August 9, 1H83] 



NA TURE 



353 



cataloguing the whole of the Museum collections is being pushed 

 forward as rapidly as possible. The most serious loss ever sus- 

 tained by the Museum has occurred through the recent destruc- 

 tion of the Garden Palace — the large and varied collection of 

 technological and ethnological specimens sent there for exhibi- 

 tion having been totally destroyed by the fire which consumed 

 the building. The Technological Committee lo^t no time in 

 commencing a new collection ; and, having already obtained 

 many ethnological specimens of great intere t, they are taking 

 steps to secure as many others as possible. This is a work which ad- 

 mits of no delay, as genuine ethnological examples from the islands 

 are becoming scarcer every day, in consequence of the general 

 spread of trade and civilisation through the whole of Polynesia. 

 Suitable accommodation for the display of the technological and 

 ethnological specimens a'ready in hand should at once, if pos- 

 sible, be provided. The most important work carried on by the 

 Trustees during the year has been the exploration of the caves 

 and rivers of Australia. It was continued Until the close of 

 December at the Wellington Caves, where the bones of an im- 

 mense Echidna and of a large Struthian bird allied to the Emu, 

 a^ well as some smaller animals of less note, hitherto unknown 

 to science, have been discovered and added to the Museum. 

 Numerous other fossil bones valuable for exchanges with foreign 

 museums have been obtained. The exploration of rivers was 

 conducted by the assistant taxidermist in Queensland, where 

 strong hopes of discovering some new Ganoid fi-hes were enter- 

 tained. A special report of this work, with a list of the speci- 

 mens procured, is given in appendices. 



The Clothworkers' Company have agreed to give a donation 

 of 10,000/. for the enlargement of the Textile and Industrial 

 Department of the Yorkshire College at Leeds. Altogether the 

 Clothworkers' Company have given upwards of 25,000/. towards 

 this institution. 



The Ornithological Society of Vienna wishes to call the 

 attention of English ornithologists to the International Congress 

 of Ornithologists which will be held next spring at Vien.a 

 in connection with the annual exhibition of the Ornitho- 

 logical Society of Vienna, under the protection of H.I.H. 

 the Crown Prince Archduke Rudolf of Austria. The chief 

 business of the Congress will be to pass preliminary resolutions 

 for international legislation regarding the protection of birds. 

 The Austrian Government will send out invitations to the dif- 

 ferent foreign Governments, and will grant a free passage to 

 Vienna to the representative of each foreign Government. All 

 those interested in the above subject should apply for further 

 information to Dr. Gustavus von Hayek, Hon. First Secretary 

 of the Ornithological Society of Vienna, 3, Marokkaner Gas-e, 

 Vienna. 



The following list of candidates successful in the competition 

 for the Whitworth Scholarships, 1S83, has been issued by the 

 Science and Art Department: — James Hamilton, Engineer, 

 200/. ; William E. Dalby, Engineer Apprentice, 150/. ; John 

 L. Barnes, Engineer Apprentice, 150/. ; Thomas K. Mackenzie, 

 Student, formerly Mechanical Engineer, 150/; William Sumner, 

 fitter, 150/. ; Frank W. Dodd, Engineer Apprentice, 150/ ; 

 Charles N. Pickworth, Mechanical Engineer, 150/. ; Henry E. 

 Kitton, Mechanical Engineer, 150/ ; James Layzell, Engineer 

 Apprentice, 150.'. ; Horace W. Meteyard, Engineer, 100/. ; 

 Alfred S. Ormsby, Mechanic, 100/. ; William P. Abell, Me- 

 chanical Engineer, 100/. ; Alfred W. Bevis, Tutor, formerly 

 Engineer Apprentice, 100/. ; John W. Aston, Engineer Appren- 

 tice, 100/. ; Alfred E. Mackett, Marine Engine Fitter, 100/. ; 

 Victor F. Whitehead, Engineer, 100/. ; Charles Lang, Pattern 

 Maker, 100/. ; James Bradshaw, Mechanical Engineer, 100/. ; 

 Alfred J. Joshua, Fitter, 100/. ; William A. Rogerson, Fitter, 

 100.'. ; William E. Donohue, Draughtsman (Marine), 100/. ; 



Albert H. Case, Engineer, 100/. ; Alexander Shannon, Engi- 

 neer, 100/. ; Mark K. Bullimore, Fitter, 100/. ; John S. Bean, 

 Engineering Draughtsman, 100/. 



The biennial marine excursion of the Birmingham Natural 

 History and Microscopical Society, which took place at 

 Oban in July last, and lasted for ten days, was on the 

 whole most successful. It was attended by twenty-three 

 members of the Society. A superior screw steam yacht, the 

 Aerolite, was chartered for the occasion, and the weather being 

 very fine, dredging was carried on daily at various stations 

 which were all recorded on a chart at depths which varied from 

 fifteen to one hundred fathoms. The principal object of this 

 excursion was to secure further specimens of the Pennatulida, 

 a few only of which were taken in the dredgings at the same 

 place during 1881. There formed the subject of a special report 

 made to the Society last year by Prof. Marshall, D.Sc, and Mr. 

 W. P. Marshall, M.I.C.E., and for which the Darwin Gold 

 Medal, given by the Midland Union of Natural History Societies 

 was awarded at the Tamworth meeting held in June last. Some 

 special in-truments made of galvanised iron and armed with 

 hooks were devised by Mr. W. P. Marshall for the occasion, 

 called the " plough" and the "harrow." These, together with 

 the dredges and trawl, were for the first time on these excursions 

 worked by means of steam gear. A small dredge measuring a 

 few inches was used by hand for testing the nature of the bottom 

 of the sea, and all these various appliances worked admirably. 

 A large number of specimens of Funiculina quadrangularis and 

 Pcnnatula phosphorta in various stages of growth were secured 

 in fine condition and u ibroken. A number of specimens of 

 Sponges, Zoophytes (including a rare free form of Zoaiil/ius 

 conchii, var. liber, Gosse), Echinoderms, Crustaceans, Annelids, 

 Tunicates, Mollusca, &c, were also secured. These were exhi- 

 bited and described to the members during the days and in the 

 evenings by Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., chairman of the excur- 

 sion, Mr. W. P. Marshall and Mr. J. F. Goode, Hon. Sec. of 

 the Biological Section, who have also made a preliminary report 

 thereon to a recent meeting of the Society. During the excur- 

 sion phosphorescence was for the first time observed in Funu «- 

 Una, the characteristic pale blue light, coruscating over the whole 

 series of polypes, the length of the specimen being between 

 three and four feet, and presenting a very beautiful effect when 

 viewed in the dark. In addition to the dredging, some attention 

 was paid to the botany and geology of the district by several of 

 the members. During a walk on July I fifty species of plants 

 were gathered in flower. A collection of specimens of the rocks of 

 Oban and the vicinity, including Staflfa, Iona, Mull, Glencoe> 

 Easdale, &c, was also made for future examination. 



The city of Geneva intends to utilise the current of the Rhone 

 for lighting the whole of the city. A report on the question 

 is being drawn up, which will be submitted to the Council of 

 State. 



A preliminary meeting of the members of the future Societe 

 des Eleclriciens took place at the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs . 

 M. Cochery was present, but he declined to preside over the 

 proceedings, and the honour was bestowed upon M. Berger. 



An electrical omnibus was recently tried on the Com- de 

 Carrousel, Paris, before M. Cochery to prove the facility with 

 which this sort of carriage is handled in spite of its immense 

 weight. The trial, which took place in the busiest hours ol 

 the day, attracted much notice from the passers-by, and was 

 generally deemed satiisactory. 



The Italia del Pofolo, in one of its latest numbers, gives the 

 names of a number of localities from which birds and insects 

 have disappeared just before invasions of cholera. 



The death is announced, at the age of 83, of Linant Pasha 

 (Linant de Bellefinds), one of the leading personages connected 



