a 
Fan, 30, 1873) 
- In Dr. Sanderson’s letter additional particulars are given, which 
_also do not form part of the statement of those conditions under 
which Dr. Bastian tells us in his book on the ‘‘ Beginnings of 
Life,” that he has in the proportion of 999 cases out of 1,000 
obtained a development of Bacteria from turnip-solution—boiled 
and sealed boiling. It appears that Dr. Bastian considers it a 
condition favourable to success—that the rind of the turnip be 
excluded from the preparation of the infusion. This is for the 
first time announced in Dr. Sanderson’s letter, Also it is there 
for the first time that an accurate description of the flasks (not 
tubes) used, and of the quantity of infusion enclosed in each 
flask is given. j 
I now merely desire to know the quality of the small quantity 
of pounded cheese added to each flask. Let me say that another 
condition of the experiment—not given by Dr. Bastian, but now 
for the first time by Dr. Sanderson, is the addition of the cheese 
after the infusion is in the flask—so that no straining or filtra- 
tion is made use of, subsequently to its addition. In the ab- 
sence of so distinct a statement on this point as that of Dr. 
Sanderson, it was natural to suppose that the turnip and cheese 
infusion would be strained in some way, to get rid of coarse 
particles. It seems important that it should be known (1) what 
kind of cheese was used, (2) about how much to each fluid 
ounce of turnip infusion, (3) to what extent the cheese was 
pounded” before addition, and whether particles of cheese 
visible to the naked eye, and of what approximate size, were 
present in the infusion during its boiling? (4) whether the turnip 
solution was strained before the addition of the cheese, and 
whether it contained obvious solid particles, and of what size? 
I trust that Dr. Sanderson having placed your readers, and 
those interested in the natural history of Bacteria, under so great 
an obligation by his careful statement of the conditions of the 
experiments of which he was witness, will kindly add to our 
debt by furnishing this additional information. 
In numerous expetiments with turnip solution made by Dr, 
Pode and myself recently in the laboratory of the Regius Profes- 
sor of Medicine of this University, we found that under the condi- 
tions given in Dr. Bastian’s book, no life was developed—a 
result contrary to that obtained by him in 999 cases out of 1,000, 
It will be necessary to make further experiments by aid of the 
light furnished by Dr. Sanderson’s letter, in order to explain 
this discrepancy. 6 
It is desirable to call to mind that Pasteur himself and others 
have recorded experiments regarded by them as demonstrating 
the survival of the Butyric form of Bacterium or its germs, after 
exposure to temperatures of 100° or even 105°C. 
Exeter College, Oxford E. Ray LANKESTER 
THE NATIONAL HERBARIA MEMORIAL 
V E are glad to be able to lay before our readers the 
reply to the memorial to Mr. Gladstone, signed by 
so many eminent botanists, which appeared in NATURE 
for January 16. The answer is in every respect satis- 
factory :— 
“ Treasury Chambers, January 23, 1873 
“Sir,—The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's 
Treasury have had before them your letter of the 3rd 
instant, and the Memorial enclosed in it from various 
gentlemen engaged in the pursuit of botany or in instruc- 
tion therein, with respect to the transfer to the branch 
of the British Museum about to be constructed at South 
Kensington, of the scientific collections and library now 
existing at the Royal Gardens at Kew. 
“Their lordships desire me to request that you 
will inform the memorialists that Her Majesty’s Govern- 
ment have not formed the intention of removing the 
collection to South Kensington, and that should any- 
thing lead them hereafter to entertain the idea, they will 
take care that ample notice shall be given, and that the 
judgment of the persons most accomplished in botany 
shall be fairly weighed in the first instance. 
“Tam, Sir, your obedient servant, 
“WILLIAM Law 
“ The Rev. M. J. Berkeley, Sibbertoft, 
“Market Harborough ” 
NATURE ie: 
THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY AT 
MAURITIUS 
6) hes Meteorological Society of Mauritius have recently 
presented to the Governor of that colony a memorial 
(contained in a copy of the Commercial Gazette sent to us) 
requesting him immediately to place on the estimates a 
sum sufficient to complete the new meteorological obser- 
vatory there before the end of the present year. ~One 
of the objects for which this excellent society was formed 
in 1851, was to aim at the establishment of a permanent 
meteorological and magnetical observatory ; and since 1860 
the members have been doing their best-to urge the Colonial 
Government to help them to accomplish their object ; but 
one untoward event after another has occurred to postpone 
its consummation. The old observatory, a very incon- 
venient one, was sold in 1866 for 10,843/. and about half 
this sum was made available by the Government for the 
new observatory and instruments ; besides this, another 
sum of 4,500/. is available, though the Government hesi- 
tate to make use of it. In 1870 a small portion of the 
new building was erected, and the foundation stone of the 
main building laid by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, 
but nothing more has been done since; and the staff, 
owing to the scanty allowance for the purpose, has been 
utterly inadequate. The memorial then asks the governor 
to grant at once the funds necessary to complete the 
building and to maintain an adequate staff ; and urges, as 
a reason for haste, among other more enduring and 
general reasons, the approaching transit of Venus, The 
people of Mauritius, both for their own sakes and for the 
sake of science, the Society believe will be glad to lend 
a helping hand. We cannot but think that if the Govern- 
ment of Mauritius give the matter their serious considera- 
tion, they will at once accede to the prayer of the society’s 
memorial. The benefit which such an observatory, in the 
heart of the Indian Ocean, would confer on science and 
humanity would be immense: and to cripple such an in- 
stitution would be anything but economy. The vast im- 
portance in agricultural, nautical, and sanitary points of 
view, of having an observatory in Mauritius, is generally 
acknowledged ; indeed, it is well known to those who have 
resided in Mauritius, as well as in other tropical countries, 
that timely warning of a single hurricane (which experi- 
ence shows can be given), might save as much money as 
would suffice to build an observatory, and to maintain it 
for years, The Society does not seek any help from the 
Imperial Government; and we sincerely hope that no 
narrow and short-sighted notions of economy will prevent 
the Governor of Mauritius from at once granting the 
means of fulfilling the so frequently frustrated hopes of 
the Meteorological Society. 
The Society concludes its memorial by “ strongly re- 
commending that no deviation should be made from the 
plan proposed by the President and Council of the Royal 
Society of London; that is, that meteorological, mag- 
netical, and solar spot observations should be carried on 
simultaneously by photography. To endeavour to carry 
out a half-measure, liable to change and interruption, 
would be almost a waste of time and money. It is pro- 
bable that meteorology, terrestrial magnetism, and sun- 
spots, are intimately connected by some law or laws not 
yet determined ; and nothing short of long-continued 
photographic records of the several phenomena con- 
cerned, would meet the present requirements of Science.” 
TARE NATIONAL HERBARIA 
HE Memorial printed in NATURE for January 16 
will probably be held to be a sufficient indication of 
the estimation in which Kew is held as a scientific estab- 
lishment by the botanists of the country~as well as of the 
undesirableness in their opinion of its being in any way 
dismembered. 
243. 
