456 



NA TURE 



[September 8, 1904 



its size, depth, and geological relations, the beauty of 

 its environment, and the unique charm of the two 

 picturesque volcanic islets Martana and Bisentina, all 

 combine to render the lake attractive. 



Before the preliminary operations of the Geo- 

 graphical Society, very little was known about the lake 

 except with regard to the geology and morphology of 

 its basin ; the "contours of the bottom had been care- 

 fully mapped bv De Agostini, who had made no fewer 

 than 3000 soundings. No regular observations of_ the 

 .seasonal temperatures of its waters or of the variations 

 in their level, of seiches or of lacustrine plankton, had 

 ever been carried out. 



From a preliminary report prepared by Prof. Luigi 

 Palazzo,' we learn that limnological stations equipped 

 with Sarasin's limnograph and with other instruments 

 have been established on opposite sides of the lake at 

 Bolscna and at Marta, and that at chosen points in 

 the immediate vicinity five meteorological stations are 

 to yield continuous records of the rainfall and air 

 temperature. A gauge for measuring the height of 

 the water has also been fixed to a pier in the Fiume 

 Marta. 



One of the most interesting phenomena of which a 

 continuous record will be kept are the sesse or seiches, 

 the rhythmical oscillations of the surface of the lake. 



Fig. I. — Isola Martana. 



which have a regular period of 12 to 15 minutes, and 

 are more conspicuous at Marta than at Bolsena, 

 apparently on account of the position of the former 

 village nearer the major diameter of the lake, and on 

 account of differences in the declivity of the bottom. 

 A rise of the water of 7 inches at Marta was noticed 

 to be correlated with a rise of only 4 inches at Bolsena. 

 On occasions the rise of water may amount to a foot, 

 and the seiches are then so noticeable that the common 

 folk, in their expressive dialect, declare that the lake 

 is panting {trenfia). 



We hope that the full reports on the physical problems 

 connected with the lake may soon appear, and that the 

 investigation of the plankton will not be forgotten. 



R. T. GUNTHER. 



NOTES. 



It is proposed to fix a standard time for use upon all 

 Indian railways and telegraphs, which shall be exactly 55 

 hours in advance of Greenwich time, and to fix for Burma 

 a standard 65 hours in advance of Greenwich. The Govern- 

 ment of India has intimated that it is in favour of the 

 adoption of the new standard for general as well as for 

 railway and telegraphic purposes, and is prepared to 



1 " La Stazionc Limnologica di Bolsena." Pp. 19 ; 9 figs. 1 pi. {Botl. 

 Sac. Geo^. ItaL, v. 1904.) 



NO. 1 8 19, VOL. 70] 



cooperate in any movement with this end in view ; but as 

 the matter is one upon which the local communities should 

 be consulted, the opinions of the Chambers of Commerce 

 upon the proposals are being sought by the Government. 



The death is announced of Dr. Petr Petrovic van der 

 Vliet, emeritus professor of physics at the University of St. 

 Petersburg, aged si.xty-five. 



At the beginning of next month Prof. H. Battermann, 

 observer at the Berlin Observatory, will take the position 

 of professor of astronomy at Konigsberg University, and 

 director of the observatory there. 



In a message from Ponta Delgada (.\zores) on 

 September i. Captain Scott states that the Antarctic ship 

 Discovery may be expected to arrive at Spithead about 

 September 10. 



A Lii-E-sizED bronze bust of the late Sir Richard Temple 

 was unveiled last week in the parish church of Kempsey, 

 near Worcester, by the Earl of Coveatry, Lord Lieutenant 

 of Worcestershire. The inscription is as follows : — " The 

 Right Hon. Sir Richard Temple, Bart., G.C.S.I., CLE., 

 D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., sometime Governor of Bombay 

 and Finance Minister of India, and M.P. for Evesham and 

 Kingston. " 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer has appointed the 

 following gentlemen to serve as members of a committee 

 to inquire into the use of duty-free alcohol for industrial 

 purposes : — Sir Henry Primrose, K.C.B., C.S.I., chair- 

 man ; Sir William Crookes, F.R.S. ; Sir W. H. Holland, 

 M.P. ; the Hon. J. Scott-Montagu, M.P. ; Mr. Lothian D. 

 Nicholson; Dr. W. Somerville ; Dr. T. E. Thorpe, C.B., 

 F.R.S. ; and Mr. Thomas Tyrer. 



The fifteenth annual general meeting of the Institution 

 of Mining Engineers will be held at Birmingham on 

 September 14. The following are among the papers to be 

 read, or taken as read : — The mining department of the 

 University of Birmingham, Prof. R. A. S. Redmayne ; coal- 

 mining in Asturias, Prof. Henry Louis ; the problem of 

 Gob-fires, Mr. George Farmer ; an improved apparatus for 

 laying the dust in coal-mines, Mr. J. Creswell Roscamp ; 

 mine-surveying instruments, part ii., Mr. Dunbar D. Scott; 

 and the problem of dynamic balance, Mr. E. H. Roberton. 



The latest proceedings of the Indian Tea .Association 

 contain several items of interest in connection with the 

 proposed scientific experimental station in Assam. We 

 ' learn from the Pioneer Mail that the scientific adviser of 

 I the association recently explained his proposals for the 

 permanent location of his assistant in Assam, for the pro- 

 vision of a laboratory for him, and the initiation of e.xperi- 

 ments in tea culture under his direct supervision and control. 

 I An offer has been made by the agents of the Scottish Assam 

 I Tea Company to provide a sinall bungalow and tea for 

 experiment in the immediate neighbourhood of the bunga- 

 low, and further land for experiments as required. It was 

 j decided to accept the offer of the Scottish Assam Tea 

 Company, and arrangements have been made for the 

 erection of a laboratory. 



In connection with the recent announcement of the death 

 i of the Rev. George Pirie, LL.D., professor of mathematics 

 j in the University of .-Xberdeen, the following particulars 

 ' may be of interest. Dr. Pirie was born at Dyce on July ig, 

 I 1843, being the eldest son of the \'ery Rev. Principal Pirie. 

 [ His early years were spent at Aberdeen Grammar School, 



