-230 
NATURE 
[%an. 23, 1873 
number of rarities, amongst which may be mentioned a 
perfect specimen of the great auk, Adca zmpennis, in-ex- 
cellent plumage and preservation, Didunculus strigi- 
rostris, and a fine series of Birds of Paradise, including 
Semiopleryx. ; 
Amongst the reptiles are large specimens of Av/igator 
nigra, and a large number of Che/onia, and amongst the 
fish a fine series of Sedachians, There is also a collection 
of the skeletons of vertebrata, and a large number of. In- 
vertebrata, corals, sponges, starfish, &c. ; but this part of 
the collection is not yet arranged in the new building. 
The natural history department is under the direction of 
Prof. Barboyo du Bocage, who, it will be remembered, 
first described the siliceous sponge, Ayalonema, from 
Setubal Bay and on the Portuguese coast. 
About a mile and a half or two miles from the heart 
of the city of Lisbon on high ground is the Botanical 
garden. The garden consists of two terraces, one above 
the other. The lower terrace contains nothing remark- 
able except a group of date palms, Phenix dactylifera, 
one of whichis about 45 ft. high, which are now in various 
stages of flower and fruit. On the upper terrace are two 
glass houses, but in bad repair and apparently not con- 
taining anything remarkable. But growing in the open 
air is a splendid specimen of the dragon tree, Dracewna 
draco, with a perfectly circular head of foliage, which 
must be 36 yards at least in circumference, whilst the 
stem is about 16 feet in circumference. The tree was 
covered with the dried remains of its fruit. Aloe arbo- 
vescens is plentiful in the garden and indeed all over 
Lisbon, and is now in flower. Also growing in the open 
air are Musa paradisiaia, Ficus elastica, Euphorbia 
veritfolia, There is a nice series of plants classified 
according to their natural orders, the aloes and cac- 
tuses being well represented; but the whole garden 
has been allowed to fall into neglect, and presents a 
dreary appearance, being overrun by weeds, and most 
of the beds are nearly choked. It is intended to 
abandon the garden as a botanical one, and remove as 
many plants as possible to the garden attached to the 
new Polytechnic school, but it is to be hoped that the 
Dracena will not be neglected, The flora generally which 
one meets with in Lisbon is most remarkable ; Australian 
and Brazilian acacias abound in all the gardens, and 
thrive and become large trees. ‘There is quite a rage for 
Eucalypti, which are said to grow as much as 14 feet in 
height here in a single year. They are to be seen every- 
where, and some species are at present in blossom. At 
Embia, in the neighbourhood, tree ferns grow in the 
open air, and in the grounds of the King’s palace besides 
Chamerops and Phenix dactylifera, which are common 
in gardens about the town, Fubwa spectabilis and the 
Seychelle double cocoa-nut palm, Lodozcea. 
H. N. MOSELEY 
NOTES 
Mr. Cor, we regret very much to say, after fifty years 
public service, has announced his intention of resigning 
his post] in connection with the Science and Art Depart- 
ment. It would be difficult indeed to estimate the extent 
and value of the services performed by Mr. Cole in behalf 
of science, services which have hitherto been most inadequately 
recognised, though we are certain this will not now be 
long the case. He has done more than any other man 
in the kingdom to establish schools of science throughout the 
country and to foster scientific instruction in every way, and that, 
too, in the face of opposition from quarters from which it would 
“have been little expected. 
Pror, SYLVESTER, late of the Royal Military Academy, 
Woolwich, has been elected a corresponding member of the Im- 
perial Academy of Sciences of St, Petersburg, 
WE have with great pleasure recorded from time to time the 
encouragement given to the study of Natural Science in our 
Univeisities and public schools, and are glad in reporting pro- 
gress to notice that the governors of the Giggleswick Grammar 
School are carrying out the spirit of recent legislation in pro- 
viding for the wider education which the age has called for. 
Giggleswick is an ancient village close to which, on the opposite 
side of the river Ribble, the more modern town of Settle has 
sprung up. Situated at the foot of the mountainous moorlands 
of north-west Yorkshire, where the Ribble quits its rocky gorges 
to wander over a wide rich valley, where peaty flats represent 
ancient lakes, this has long been known as a most interesting 
spot by the naturalist and antiquary, It was fortunate therefore 
for the cause of Natural Science, that the existence of an old 
well-endowed institution induced the Commissioners to fix upon 
Giggleswick as the chief school of a large district in the north 
of England, embracing some of the most important towns in 
Yorkshire. It so happens that in the immediate neighbourhood 
there are several very interesting caves, the exploration of which 
is being carried on by a Committee, amongst whom are many of 
our leading men of Science. The Committee have handed over 
the whole of the valuable remains obtained from the caves to the 
governors of the school, on the understanding that they will 
provide for their safe keeping and exhibition to the public. The 
Council of the Leeds Philosophical Society have followed up 
this by promising a very large series of duplicates from their 
museum, and the able curator of the Leeds Museum has under- 
taken to assist in the arrangement and classification of the collec- 
tion. It is the duty of all scientific men to watch and encourage 
all ond fide efforts to give a prominent place to the teaching of 
Natural Science in our schools, especially where, as in this case, 
it is combined with a movement to form a scientific centre where 
illustrative specimens may be examined ; and it is to be hoped 
that by-and-by all the standard works on scientific subjects may be 
consulted by a wide circle outside the school. The names of Sir 
James Shuttleworth, one of the governors of the school, and of 
Sir Charles Lyell among the supporters of the movement, offer 
a sufficient guarantee as to its character. 
THE following extracts from a letter of Mr. Alexander Agassiz 
will be read with interest. It will be seen from them that the 
great fire at Boston did not spare the labours of scientific work- 
ers. The passage which refers to the health of his father, Prof, 
L. Agassiz, will give especial satisfaction to every naturalist on 
this side of the Atlantic:—‘‘I am just in the middle of my 
Echini. I have had a very narrow escape with my book. The 
great fire, which has destroyed half Boston, came near to putting 
a stopper on my work. The plates of nearly one-third of the 
whole edition have not been printed, as the stones were lost in 
the fire. Fortunately I had about three hundred copies of the 
plates of parts I. and II. at the Museum out of the way, so must 
manage as best I can with that number, TI lost, in addition, the 
stones of six plates of anatomy, with all the original drawings, 
which had been sent to the lithographer for lettering the plates. 
This is more serious, as it represents over a year’s hard work, 
and the bulk of the notes being on the back of the drawings, 
it will delay the publication of my book for a good while. Parts 
I. and II. are at last out. My father has returned from his long 
trip a much better man than when he left, and it looks as if he 
would do a good amount of work yet. He has not beer in 
such excellent health for many years.” 
THE increasing use of scientific terms in popular literature 
may be a good sign, but such terms have now and then to do 
unwonted duty. Witness a passage from a new tale entitled 
“Little Hodge,” by the author of ‘‘Ginx’s Baby.” It is out of 
a pathetic description of a very small new-born child being 
weighed in the workhouse. ‘‘ ‘Poor little creetur!’ said the 
