Feb. 26, 18S5] 



NA TUBE 



395 



community at large. The cultivation of the German carp 



will also receive considerable attention, this fish being far superior 

 to the English species both as regards its edible qualities and 

 capacity for rapid growth. 



With a view to effectually prosecuting marine fish culture on 

 sound scientific principles, the National Fish Culture Associa- 

 tion have under consideration a scheme for carrying out a series 

 rvations on the temperature of the sea at various stages, 

 in order to obtain a more thorough and concise knowledge of 

 fish, their habits, food, &c. Thermometers for this purpose are 

 'n course of manufacture, and will be distributed to those selected 

 for observers under certain rules and regulations. The Duke of 

 Edinburgh is greatly interested in the subject, and has promised 

 his co-operation in furthering the movement, which he considers 

 a most important one. 



Large consignments of eggs of the 5. Irvcnensis and white fish 

 have lately been received at the South Kensington Aquarium 

 from the Hon. Prof. Baird, Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries 

 in the United State?. All the eggs are in a healthy condition 

 and on the point of incubation. There have been about a dozen 

 premature births amongst them, but, of course, the young fry so 

 born will not live. Prof. Baird has intimated his intention of 

 forwarding a further instalment to South Kensington shortly. 



Dr. A. Woeikoff writes with reference to a note in Nature 

 for January 29 (p. 29S), in which it is stated that the Russian 

 Government are preparing an expedition to Western Siberia to 

 examine the sulphur deposits mentioned by RIM. Kalitin and 

 Koushin. These deposits, he states, are not in Western Siberia, 

 but on the so-called old beds east of the Caspian, in a region 

 which it is usual to call Central Asia. It is not exact also to 

 mention the deposits of Tchirkat {not Tchirkoto) in Daghestan 

 as the only ones till now known in Russia. Sulphur deposits 

 are known in some places near the Volga, and are due to the 

 decomposition of the gypsum so often met with in the Permian 

 formation. Two of these have been worked, one in the 

 eighteenth century, that of Semaja Gora, on the right bank of 

 the Volga, somewhat above Samara, and another quite recently, 

 that of Sukeewa, about 20 versts above the town of Tetjuchi, 

 government of Kasan. 



Before a recent meeting at Annisquam, on the coast of 

 Ma ichu , Mi. J. S. Kingsley described the foundation and 

 work of the Annisquam Marine Laboratory. Prof. Hyatt, of 

 Boston, had been in the habit of inviting some of his students to 

 accompany him to this place during the summer to study the 

 marine forms so abundant there. From the number of applica- 

 tions it appeared that there was a demand for a marine laboratory 

 on the coasl near lijston which should be practically free to all. 

 The Woman's Educational Society of Boston became interested 

 in the project, and advanced the money necessary to fit it up. 

 It is under the charge of the Boston Society of Natural History, 

 and was first opened for students in June, 18S1. The object of 

 the laboratory, which appears to be open only during the summer 

 vacations at the colleges, is to furnish students with an oppor- 

 tunity of studying marine animals and plants in the beat possible 

 manner. Some of those who enter are competent to conduct 

 original investigations, and they are left to follow out any line 

 they may choose. The majority, however, attend to get a 

 foundation and to fit themselves for teaching. Mr. Kingsley 

 describes the aim of the laboratory to be to teach the structure 

 and development of animals, and the methods of study best 

 adapted to produce teachers and investigators. Each student, 

 unless previously qualified, dissects a series of types of the larger 

 forms, such as sea anemones, starfish, clams, lobsters, squid, tv_c. 

 After this comes a bill in the methods of investigating the em- 

 bryology of marine forms. The numbers of students range 

 between nine and twenty-one. The laboratory is under the 



immediate charge of Mr. B. H. Van Vleck. A windmill has 

 lately been added to pump salt water into the building, thus 

 supplying a tank on each of the tables, besides three large 

 aquaria in the centre of the room. The object was to keep the 

 specimens studied alive in confinement— a task of no small 

 difficulty. 



At a meeting held at Edinburgh on Monday it was resolved 

 to hold an international exhibition in that city in the summer of 

 1S86 of industry, science, and art. A committee was appointed 

 to carry out the details. 



The Prince of Wales, as President of the International In- 

 ventions Exhibition, has delegated to a Commission selected 

 from among the members of the Executive Council the duty of 

 making arrangements for the effective carrying out of the work 

 of the International Juries. This Commission consists of Sir 

 Frederick Abel (Chairman), Sir P. Cunliffe-Owen, Sir George 

 Grove, Sir E. J. Reed, M.P., Mr. John Robinson, Mr. R. E. 

 er, Q.C., with Mr. Trueman Wood (Secretary of the 

 Society of Arts), Secretary of the Commission. His Royal 

 Highness has expressed his wish that, as was the case in the 

 International Health Exhibition last year, the exhibitors should 

 themselves aid in the selection of jurors by submitting the names 

 of those gentlemen whom they may consider most eligible. 

 Exhibitors will, therefore, be asked to send in on a form, to be 

 provided for the purpose, names of gentlemen who might be 

 invited to serve as jurors. The actual selection of jurors will 

 rest with the Jury Commission, who will endeavour to give 

 full weight to the opinions expressed by exhibitors, but will not 

 be restricted to the list of names suggested. 



The Tenth Report of the Boulder Committee of the 

 Royal Society Of Edinburgh has come to hand. It is the 

 final report of the Committee appointed in 1S71 to collect 

 information regarding erratic blocks or boulders in Scotland, 

 and the Committee do not expect that, by continuing inquiries 

 on the lines available to them, much additional information of 

 importance would be obtained. At all events they regard it as 

 desirable now to arrange their information obtained during the 

 past fourteen years in such a way as to make it more readily 

 accessible. Accordingly they append an abstract of the informa- 

 tion in the previous nine reports, so that the present volume 

 may be regarded as a complete record of the work of the Com- 

 mittee. There is also ad led a " summary of facts, and of in- 

 ferences apparently deducible from these facts, bearing on the 

 question by what agency boulders were transported to their 

 present sites." The suggested agency is that "of an oceanic 

 current from some north-westerly quarter, bringing masses of 

 floating ice, with boulders upon them, which boulders were 

 deposited on our hills (then submarine) when the ice stranded 

 on these hills." With regard to the question from what country 

 these boulders could have come, and what could have produced 

 the current, the Committee think that though answers might be 

 suggested, they would be going beyond the objects of their 

 appointment in doing so. Their proper province, they say, has 

 been " simply to collect facts bearing on boulders in Scotland, 

 embracing their distribution, their positions, and the agencies 

 probably concerned in their transport. To explain the source 

 or origin of their agencies, or, in other words, to unravel the 

 conditions of the earth's previous history, so as to account for 

 these agencies, is a problem the solution of which must be left 

 to others." 



A fill Report on the East Anglian earthquake of April 22 

 last, which was probably the most destructive event of its kind 

 in England within the historic period, will be read at the monthly 

 meeting of the Essex Field Club on Saturday next. The Report 

 has been very carefully prepared for the Council by Mr. R. 

 Meldola, with the assistance of many members of the Club and 



