transferred to the eastern portion of the Rocky Mountain Range, 
in Colorado, and New Mexico. 
_ GENERAL BANKs has introduced into the U. S. House of 
Representatives a resolution instructing the Secretary of the 
Navy to make an examination and survey of that section of the 
American isthmus which lies between Valencia Point and the 
Changenola River, on the Atlantic side, and the Boca Chica, the 
Rio Pedrigal, and the upper part of Golfo Dolce, on the Pacific 
side. This is to include an examination of the intervening 
country, of the two cordilleras, and exploration of the courses of 
the rivers from their outlets to their sources, within the above 
limits, for the purpose of ascertaining the possibility of such a 
connection as may be feasible for the const of an inter- 
oceanic canal. 
Miss HANNAH BRAKENBURY has, among other large lega- 
cies, left 12,500/. to the Owens College, Manchester, and 9,000/. 
_to Durham University. 
WE learn from the Zines of India that Mr. Pogson, the Go- 
vernment Astronomer of Madras, has written a long letter to 
the local Government, suggesting that some special arrangements 
should be made for observations of the Transit of Venus in De- 
cember 1874, in Northern India, independently of the Madras 
Observatory. The letter has been forwarded to the Government 
of India for consideration. 
Les Mondes says that M. Calombel, Procureur-Général of 
Missions in China, after careful inquiry, gives it as his opinion that 
Shanghai is one of the most favourable spots for observing the 
forthcoming transit of Venus. The climate there is somewhat 
moist, but the month of December is in general very fine ; and Zes 
Mondes says that without doubt Shanghai will be the scene of 
M. Janssen’s ‘‘third glorious campaign.” Nankin is also a 
favourable station, but the inhabitants are not yet sufficiently ac- 
eustomed to strangers, and the presence there of a scientific 
expedition might lead to a popular riot. 
TuHE Chinese take a curious method to prevent their pigeons 
from being attacked by birds of prey while circling over the 
cities or moving from place to place. This consists in the 
employment of small, short cylinders of bamboo, arranged 
So as to form a whistle or reed pipe, in groups of three or 
four, or more. These are attached to the back of the bird, 
and so adjusted that as it flies through the air a very sharp sound 
is produced. Varying lengths of the bamboo give variety of 
tones to this instrument ; and when a large number of birds are 
flying together in a single flock, as is very frequently the case, 
the sound produced by them is distinctly audible for a great 
distance. It is said that rapacious birds are effectively repelled 
by this precaution, so that the pigeons make their flights with 
perfect safety from one point to another. Varnish is used for 
coating these bamboo whistles to protect them from moisture 
This practice is said to have been in vogue among the Chinese 
for a great many years. 
THE temperature of February of this year has shown some 
very curious peculiarities, and a marked contrast to that of the 
earlier part of the winter, as may be seen from Mr. Glaisher’s 
tables of observations at Blackheath, published weekly in the 
Gardener's Chronicle. While, during the whole of the three 
preceding months there were only twelve frosty nights, with the 
temperature of the twenty-four hours almost uniformly above the 
average of the last filty years, the thermometer fell below the 
freezing point in eighteen nights in February, and the tem- 
perature was below the average on every day except two, the 
‘total depression for the month being 4°°3 Fahr. The records 
very few winters will show so high a minimum as 25°'0 
-Fahr., the lowest temperature of the past winter at Blackheath, 
which occurred on February 24 and 25, the thermometer falling 
rs 
. NATURE 
| Malayan bear (U7sus malayanus), 
371 
below 30°'0 on only seventeen nights during the whole winter. 
Since March 2 the temperature has been again uniformly above 
the mean. 
A VERY important extension of the work of the U.S. signal- 
office, as far as its system of weather telegraphy is concerned, is 
about to go into operation. It is proposed to call the post-offices 
of the country into requisition as intermediate agents for dissemi- 
nating weather intelligence, for which purpose the territory east 
of the Mississippi has been divided into districts of about two 
hundred miles in extent each way, and each having a point of 
distribution near its centre, to which the ‘‘ probabilities” will be 
telegraphed from Washington, and from which two copies of 
the report are to be sent to all post offices within the district 
which can be reached by mail as early as six o’clock p.m. each 
day. It is well known that country post-offices are the centres of 
intelligence to rural districts, and in order to afford the farmers 
in the community, especially, an opportunity of profiting by this 
information, postmasters receiving these despatches are to place 
a copy as soon as furnished in a conspicuous situation, where the 
public can see and read it. 
Apropos of the correspondence going on in our columns on 
‘* Inherited Instinct,” we take the following from the ZLvening 
Standard of March 8, though it would have been more satisfac- 
tory had the Standard named its authority for the statement :— 
During a recent gale the brig Blue Jacket, of West Hartlepool, 
from Rouen to Shields, was abandoned off Flamborough Head. 
The crew were taken off, but a cat was left on board. This cat 
had been given as a kitten to the captain twelve months ago by 
a lady named Mowbray, living at West Hartlepool, and had 
never been ashore since that time. On Wednesday last the cat 
made its appearance at Mrs. Mowbray’s house, having swum 
ashore from the wreck, and travelled thence on foot. It was in 
a very emaciated condition. 
Dr. EtsNer, of Berlin, has found that iron is volatilisable at 
a temperature of at least 3000° centigrade. He experimented 
with a small piece at this heat, and on uncovering the crucible, 
distinguished small needles of crystallised iron, says Zes Mondes. 
WE are glad to note that Ocean Highways has been so success- 
ful that next month it is to be considerably increased in bulk, as 
also in price, the size of the page being at the same time, wisely, 
we think, somewhat reduced. It is to be hereafter published 
by Messrs. Triibner. 
Tue Japanese Government proposes to have an institution for 
the study of practical engineering, and have instructed their 
agents to procure a set of machinery and tools similar in all 
respects to that which the Crystal Palace Company last autumn 
constructed, for the purposes of their admirable school for 
practical engineering, under the supervision of Prof. Wilson, as 
Principal. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
last week include a puff adder (Vipera arietans), a horse-shoe 
snake (Zamenis hippocrepis), and a lacertive snake (Cwlofeltis 
Jacertina) from Morocco, presented by Sir John Drummond- 
Hay, K.C.B. ; a Rose Hill parakeet (Platycercus eximius), from 
N.S. Wales, presented by Mrs. Hewett; two Moorish tortoises 
(Zestudo mauritanica), and three Spanish terrapins (Clemmys 
leprosa), from Algeria, presented by Mr. E. C. Taylor; a 
crested porcupine (Ayrtrix cristatc), born in the gardens; a 
deposited; a pig-tailed 
monkey (Afacacus nemestrinus), fcom Java; a white-cheeked 
monkey (Cidus Junatus), from Brazil; a talapoin monkey 
(Cercopithecus talapoin), and a pluto monkey (C. f/uéo), from 
West Africa ; a Bonelli’s eagle (Aguila bonellii), from Morocco ; 
two canary finches (Sevinus canarius), from the Canary Islands ; 
and an Iceland falcon (Fa/co islandus) ; all purchased. 
