vey a 
NATURE 
the objects are covered with fine green Patina, and are evidently 
the parts of an ancient fountain, which adorned the hall or 
garden of the villa of a wealthy Roman. The discovery is all 
the more interesting, as the existence of Roman antiquities in the 
neighbourhood of Liége has never been suspected before. 
Tue sudden and highly unpleasant occurrence of large quan- 
tities of sulphuretted hydrogen at Aetolikon (near Missolunghi), 
to which we referred a short time ago, was repeated on January 6 
last. At the same time a slight earthquake was observed, and 
quantities of pumice-stone were observed floating upon the sea 
surface, Orders were given by the authorities to investigate the 
phenomenon scientifically with a view to ascertaining whether 
a rise of temperature has taken place in the sca-water or soil of 
the shore. The depth of the sea is also to be measured, to see 
whether any variations have taken place, 
TueE Gottingen Royal Society of Sciences offers, in the 
physical class, a prize of 50 ducats (say 23/.) for the best inves- 
tigation, with accurate experiments, of the chlorides and amides 
of cyanogen (the present data regarding these compounds being 
rather uncertain). Papers must be sent in before the end of 
September, 1884. The same month this year closes the time 
for treatment of the prize question in the mathematical class, 
viz. the nature of the unpolarised ray of light. 
THE seeds of some valuable new species or varieties of 
Cinchona that have not, it seems, as yet Leen introduced to the 
Indian plantations have recently been consigned to Messrs. 
Christy and Co., of Fenchurch Street. These new forms are 
very rich in quinine, and are thus referred to in Markham’s 
“*Trayels in India and Peru”:—‘‘I have been assured by 
Gironda and Martinez that there are three sorts of Calisaya : the 
*Calisaya fina’ (Cinchona Calisaya v. vera, Wedd.), the “ Cali- 
saya morada’ (C. doliviana, Wedd.), and the ‘Calisaya verde’ 
[Cinchona Calisaya oblongifolia}. They also told me that the 
last-named tree was a very large one, with leaves wholly devoid 
of any red colour on the nerves, and habitually growing very far 
down the valleys and even in the plains. A tree of this variety 
supplies 6co or 700 lbs. weight of bark, whereas the Calisaya fina 
yields only 300 to goo!bs. Gironda declares that in the province 
of Munecas, Bolivia, he saw one that furnished r1coo lbs. of 
tabla, that is to say, of the bark, of the trunk, and lower 
branches.” It is said that better results are to be obtained by 
cultivating the Ca/isaya verde than the Calisaya fina, because 
although the former yields only 64 to 9 per cent. of pure sulphate 
of quinine, yet as it yields twice the amcunt of bark as the fina 
or Ledgeriana, the produce of the Calisaya verde is equivalent 
to from 13 to 18 per cent. of quinine. ‘‘ Moreover, from the 
fact that the Calisaya verde is a more vigorous tree than the 
delicate Ledgeriana, and will grow at a lower elevation, it is 
obvious that it can be cultivated to a much greater extent, and 
may be extremely valuable for grafting the Ledgertana upon, 
more especially since the attempt to graft the Ledgerzana upon 
C. succirubra has proved unsuccessful,” 
A Commission has been appointed in Paris composed of MM. 
Wurtz, Berthelot, and other influential men of science connected 
with politics, to establish a superior School of Chemistry and 
Physics. The course of instruction will occupy three years, It 
is stated that M. Cochery will devote to this institution the 
surplus of the International Exhibition of Electricity. 
Tue number of municipal services in Paris in which telegraphs 
or telephones are used is so large that the civic authorities have 
decided to establish a telegraphic examination for their em//oycs. 
AN interesting series of papers on the volcanoes of Japan has 
been commenced by Prof. Milne in the ¥apan Gazelle of Yoko- 
hama. The articles are compiled almost wholly from native 
records, and while mentioning the particulars of the various 
eruptions within the historical period, will also refer to the legends 
~. 
and superstitions of the people respecting these phenomena, 
Prof. Milne mentions as a noticeable -fact the association of 
many of the eruptions with some great calamity or other remark- 
able event. The mental effects produced by seismic phenomena 
have frequently been very curious. Thus an emperor orders the 
people to pray for forgiveness of their sins on account of an 
eruption ; a governor presents a shrine to the deity of the moun- 
tain to prevent any further outbreaks ; and priests are ordered 
to pray to a mountain to cease ruining the crops by pouring forth 
ashes. The writer also thinks that if the history of earthquakes 
and volcanoes were closely examined in other countries as well 
as Japan, these phenomena would be found to play an important 
part in engendering superstition and producing mental aberra- 
tions, traces of which may be met with in the forms of worship. 
The first of these papers, which is on Mount Aso in Kiushiu, 
one of the most remarkable volcanoes in the world, appeared on 
December 31. The series promises to be one of the highest 
scientific interest. 
On February 12 the new Natural History Museum was 
opened at Berne. 
EARTHQUAKES are reported from Chieti and Castelfrentano, 
in the Abruzzi, where shocks were observed on February 12 a 
3a.m. 
On February 3 a remarkable fall of meteorites occurred in” 
Transylvania, At Klausenburg an intense light suddenly flashed 
into view at 3.45 p.m. on that day, the sky being perfectly 
cloudless. The meteor was seen in the north-east part of the 
sky, and when it disappeared a white cloud was seen in its stead, 
which spread into a thin streak stretching from west to east. 
Soon afterwards a loud report was heard. The next day the 
news arrived that near Mocs, about twenty-five miles to the east 
of Klaucenburg, some meteorites had fallen ; one of these weighs | 
ee 
—— 
35 kilogrammes, and penetrated 68 centimetres deep into the — 
ground. ‘Two other pieces were found near Olah Gyeres, and 
five others near Vajda Kamaras. Prof. Koch collected no less 
than sixty pieces of smaller dimensions near Gyulatelke, Visa, 
and Bare to the north of Mocs. The direction of the meteor 
was from north-west to south-east, to judge from the position of 
the fragments ; the latter were scattered over a line of about 
fifteen miles in length. 
Dr. SCHLIEMANN will continue his Trojan excavations this 
month as soon as the weather permits. The firman he has 
obtained permits him to extend his researches to the whole 
Troas. He will therefore not confine himself solely to Hissarlik, 
but will also closely investigate the environs of Balli-Dagh, 
where ancient Troy was situated, according to Le Chevalier’s 
theory. 
Ar the instance of the Conseil d’Hygitne for the Department 
of the Seine, M. Delpech has drawn up an instructive report 
(Za Nature) on the dangers arising from bees. The loss and 
inconvenience incurred by some sugar refineries in Paris through 
bee-keepers’ establishments in the neighbourhood, attracted 
notice some time ago; at the Lay refinery the depredation is 
estimated at 25,coo francs a year, and the workmen, nearly 
naked, are often stung. The children (1200) at a school in the 
rue de Tanger, have suffered similarly to a large extent. M. 
Delpech gives information with regard to the bee's sting, notices 
three classes of injuries caused by it, and cites a number of cases 
in which it has proved fa‘al. Stings on the face are the most 
serious, the nerve-centres being so near. Bees are evidently not 
to be trifled with. On the triple score of material damage, great 
inconvenience, and very real danger, M. Delpech condemns bee- 
keeping in large centres of population. 
AN interesting paper by Mr. F. J. Faraday on ‘‘ Prehistoric 
Fishing,” is published in ‘* Anglers’ Evenings” (Manchester), The 
