Feb. i2, [885] 



NA TURE 



>49 



According to a Russian journal, quoted in Globus, the 

 Russian law, especially as regards murders, is now to be enforced 

 amongst all natives under Russian rule. Hitherto the murder 

 of a Kirghiz was punished by their own customs in the following 

 manner : — When in an aul or in the steppe a murder has been 

 committed, the relatives and friends of the dead man commence 

 the search for the murderer. Sometimes he is not found until 

 after a long interval, especially if the body is not soon found. 

 Frequently the latter is hidden, then the flight of birds of prey- 

 is watched, and other indications are utilised by the extraordinary 

 acuteness of the nomads. When the murderer is discovered the 

 relations have the right to levy from him a so-called inn. This 

 Bne, which washes away bloodguiltiness, consists of a number 

 of camels, horses, sheep, and clothes, a special inn being due to 

 those who took part in the search for the murderer, to the 

 person who actually discovered him, and to the judge. The 

 fine, or wergild, for a woman is less than that for a man, 

 and in the latter case it varies with the descent. Thus 

 'there woidd lie a greater fine for killing a pure Kirghiz 

 than for killing one whose descent was unknown. If the 

 murderer cannot pay the kun, his kinsfolk must do it for 

 him, and the payment and receipt of this fine is accompanied by 

 a number of different customs. The occasion is a kind of festival 

 in the aul in which the relatives of the murdered man live. 

 Among the animals paid as kun, the murderer's horse must 

 always be one. The family of the person killed have, however, 

 the right to refuse all payment, and to demand a duel with the 

 slayer. The latter appears in the aul of the others armed from 

 head to foot, and mounted on his best steed ; a certain distance 

 off the avengers are stationed, and a wild race ensues. If the 

 accused can get away from his pursuers, he is safe from all 

 punishment ; he can, however, only be pursued to the going 

 down of the sun. ind directly the latter sinks behind the horizon 

 he is free. If he is caught he is generally put to death at 

 once. It is remarkable that a murder rarely remains undis- 

 covered. The Kirghiz hardly ever commit that crime for the 

 sake of robbery ; the murder generally takes place after a 

 quarrel, or for revenge. 



AMONG the various contrivances for indicating 24 hours on 

 watch dials, one by Sturrock and Meek, mentioned in the 

 February number of the Horological Journal, seems to be neat 

 and ingenious. The dial is made with twelve holes in place of 

 the usual figures. During the first half of the day, midnight to 

 noun, die figures 1 to 12, placed on a disk at the back, show 

 through ; at noon the disk becomes automatically shifted so that 

 the figures 1 to 12 are replaced by figures 13 to 24 (o) ; at mid- 

 night the figures I to 12 are again brought into view. Thus, 

 whilst retaining the ordinary and familiar and convenient 12 hour 

 spaces, the advantage of the 24-hour system is obtained without 

 iity of keeping a double set of hourly figures constantly 

 in view. 



To the Bolelin </<• la Institution litre de Ensenanza for 

 January 15, D. Augusto Arcimis sends an account of the 

 meteorological branch of the observatory recently attached to 

 that institution. The building is situated in the Paseo de' 

 Obelisco in the north of the city, where it is surrounded only by 

 low buildings and removed as far as possible from disturbing 

 influences. Pending the acquisition of improved instruments a 

 mercurial barometer connected with two thermometers, and with 

 a diameter of 4 mm., has been set up, and since last December 

 its readings have been systematically compared with those of the 

 barometer in the Medical Observatory. With another instru- 

 ment, specially constructed by Salleron of Paris, records are 

 taken of the atmospheric temperature in the shade, as well as of 

 the moisture, certain modifications having converted it for prac- 

 tical purposes into a hygrometer similar in principle to that of 

 Mason. The thermometer of maxima is modelled on the system 



introduced by Negretti and Zambia of London, while that ot 

 minima adopts the Rutherford system, both being manufactured 

 by Secretan of Paris. To avoid as far as possible the disturbing 

 influences to which all meteorological stations are exposed in 

 large cities, the instruments are placed in wooden boxes, which, 

 while exposed to the free circulation of the air, are still 

 thoroughly protected from bad weather and from the direct rays 

 of the sun. The Institution has also been supplied with other 

 instruments for determining the amount of evaporation, the loss 

 of heat by radiation, the force, pressure, and direction of the 

 winds prevalent throughout the year. This meteorological 

 station is thus one of the best equipped in Europe, and in fitting 

 it up advantage has been taken of the experience already 

 acquired from the working of similar establishments elsewhere. 



The first railway in Cochin-China was opened on December 

 21 last. It runs from Saigon to Mytho.iUhe journey taking 

 abuut four hours. 



In connection with the Parkes Museum a meeting will be held 

 at the Mansion House on Friday at 3 p.m. to obtain more ex- 

 tended support for the Parkes Museum, so that it may be firmly 

 established on a permanent basis. The Right Hon. the Lord 

 Mayor will preside, and the Council hope to have the support of 

 all those interested in promoting public health and a knowledge 

 of the laws of hygiene. 



At the Meeting of the Council of the National Smoke Abate- 

 ment Institution, preliminary to the recent annual meeting, a letter 

 was read from the secretary of the Duke of Westminster stating 

 that in his Grace's town house nothing had been burnt but coke, 

 with the most satisfactory results. The Draft Report to the 

 Annual Meeting was presented by the Secretary, to which, at 

 the chairman's suggestion, it was decided to add a paragraph 

 calling attention to the obsolete character of the boundaries 

 within which the present Metropolitan Smoke Act is operative, 

 and pointing out the necessity for a short amendment Act 

 aiming at a rectification of the boundaries, and the necessity for 

 a firmer and fuller application of the provisions of the Act to 

 certain industries in which smoke abatement is now much easier 

 than it was at the time when the present Act was passed. It 

 was resolved to communicate with the Home Secretary, calling 

 his attention to the documents which had been already forwarded 

 to him, and to the paragraphs in the Report relating to the 

 nominal nature of the fines imposed by the magistrates in cases 

 of infringement of the Act, and ask him whether, under the 

 circumstances, he would be willing to issue a circular calling the 

 attention of the police magistrates to the evils which result from 

 the difficulty of obtaining a due enforcement of the law. It was 

 further resolved to issue a separate memorandum, in the form of 

 a leaflet, putting forward some information as to the conditions ■ 

 to be considered in the choice of grates, in the burning of fuel, 

 and in the general treatment of a coal fire. 



Prof. Sidney Colvin, Slade Professor of Fine Art in the 

 University of Cambridge, will give two lectures at the Royal 

 Institution, on Tuesdays, February 17 and 24, on "Museums 

 and National Education." 



Some of the fish in the Salmonidce tank at the South Kens- 

 ington Aquarium have recently been spawned, the species 

 operated upon being the -S'. levenensis, S. fontinalis, and the 

 Gilleroo trout of Ireland. The eggs have been deposited in 

 suitable hatching boxes, where they afford satisfactory evidence 

 of ultimate success. It will be particularly interesting and edi- 

 fying to note the result on account of the prolonged captivity of 

 the fishes from which the eggs were spawned. 



The fine aquarium on view during the Health Exhibition will 

 naturally be in existence during the forthcoming Inventions Ex- 

 hibition. In addition thereto will be shown a very large collec 



