i So 



NA TURE 



\JDec. 25, 1SS4 



The monthly weather review of the Signal Service, prepared, 

 ES announced for the first time in the August number of Science, 

 by Second Lieut. \V. A. Glassford, has come to lie a quarto of 

 twenty-eight pages, with five charts. This is a good growth 

 from the four small pages and three charts of the first issue, 

 eleven years ago. Then, the headings were storms, anti-cyclonic 

 areas, temperature, precipitation, peculiar phenomena and facts, 

 rivers, and cautionary signals : now, all these subjects are 

 treated in much greater detail ; and among the many additional 

 topics there may be mentioned atmospheric pressure and its 

 range (illustrated by a new style of chart), Atlantic storms and 

 ice, range of temperature, frosts (illustrated by a chart for 

 August 9 and 25), winds, local storms, tornadoes and thunder- 

 storms, sunsets, drought, two and a half pages ontthe 1 arthquake 

 cf August 10, meteors, and notes of State 'weather services for 

 Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, and 

 Georgia. The storm-tracks for the month are remarkably 

 regular, and, with insignificant exceptions, all lie north of the 

 Great Lakes and St. Lawrence : no tropical cyclones were felt 

 along the sea-coast. Nine tornadoes are reported, and many 

 violent thunderstorms. Some of the results of the special studies 

 of the latter, undertaken by Mr. H. A. Hazen during the past 

 season, take form in a brief summary, from which it appears 

 that the mean distance and direction of the 900 thunderstorms 

 reported in August, from the centre of the broad cyclonic storms 

 in which they occurred, was 515 miles,, a little west of south. 

 A full account of these studies will be of much value and 

 interest. Most of the observations on meteors are of small 

 value, and, at best, they have but an etymological connection 

 with a weather-review. 



The completion of the Lick Observatory is stated by Science 

 now to depend upon the successful making of the disk of glass 

 for the objective of the large telescope. The main dome cannot 

 be made till the focal length of the large equatorial has been 

 determined. 



A member of the Institute of France has brought forward a 

 scheme for the foundation of a number of annuities, of the value 

 of 80/., 160/., and 240/., to aid scientific men in the prosecution 

 of experimental work, offering to subscribe 200/. towards the 

 realisation of the scheme out of his own pocket. If the Go- 

 vernment, who will soon have to decide on the application of 

 Giffard's legacy of over 200,000/., thought fit to patronise this 

 scheme, they have the means of giving it practical embodiment 

 on an extensive scale. 



In commemoration of the services to astronomy rendered by 

 the French observers of the transit of Venus in 1874, the French 

 Government have placed in the National Library of Paris a 

 large monumental vase, designed and manufactured at Sevres, 

 bearing the following inscription : " La Republique Francaise a 

 MM. Tanssen, Bouquet de la Grye, Andre, Fleuriel, Herault, 

 Mouchez : Passage de Venus sur le Soleil en MDCCCLXXIV. 

 Horn mage du Gouvernement Francais au Science." This 

 vase, about 2 m. high by I m. broad, at present standing at the 

 entrance of the Reading Room of the Library, will remain there 

 for public inspection for some time, after which it will be re- 

 moved to the Gallerie Mazarine, which contains a collection of 

 rare manuscripts and other treasures. 



A number of scientific men in Paris having founded a club 

 called " La Science," for the purpose of dining together at 

 stated times, recently entertained M. Chevreul at a banquet. 

 The toast of the occasion was proposed by M. Jamin, the new 

 Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences. M. Pasteur 

 has been nominated Chairman of the next banquet. A similar 

 club was instituted six years ago under the name of " Banquet 

 de la Presse scientifique." 



In his discourse on re-election to the Presidency of the Bio- 

 logical Society of Paris, M. Paul Bert stated that he had intended 

 endeavouring to summarise the work of the Society during the 

 preceding five years that he had held the office. But he found the 

 task so difficult on account of the mass of facts presented by the 

 publications of the Society, and the brevity of the papers, that 

 he decided to abandon the idea. He promised, however, in 

 future, at the commencement of the annual sessions, to sum up 

 rapidly the progress realised during the preceding one. The 

 scientific world will doubtless look forward with interest to the 

 annual statements of the advance of biological research thus 

 promised. 



The Museum of the International Association at Brussels has 

 just received a large collection of birds of all kinds, sent from 

 Karema by Lieut. Storms ; and also a collection made by Mr. 

 Stanley during his last visit to the Upper Congo, consisting of 

 utensils, furniture, musical instruments, arms, &c. 



The laying of the foundation-stone of the new Sorbonne 

 buildings will take place in a few days, the houses which covered 

 the site intended for the new edifice having been all pulled 

 down and the ground around the old Sorbonne to the extent of 

 several acres having been levelled. The new buildings are to 

 be pushed on rapidly, and the plans connected with the under- 

 taking contemplate giving quite a new aspect to this part of the 

 Quartier Latin. The enlargement of the Sorbonne was projected 

 by Napoleon III. some years before 1870, and he had so far 

 made a beginning with the work as to pull down several houses, 

 and with all due state lay the first stone towards the additional struc- 

 tures in contemplation. The "first of the first stones" so laid 

 down has been removed, though there is a rumour current that 

 after search this first stone has not been found, and people are 

 at a loss to know what has become of it. At all events the 

 laying of the second of the first stones of the new Sorbonne will 

 shortly be celebrated with becoming ceremony. 



The International Society of Electricians has decided to hold 

 an exhibition in January next, on the occasion of the first general 

 meeting. The exhibition, which will last several days, is to be 

 held in the rooms of the Observatory of Paris, which have been 

 lent for the purpose by the director. 



According to the Oxford Magazine there have been several 

 interesting additions lately to the collection of casts in the Uni- 

 versity Museum. By the side of the skull of a Dinotherium 

 now stands the skull of a Mastodon . Casts of the complete 

 skeleton of Halitherium, the curious Miocene Sirenian which 

 possesses distinct though small hind limbs, and of the hind and 

 fore feet of the gigantic Tguanodon Bernissartensis, the original 

 of which is one of the chief features of the Natural History 

 Museum at Brussels, have also been added. 



Ax exhibition of the arts, industries, and natural productions 

 of the Malay Archipelago was opened under the patronage of 

 the Government of the Dutch East Indies at Batavia last month. 

 The productions of Penang, Singapore, North Borneo, and 

 Sarawak are largely represented. 



Prof. Mell, director of the Alabama Weather Service, 

 announces that through the liberality of the chief signal officer 

 and of several railways ; daily weather signals predicting changes 

 of weather and temperature, will in future be displayed at 

 upwards of 100 t- legraph stations in the State of Alabama. The 

 predictions will be received by the director at an early hour 

 every morning from the Signal Office at Washington, and then 

 promptly distributed along the railways. On paying about six 

 dollars, the cost of the signal flags, any town or telegraph station 

 will receive free telegraphic warning of the daily weather changes. 

 Only about five minutes are required to set the fTa^s. A similar 



