin Astroiiomiqiiegwt'a the following observations of 

 Tuttle's comet. From IVI. Borrelly of Marseilles: — October 12, 

 Marseilles ^LT., l6i'29"'l9% R.A. 9" 9'" 44=68, Decl. -f 44° 

 16' 15 '■!. The come! had the appearance of a diffuse nebulosity 



badly defined ; it appeared elongated in the direction N.W. by 

 S.E. ; it was feeble but of moderate extent, about 2' 20". The 

 approximate correction of Mr. Hind's ephemeris, given by this 

 first observation, is Ao = -H o"'-5, AS = -t- l° 3'. From MM. 

 Loevy and Tisserand of Paris :— Oc.ober 14, Paris M. T. 

 I2h 36"' I25-2, R A. 91. 14"' 35="29, polar distance, 47' 12' I3"'i. 

 The comet resembled a whitiah nebulosity, diffuse, aui of ir- 

 regular form. Its diameter was about 3' ; the light scarcely that 

 of a star of the 13th magnitude. 



Dr Hooker, of Kew, has placed the Lichens which he 

 collected during his Morocco expedition in the hands of the 

 Rev. W. A. Leighton, of Shte.vbbury, for examination and de- 

 termination. 



The first Servian Agricultural E.xhibition was op.ned with 

 great ceremony at Belgrade, on October 2. 



In addition to the announcements last week, the following 

 works are in preparation : — From Edward Stanford : — The Laws 

 of the Winds Prevailing in Western Europe, by W. Clement Ley, 

 with charts, diagrams, &c., Part I. ; Notes on the Geography ot 

 North America, Physical anl Political, intended to serve as a 

 text-book for the use of elementary classes ; Notes on the Geo- 

 graphy of South America, intended to serve as a text-book for 

 the use of elementary classes. The following additional volumes 

 are also announced to Weale's Series, published by Lockwood 

 and Co. :— Analytical Geometry and Conic Sections, by J. Hann, 

 new edition, entirely re-written by J. K. Voung, numerous dia- 

 grams ; Treatise on the Construction of Iron Bridges, Girders, 

 Roofs, and other Structures, by Francis Ca-npin, C.E., numerous 

 illustrations ; Drawing and Measuring Instruments, by J. F. 

 Heather, M.A., numerous woodcuts ; Optical Instruments, by 

 J. F. Heather, M.A., numerous woodcuts; Surveying and 

 Astronomical Instruments, by J. F. Heather, M. A., numerous 

 woodcuts ; Physical Geology, partly based on Portlock's " Rudi- 

 ments of Geology," by Ralph Tate, numerous woodcuts ; Histori- 

 cal Geology, partly based on Portlock's " Rudiments of Geology," 

 by Ralph Tate ; Emigrants' Guide to Tasmania and New Zea- 

 land, by James Baird, B.A. ; Workman's Manual of Engineering 

 Drawing, by J. Maxton, seven plates and nearly 325 woodcuts ; 

 Mining Tools, for the Use of Mine Managers, Agents, Students, 

 &c., by W. Morgans ; Atlas to the above, containing 235 illustra- 

 tions. 



A NEW horticultural Magazine is announced to be shortly 

 commenced', with the title of The Gtirthn, under the editorship of 

 Mr. W. Robinson, F.L.S., author of "Hardy Flowers," "Al- 

 pine Flowers for English Gardens," &c. 



A COMPLETE geological and statistical history of Australia by 

 C. E. Meinicke, with a magnificent coloured map by A. Peter- 

 mann, appears as a supplementary number of Petermann's 

 " Mittheilungen." 



The Ven. Archdeacon Pratt has reprinted a lecture on " The 

 Descent of Man in Conneciion with the Hypothesis of Develop- 

 ment," delivered at the Dalhousie Institute, Calcutta, on July 2S, 

 in which the Darwinian doctrine of evolution is vigorously 

 combated. 



The High Wycombe Natural History Society has resolved 

 upon a new course of action suggested by the fact that its 

 meetings had become pleasant social gatherings rather than in 

 any way furthering the pursuit of natural science. In future 

 the meetings will beheld at the house of the President, the Rev. 

 T. H. Browne, E.G. S., and will partake more of the nature of 

 classes for the study of certain subjects. A loss in the number 

 of members is expected, but it is hoped that those who remain 

 will benefit by the change. Other local societies would do 

 well to adopt a somewhat similar arrangement. The (Quarterly 

 Magazine of the above body is discontinued. 



