Fan. 19, 1882] 
languages of European nations. His “History of the | 
American Civil War,’’? a work which appeared between 
the years 1867 and 1870, when the bitter animosities of 
the strife were still raging, is distinguished by an impar- 
tiality of tone and a philosophic elevation remarkable in 
a historian, and trebly remarkable in one who wrote in 
times so little remote from the stirring events recorded. 
In 1874 Dr. Draper published a “ History of the Conflict 
between Science and Religion,” a work which attracted 
some notice, and for which a preface was written by Prof. 
Tyndall to introduce the work to English readers. Though 
unequal to the preceding works in merit, and marred by 
assumptions that detract from its value, it nevertheless 
showed great vigour of intellect and philosophic power. 
Dr. Draper leaves two sons, both of whom are known 
to science : Prof. John Christopher Draper, whose works 
on Physiology are well known on both sides of the 
Atlantic, and Prof. Henry Draper, whose labours in 
spectrum analysis, and on the construction of silvered 
glass specula for telescopes, are too well known to require 
mention. Dr. Draper leaves behind him an honourable 
and well-won fame; and his removal leaves a gap 
amongst the older generation of American scientific men 
which a few years ago would have been irreparable. 
Happily amongst the younger generation there are many 
whose talents have amply qualified them to step into the 
gap. In the breasts of all who desire the progress of 
science, regret for the loss they have sustained cannot but 
be mingled with satisfaction that the mantle falls upon the 
worthy shoulders, not of one successor, but upon a crowd 
of apt followers in the footsteps of the departed veteran. 
NOTES 
ALL but Fellows of the most recent date will hear with regret 
of the death, on Saturday, of Mr. Richard Kippist, who for nearly 
fifty years acted as librarian to the Linnean Society. Born in 
1811, he was, when quite a lad, clerk in the office of Mr. Joseph 
Woods, F.L.S., architect, and an accomplished botanist. His 
taste for botany either originated or was acquired when under 
that gentleman, with whom he travelled, and afterwards assisted 
in the publication of ‘‘The Tourist’s Flora.” Mr. Woods 
leaving London for Lewes, Mr. Kippist, in February, 1830, 
entered the service of the Linnean Society, then in Soho Square. 
On Prof. Don’s (the librarian’s) death in 1842, Mr. Kippist, 
then an Associate of the Society, was elected by the Fellows 
his successor. Mr. Kippist contributed various botanical papers 
to the Linnean Society, which were published in their Proceed- 
NATURE 
ings and Transactions ; the most important of which was that 
on the existence of spiral cells in the seeds of Acanthacee. 
He was an original Member of the Royal Microscopical Society, 
and an Associate of the Royal Botanical Society, Regent’s 
Park. For a number of years Mr. Kippist suffered from asthma 
and chronic bronchitis, which materially affected his earlier 
active habits. He retired from office in 1880, after fifty years’ 
service, He identified himself completely with the Society and 
its officers, securing the esteem of successive presidents and 
Councils, and the respect of succeeding generations of Fellows. 
Latterly he carried his methodical habits and his zeal for the 
Society’s welfare to a degree that might have been distasteful to 
those younger Fellows who were not acquainted by experience 
with his life-long, single-minded devotion to the Society. 
These qualities, however, were duly appreciated by those 
conversant with the affairs of the Society, and whenever 
opportunity served, fit expression was made of the sense enter- 
tained of the value of his services, so that when, a year or two since, 
Mr. Kippist’s failing health no longer enabled him to discharge 
his duties, the graceful action of the Council in allowing their 
old servant to retire on full pension was universally approved of 
by the Fellows, Mr. Kippist’s complete devotion to the duties 
2795 
of his office left him little leisure for other work, while his 
modest, retiring habits led him to shun society. His published 
memoirs are therefore few in number, but they are marked 
with the scrupulous fidelity so characteristic of the author. They 
relate exclusively to botanical subjects. 
PREPARATIONS for the forthcoming Electrical Exhibition are 
drawing their slow length along. The only really complete 
exhibit at present is that of the Postmaster-General, and this, as 
an historical exhibit, is very good indeed. The South-Eastern 
Railway also made a very good show, and the Electric Light and 
Power Generator Company are in position ; but much remains 
to complete the Exhibition, and it will be another fortnight 
before it can be considered ready for inspection, On the evening 
of the 17th inst. the Edison lamp was shown in operation. The 
Concert Room was illuminated by over 200 of these pretty little 
lamps, each cf which gives 16 candle-power. An extremely 
handsome chandelier was erected in the centre of the room, and 
its effect was very brilliant. The steadiness and uniformity of 
the Edison incandescent lamp is very marked, and it compares 
in this respect very favourably with the Swan and the Lane- 
Fox lamps. A large party gathered together and dined between 
the rays of this brilliant light, but, as it very, often happens 
under such circumstances, an accident occurred which put out 
the lights for nearly an hour. This was, however, the fault of 
the engine, the safety-plug of which had blown out. The 
Exhibition generally produced a very favourable impression. 
Tue Geographical Society have now on exhibition a relief 
map of the equatorial region of Africa,.constructed within the 
last twelve months for Col, Grant by Mr, James B. Jordan. The 
area included in the map is nine times greater than the British 
Isles, and nearly nine times less than the total area of Africa. It 
was therefore considered necessary to adopt the horizontal scale 
of one inch to twenty-five miles, and the vertical scale of one 
inch to five thousand feet. This gives an exaggerated idea of 
the mountains, but in relief maps this cannot be avoided if we 
wish to show the principal features of a country. The construc- 
tion of the relief was a work of nearly twelve months. An 
accurate map had to be made on a given scale from carefully 
collected data ; this was transferred to clay by a kind of panta- 
graph of Mr. Jordan’s (senior) invention, a cast taken, and the 
present relief map constructed of papier-maché. There were 
several reasons for making it of this material: one, its lightness 
would enable it to be hung like a picture; another, the imposst- 
bility of its cracking and chipping as clay does; it represents 
nature better, and it can be easily repaired if the housemaid 
pokes a hole through it with ber brush. When looked at in the 
light striking upon one side, the aspect of Africa in the interior 
is no longer the barren waste of the maps of fifty years ago ; the 
interior, with its deeply-set lakes and the swelling lands round 
them, looks as if it could not but be inhabited by human beings, 
and it isso. All the data as to altitudes, latitudes, longitudes, 
and sections were taken from the accounts of the several travel- 
lers who have discovered or visited the interior, and Mr. Jordan 
has, in his well-known painstaking and conscientious manner, 
followed out the observations of these authors in a most accurate 
manner. Though it is clear to all that the model cannot be 
sufficiently correct where no observations had ever been made, 
still with his skilful hand and artistic taste, Mr. Jordan has pro- 
duced a relief map which would bear comparison with any in 
Europe. 
WE learn that the report that the bodies of the missing 
Feannette men have been found on Wrangel Land is erroneous ; 
they are no doubt those of part of the crew of the whaler Vig/an¢. 
Several of the members of the expedition have reached Jakutsk. 
The French journal Z’£xf/oration publishes an extraordinary 
letter purporting to have been received from one of the members 
