NATURE 



17 Illy 5, 1877 



mum. It would appear that vesicular vapour, by the action of 

 the wind, had cemented the grains of sand so as to form j:;lobulcs, 

 analogously to what we see on a larger scale in the formation of 

 hail. We are entitled to assert this, seeing the speedy disaggre- 

 gation of these globules into grains of sand, when brought into 

 contact with a Utile drop of water in the field of a microscope. 

 The fall on the 22nd was so abundant in Rome that from the 

 amount, 0^25 gramme, gathered on an earthenware disc of 30 

 centimetres in radius, we argue a fall of not less than eight 

 quintals per square kilometre." The correspondent himself 

 writes : "I am by no means satisfied that the rain was of sand 

 and water. The drops on my drawing paper were easily al>sorbed 

 by a pocket-handkerchief, and left no s.ain on the paper ; but my 

 drawing still bears many stains from drops which apparently I 

 had not touched. Since then I have washed the sky over with 

 them, and have afterwards sluiced the surface of the paper with 

 water from a sponge ; yet there they remain. If sand they be, 

 that material appears to have a most unusually tenacious affinity 

 for the paper. If the drops were of sand and pure water I 

 should expect to find that as soon as the water had ev.iporated, 

 the sand would no longer adhere to the paper and that the spots 

 would no longer be on my drawing." 



The Melhourne Ar giis informs us that on May 11 the tide rose 

 from five to eight feet on the eastern coast of New Zealand, and 

 that at Sydney and Newcastle, on the New South Wales coast, 

 the tide also rose above its usual height, though in a less marked 

 degree. It will be noted that the great earthquake-wave which 

 did so rnuch damage to the coast towns of Peru occurred on 

 May 10, the time of propagation of the wave from Peru to New 

 Zealand being, however, n^it yet precisely stated. 



SiGNOR Gessi, the celebrated African explorer, while pro- 

 ceeding to the Lake District, had all his scientific instruments 

 and baggage burnt. 



Messrs. Macmillan and Co. have in the press, and will 

 shortly publish, a translation of Fleischer's Volumetric Analysis. 

 In this work the author's aim is to systematise the volumetric 

 processes. A general scheme of analysis without previous sepa- 

 ration of bases is also a feature of the work. The translation is 

 made by Mr. Pattison Muir of the Owens College. The trans- 

 lator has added a few notes and supplementary methods. 



The latest news from Yeniseisk announces the passage through 

 this place of M M. Wiggins and Schwanenberg, on their way 

 towards the north. Capt. Wiggins goes towards his steamer, 

 which has wintered at Zureika, and after having taken on board 

 the tallow he proposes to export, he will return, viii ihe Kara 

 Sea to England. M. Schwanenberg proposes to undertake an 

 exploration of the graphite mines of the Yeniseisk district, and 

 to take a cargo of graphite to Europe. There is, however, little 

 hope that this latter project will be realised. 



Wk are glad to learn from the Annual Report of llie New 

 Russ'an (Bessarabian) Society of Naturalists that this young 

 scientific body has displayed during the past year great activity. 

 The following are the more important piapers published by the 

 society : — On the family of ephemerides from the stand-point of 

 the Darwinian theory, and on the metamorphoses of axototls, by 

 Prof. Mechnikoff ; the theory of chlorophyll, by Prof. Wolkoff ; 

 the algolic fauna of the Black Sea, by M. Rishavy ; on the 

 laws of distribution of electricity on surfaces, by Prof. UmoflT. 

 The society has, moreover, carried on a considerable number of 

 scientific explorations in various parts of Russia, and has con- 

 tinued the publication of a cryptogamic herbarium of Russia. 



The application ol new materials for paper stock which has 

 occupied so much attention of late seems to have attracted some 

 notice in the Philadelphia Exhibition last year. From Jamaica 



bamboo was perhaps the most important paper-making plant 

 exhibited. Of the young bamboo stems, which ere the best for 

 the purpose, a very large supply, it is said, could be annually, 

 by systematic cuttings or croppings, furnished from plants 

 nourishing in the humid parts of the island. It feems that the 

 American paper manufacturers have also wished to make experi- 

 ments with bamboo with the view, if possible, of introducing 

 it into the American trade ; so that, owing to the proximity of 

 Jamaica to the United States, it is supposed that the supply of 

 bamboo may eventually form an article of trade between the two 

 countries. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Pig- tailed Monkeys (Macacus nemi'slri- 

 nus) from Java, a Black Leopard (Fc'is pardiis) from India, two 

 Argus Pheasants {Argus giganttiis), a Vieillot's Pheasant (En- 

 plocamns vicillolli) from Malacca, presented by Sir Harry St. 

 George Ord, C.B. ; a North American Reintleer {KangiJVr 

 larandus) from Newfoundland, presented by Capt. Edmund 

 Fraser, 60th Royal Rifles ; a Javan Chevrotain ( Tragulus 

 Javankiis) from Java, presented by Mr. William Trent ; an 

 African Cobra (Naia haje) from the Cape of Good Hope, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Eustace Pillans ; a Hawk-headed Parrot (Derop- 

 tyiis accipitrinui) from Brazil, purchased ; ten Amherst Pheasants 

 {Thaumalea amhcrstuv), two Temminck's Tragopans {Cerrortiis 

 iemminckii), twenty Common Boas {Boa constrictor), born in the 

 Gardens. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Oxford. — The following gentlemen were, on Saturday, June 

 30, elected, after open competition, to demyships in Natural 

 Science at Magdalen College : — Mr. J. F. Heyes, of Liverpool 

 College; Mr. R. V. J.ackson, of CUfton College; Mr. G. A. 

 Buckniaster, of Christ's Hospital and St. George's Hospital, 

 London ; Proxime accessit, Mr. A. M. Jackson, Magdalen Col- 

 lege School, unattached student. These demyships are of the 

 value of 95/. per annum, and tenable for five years from the 

 date of election. 



Bristol. — The first session of University College terminated 

 on the 30th ult. without any special ceremony of prize-day or 

 commemoration. The result of the work of this the first year 

 must be considered very satisfactory, for in spite of several serious 

 disadvantages, the lateness of the arrangements and appoint- 

 ments of last autumn, and the inconvenience of the crowded 

 temporary premises, upwards of four hundred students have been 

 enrolled. This number exceeds that of the first year of either 

 the Newcastle or Leeds Colleges of Science, or of the Owens 

 College. Lectures h.ive also been delivered at Stroud in connec- 

 tion with the clothworkers' industry in the departments of textile 

 fabrics and chemistry. Prof Rowley has also delivered a course 

 of lectures in literature at Bridgewater. Most of the courses of 

 instruction only extended until Easter, when several of the tem- 

 porary appointments expired. In consequence of this arrange- 

 ment the numbers attending the classes in the third term has not 

 been so great as in the preceding. The chemical laboratory has 

 been in full swing, and evening practical classes have been added 

 since Easter. The only reappointments hitherto concluded are 

 the professorships of chemistry and modern literature, the lec- 

 tureship in experimental physics, and the assistant lectureship in 

 chemistry. The other reappointments are held over until the 

 election of a principal, which will take place during the present 

 month. It is understood that there are sixty candidates for this 

 important post. No provision has yet been made for a lecture- 

 ship in engineering. 



St. Andrews. — We understand that Prof. 'Fischer, the pre- 

 sent o;cupan'. of the chair of mathematics in the University of 

 St. Andrews, has made application to the University Court of 

 St. Andrews for leave to res gn his chair on a retiring allowance. 

 As the necefsary arrangements will most probably be completed 

 during the present summer vacation, a new appointment will 

 fall to be made before the opening of the session in the United 

 College in November next. The patronage of the chair belongs 

 to the Crown. 



