Dec. 2 1, 1871] 



NA TURE 



151 



various states of Central America, and has spent much of his 

 time there in the interest of dififerent trading communities, 

 and in promoting tlie route across the Isthmus. Dr. Seemann 

 is the author of several popular botanical worlds in German 

 and English, and has been since its foundation, Editor of the 

 JoiDnal of Botany, British and Foreign. 



Prof. Sedgwick's appeal for subscriptions from members of 

 the University of Cambridge, to enable him to purchase the valu- 

 able collection of fossils belonging to Mr. Leckenby, has resulted 

 in the collection of tlie sum required, 800/. Arrangements have 

 been made for the completion of the purchase, and it is expected 

 that in a few weeks Mr. Leckenby's valuable collections will be 

 deposited in the Cambridge Geological Museum. This prompt 

 ard liberal response to the touching appeal of the venerable 

 Professor demonstrates the regard in which he is universally 

 and deservedly held by the members of the University. 



The following is the result of the examination for the Natural 

 Science Tripos at Cambridge: — First Class — Garrod, John's; 

 Lydekker, Trinity ; Lewis, Downing ; Warrington, Caius. 

 Second Class — W. Edmunds, John's; Fox, Peter's; Read, 

 John's ; 0?/en, Downing; EverarJ, Trinity ; Maudslay, Trinity- 

 hall ; Brewer, John's ; Buddon, John's ; Wigan, Trinity ; Blunt, 

 John's. The following acquitted themselves so as to deserve 

 ordinary degrees :— Burrows, Caius ; Murphy, John's ; Phelps, 

 Sydney ; Pittman, Corpus ; Wakefield, Caius. In the second 

 class Fox and Reed are bracketed, also Brewer, Buddon, and 

 Wigan. 



Ne.xt ternij Mr. Ruskin, Slade Professor of the Fine Arts at 

 Oxford, will deliver a course of lectures on " The Relation of 

 Natural Science to Art." 



The Government is advertising the appointment, by open 

 competition, of a clerk to the Curator of the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew, and of a second assistant in the Herbarium. The salaries 

 commence at 100/. and 60/. respectively, and the specified age is 

 in one case from 20 to 30, and in the other from 18 to 30. The 

 examinations will take place on January 16. 



The following lectures have already been delivered this winter 

 at Manchester, as Science Lectures for the People : — -The first on 

 November 3 on "Yeast," by Prof. Huxley; November 10 

 "Coal Colours," by Prof. Roscoe ; November 16, "The Origin 

 of the English People," by Prof. A. S. Wilkins ; November 24, 

 "The Food of Plants," by Prof. Odling ; December I, "The 

 Unconscious Action of the Brain," by Dr. Carpenter. These 

 lectures are always well attended, but since they are all reported 

 and printed at the low price of a penny each, they appeal to a 

 much wider circle than most of a similar character. This is the 

 third year of these Science Lectures. The lectures for this 

 session and those of past years are published by John He>^vood, 

 Deansgate, Manchester. 



The Pall Mall Gazette states that the approaching 400th 

 anniversary of the birth of Copernicus has revived a contest of 

 long standing between Poland and Germany, each of which 

 claims the great astronomer as a son. The Germans argue that 

 he was a German because he was born in Thorn, which at the 

 time of Ids birth was under German rule ; to which the Poles 

 reply that Thorn was then really a Polish town, having been 

 separated from Poland only seven years before ; that his father 

 and mother were Poles ; that when he studied at Padua he en- 

 roiled himself among the students of the Polish nationality ; and 

 that throughout his life he gave constant proofs of his attachment 

 to Poland and her King. Poland has always honoured Coper- 

 nicus as one of her greatest men. A statue of him was erected 

 by national subscription many years ago at Warsaw, and there are 

 two others at Cracow, besides which numerous Polish medals and 

 books have been issued in celebration of his memory. The 



anniversary above mentioned will be celebrated on the 19th of 

 February, 1873, and great preparations are already being made 

 at Posen for the occasion. The "Society of the Friends of 

 Learning " in the old Polish city held a meeting the other day, 

 at which it was decided, on the motion of a Polish clergyman, 

 Canon Polkowski, to olTer a prize for the best life of Copernicus, 

 comprising the results of the latest investigations on the subject, 

 and to publish it in the Polish, French, and German langu.iges. 



With a view towards the completion of the collection of water 

 colour paintings illustrating the history of that art, Mr. William 

 Smith, Vice-President of the National Portrait Gallery Trustees, 

 has allowed Mr. Redgrave, R.A,, the Inspector-Gener.d for Art, 

 to select from his choice and valuable collection as mar.y lare 

 specimens as, in Mr. Redgrave's judgment, would illustrate the 

 early period of the art. The works selected by Mr. Redgrave 

 have been presented by Mr. Smith to the nation. 



It has been arranged that the new machines for printing, com- 

 posing, and distributing type, which have been recently perfected 

 at the Times printing office, shall be completely exhibited in 

 working at the London International Exhibition of 1872. The 

 power of rapid production by these several means is probably 

 threefold in advance of any existing modes of printing. The 

 Mail newspaper will be printed three times a week, and if 

 possible the daily supplement of the Times. 



The third part of Mr. W. H. Baily's "Figures of Charac- 

 teristic British Fossils, with Descriptive Remarks," has just been 

 published. Part 4, which will complete the fir^it volume, is in 

 progress ; each part consists of ten beautifully-executed plates, 

 and the text is interspersed with many woodcuts. These latter 

 are chiefly of recent forms. The figures are for the most part 

 original, and this little work most worthily fills up a blank in 

 biological literature. 



From the commencement of November till December 12, 

 a period of six weeks, the temperature at London was below 

 the average, with the break of only a single day. The tables 

 forwarded weekly by Mr. Glaisher to the Gardener's 

 Chronicle show the average depression during the whole of 

 that period to have amounted to as much as 6* -5 F. below 

 the mean of the last fifty years, the minimum being on De- 

 cember 8, when the thermometer fell to lS°"6, and the tem- 

 perature of the twenty-four hours was I9''3 below the mean. 

 Throughout France the month of November was very severe, 

 the mean temperature of the month having been lower only 

 four times during the last century. According to statistics pre- 

 sented to the Academy of Sciences by M. Ch. Sainte-Claire De- 

 ville, the thermometer fell as low as - ir'*3 C.(ll°7 F.) at Mon- 

 targis on December 3, while even at Marseilles the remarkably 

 low temperature (for that latitude) of -2"'5 C. (27°'5 F. ) is re- 

 corded on November 23. During the present month the frost 

 is stated to have been still more severe in France and Italy, 

 where much snow has fallen at Rome ; and the unusual de- 

 pression appears to have extended to North America. 



The Smithsonian' Report, 1869, contains an account of the 

 eruption of the Volcano of Colnna in June 1869, by Dr. Charles 

 Sartorius. The height of the volcano is 1 1, 745 feet, and it had re- 

 mained in repose since the last eruption in 1818. On June 12, 

 iS6g, dense smoke issued from the crater, and violent detonations 

 were heard. On the 13th smoke and stones were ejected from 

 the crater, and a "glowing upheaval" of the surface was seen. 

 It was visited on June 15, \\hen it was found that an upheaval of 

 some 1 14 feet by 754 feet had taken place, foi-ming a flattened 

 arch. The appearance was that of a wild mass of volcanic led- 

 hot rocks heaped one upon another, and constantly in motion, 

 not unlike freshly-burned lime when sprinkled with water. The 

 rocks which rolled down were, on cooling, of a grey colour. A 

 piece broken off rang like glass, and was vitreous and porous. 



