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“NATURE 
mercary column, which is to be considered as equal to an ohm ; 
secondly, to select a new standard for comparing the photo- 
metric power of several lights ; thirdly, to establish a plan of 
common co-operation for studying atmospheric electricity as 
proposed by Sir William Thomson, and adopted unanimously 
by the Congress of Electricians. 
Tue French Minister of Public Works having sent a delegate 
to report on the Smoke Abatement Exhibition, it is supposed 
that M. Cochery will be obliged to reconsider his refusal to send 
delegates to the Electrical Exhibition at the Crystal Palace 
which extraordinary step has caused great disappointment in 
various quarters. 
In the £tat de I’ Algérie, Spublished by the new governor- 
general, we see that the Algerian system of meteorological 
observation extends from Mogador to Tripoli, The number of 
Stations is forty-eight, but only thirty-six send daily reports by 
telegrams. The warnings of the Algerian meteorological office 
are’ telegraphed to twelve commercial seaports on the coast of 
Algeria. The most southern station is Wargla, in the desert 
where Laghouat, Tuggurt, and some others have been located. 
This office is directed by the staff of military engineers inde- 
pendently of Paris. 
A FEW months ago the Rev. W. S. Green, of Carrigaline, 
€o. Cork, started on a mountaineering expedition to New 
Zealand. Mr. Green was accompanied by two Swiss guides, 
and a telegram just received announces that the party has suc- 
ceeded in making the ascent of Mount Cook. 
A BILL for compelling railway companies to use continuous 
brakes has passed the second reading in the House of Lords. 
Srr JouHN Lussock, as president of the Linnean Society, 
will give a soirée on Tuesday evening at the Society’s Rooms, 
Burlington House. 
THE Berlin Society of Commercial Geography, which has 
been in existence for about two years, has already developed a 
wonderful amount of activity. It publishes two organs, one 
weekly, under the title of Zxfort, the other Nachrichte fur 
Welthandel und Volkwirthschaft at longer intervals. In both 
organs, while the development of German commerce is mainly 
kept in view, that object is sought to be promoted by obtaining 
at first hand a scientific knowledge of the products and peoples 
of the various countries of the world. The papers and notes on 
these points are all of great interest, and form important contri- 
Wutions to various aspects of geographical science. In this 
respect they form a marked contrast to the publications of 
similar societies in other countries, and we see one more evi- 
dence of the thoroughness of education in Germany, and of the 
atility of science in all departments of activity. This Society, 
there is little doubt, will be of great service to the development of 
German commerce ; it seems to have competent correspondents 
in all parts of the world. 
EARTHQUAKES are reported from the following localities :— 
On February 27, at 9.15 a.m., a number of weak shocks were 
noticed at Roveredo, lasting about six to seven seconds, They 
were also felt at Olivone, and far more violently at Bellinzona, 
‘On March 4, at 9.5 p.m., a violent shock, accompanied by sub- 
terranean noise, was felt at St. Johann in the Wieselburg Comitat 
(Hungary). The shock lasted two seconds, and proceeded in 
the direction from south to north. An undulatory and mode- 
rately violent earthquake occurred on March 11, at 2.54 a.m. at 
Metkovich, on the road to Mostar (the scene of the present revo- 
lutionary disturbances). Its direction was from north to south. 
The volcanic phenomena which have lately alarmed the inhabi- 
tants of the A£tolian coast have not yet ceased. There is now 
no doubt that a submarine crater has been formed. A _ short 
ee 
time ago a tolerably violent shock of earthquake was felt, accom- 
panied by subterranean roaring and hissing. At the same time 
a strong odour of sulphuretted hydrogen rose from the sea, A 
thick layer ofa gelatine-like mineral matter covers the surface 
of the sea to a great distance, and floats upon it like a layer of 
oil. It is not disturbed by the sea being in a high state of agita- 
tion, but has, on the contrary, a tranquillisiog effect upon the — 
motion of the waves. 
A TELEGRAM received.at Constantinople, March 21, announces 
that three strong shocks of earthquake were felt on that day on — 
the island of Chios. The population had taken refuge in tents. 
the temperature is excessively high. 
FURTHER intelligence received from Panama states that 
during the recent earthquake in Costa Rica there was no loss of 
life whatever, and the damage to property wa; unimportant, 
Ir is related by MM. Macé de Lepinay and Nicati (Your. de 
Phys.), that after a mountain excursion, and five hours among 
snow-fields, one of them found all artificial lights in town 
(candles and oil lamps) to appear distinctly green ; the effect last- 
ing from 7.30 to II p.m. This case of temporary daltonism 
for red is attributed to the fatigue of the retina for red persisting 
much longer than that for other colours. The authors describe 
a simple experiment by which this persistence may be verified. 
Three coloured glasses are taken, red, green, and blue, which, 
with average illumination, all bring the visual acuteness to about 
the same value. Having nearly shut the shutters and placed 
himself a few yards from a white board with printed letters of 
different sizes on it, the observer finds that, at the first, he can, _ 
with the blue glass, make out pretty distinctly the letters of 
medium size; whereas, with the red glass, the visual acuteness 
is so much reduced, that he cannot even distinguish the board. 
But if the darkness be continued, he observes that, whereas the 
visual acuteness does not sensibly increase with the blue glass, 
he is presently able, with the red, to make ont, first the board, 
and then the largest letters. The visual acuteness in the latter 
case increases, at first quickly, then more slowly, for half an 
hour, when it becomes nearly stationary. Green glass gives 
results intermediate between the others. It is important to 
remark, that in all cases, even after an hour and a half, the 
visual acuteness with the red glass remains considerably less 
than with the blue. 
A SMALL herbarium of plants, some thirty-five centuries old, 
must be an object cf considerable interest. Such an one has 
recently been formed by Dr. Schweinfurth, from garlands found 
on the breasts of mummies discovered last year at Deir el 
Bahari, by MM. Bragsch and Maspero. Two garlands on the 
body of the King AamesI., consisted (according to a letter of 
the Doctor’s published in Archives des Sciences) of leaves of 
Egyptian willow (Sal/éx safsaf), folded twice, and sewed side by 
side along a branch of the date-palm, so forming clasps for 
separate flowers inserted in the folds. The flowers were those 
of Acacia Nilotica, of Nymphaea caerulea, with isolated petals, of 
Alcea ficifolia, and of a Delphinium, believed to be orientale. 
The garlands of the other kings contained flowers of Carthamus 
tinctorius, and the folded leaves were those of Aftmmusops Kwum- 
mel. Leaves of the common water-melon (Cucmets cétrelius) 
were also found on the body of Neb-Seni, a high mest of the 
twentieth dynasty, Dr. Schweinfurth managed to preserve many 
of the leaves and flowers, by moistening them, then putting in 
alcohol, then spreading out and drying. A remarkable thing is 
the preservation of colour of the chlorophyll violet in Deipis- 
nium, green in the water-melon leaves, All the species named 
are still found in the East; and they afford examples of both 
spontaneous and cultivated plants, continuing for many centuries 
without variation. 
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