Ahrj. 30, I 871 J 



NA TURE 



pulilication, in two volumes, a rendering into German, by Herr 

 Schellen, of the French translation of P. Secchi's "Le Soleil." 



The Feuillc des yeuncs Naturalistes, to which we called atten- 

 tion some time ago, has entered on its second year of existence 

 in a somewhat enlarged form. Aiming at the development of an 

 intelligent love of nature amongst French schoolboys, it claims 

 the syiniiathy of all those amongst ourselves who, by means of 

 school museums and natural history societies, are labouring in 

 the same field. The editor solicits contributions from Eiig.r,u 

 boys, on any subject connected with natural science, which he 

 promises carefully to translate and publish. 



On Ihe 5th of January, 1872, will be published, in Bombay 

 the first number of a monthly journal, the Indian Antiquary, 

 intended as a medium of communication between Oriental 

 scholars in India, Europe, and America, and a repertory for in- 

 lormation on the Antiquities, History, Geography, Literature, 

 Religion, Mythology, Natural History, Ethnography, and Folk- 

 lore of India and adjoining countries, and thus embracing a 

 similar variety of subjects to the English Notis and Queries, the 

 plan of whieh the Indian Antiquary will, to some extent, follow. 

 The most eminent Orientalists in India, Europe, and America, 

 it is expected, will become contributors to the pages of this 

 journal, and it will be edited by Mr. J. Burgess, M.R.A. S.> 

 F. R.G. S. Ttie London agan:s will be Messrs. Triibner and Co" 



Wk. have received the first number of " The Garden," a 

 weekly newspaper, edited by Mr. W. Robinson, F. L.S. It 

 contains original articles by the editor and other correspondents 

 on gardening topics, illustrated by wood-cuts, instructions for 

 gardeners suited to the time of the year, descriptions of new 

 plants, &c. 



Mr. W. F. Denning, the Honorary Secretary of the Ob- 

 serving Astronomical Society, publishes "Astronomical Pheno- 

 mena in 1872," a complete guide to the astronomer for the more 

 important phenomena to be looked for during the year. 



Mr. Rothschild, of the Rue des Saints Peres, Paris, has 

 commenced publishing, in large folio numbers, a magnificent 

 work upon the Trajan Column at Rome. A complete series of 

 mouldings was executed in 1862, by order of the Emperor, for 

 the Louvre Museum. A cast was taken of these mouldings in 

 galvano, by the Procede Oadry, and from these casts phototypo- 

 graphic plates have been djna. There will also be many wood- 

 cuts interspersed through tlie work. The letterpress will be by 

 M. W. Frochnor, the conservator of the Louvre Museum. It 

 will be finished in 1S73. 



Mr. Cuthbert Collingwood, M.A. and B.M., O.xon, 

 F. L. S. , &c., author of " Rambles of a Naturalist on the Shores 

 and Waters of the China Seas," &c., announces, as in the 

 press, "A Vision of Creation," a poem, with an introduction, 

 geological, and critical. 



Prof. Huxley, in his address at the distribution of prizes at 

 the Oxford Local Examination at Manchester, spoke as follows : 

 " He believed that he was speaking entirely within measure 

 when he said now that there was nowhere in the world a more 

 efficient or better school, so far as it went, for teaching the great 

 branches of physical science than was at the present time to be 

 found in the University of Oxford. He thought it riglit that 

 he should here state what had come to his knowledge as a mem- 

 ber of the Royal Commission connected with these matters. 

 That noble University had within the last ten or fifteen years 

 devoted no less than aboiU 100,000/. to the endowment and 

 equipment of physical science and physical science only. 



M. JOL\', a distinguished member of the French Academy of 

 Medicine, has recently read a paper before that learned society, 

 in which he attributes the enervation of the nation, as evinced 



during the late war, to the combined effect of alcohol and nico- 

 tine upon the national character. "Tobacco," s.ays Dr. Joly, 

 " although of only recent introduction, has gained upon its older 

 rival. Imitativeness and 'moral contagion' have done their 

 work, until tlie use of this poison has penetrated everywhere — 

 has enslaved the nation, caused personal and racial degeneracy, 

 enervated the entire army, and made it slow to fight and power- 

 less in action. The use both of spirits and tobacco lin« fright- 

 fully increased, and hum;,n depravity c^uld scarcely devise a 

 worse compound than the mixture of brandy and tobacco, which 

 is the latest liquid novelty patronised by Parisian sensualists. 

 The French consume more tobacco than any other nation." 



The Gardener's Chroniele states that a series of photographs 

 devoted to the illustration of Linnean relics has been recently 

 issued in Sweden, and copies are to be procured in London. 

 They consist of photographs of Linne's statue in the Botanical 

 Garden at Upsala, of the Botanical Garden itself, the monument 

 in Upsala Cathedral, his country seat and museum at Hammarby, 

 a portrait, one of his letters, and other objects of interest in con- 

 nection with the great naturalist. 



An interesting contribution to the supposed "Serpent Wor- 

 ship " in Scotland is stated to have been lately discovered near 

 the shores of Loch Fell, near Oban, where the form of a mon- 

 strous serpent three hundred feet in length has been disinterred. 

 From the accounts which have been published it would appear 

 that the figure of the serpent was excavated in the rocks above 

 the lake, and had become overgrown. 



Some interesting experiments have lately been tried at the 

 Crystal Palace to improve the illuminating power of ordinary 

 gas. The inventor, by mixing a certain proportion of oxygen 

 with the gas as it issues from the burner, claims to have found 

 both a more economical and a more wholesome method of burn- 

 ing gas. There is no doubt that the light is much more bril- 

 liant, the only question is whether it is not too expensive. The 

 o.xygen is generated by passing supersaturated steam over red 

 manganate of soda previously heated in dry air. The steam 

 absorbs the oxygen from the manganate, and on being con- 

 densed the oxygen passes over alone and is mixed with the gas at 

 the burner. 



The Indian Medical Gazette says that a report furnished by the 

 Inspector of Police to the Bengal Government shows that of 939 

 cases of snake bites in which ammonia was administered by the 

 police 702 are reported to have recovered, and the average length 

 of time between the bite and llie application of the ammonia is 

 said to have been in fatal cases 4h. 12m. 13s, and in cases of 

 recovery 3h. 28m. 14s. 



On the 29th of September a slight shock of earthquake was 

 felt at Memoodabad in the Ahmedabad CoUectorate, Bombay. 



It is stated that an aerolite weighing 1271b. fell lately near 

 Montereau (Seine-et-Marne) in France It appears to have come 

 from the east, and burst with a loud explosion, giving a bright 

 blue light. It is of an irregular spheroid shape and black, and 

 is to be sent to the Academy of Sciences. 



A very violent typhoon raged at Hongkong on the 2nd of 

 September, doing an immense amount of damage both on land 

 and sex 



On October i6th a terrific hurricane swept over Halifax, New 

 Bnmswick, and caused a large amount of damage. It was 

 accompanied by an extraordinai-y high tide, which was un- 

 exampled in the history of the city for damage and violence. On 

 the same and the following day, very heavy storms were ex- 

 perienced on Lake Superior and Lake Huron, which caused the 

 destruction of many vessels and the loss of numerous lives. 



In Ecuador there have been discovered in the forests of Santa 

 Helena the trees yielding the red guinea bark. 



