on 
NATURE 
| NOVEMBER 19, 1896 
miles in point of distance, and the loss of time entailed by the 
crowded roads into and out of Reigate. Even when this is 
taken into account, their rate must have been sixteen or seven- 
teen miles an hour. The Panhard car, which won the race from 
Marseilles to Paris, arrived at 3.46, and Mr. H. J. Lawson’s car 
at 4.52, after which cars arrived every few minutes. Up to six 
o'clock thirteen cars had pulled up at their Brighton destination, 
and twenty arrived there without accident out of the twenty-two 
which left Brixton. The Panhard car, a phaeton of the British 
Motor Syndicate, and the ‘‘ Present Times” car raced back from 
Brighton to London on Tuesday. The first of these covered the 
distance in three hours fifteen minutes, stoppages deducted—an 
average speed of sixteen miles an hour. The second car came in 
five minutes behind, and the third half an hour later. In con- 
nection with this subject, reference may be profitably made 
to the current number of Zzdustries and ron, dealing almost 
entirely with auto-cars and their development. One of the 
features of the number is a reprint of the paper on ‘‘ Horse- 
less Koad Locomotion,” read by Mr. A. R. Sennett at the 
Liverpool meeting of the British Association, accompanied by 
the many interesting illustrations shown at the meeting. 
A COMPLETE edition of the works of Descartes, edited by 
Prof. Ch. Adams, of Dijon, and M. P. Tannery, of the Collége 
de France, is to be published under the auspices of the French 
Ministry of Public Instruction, in honour of the third centenary 
of the birth of that philosopher. The edition will contain not 
only Descartes’ philosophical and scientific publications, but 
also five volumes of correspondence. 
Dr. Percy FRANKLAND, F.R.S., will read a paper on 
November 24, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, on ‘* The 
Bacterial Purification of Water.”’ In view of the controversy 
which has recently arisen on the bacteriological aspect of the 
County Council’s report on the London Water Supply, the above 
paper should afford an appropriate opportunity for the discussion 
of various questions connected with water bacteriology. 
THE Sunday Lecture Society has arranged a short course of 
twelve lectures, to be given in St. George’s Hall, Langham 
Place, on Sunday afternoons at 4 o'clock, commencing on 
November 29. Among the lecturers who have been engaged 
are Prince Kropotkin, Mr. Robert Wallace, M.P., Prof. Miall, 
F.R.S., Prof. Vivian B. Lewes, Prof. Norman Collie, F.R.S., 
Dr. Morris, C.M.G., Dr. C. W. Kimmins, Mr. Arthur 
Claydon, Rev. H. N. Hutchinson, Mr. Richard Kerr, and 
Mr. W. Herbert-Jones. 
REFERRING to the note in last week’s NAVvURE, announcing 
a prize of £50 for the best treatise upon ‘‘the causes of the 
something of interest. Quite recently a friendly expression of 
good will was received in reply from Lord Salisbury, who stated 
| that he had brought the matter before the (Queen, and that her 
Majesty had been graciously pleased to present the Society with 
an engraved portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, whose 
connection with small-pox prevention is well known to every 
one, This gift from the Queen is ‘highly appreciated by the 
Society. 
THE 77es correspondent at Buffalo reports that immediately 
after midnight on Sunday last, the machinery which has been 
erected at Niagara Falls for the production of electric power and 
its distribution, was set in motion; and the receipt of the power 
at Buffalo, twenty-six miles distant, was announced by a salute 
of artillery. The first Buffalo customer is the Buffalo Street 
Railway Company, supplying street conveyance for the entire 
city of 375,000 souls. This was originally worked by horses, 
and later by dynamos driven by local steam-engines. The 
latter are now superseded to the extent of 1000 horse-power out 
of a total of 7000 from the cataract of Niagara. The aggregate 
horse-power from Niagara already contracted for in Buffalo is 
10,000 ; and many manufacturers are anxiously waiting to have 
their applications accepted. From this it is safe to predict that 
it is only a question oftime, and no very great time, when all of 
| the industries here requiring power will receive it from Niagara 
Falls, and that the twenty-two miles separating the two cities 
will be built solid with smokeless and teeming factories. 
Pror. D. G. Erion, the leader of the Field Columbian 
| Museum of Chicago Expedition, and Mr. C. E, Akeby, his 
present obscurity and confusion in psychological and philo- | 
sophical terminology, and the directions in which we may hope 
for efficient practical remedy,” we are informed that the mem- 
bers of the Committee of Award to whom competing essays may 
be sent, are as follows:—Prof. Sully, 1 Portland Villas, East 
Heath Road, Hampstead, London, N.W.; G. F. Stout, 
University, Aberdeen, N.B.; Prof. Titchener, Cornell Uni- 
versity, Ithaca, N.Y.; Prof. Kulpe, Wursburg, Germany. 
Arrangements are being made to adda French member to be 
Committee. 
THE British Vedical Journal states that the Russian National 
Health Society has finally selected November 24 (December 6) 
as the date for the Jenner celebration. The numerous delays 
and postponements which have occurred, while they have been 
unfortunate in some ways, have enabled the Society to gather a 
more representative collection of exhibits than they could have 
done had the celebration been held earlier. Nearly all the 
foreign Governments to whom application was made have sent 
NO. 1412, VOL. 55 
assistant, left Southampton on Saturday for New York by the 
S¢. Lows on their return from a most successful expedition 
into Somaliland, whither they went in March last for the purpose 
of making a natural history collection for the museum. In con- 
versation with a representative of Reuter’s Agency, Prof. Elliot 
said :—‘* I have obtained a very extensive collection, chiefly of 
the large mammals, probably the most complete ever brought 
out of any country by one party. No fewer than fifty-eight cases 
and barrels were shipped direct from Aden to Chicago, where 
they will arrive at the end of November. I obtained, moreover, 
over 300 specimens of birds, fish, insects, and reptiles.” 
IN an interview with a representative of Reuter’s Agency, M. 
de Gerlache, the lieutenant in the Belgian Navy who is the 
organiser and leader of the projected Belgian Antarctic expedi- 
dition, stated that the expedition is to start from Antwerp on or 
about July 15 next, in the steamer the Be/gzca, which at present 
is lying at Sande Fiord, in Norway. The vessel will have to 
undergo extensive alterations before she enters on her voyage, 
especially with a view to securing her against ice-pressure ; and 
a laboratory is to be constructed on the deck for the use of the 
scientific members of the expedition. The Ge/gica will carry a 
three-years’ supply of provisions, a considerable portion of the 
preserved food having been specially prepared for the expedition. 
The scientific staff will consist of M. Archowsky, a Belgian 
geological chemist, who is attached to the General Institute of 
Chemistry at Liege ; M. Danco, a Belgian artillery lieutenant, 
to whom the magnetic and meteorological observations will be 
entrusted ; M. Racovitza, who will conduct the dredging opera- 
tions; and M. Taguin, a Belgian, who. in addition to his duties 
as doctor to the expedition, will assist the other scientific mem- 
| bers in their work. The members of the expedition will devote 
themselves more especially to geological and zoological research. 
They will determine the sea temperature at different depths, 
and, in short, aim at making researches similar to those made by 
the Cha/lengey and in other Antarctic expeditions. 
THE Russian Geographical Society has received a very in- 
teresting piece of news from Sven Hedin, the Swedish explorer, 
