April 23, 1S85] 



NA TURE 



)&7 



the father of Australian botany, returned to England with 

 between 3000 and 4000 species of plants, and these in subsequent 

 years he described in his "Prodromus Flora Nova; Hollandire 

 et Insula Van Diemen." From the days of Brown no syste- 

 matic work v.. i- added to his labours, until Baron Midler, con- 

 sidering that the time had arrived for the publication of a general 

 Flora of Australia, joined with the late Mr. Bentham in pre- 

 paring and publishing the seven volumes of the " Flora 

 Australiensis." 



The Lords of the Committee of the Council of Education 

 have given their consent for a certain portion of the Buckland 

 Museum Collection to be exhibited in the aquarium during the 

 forthcoming International Inventions Exhibition. The selection 

 will include casts of various species of fish, models of vessels, 

 appliances for catching fish, and apparatus for marine and fresh- 

 water fish-culture. Such a combination of exhibits will prove a 

 considerable source of attraction, and tend to popularise the 

 aquarium still further in the eyes of visitors to the Exhibition. 

 To no better purpose could the exceedingly interesting collection 

 in the Buckland Museum be utilised, hidden, as it has hitherto 

 been, from general observation by its remote situation at South 

 Kensington. 



The National Fish Culture Fishery at Delaford is now 

 partially in working order, and a large number of fry have lately 

 been placed in the ponds, where they are thriving exceedingly well. 

 This is the only national establishment in the United Kingdom 

 I for the purpo=e of acclimatising and culturing fish for 

 the benefit of all communities, including all species of Salmonida? 

 and coarse fish. 



The Zoological Society has been presented by the National 

 Fish Culture Association with a young seal which has hitherto 

 inhabited one of the ponds in the Exhibition grounds, South 

 Kensington. It was captured offthe coast of Donegal, Ireland, 

 whilst in a state of somnolence. 



The current number (No. 17) of Die Nalur contains an article 

 by Herr Emmerig, of Lauingen, on German bees as storm 

 wamers. From numerous observations, the writer advances 

 tentatively the theory that on the approach of thunderstorms, 

 bees, otherwise gentle and harmless, become excited and exceed- 

 ingly irritable, and will at once attack any one, even their usual 

 attendant, approaching their hives. A succession of instances 

 are given in which the barometer and hygrometer foretold a 

 storm, the bees remaining quiet, and no storm occurred ; or the 

 instruments gave no intimation of a storm, but the bees for hours 

 before were irritable, and the storm came. He concludes there- 

 fore that the conduct of bees is a reliable indication whether a 

 storm is impending over a certain district or not, and that, what- 

 ever the appearances, if bees are still, one need not fear a storm. 

 With regard to rain merely, the barometer and hygrometer are 

 safer guides than bees ; not so, however, in the case of a 

 thunderstorm. Finally, the writer trusts that his remarks on 

 this subject may lead to further observation. 



Messrs. Sampson Low and Co. announce that during the 

 present month they will publish " Under the Rays of the Aurora 

 Borealis, in the Land of the Lapps and Kvaens," an original 

 work, by Dr. Sophus Tromholt, edited by Mr. Carl Siewers. 

 Besides a narrative of journeys in Lapland, Finland, and Russia 

 during 1SS2-S3, and descriptions of the interesting Lapps and 

 Kva;ns, the book will contain an account of the labours of the 

 recent circumpolar scientific expeditions and a complete popular 

 scientific exposition of our present knowledge of the remarkable 

 phenomenon known as the aurora borealis or northern lights, to 

 the study of which the author has devoted the greater part of 

 his life. The work will also contain a map, chromo-lithographs, 

 and 150 views, portraits, diagrams, &c., from photogr 



drawings by the author, including numerous illustrations of the 

 aurora borealis. Arrangements have been made for the publi- 

 cation of the work in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and 

 Denmark. 



Miss E. A. Ormerod's " Report of Observations of Injurious 

 Insects and Common Farm Pests during the Year 1884, with 

 Methods of Prevention and Remedy," has reached us. This 

 issue is the eighth annual report that has been prepared by the 

 author, and is much more bulky than any of its predecessors, 

 extending to 122 pages. It embodies the remarks of numerous 

 observers in various parts of the United Kingdom on the occur- 

 rence of insects injurious to farm and garden crops, the extent of 

 their depredations, to which is often added suggestions for pre- 

 vention and remedy. In glancing through the pages of this 

 report it is not a little remarkable to notice how observant often 

 of minute raid interesting details Miss Ormerod's correspondents 

 are, and, though many of them probably have little or no scien- 

 tific training, their aptitude for observing the habits and effects 

 of certain insects makes their records of considerable value. 

 Setting aside the value accruing from the publication of the 

 report under notice, Miss Ormerod has done a good work in 

 inculcating such habits of observation amongst farmers and 

 gardeners, who have opportunities such as few others have for 

 noticing facts connected with the life-histories of such insects as 

 destroy their crops. The plan of ^Miss Ormerod's report is 

 alphabetical, arranged according to the name of the plant 

 attacked —such, for instance, as the apple, beans, birds (with 

 especial reference to the depredations of sparrows), cabbage, 

 carrot, &c. Into the matter ol the sparrows Miss Ormerod goes 

 at considerable length. She says: "The subject of the great 

 loss caused by sparrows still needs to be brought forward. The 

 injury continues to be widespread and serious, not only with 

 regard to corn, but likewise in fruit-farming districts, and to 

 garden crops ; and, to encourage those who are suffering under 

 it to bestir themselves actively in getting rid of the pest, it is 

 desirable to draw attention to some points connected with it 

 which deserve consideration— such as what the food of the 

 sparrow is during the whole year besides the corn which we see 

 it robbing us of ; what its habits are ; and likewise whether, 

 where sparrows have been destroyed during a series of years 

 in any given area, that area has been infested with more 

 or with more of any special kind of insect, than 

 when the sparrows were there." Miss Ormerod's numerous 

 correspondents all agree that sparrows will not feed on insects 

 when seeds, grain, fruit, and other vegetable food is within 

 reach, and that, consequently, their numbers must be kept 

 down if any farm or garden crops are to be harvested. Miss 

 Ormerod is careful to point out that in advocating a judicious 

 destruction of the house-sparrow, other small birds are not 

 included. With regard to the appearance of starlings in large 

 numbers in insect-infested pea-fields, a correspondent at Kings- 

 north, Kent, observed that the weevil began to c:mmit serious 

 damage, and although the peas grew away from this attack, Aphis 

 lings by hundreds frequented the pea-fields, 

 as also did numerous kinds of smaller insectivorous birds, but not 

 \e pea was large en . it out 



of the pod." Amongst other subjects more fully treated of in 

 the Report, are the hop aphis and damson hop aphis, the willow 

 ial observations on the warble fly, or ox 

 box fly. The report will prove of much value to farmers, 

 gardent . interested in vegetable growth, and is full 



of interesting facts of scientific value. It is published by Messrs. 

 Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. 



At a meeting of the Asiatic Society of Japan held in Tokio 

 on February 11, Mr. Eastlake read a paper on the Japanese 

 poisonous snake, Trigonocephalies blomhofjfi, called by the natives 

 Mamushi. It ranges in length from a little over one foot to 



