AprIL 28, 1904] 
NA TORE 
617 
represents is to promote cooperation among manufacturers, 
technical education of opticians and standardisation, or the 
application of scientific methods and standards to organ- 
jsation and the checking of optical work. In Germany a 
large proportion of recent progress is due to the stimulating 
and helpful influence of the Reichsanstalt. Dr. Glazebrook 
hoped that in a few years’ time a future president of the 
Optical Society would be able to say, when reviewing the 
progress of the optical trade, that a large proportion of the 
advance was due to the work of the National Physical 
Laboratory. 
THE report of the Meteorological Council for the year 
1902-3, recently presented to Parliament, has now been 
issued. The work of the Meteorological Office is briefly 
summarised under (1) ocean meteorology; collection and 
discussion of data from all parts of the ocean, and the loan 
of instruments to the Royal Navy and Mercantile Marine. 
The total number of instruments of all kinds issued during 
the year for the use of the Navy and Mercantile Marine 
was more than 1700. Barometers are also supplied to fish- 
ing stations; the total number of these instruments on loan 
was 229 at the end of the year in question. (2) Weather 
telegraphy; collection of telegraphic observations three 
times a day from selected stations in the British Isles and 
Europe, the issue of daily weather reports, weather fore- 
casts, and storm warnings, also of special forecasts for 
agriculturists during hay and corn harvests (June to 
September). (3) Climatology; collection and publication of 
‘observations from observatories and land stations in the 
British Isles and British possessions. (4) Miscellaneous 
investigations ; e.g. work in connection with an inquiry into 
London fog, and a statement of the conspicuous features of 
the weather during the year, including the readings of 
anemometers amounting to or exceeding a velocity of 
44 miles per hour, corresponding to an estimated wind- 
force of 9 by Beaufort’s scale. To this latter sub- 
ject a special appendix is devoted. All the branches of 
the office are utilised for the preparation of replies to 
mumerous inquiries by public bodies, newspaper reporters 
and private persons. The report shows greatly increased 
activity in all branches; special mention may be made of 
the supply of weekly and quarterly returns for the Registrar 
‘General’s reports, and of the collection and publication of 
observations from foreign and colonial stations. Notwith- 
standing the increase of work, the funds at the disposal of 
the Meteorological Council remain stationary. The perusal 
of the report clearly shows that the useful operations of the 
‘office are to a considerable extent crippled by the want of 
sufficient means to carry on the work of a practically im- 
portant public department on the lines followed by some of 
the foreign meteorological offices, and to enable it to fulfil 
the constantly increasing requirements of the service in this 
country. 
In the Bulletin de la Société d’Encouragement M. J. 
Pillet presents a report on the “‘ Little ’’ universal drawing 
justrument submitted by Commander Mahon, of the U.S: 
Federal Army. The instrument consists essentially of two 
jointed parallelograms or frames, by means of which a 
piece called the turning plate can be shifted from one part 
of the diagram to another without rotation. Pivoted to 
this portion are two rulers at right angles, which by means 
of a scale of degrees can be rotated through any desired 
angle, and these rulers have scales by which any desired 
length can be measured off. The advantages of the 
apparatus for quickly drawing force-diagrams for engineer- 
ing purposes are obvious from the illustration accompanying 
the paper. 
NO. 1800, VOL. 69] 
! accordingly a special Bulletin (No. 
Steps are being taken to promote public instruction in 
silkk-culture om a modern scientific basis in. America, and. 
39) has been issued by 
the Entomological Division on the culture and life-history 
| of the silkworm and its moth. 
A REPORT, published at Birmingham, on injurious insects 
and other animals observed in the midland counties during 
last year has been drawn up by Mr. W. E. Collinge, of 
Birmingham University. It is well illustrated, and contains 
much valuable information for farmers and gardeners. 
Future annual reports are promised. 
Tue Boston Natural History Society is preparing com- 
plete lists of the fauna of New England, of which the first 
part, containing the reptiles, has been issued in Occasional 
Papers. These lists are to prepare the way for a complete 
illustrated monograph of the fauna which the society pro- 
poses to publish. 
A paper dealing with noxious insects is published in the 
Boletim of the Goeldi Museum under the title of ** Os 
Mosquitos no Para.” The author, Prof. E. Goeldi, directs 
special attention to Stegomyia fasciata and Culex fatigans, 
and is desirous of obtaining information as to their range 
and habits from all parts of the country. The former 
species, at any rate, is believed to have been introduced 
from Africa. Many experiments are recorded as to the 
infections produced severally by these species, of which the 
first is diurnal and the second nocturnal. 
Tue April number of Bird Notes and News contains a 
reference to various rare birds—including an  avocet, 
bustards, and waxwings—which have lately visited our 
islands, and have mostly shared the usual fate of such 
wanderers. The need for effectual legal protection (if such 
could be devised) for rare birds of this type is emphasised, 
but it is pointed out that even were such birds made Crown 
property, as has been suggested, this would not help the 
case of locally rare species. 
An important place was assigned at the fifteenth annual 
meeting of the Association of Economic Entomologists, held 
at Washington in December, 1902 (of which the report 
appears in No. 40 of the Bulletins of the Entomological 
Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture), to a survey 
of the literature of the subject published in the States, and 
to a discussion of the best means of bringing the work of 
fhe division to the notice of those sections of the public 
more especially concerned. It was suggested that news- 
paper articles, leaflets, somewhat larger popular bulletins 
treating of particular species or groups of species, and larger 
popular monographs seemed the best means for attaining 
the end in view. 
To the April number of the Independent Review Dr. 
A. R. Wallace contributes the first part of an article on 
““The Birds of Paradise in the Arabian Nights.’’ In the 
introductory paragraphs the author states that he is 
generally disposed to believe in the truth of popular legends 
connected with natural history, the assertion that vipers 
swallow their young being a case in point. Accordingly he 
is predisposed to look with favour on the theory that the 
‘‘Tslands of Wak-Wak’”’ mentioned in the ‘ Arabian 
Nights * are really the Aru Islands, and that they take their 
name from ‘‘ wawk-wawk,’’ the cry of the great bird-of- 
paradise. The portion of the article contained in the issue 
before us deals only with the identification of the locality 
to which ‘‘ the bride with the feather-dress ’’ was brought 
with the south-eastern lower slopes of the Elburz Moun- 
