June 19, 1884] 



NA TURE 



181 



ful meeting is anticipated. It is sixteen years since the Associa- 

 tion met for the second time in Birmingham, and twenty-seven 

 years since it held, in 1857, its first meeting, which also took 

 place in that town. 



We learn from a communication of Dr. Glasenap to the 

 Russian newspapers that there are in Russia the following private 

 observatories : at Pervin, near Torjok, in the Government of 

 Tver, belonging to General Maievsky ; at Bunakovka, in the 

 Government of Kharkoff, belonging to Prince Liven ; and at 

 Odessa, belonging to M. Gildesheim. A Polish gentleman, 

 M. Wuczihowski, is building a private observatory at Belkave, 

 near Breslau ; and a Russian gentleman, W. P. Engelhardt, has 

 a fine observatory at Dresden. The last is provided with an 

 equatorial which has a 12-inch refractor, and is one of the most 

 perfect telescopes. The equatorial is provided also with a 

 4-inch telescope with a large spectroscope. There is also a 

 6-inch searcher for comets, with a wide field of sight, and a 

 selection of the best physical instruments. 



The Rev. John Stevenson is preparing for publication, by 

 subscription, through Messrs. Blackwood and Co., a " Flora of 

 British Fungi (Hymenomycetes)," with illustrations by Worth- 

 ington G. Smith, F.L.S. The author states that he has the 

 co-operation of the most eminent mycologists. It may be added 

 that the value of the " Flora" will be greatly enhanced by em- 

 bodying the views of Fries, contained in his " Monographia 

 Hymenomycetum Suecias," a work which cannot now be obtained, 

 only 100 copies having been originally printed. The issue of 

 the work will depend on a sufficient number of subscribers being 

 received by an early date, in which case the first volume will be 

 published without delay. 



A general meeting of the Mineralogical Society will be held 

 in the library, Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh, on 

 Tuesday, June 24, at 12 o'clock noon. The following papers 

 will be read : — Forms of silica, by John Ruskin, D.C.L., Slade 

 Professor at Oxford (communicated by the Local Secretary for 

 Scotland) ; application of the periodic law to mineralogy, by 

 Thomas Carnelley, D.Sc, F.C.S., Professor of Chemistry, 

 Univ. Coll. Dundee (communicated as above) ; the origin of 

 the andalusite schists of Aberdeenshire, by John Home, F.R.S.E., 

 II. M. Geol. Survey; on the occurrence of prehnite and other 

 zeolites in the rocks of Samson's Ribs and Salisbury Crags, by 

 Andrew Taylor, F.C.S., A.G.S.E. (communicated as above) ; 

 on a new locality for zoisite, by W. Hamilton Bell, F.G.S.E. 

 (communicated as above) ; on diatomaceous deposits in Scotland, 

 by Prof. W. I. Macadam, F.C.S., Hon. Sec. G.S.E. ; notes 

 on the albertite beds of Strathpeffer, Ross-shire, by William 

 Morrison, M.A., Academy, Dingwall (communicated as above) ; 

 kyanite localities in the north, and staurolite from Presholme, 

 Enzie, Banffshire, by Thomas Wallace, High School, Inverness ; 

 the crystallography of bournonite, by H. A. Miers, B.A., 

 British Museum, Nat. Hist. Dept. ; notes on the metallic veins 

 of the Upper Hartz, Germany, by H. M. Cadell, B.Sc, H:M. 

 Geol. Survey (communicated as above) ; Scottish localities for 

 actinolite, by Rev. W. W. Peyton ; on a peculiar development 

 of crystals of tourmaline from Lockport, N.Y. County, U.S., 

 by R. H. Solly, F.G.S. 



Father Denza, Director of the Meteorological Observa- 

 tory of the Turin Exhibition, is taking steps for organising 

 observations on board the Godard captive balloon, which 

 ascends to an altitude of from 200 m. to 300 m. The prin- 

 cipal scientific features of the Turin Exhibition are :— (1) The 

 collection exhibited by Prof. Sylvestri, Director of the Etna 

 Observatory, and containing a number of specimens of amber 

 collected on this mountain. (2) The methods employed by M. 

 de Rossi, head of the newly-created Seismographic Service for 

 issuing warnings of earthquakes and describing the observed 



phenomena. M. de Rossi has issued a catalogue of 200 pages 

 octavo describing the principal objects exhibited, the instruments 

 tried, the methods adopted, and the results arrived at. (3) An 

 historical Borgho, exhibiting mediaeval costumes, buildings, 

 instruments, furniture, and methods of working. A number of 

 people of both sexes wearing the costumes attend to this part of 

 the Exhibition. 



Three Ministers inaugurated in state, on June 14, the 

 National Exhibition of Rouen, which will be international for 

 electrical purposes. In the official speeches allusion was made 

 to the Universal Commemorative Exhibition which is to be held 

 in Paris in 1889. The site selected is the celebrated Park of 

 St. Cloud, and a Crystal Palace is to be built on the ruins of the 

 old Imperial palace. 



Under the auspices of the Norwegian Association for the 

 Promotion of Fisheries an establishment for the hatching of cod 

 and soles' ova has been prepared near Arendal in the Christiania 

 Fjord. From the excellent results already obtained it has been 

 decided to found another hatching station near Christiania. 



A LARGE copper basin consisting of small pieces riveted 

 together and several wooden kegs containing "bog butter" were 

 recently found at a depth of 7 feet in a peat-moss, Kylealsin, 

 Skye. The kegs are each hollowed out of a solid block of wood, 

 and show traces of burning all over the surface. The largest 

 measures I foot 7 inches in height and 3 feet 6 inches in circum- 

 ference. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus lalandd S ) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. J. Bulteel ; a Bonnet 

 Monkey (Macacus siniats 9 ), a Macaque Monkey (Macacus 

 cyuomelgus i ) from India, presented by the Committee of the 

 Latimer Road Mission ; two Black-eared Marmosets {Hapale 

 penicillata 6 6) from South-East Brazil, presented by Mr. J. II. 

 Bentley ; two Vulpine Phalangers (Phalangista vulpina) from 

 Australia, presented respectively by Mr. McClellan and Mr. 

 Jay ; a Marsh Ichneumon (Hapestes galera) from South Africa, 

 presented by Mrs. Frank ; two Angolan Vultures (Gypohicrax 

 angolensis), a White-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus), an African 

 Tantalus (Pseudolantalus ibis) from West Africa, presented by 

 Mr. Thomas J. Alldridge ; a Spur-winged Goose (Plectropterus 

 gambcnsis) from West Africa, presented by Mr. J. B. Elliott ; 

 two Mute Swans (Cygntis olor), European, presented by Mr. II. 

 Welch Thornton ; two Angulated Tortoises (Clicrsina angulata\ 

 from North Damara Land, presented by Mr. F. R. Hemming ; 

 a Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis), a Common Viper ( Vipera berus), 

 British, presented by Mr. T. E. Gunn ; a Bonnet Monkey 

 (Macacus sinicus <5 ) from India, four Muscovy Ducks (Coirina 

 moschata), five Royal Pythons (Python regius) from West Africa ; 

 deposited ; an Echidna (Echidna hyslrix), a Brush Turkey 

 ( Talk-gala lathami) from New South Wales, two Red-cheeked 

 Colys (Colitis erythromclon) from South Africa, four Bronze- 

 winged Pigeons (Piiaps chalcoptera £699) from Australia, ai 

 Great-billed Parrakeet (Tanygnathus mcgalorhynchus) from 

 Ceram, a Mealy Amazon (Chrysolis farinosa) from South 

 America, four White Storks (Ciconia alba), European, a King- 

 fisher (Alcedo ispida), British, purchased ; a Collared Fruit Bat 

 (Cynonyctcris collaris), a Japanese Deer (Cennts sika 9), six 

 Chiloe Wigeons (Mareca chiloensis), four Chinese Blue Magpies 

 (Cyanopolius cyanits), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 

 Recent Improvements in Astronomical Instruments. 

 — Acting under the directions of the Secretary of the Navy, 

 Prof. Newcomb last year visited the principal Observatories on 

 the continent of Europe for the purpose of collecting informa- 

 tion relating to the most recent improvements in astronomical 



