Feb. 27, 1873] 
Hypsiprymnopsis. Among the coal-fields, probably of 
the Trias Age, in North Carolina, the late Prof. 
Emmons obtained the lower jaws of three insecti- 
vorous or carnivorous animals, with the following 
dental formula—i. 3, c. I, p.m. 3, m. 7, and, as 
Prof. Owen has pointed out, this large development of 
the molar series approximates it to Myrmecobius. A 
peculiarity of these jaws, as of all others from the secon- 
dary formations, is that a long groove runs along their 
inner side in the position of the mylo-hyoid groove of 
recent mammals; this is only a result of arrested de- 
velopment round Meckel’s cartilage, and it does not 
indicate—as has been supposed by some—reptilian affini- 
ties, there not being any signs of more than two centres 
of ossification. So early as 1812, a man working in the 
Lower Oolite of Stonefield found a perfect lower jaw one 
inch long. This was taken to Mr. Broderip and Mr. 
Buckland ; Cuvier also had an opportunity of seeing it, 
and called it an opossum. Dr. Blainvile thought that it 
was reptilian, and called it A mphitherium. Owen clearly 
proved that it was marsupial, the angle being inflected. 
The dental formula is i. 3, c. 1, m. 12, and the shape of 
the teeth indicates an insectivorous or carnivorous diet. 
Phascolotherium, another genus from the same slates, has 
the formula i. 3, c. 1, m 7, which, if it had one more in- 
cisor, would be like that of the opossum. Higher up in 
the secondary formation, in the Purbeck, Mr. Brodie 
obtained several small jaws from Durdlestone Bay, near 
Swanage. Mr. Beccles thoroughly explored this bed, 
and very valuable results have been obtained, more than 
forty jaws, nearly all lower, of twenty-four species belong- 
ing to ten genera, having been described by Owen. 
NOTES 
By five decrees of the French government, dated February 13, 
the working of the French observatories has been thoroughly 
reorganised, and if the new system is faithfully carried out, 
we have no doubt it will be productive of good results. The 
management of the government observatories is entrusted to a 
body of astronomers responsible to the Minister of Public In- 
struction, and consisting of titular astronomers (astronomes 
titulaires), associate astronomers (astvonomes adjoints), and 
assistant astronomers. This /evsonne/ is distributed among the 
various observatories according to the requirements of the 
service, and the special resources offered by each establishment 
for the researches of observers. The staff of the observatory of 
Paris consists of a director, six titular astronomers, ten associate 
astronomers, and several assistants. A responsible secretary is 
attached to the establishment. The Paris observatory has a 
scientific council, composed of the director, the various chief 
astronomers of the service, and of six councillors of the observa- 
tory, chosen from among scientific men eminent in mathematics, 
astronomy, or physics, and of whom four at least must belong 
to the Academy of Sciences or to the Bureau des Longitudes. 
These are to be nominated by decree, in accordance with the 
advice of the Council, and upon the proposal of the Minister. 
The Council is 0 meet once a month, and every year, at Easter, 
the directors, the councillors, and the chiefs of the various scien- 
tific establishments, meet in general assembly with the Minister 
of Public Instruction. The directors and the titular astronomers 
are appointed by the President of the Republic, acting according 
to the advice of the General Assembly. The salaries of the 
titular astronomers vary from 6000 to 8000 francs, those of the 
associate astronomers, divided into three classes, from 3,500 to 
" 6,000 francs, and those of the assistant astronomers, also divided 
into three classes, from 1,000 to 3,500 francs. These salaries 
do not strike us as being particularly liberal. By a second 
decree, M. Le Verrier has been made Director of the Paris Ob- 
-servatory ; the Councillors of the Observatory are, MM, Bel- 
NATURE 
331 
grand, Fizeau, Vice-Admiral Jurien de la Graviére, Janssen, 
Tresca, Daubrée; and Members of Council, MM. Yvon Vil- 
larceau, Wolf, Gaillot, and Rayet. M. Marie Davy is appointed 
Director of the Meteorological Observatory of Montsourris, and 
M. Stephan of the Observatory of Marseilles. 
THE arrangement of the buildings in which the Annual In- 
ternational Exhibitions are held, makes it almost essential for 
their success that visitors should be able to pass from one side 
to the other across the gardens of the Royal Horticultural So- 
ciety. A large body of the Fellows, however, more especially 
those residing in the neighbourhood, object to the admission of 
the exhibition visitors, as an infringement upon the privacy of 
the gardens, At the late adjourned annual meeting there was a 
very stormy discussion upon the subject, and the report of the 
Council recommending a continuance of the policy of meeting 
the views of the managers of the exhibitions was rejected by a 
large majority. The Council thereupon expressed their inten- 
tion of resigning ; but this, it appears, they have no legal power 
to do till the expiration of their term of office. 
Carrain M. F. Maury, the well-known American hydro- 
grapher, died on February 1, at Lexington, Virginia, at the age 
of sixty-six years, 
THE Times announces that the Council of the Royal Society 
are about to nominate Dr. Hooker as President of the Society, 
in succession to Sir George B. Airy, who retires from the chair 
at the Society’s anniversary in November next. 
Ir is announced in a ‘‘cable” telegram from America to the 
Astronomer Royal, that a new planet (130) was discovered by 
Peters on February 18. It is of the eleventh magnitude, and 
was moving rapidly towards the north, R, A., 1oh. om., Deecl., 
13°. 40 Ne 
Mr. T. M‘Kenna HuGues, M.A., of Trinity College, has 
been elected Woodwardian Professur of Geology at Cambridge, 
in succession to the late Prof. Sedgwick. Originally there 
were nine candidates, but most of them retired before the poll, 
and the real contest lay between Mr. Hughes and Mr. Bonney, 
a Senior Fellow of St. John’s, the numbers at the close being 
112 and 105 respectively. 
By a resolution of the Board of Trinity College, Dublin, 
the Natural Sciences have been introduced into the Under- 
graduate Course. Hitherto a student might select the Natural 
Science Course for his final examination in Arts, obtaining a 
senior or junior Moderatorship, according to his answering ; 
now having once passed his ‘‘ little go,” the student may in 
his third year select for his term Lectures and Examinations, 
Botany and Zoology ; and in his fourth year Physical Geo- 
graphy and Palzontology. For this purpose the following 
courses of lectures have been arranged :— Michaelmas Term— 
Prof. Haughton, M.D. F.R.S., lectures on Physical Geo- 
graphy; Prof. E. Perceval Wright, M.D. on Histological 
Botany; Prof. Macalister, M.D. on Vertebrata. Hilary Term 
—Prof. Haughton on Paleontology ; Prof. Wright on Crypto- 
gamia; Prof. Macalister on Mollusca and Arthropoda. Trinity 
Term—Prof. Haughton on Paleontology; Prof. Wright on 
Phanerogamia ; Prof. Macalister on Annulosa, Ccelenterata and 
Polyzoa. In addition, in Trinity Term, Demonstrations are 
given by the several Professors in Palzeontology, Comparative 
Anatomy, and Botany. 
Ar the Fellowship Examination at Trinity College, Cam- 
bridge, in 1874, a Fellowship will be obtainable by ade- 
quate proficiency in Natural Science. The Examination, 
which will take place in the end of September or the 
beginning of October, will be chiefly in Chemistry, Physics, 
