. 
setting aside all the applications ; but it was surely, to say the 
_ least, unwise thus to challenge criticism on the soundness of 
judgment of the Committee, since it is generally known that 
_ among the candidates was at least one who has had quite excep- 
tional opportunities, not only for practical work, but also in 
_teaching—Dr. Jas. Murie, who has been Demonstrator in 
_ Anatomy and Pathology to several medical schools both in Scot- 
land and in London, has filled for some years the post of Pro- 
sector to the Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens, and whose 
original papers and monographs (upwards of seventy in number) 
are universally recognised as evidence of quite unusual powers 
of research and demonstration. Our original workers are so 
few, and their opportunities of emolument so slender, that it is 
doubly hard that they should receive discouragement of this 
nature at the hands of a body specially bound to encourage the 
practice of original research. 
AT a meeting of the Bombay Geographical Society on 
October 16, it was resolved to make arrangements to amalga- 
mate that Society with the Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic 
Society. 
Tue following are the names on the Cambridge Natural 
Science Tripos :—First Class—Whitmell (Trinity), Saunders 
(Down.), Teall and Yule (John’s), the last distinguished in 
Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, and the last three equal. 
Second Class—Gaskell (Trin. H.), and Ranking (Cuth.), 
equal, Hebert, (Caius). Third Class—(all equal), Barron 
(Caius), Dew-Smith (Trin.), Knubley (Mag.), Marshall, W. C. 
(Trin.), Smith, J. (John’s). 
THE elements of the new planet (No. 128), discovered on the 
night of Dec. 4-5, by M. A. Barrelly, are given in the last 
number of Astronomische Nachrichten. Vt is of the tenth mag- 
nitude. 
THE stations which the expeditions organised by the American 
government intend to occupy for the purpose of observing the 
transit of Venus will be mostly on the islands and coasts of the 
Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand on the south to the Aleutian 
Islands on the north, and from the Sandwich Islands on the east 
to China on the west. Telescopes and photographic apparatus 
for eight ‘stations have been ordered from the firm of Alvan 
Clark & Sons, Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, and it is probable 
that nearly all the apparatus will be of American manufacture. 
WE regret to announce thedeath of W. J. Macquorn Rankine, on 
Dec. 24, 1872, Professor of Engineering in Glasgow University. 
We hope next week to give an account of his life and labours. 
WE regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Archibald 
Smith, LL.D., F.R.S., of Jordan Hall, Lanarkshire. Mr. 
Smith was born in’ 1814, studied at Glasgow and Cambridge 
Universities, being in 1836 Senior Wrangler and first Smith’s 
Prizeman in the latter ; the second wrangler was Bishop Colenso. 
He afterwards went to the Chancery bar, devoting his leisure to 
mathematical studies, his contributions to science being of high 
practical value. He was employed by Government to make a 
magnetic survey of the Antarctic regions, in connection with 
which he, in 1862, published his ‘‘ Admiralty Manual for the 
Deviation of the Compass,” which was republished and trans- 
lated into various languages. Mr. Smith received from the 
Royal Society one of its Royal Medals, from the Empéror of 
Russia a compass set with diamonds, and recently from Her 
Majesty’s Government a gift of 2,000/. as a mark of their appre- 
ciation of the value of his researches. 
We learn that the Brighton Aquarium) Company propose ~ 
eventually to embrace in their building sections representing 
Zoology and Ornithology. There are now in course of construc- 
tion a large tank for Reféi/ia, and a seal pond. On Monday 
last a fine young seal was brought from the London Zoological 
NATURE 
Gardens, and is now the centre of attraction to visitors. There 
are also some very fine specimens of Axolotl (A-xoloteles guttatus) 
lately received from Mexico. Considering the short time the 
aquarium has been in working order, and the loss of the late 
manager, Mr. Lord, the present efficient state of the building 
reflects great credit on all concerned. 
AN examination will be held in Exeter College on Tuesday, 
January 28, 1873, and the following days, for the purpose of 
filling up four Scholarships and three Exhibitions. Two of the 
Scholarships are of the annual value of So/. each, and two cf 
them of 60/. each. To the latter, candidates born or educated 
for the three years last past in the diocese of Exeter have a prior 
claim, but only if they are duly qualified by their attainments to 
be scholars of the college. Otherwise these Scholarships 
also will be open. Of the Exhibitions one is worth 632. per 
annum, the second is worth 50/. per annum, the third is worth 
45/. per annum, and the holder of it, as also of the first, must 
apply himself to the study of Divinity. Candidates for the 
Scholarships must not have exceeded the twentieth year of their 
age on the day of election, There is no limit of age for the 
Exhibitions. One of the Scholarships and one of the Exhibitions 
will be given for proficiency in Natural Science, if sufficiently 
good candidates present themselves. Papers will be set in 
Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, but special weight will be 
given to excellence in Biology. Candidates in Natural Science 
must satisfy the College that they possess sufficient Classical 
knowledge to be able to pass responsions. 
Tue exhibition for National Science at St. John’s College, 
Cambridge (51/. for three years), has been awarded to Mr. W. B. ~ 
Lowe, who was educated at Rugby, and Mr. Taylor equal. 
McAllister, who highly distinguished himself in the examination 
for this exhibition and in mathematics, was elected to one of 4o/, 
for four years. 
Mr. DitrMar, of Edinburgh University, has been appointed 
Assistant-Professor and Junior Demonstrator of Chemistry at 
Owens College, Manchester. 
Mr. J. J. Taytor, of Giggleswick Grammar School, was 
elected on Wednesday, December 25, to a Natural Science Ex- 
hibition, at St. John’s College, Cambridge, for proficiency in 
chemistry and physics. 
Mr. ALEXANDER PEDLER, F.C.S., has been appointed Pro- 
fessor of Chemistry in the University of Calcutta. 
WE are favoured by Prof. Griffis with a copy of the Japan 
Daily Herald, which contains some notes of the ascent of the 
volcanic mountain Fuji Yama, on September 8 and 9, 1872, by 
an officer stationed at Subashiri. From his own very careful 
observations, compared with that of others, and corrected by 
instruments at the Lighthouse Department at Benten, the officer 
estimates the total height at 13,080°32ft. The only vegetation 
found on the summit was small lichens, while icicles hung from 
the rocks all round. There are a few stone huts on the summit, 
in which people live during the summer. The sides are lined 
with woods, principally firs, larch, birch, and mountain ash. 
The approximate diameter of the crater is given as 1,770 ft., and 
its depth 440 ft. The bottom of the crater appeared to consist 
of a small patch of sand, thoughit might have been dirty snow. 
The sides are all loose clinker, affording no foothold, unless with 
the assistance of a rope. 
THE Bulletin de la Société de Geographie contains a paper by 
M. H. Duveyrier, on Livingstone’s explorations, from 1866 to 
1872, accompanied by a very pretty provisional map, which will 
no doubt require some alteration in the future, A paper on the 
Gulf Stream by M. E. Masqueroy, seeks to combat the theories 
advanced by Dr. Petermann in Nos, 6 and 7 of the Afittheilungen 
for 1870. 
