398 
INA TYRE 
[ FEBRUARY 25, 1897 
THE Royal Academy of Belgium has awarded gold medals, of 
value 600 francs, to Dr. C. De Bruyne, of Ghent, for his essay 
on the influence of phagocytes in the development of the In- 
vertebrata; to M. G. Cesaro, of Trooz (Liége), for his essay on 
Belgian minerals; to MM. J. F. Heymans and O. Van der 
Stricht, of Ghent, for their conjoint paper on the peripheric 
nervous system of Amphioxus ; and to M. Jean Massart, for 
his essay on the cicatrisation of plants. 
The prosperous Soczété de ? Industrie Minérale of Saint- 
Etienne invites original communications from its members on 
mining, metallurgy and mechanics, for which the Council will 
award premiums varying from 500 to 1000 francs. The subjects 
to be dealt with are : in the mining section, the working of thick 
coal seams, and underground haulage by compressed air or 
electric locomotives ; in the metallurgical section, the methods 
for removing dust from combustible gases, the manufacture of 
open-hearth steel, and the utilisation of the waste heat of 
furnaces for steam boilers ; and, in the mechanical section, the 
use of high pressure, cut-off gears, compounding and condensa- 
tion in winding engines, and the employment of superheating in 
steam engines. The papers must be written in, or translated 
into, French, and must be in the Secretary’s hands by 
December 31, 1897. 
THE international aerostatic ascents, which for some time 
past have been contemplated, took place on the 18th inst. at 
Paris, Berlin, and Strasburg. Three unmanned balloons were 
liberated at about 10 a.m. (local time) at each station. The 
German Emperor witnessed the Berlin operations, but the 
balloon burst. The Strasburg balloon disappeared in the north- 
east, and has not yet been recovered. The Paris balloon 
descended, after having travelled during a little more than two 
hours in the N,N. 4 E., and ran 102 kilometres. The tempera- 
ture recorded was 60°, at an altitude of more than 10,000 
metres. An apparatus, constructed by Cailletet, for bringing 
back to land the air of the upper atmosphere, was successful, 
but the gas captured has not yet been analysed. The records 
are confused to some extent, but the balloons and instruments 
are safe. 
Mr. ALEXANDER WHYTE gives an interesting description of 
his travels in North Nyasa, in the Brztish Central Africa Gazelle, 
published at Zomba. Mr. Whyte stayed at Karonga for a short 
time, and then went through Napata to Chifungu’s village, 
where he obtained some interesting specimens ; among others, a 
fine oriole and a tiny little chestnut-backed owl, neither of 
which he had previously met ; also a pretty little squirrel, only 
one of which he had previously collected. The botany of the 
neighbouring hills and valleys he found most interesting. 
Journeying from Chifungu’s village, the hills became higher and 
only sparsely clad with stunted forest, short grass, and weird- 
looking deformed shrubs. One looked like a miniature four-foot 
baobab, afflicted with elephantiasis, the soft smooth-barked 
branches being abnormally thick and suddenly tapering to a 
sharp point. All the rocky ridges had a species of Velozia 
upon them. This species was similar in habit to the new one 
(V. splendens) discovered by Mr. Whyte on the Mlanje range, 
but the branches form a more acute angle with the stem, 
and it is believed to be another species. Near the Wyie 
River some interesting birds were collected ; among others, 
a bright little kingfisher very similar to Cayx tridactylus of 
India and Ceylon. Following the Wyie River the grand 
Nyika range was eventually approached, and, after a stiff climb, 
the plateau of the range was reached. Towards the end of 
last November, Mr. Whyte was collecting zoological and botan- 
cal specimens on the top of Mlosa mountain and plateau. He 
eports that he has procured some interesting specimens, 
NO. TA26, MOSS | 
several of which he thinks are new to science. The top of 
Mlosa plateau consists of rolling hills covered with fine short 
grass, well-wooded in the gullies, and with a plentiful supply of 
water. The plateau is not quite equal in extent to the Zomba 
plateau, but lies at about the same elevation (between five and 
six thousand feet above the sea), and the scenery is even finer 
than that of Zomba. Access is obtained to the Mlosa plateau by 
more easy gradients than the Zomba plateau or that of Mlanje. 
Tue Gold Coast, Ashanti, and Kumassi, is the subject of an 
illustrated article, by Mr. George K. French. in the Wa/zonal 
Geographic Magazine for January. Mr. French journeyed 
from Cape Coast Castle to Kumassi, through Prahsu, or the 
Prah River, and the Adansai country, and his descriptions of 
the natives, as well as his photographs, are very instructive. 
It is satisfactory to see the expression of an opinion that 
“‘England’s enlightened policy in other parts of Africa will 
undoubtedly be applied here, and will result in the ultimate 
spread of civilisation throughout this darkest part of the dark 
continent.” 
THE fourth number ofthe current volume of the A/¢¢thez/unger 
vor Forschungsretsenden und Gelehrten aus den deutscher 
Schulzgebicten contains.a number of notes of geographical and 
meteorological importance. An abstract is given of the results 
of several hundred boiling-point determinations made by Dr. 
Stuhlman and First-Lieut. Schlobach in Usaramo, Ukami, 
and Uluguru, during 1894-5: reduced with more intelligent care 
than is usually bestowed on such data. Lieut. Merker con- 
tributes a note, with sketch map, of two new lakes between 
Kilimandjaro and Meru. Further abstracts of meteorological 
observations at three stations in Konde—Manow, Wangemann- 
shdhe, and Ikombe—are given, and also at Jaluit, in the 
Marshall Archipelago. 
THE Board of Trade Journal makes the following announce- 
ments :—An Exhibition will be held at Bergen in Norway in 1898, 
to consist of an International Fisheries Section and of national 
sections for industries, agriculture, and fine arts. The grounds 
of the Nygard Park (Nygardsparken) have been selected as the 
site of the Exhibition.—A Transmississippi and International 
Exhibition will be held at the City of Omaha, in the Stat 
of Nebraska, in the year 1898, for the exhibition of the re- 
sources of the United States of America, and the progress and 
civilisation of the Western Hemisphere, and for a display of 
the arts, industries, manufactures, and products of the soil, 
mine, and sea.—The Parliament of New South Wales has de- 
cided to hold an International Exhibition at Sydney in 1899. 
According to statements made in the House, the cost of the 
Exhibition will be 250,000/., and the Australian products shown 
thereat will be sent to Paris in 1900. 
THE connection between relative humidity and the manufac- 
facture of cotton fabrics, is probably too slender to be seen by 
the ‘‘ practical man” in Great Britain, or to need any considera- 
tion from a practical British Government. In the United States, 
however, there are Government departments which frequently 
make inquiries into the bearings of natural phenomena upon in- 
dustry. A few days ago we received a ‘‘ Report on the Relative 
Humidity of Southern New England and other Localities,” 
prepared under the direction of Mr. Willis L. Moore, Chief of 
the U.S. Weather Bureau, by Mr. Alfred J. Henry. Upon the 
face of it, one would hardly expect more than meteorological 
statistics and conclusions from this Az//etin. But mark how 
the facts work out. One of the conditions essential to the 
greatest degree of success in the spinning and weaving of cotton 
fabrics is a humid state of the atmosphere, and the more constant 
the degree of humidity the greater is the measure of profitable 
spinning, especially as regards the finer numbers, The average 
