Sept. 15, 1 881] 



NA TURE 



477 



Santa Lueia de Cosumalgapan, Guatemala, purchased for the 

 Museum by Prof. Basti in when upon his American journey. 



A SEVERE earthquake wa? felt three weeks ago in the southern 

 part of the North Island, New Zealand. No lives were lost, but 

 in some of the townships in the Manawater district scarcely a 

 chimney was left standing. In Foxton, for instance, no less 

 than 250 were thrown do *n. Fis>ures extending for many miles 

 are reported to have been made, and the railway line was ren- 

 dered uns-ife in that neighbourhood, owing to the undulitions of 

 the earth alternately raising and depressing the rails. Since the 

 large shock a good many of a slight nature have occurred. 

 Two shocks of earthquake, each lasting from four to five 

 second-;, were felt at noon on September 2 at Spalato in Dal- 

 matia. The earthquake, which was accompanied by a subter- 

 ranean rumbling, passed from the south-west to the north-east. 

 It also made itself felt in the neighbouring islands of Brazza and 

 Mascarsa, and in the town of Sebenico. A shock of earthquake 

 was distinctly felt by several individuals at Courtown House, 

 Gorey, Ireland, on August 27, at a quarter to five o'clock. Many 

 heard a rumbling noise as of thunder, some noticed the rattling 

 of doors and windows, and one experienced what he called a 

 "shiver." Lord Corn-town noticed a rumbling noise, coming 

 apparently from the north, passing under the house, and so 

 away to the south ; the door of the room in. which he was sitting 

 rattled. A slight shock of earthquake was felt at Naples at eight 

 o'clock on Saturday morning. At about the same hour severer 

 shocks took place at Popoli, Pescara, and Orsogna, in ihe 

 Abruzzi. The seism ^graphic . instruments on Mount Vesuvius 

 show great activity. In the Abi-uzzi the earthquake shock has 

 damaged several houses at Chieti and Castelfrentano, where 

 some people have been wounded. At Lanciano two people 

 were killed. At Orsogna one was killed and several were 

 wounded. At Atessa the church of St. Giu^tina was seriously 

 damaged. There is a great panic everyw here amongst the popula- 

 tion. A shock of earthquake occurred at Sanpietro Brazza (Dal- 

 matia) on August 29, at 9 p.m. It lasted four seconds. On 

 September 2, at 10.48 a.m., two strong oscillations were felt at 

 Sign, Spalato, and Brazza (in Dalmatia). Direction east-west. 

 Over forty shocks of earthquake have been felt at Khoi, 

 Persia, between the 28th ult. and September II. Some houses 

 were destroyed, but no lives have been lo^t. Mo;t of the 

 inhabitants have left the town, and are encamped outside. 

 The direction of the earthquakes was from north to south. 

 The shocks were accompanied by rumbling roises. 



A TERRIBLE disaster has occurred at Elm, a village in the 

 Canton of Glarus. The place has been almost de-troyed by a 

 fall of rock. It is believed that at least 200 persons are buried 

 beneath the ruin*. 



The German Ornithological Society held its annual mee'ing 

 early this month at Hamburg. Prof. Landois (Miinster) spoke 

 on birds' nests and on the origin of egg-shells ; Dr. Reichenow 

 (Berhn) on the classification of ducks. 



According to the last report of the director of the Central 

 Sanitary Bureau of Japan, the Central Government has granted 

 the necessary funds for the estabhshment of a hospital in the 

 capital for the special treatment of kakke, a disease which has 

 been spreading more and more in the country, and one of the 

 usual symptoms of which is cedema of the legs. It is intended 

 to investigate carefully the causes and proper treatment of the 

 disease at this institution. The average mortality, from all 

 causes, is given at 10-43 '" every 1000 of the population, and 

 is stated to be lower than that of places in Europe and America 

 under similar conditions. The director observes, however, that 

 the registration of deaths is not efficiently carried out ; but 

 measures are being taken to render this as complete and 



accurate as possible. It is noticeable that deaths from diseases 

 of the digestive organs and nervous disorders greatly preponde- 

 rate over all others. In the former the proportion is 24*1 j-er 

 cent., and in the latter 23'!. Smallpox was the most destructive 

 epidemic of the year, but the number of annual vaccinations is 

 largely increasing. During the year covered by the report it 

 was 1,659,298. 



The second part of Dr. Lang's "Butterflies of Europe" is 

 before us, and quite justifies our mostly commendatory remarks 

 in a recent number. When the work more nearly approaches 

 completion we may probably again find occasion to notice it. 



From Sm-geon-Major Bidie's Report on the Government Cen- 

 tral Museum at Madras, we see the number of visitors during 

 1880-81 was less than in the previous years, due, however, to 

 trivial and temporary causes. The total number of visitors was 

 173,898, of whom 39-36 were women and girls. Many of course 

 go simply for curiosity, but a very considerable number visit the 

 museum for the express purpose of obtaining information, and 

 there seems no doubt that, under Mr. Bidie's energetic and intel- 

 ligent management, the institution is doing much good. Very 

 considerable additions have been made during the year, and the 

 whole is in a fair way of being catalogued. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Greater Black-backed Gulls (Larus 

 mariniis), British, presented by Mr. A. Allen ; a Blue-shouldered 

 Tanager (Tanagra cyanoptera) from South America, presented 



by Mr. Ernest L. Marshall ; a Tanager [Tanagra, sp. inc.) 



from Brazil, presented Ijy Dr. Arthur Stradling ; a Green Lizard 

 (Lacerta viridis). South European, presented by the Misses 

 Parry ; two Pantherine Toads (Bufo pantherinus) from North 

 Africa, presented by Mr. R. E. Holding ; six Common Lizards 

 (Lacerta vivipara), two Smooth Snakes (Corondla hrjis), two 

 Sand Lizards (Lacerta agUis), British, presented by Mr. J. T. 

 Mann ; a Grey Parrot (Psiltacus erithacus) from West Africa, four 

 Passerine Parrakeets (Psiltacii/a passerina), two Lineated Finches 

 (Spermophila lineatd) from South America, a Coffin's Cockatoo 

 [Cacatua goffini) from Queensland, deposited ; tix Common 

 Chama;Ieons (Chaincsleo vulgarii) from North Africa, pur- 

 chased. The additions to the Insectarium include larva; of the 

 Tuseh Silk Moth {Altactis mylitta) ; several larvae of the Poplar 

 Hawk Moth (Smerinthiis popiih), presented ; an imago of the 

 Death's-Head Moth (Acherontia atropos), presented by Mr. M. 

 H. Temple, Warwick, and two specimens of Ceralocampa ixion, 

 bred from pufje received a short time since from South America , 

 also many species of aquatic Coleoptera from Askham Bog, near 

 York, presented by Mr. W. A. Forbes, including Haliplus ele- 

 valta, Hyphydrus ovatiis, Hydroporus rufifroiis and lineattts, 

 Colymbetes exoletus 2ccA g>-apei,- llybius aienLnti uli^inosus, Agabus 

 dispar and abbreidatus, Noterus sparsus, Helophorus aquaticus, 

 Hydrobius fiucipes, Pkilhydrus melanocephalus. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



The Dearborn Observatory, Chicago. — The annual re- 

 port from Prof. Hough to the Board of Directors of the Chicago 

 Astronomical Society, dated May last, has been issued. The 

 planet Jupiter has been made a special object of study with the 

 great equatorial, the first observation having been .'ecured on 

 Slay 6, 18S0, and the last on January 30, 1S81. The observa- 

 tions made at the Dearborn Observatory do not support the idea 

 that the surface of the planet is "subject to sudden and rapid 

 changes, which may be accomplished in a few days or even a 

 few hours." On the contrary, the observUions in question show 

 that all minor changes in the markings or spots have been slow 

 and gradual. " In fact the principal features have been perma- 

 nent, no material change being detected by micrometer measure- 

 ment." With regard to the rotation of Jupiter, the discussion 

 of the measures on the great red spot made from September 25, 

 1S79, to January 27, 1881, or over a period of 490 days, gave 



