January 14, 1897] 
and inventors were entitled, was closed on December 31, 1896. 
The Academy now gives notice that the new term for com- 
petition for the eleventh Bressa Prize, to which scientific men 
and inventors of all nations will be admitted, has begun. A 
prize will, therefore, be awarded to the scientific author or 
inventor, whatever his nationality, who during the years 1895-08, 
“‘ according to the judgment of the Royal Academy of Sciences 
of Turin, will have made the most important and useful dis- 
covery, or published the most valuable work on physical and 
experimental science, natural history, mathematics, chemistry, 
physiology, and pathology, as well as geology, history, 
geography, and statistics.” The term will be closed at the 
end of December 1898. The sum fixed for the prize, deducting 
income tax, will be of 9600 francs. Competitions, which must 
be in print, must be sent in within the above-stated time, 
accompanied by a letter to the President of the Academy. 
Unsuccessful competitive works are not returned. None of the 
national members, resident or non-resident, of the Turin 
Academy can obtain the prize. The prize may, however, be 
awarded to a non-competitor if he is considered the most worthy 
to receive it. 
We have it on the authority of the Z%mes correspondent at 
Monte Video, that the report is fully confirmed that Prof. 
Giuseppe Sanarelli, who is director of the Uruguayan National 
Institute of Experimental Hygiene, has discovered the bacillus 
of yellow fever, and will shortly publish the result of his experi- 
ments. He has already reported his discovery to the Academy 
of Medicine in Rome. 
IN consequence of the danger for Russia caused by the spread 
of the plague in India, the Russian Government has decided to 
appoint a special commission, under the presidency of the chief 
of the sanitary department, Dr. Rogozin, whose task will be to 
decide upon the necessary measures of precaution and the means 
for carrying them out promptly. We learn from the 7%es 
correspondent at Cairo, that Rogers Pasha, Director-General of 
the Sanitary Department, and Dr. Bittar, Gsvernment bacterio- 
logist, are commissioned to study the epidemic plague in 
Bombay and the best measures for safeguarding Egypt against 
its introduction, the danger lying especially in the infection of 
the Mecca pilgrims. 
THE Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer MWadca 
arrived in Plymouth Sound, from Calcutta, on Saturday last, 
with a detachment of the North Lancashire Regiment, and it | 
was reported that several cases of cholera had occurred among 
the troops a few days after the vessel had touched at Port Said. 
Seven deaths have taken place, and eight cases are now under 
treatment in the hospital ship Pégwe ; but there is no suspicion 
that the disease will extend further. The origin of the outbreak 
of the disease on board the ship is at present doubtful, but 
medical officers of the Local Government Board are actively 
engaged in investigating it. Dr. Bulstrode has given it as his 
opinion that there was no fault in the water supply of the ship. 
It is suggested that fruit consumed at Port Said was the source 
of the disease, but little support can be found for this theory. 
As the outbreak occurred among men of a regiment at present 
stationed at Ceylon, possibly it originated at Colombo, where 
there was a sharp attack of cholera shortly before Christmas. 
Mr. Horatio HALE, of Canada, the well-known anthropo- 
logist, died on December 29. He was vice-president of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Science, for the 
Anthropological Section in 1886, at the third Buffalo meet- 
ing. We regret also to record the deaths of Johann August 
Streng, the mineralogist, at Giessen; Dr. John William 
Stubbs, Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin; Dr. P. 
NO. 1420, VOL. 55 
NATURE 
SY 
Binet, Deputy Professor of Therapeutics in the University of 
Geneva, and author of numerous researches on the action of 
drugs, aged forty-one; Dr. Ferdinand Morawitz. founder of the 
Entomological Society of St. Petersburg ; and Dr. Modest Galanin, 
editor of the St. Petersburg Journal of Public Hygiene. 
THE large male Patagonian Sea-lioa (Otaria jubata), which 
has been one of the great attractions in the Zoological Society’s 
Gardens since its arrival in 1866, having died of old age, its 
place has been temporarily filled by a small female of the Cape 
Sea-lion (Ovaria pusilla). But measures are being taken, we 
believe, to obtain another representative of one of the larger 
species of this group. 
Durinc his recent adventurous journey across British New 
Guinea (see Geogr. Journ., 1897, p. 93), Sir William MacGregor 
discovered a fine new Bird of Paradise on the heights of Mount 
Scratchley. An example of this bird has arrived in England 
to be figured in the next number of the /és, and will be ex- 
hibited by Mr. Sclater at the next meeting of the British 
Ornithologists’ Club on the 2oth inst. 
THERE are now in this country, says the British Trade 
Journal, a number of Japanese experts appointed by their 
Government to study the iron and steel making processes and 
plant of the leading European and American works. They 
will leave shortly for the continent, to examine the prin- 
cipal iron and steel centres of France, Belgium, and Germany, 
and probably of Austria and Sweden, returning to this country 
to visit South Wales prior to their departure for Japan ad the 
United States. At the end of their tour they are to decide 
upon the processes and plant best adapted for the production of 
steel and iron from Japanese coal and ore, the Japanese Govern- 
ment having voted 500,000/, for the establishment of works for 
this purpose near Shimonoseki. The building of these is to 
begin next autumn, and they will, when finished, have ar 
output of 100,000 tons a year. 
On Tuesday next, January 19, Prof. Augustus D. Waller, 
F.R.S., will deliver the first of a course of twelve lectures on 
** Animal Electricity,” at the Royal Institution. On Thursday, 
January 21, Prof. Henry A. Miers, F.R.S., will begin a course 
of three lectures on ‘‘ Some Secrets of Crystals.” The Friday 
evening meetings of the members will commence on January 
22, when Prof. Dewar will deliver a lecture on ‘‘ Properties of 
Liquid Oxygen.” Prof. J. C. Bose will deliver his discourse, on 
“‘The Polarisation of the Electric Ray,” on Friday evening, 
January 29, and not on February 5, as previously announced, 
THE second series of the Sunday Lecture Society’s pro- 
gramme commences on January 17, when Prof. Norman Collie, 
F.R.S., will lecture on ‘‘ The Mountains of Britain.” Among 
the other lecturers who will discourse on Sunday afternoons at 
St. George’s Hall, Langham Place, between now and the end of 
of next month, are Prof. L. C. Miall, F.R.S., on ‘‘ Life on the 
Surface of Water”; Dr. C. W. Kimmins, on ‘‘ Ancient and 
Modern Views of Fire” ; and Mr. Arthur W. Clayden, upon 
“The Light of the Stars.” 
No excuse is needed in again directing attention to the 
appeal which has been made for funds to defend the public 
right of access to the Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, 
Ireland. It seems almost incredible that an attempt should be 
made to enclose such a wonderful natural formation as the 
Giant’s Causeway, which has been open to the public from time 
immemorial, and is annually visited by about 80,000 persons. 
A few persons have, however, lately formed themselves into 
the Giant’s Causeway Company, Limited, and leased from the 
owners the soil over which the Causeway is approached, claim- 
ing the right to close public access toit. The Company has 
