May 26, 1 881] 



NATURE 



87 



published a considerable number of papers on general zoology, 

 in which the possession of keen powers of observation is every- 

 where evident. In 1834 a volume from his pen appeared under 

 the title of " Researches in Zoology," a record of observations 

 in the field, with deductions therefrom ; a second edition was 

 published in 1873. 



The LauncestoH Examiner, of March 14, announces the death 

 of Mr. Ronald Campbell Gunn, F.R.S., at the age of seventy-three 

 years. Mr. Gunn, who was born at the Cape of Good Hope> 

 and landed in Tasmania in 1S30, held successively several highly 

 important official positions in the colony. Mr, Gunn's tastes, 

 the Examiner states, were eminently scientific, but botany was 

 his favourite study, and this suliject he was indefatigable in 

 purtuing. At an early period he was elected a Fellow of the 

 Linnean Society of London, and subsequently a Fellow of the 

 Royal Society of London, the highest scientific honour which 

 can be conferred on any person. Mr. Gunn began to investigate 

 the botany and natural history of Tasmania in 1831, and in the 

 prosecution of his researches rambled over most of the colony. 

 His botanical labours are recorded in Sir Joseph D. Hooker's 

 " Flora of Tasmania," aud accounts of his excursions and other 

 scientific labours appear in the Annals of Natural History, 

 Journal of Botany, &c. He was also editor of the Tasmanian 

 yournal, a scientific serial published by the Royal Society of 

 Tasmania. The late Mr. John Gould, in his valuable work 

 upon the "Birds of Australia," acknowledges the assistance 

 which he received while in Tasmania from Mr. Gunn. We may 

 also mention that Mr. Gunn drew up for West's "History of 

 Tasmania " a compendium of the zoology of Tasmania, 



Mr. Albert Bruce Joy's statue for the Harvey Tercentenary 

 Memorial is now cast in bronze, and will probably be soon sent 

 to Folkestone, the native place of the discoverer of the circula- 

 tion of the blood, where a suitable site has been provided for it 

 on that well-known promenade, the Lees, In modelling his 

 successful statue Mr. Bruce Joy ha^ closely followed the portrait 

 of Harvey by Janssens, preserved in the Royal College of 

 Physicians. Mr. Joy has also produced a reduction of the bust 

 of Harvey. 



The Scottish Meteorological Society have received the observa- 

 tions made during last winter by Mr. A. O. Thorlacius, their obser- 

 ver at Stykkisholm, Iceland, from which it is seen that last winter 

 was one of the severest of \\hich there is any record, ice having 

 formed in the harbour at least four feet thick. The only winter 

 that can compare with the last during the present century was 

 that of 1807, when the inhabitants of Grimso, an island lying 

 nearly sixteen English miles off the coast of Iceland, walked 

 across the ice to the trading station of Ofjord, a thing which was 

 not known ever to have occurred before. 



During his last visit to the United States, it will be remem- 

 bered, Prof, Tyndall initiated a trust fund with the object of 

 assisting students in physics who should show aptitude for 

 original study and should wish to complete their education in 

 Germany. It is stated that the fund has so far prospered as to 

 furnish a moderate income for two students, who have just been 

 nominated. 



The Glasgow Mechanics Institution, which as such has existed 

 since 1823, has recently had its constitution altered and its name 

 changed to that of "College of Science and Arts." At the 

 close of the session Sir William Thomson, in distributing the 

 prizes, mentioned that he had imbibed his first ideas of chemistry 

 in the Mechanics Institution, and expressed himself much pleased 

 with its present appearance, and the prospects of the Institution 

 under its new name, and the superintendence of Mr. A. 

 JamiesoD, the principal. On this occasion the hall was lighted 



with Swan's electric lamps under arrangements very efficiently 

 made by Mr. Jumieson. 



The Russian ladies seem to be advancing rapidly and surely 

 in the direction of higher education. Besides the medical 

 courses at St. Petersburg, tliere was opened two years ago in 

 the same city a kind of ladies' university, being a series of 

 courses for higher training in the mathematical, physical, and 

 historical sciences. We learn now, from the annual report 

 recently published, that notwithstanding all opposition on the 

 part of Gcvernment to this institution, it has acquired further 

 development. The third class is opened this year, and the 

 fourth will be opened next year. The number of lady students, 

 which was 7S9 in 1879, has alre.ady reached 840, and Prof. 

 Famintzin observes that this number would have been much 

 larger were it not for the obstructive regulations which are in- 

 tended to check the further development of the institution. It 

 is worthy of notice that the money necessary for tlie insti- 

 tution is collected from private sources — students' fees (5/. 

 per annum) or by voluntary subscriptions. Like com'ses are 

 already opened at Moscow and at Kieff, but the instruction 

 given at Moscow is more superficial in what concerns natural 

 science. 



The French Association for the Advancement of Science is 

 to meet at Rochelle next year. 



The arrangements for the International Exhibition on the 

 occasion of the International Medical Congress have within 

 the last few days been nearly completed. The Exhibition itself, 

 quite apart from the Congress, will be held in the eastern, the 

 western, and the quadrant arcades of the Horticultural Gardens, 

 and in some of the galleries of the Albert Hall. The Exhibition 

 will be open from July 16 to August 13, but it is not yet decided 

 whether there shall be any formal opening. That the Exhibition 

 will be really international is indicated by the fact that there 

 will be contributors from France, Germany, Austria, Italy, 

 Belgium, Holland, Norway, and the United States. Much still 

 remains to be done, but there is every prospect of the Exhibition 

 being a credit to England. The secretary is Mr. Mark Judge, 

 of the Parkes Museum of Hygiene, University College, Gower 

 Street. From him particulars may be obtained. 



In the Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow 

 Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown continues his reports on Scottish Orni- 

 thology. In the second part of the fourth volume we have the 

 result of his observations, extendi.i ; from October I, 1879, to 

 September 30, 18S0. The utility of Mr. Harvie Brown's obser- 

 vation consists in a comparison of the occurrence of migratory 

 birds ill Scotland with the meteoric conditions of the season, and 

 it seems perfectly certain that the increase or decrease in the 

 number of our summer visitants depends greatly upon the strength 

 and duration of favourable or adverse winds prevailing at the 

 time they visit our shores. We are pleased to hear Mr. Cordeaux 

 is also compiling records of birds noticed in the Humber district, 

 and it would be interesting to naturalists if similar observations 

 could be regularly made in different parts of Great Britain. 



An exhibition of microscopes and other scientific apparatus 

 was held in January in place of one of the ordinary weekly 

 entertainments at the Albert Institute, Windsor. This was so 

 successful that another was held in ,\pril, and the Windsor and 

 Eton Scientific Society formally constituted. The general meet- 

 ings will take place monthly. 



With respect to Burnham Beeches, we are told on good 

 authority that the Corporation of London (who recently purchased 

 the estate) have forbidden the picking of flowers on account of 

 its disturbing the game ! Among other things this prevents the 

 science-masters at Eton going there on a half holiday with their 



