464 
direction the result of unconscious observation, and that some 
animals possessed the first in a pre-eminent dezree? The won- 
derful faculty hunters possess of finding their way through im- 
mense mountainous tracts so thickly wooded that one cannot see 
farther than a few yards at a time, may perhaps be accounted 
for by this power of unconscious observation alone ; but is it so 
easy to account for a sudden derangement of the sense of direc- 
tion, and the peculiar distress it occasions, even when there is 
no ground for alarm on the score of safety? This appears a 
kind of converse of the instance Mr. Darwin gives of the case of 
old persons losing their way. HENRY FORDE 
The Walk, Lyme Regis, April 6 
Destruction of Rare Birds: White Tom Cats 
Many of our birds are now protected by law, at certain seasons 
of the year. But unhappily rare visitants are mercilessly killed. 
Last year a pair of Hoopoes frequented my grounds both in the 
spring and autumn. It was a great pleasure to see this bird (of 
which Horapollo wrote that it was worthy to be “ the sceptre of 
the gods on account of its gratitude”), on the lawn, busily 
searching for insects, or alighting on the surrounding trees. 
Every lover of nature will sympathise with my household 
and myself, in our distress that they have been shot; not even 
for the miserable satisfaction of the mere collector, but far worse, 
that their plumage might be stuck ona lady’s head-gear. To 
shoot storks, spoonbills, bee-eaters, hoopoes, &c., which might 
be regular visitants and nest here, is a very different thing from 
securing chance arrivals from remote regions, which could never 
be naturalised in England. 
One of your correspondents wrote recently of the deafness of 
white Persian tom cats. I possessed such an one for years which 
was not deaf; another, in a house near me, is not deaf, and I 
now have a grand fellow, a true Persian, in possession of all his 
faculties. A neighbour’s pussy having walked into the house, 
with characteristic Oriental hospitality he went to the larder, and 
selecting a fish which he doubtless thought would be a donne 
bouche for his guest, laid it before his friend, and did not himself 
partake of it. 
Trebah, Cornwall, March 31 
C.F. 
Phosphorescence in Wood 
Ir some one would be good enough to give me a little infor- 
mation concerning the following (to me novel) phenomenof, he 
would oblige. 
A heap of sticks intended for firing, lay in a corner of out 
boiler-house, and among them were some round pieces of Scotch 
fir (Pinus sylvestris) about 6 or 8 inches-in diameter, and 18 inches 
long. These had been sawn from a pole which had lain out in 
the wet, and being consequently rather damp, the cut portions 
were pleced in the warm boiler-house to dry. The blocks I 
speak of appeared quite sound. From the circumference of 
three or four of them the bark was rmbbed off, here and there in 
patches, and a few chips were broken away from the edges. 
The fresh surface beneath was covered with a thin layer of the 
ordinary sticky resin, which so copiously exudes from this and 
other trees. When it was dark the steward happened to enter 
the boiler-house, and looking towards the sticks he was surprised 
to see a pale steady light emitted by some of them. At first he 
thought it was the reflection of the moon which shone through 
the window. Closer examination, however, proved: (1) that 
the moon did not shine on the sticks at all; (2) that the sticks 
were self-luminous ; (3) that it was only the Scotch fir blocks 
which emitted any light ; (4) that the light was confined to the 
resinous surface, exposed beneath the bark and chips; (5) that 
the surface beneath the chips (that is where more than the bark 
had been removed) was brightest. The steward carried the 
block which appeared most brilliant to an outhouse, where it 
still continued to ‘‘shine.”’ He then broke off some small loose 
chips with his fingers from this block, and each separate chip 
sent forth the same steady pale light. My informant states that 
the phenomenon was very ‘‘curious.” Perhaps this species of 
phosphorescence may not be unusual after all; but not being 
well ‘‘up” in the subject, I would with your permission, sir, 
merely ask is it common, and if so, how is it explained in the 
“instance I mention? I may state that the steward gave me 
all the information, I saw the blocks afterwards but not the 
curiosity. RICHARD M. BARRINGTON 
Fassaroe Bray 
NATURE 
[Agril 17, 1873 
Indices of Journals 
PUBLISHERS of periodicals, scientific or other, issue general in- 
dices only after intervals of ten or twenty years. 
nineteenth year the investigator of bibliography has to turn over 
every volume, a fearful was'e of time, I have consulted with the 
librarian of this University, and the proposal we have to make is 
that the publishers should send, at least to the libraries, a duplicate 
copy of the annual index of each j »urnal, or better a revised proof in 
slips, to be cut up and pasted into a volume which would thus be 
annually extended for nine years, and superseded in the tenth by 
the general index. The addition to the expense in a library is 
very trifling, and a small payment for the extra copies of the 
indices would protect the publishers against loss, 
Glasgow University JoHN YOUNG 
THE DUTCH SOCIETY OF SCIENCES 
fe following account of the history of the Dutch 
Society of Sciences at Harlem has been drawn up by 
the Secretary, E. H. von Baumhauer, for publication in 
England. It shows the progress of science in Holland, 
and the great interest taken in its advancement both in 
that country and abroad, as proved by the award of so 
many valuable gold medals, and by the recent establish- 
ment of a central bureau for the exchange and trans- 
mission of books ; all which activity is maintained without 
any of the expense falling on the scientific members, 
In the middle of the last century the greater part of 
the aristocracy of Harlem were desirous of finding recre- 
ation in physical experiments and scientific reseayches. 
Along with several regents of the town they decided in 
1752 to establish a self-supporting society, for the col- 
lection of written essays, and the bestowal of prizes on 
those of meritorious character. At the first meeting, May 
21, 1752, the preacher, C. C. H. van der Aa, was appointed 
secretary, and many other protectors of the sciences and 
learned men in other parts of the country, were invited to 
become members, amongst whom were Musschenbrock, 
Gambius, Alberti, and others, so that by the end of the 
year the Society was already formed of twenty-three 
directors and members. The design was to include all 
branches of science, and to search for everything neces- 
sary for the present and future prosperity of the Republic, 
both in its internal and external relations, in peace and 
in war. Even communications on theological subjects 
were not excluded, treated in such a manner as not to 
offend Christians of any sect. The motto of the Society 
was Deo et Patrie. By the help of many wealthy persons 
the Society was enabled to crown several prize essays, 
published in the transactions. In July 1754 the pro- 
tectorate was conferred on the young hereditary governor, 
William Prince of Orange. 
Several very eminent native and foreign men became 
members of the Society, and the first volume of the 
Transactions was so favourably received that a second 
edition was necessary. It was also in great part trans- 
lated into German. The prize questions excited much 
interest in other countries, so that several were answered 
by foreigners. Since 1772 an annual programme has 
been published in both Dutch and French. 
After an existence of twenty-five years the Society 
founded a sub-division, more specially devoted to com- 
merce, agriculture, and industry, under the name of the 
Commercial Branch. This was the origin of what was 
afterwards called the Dutch Society for the Promotion of 
Industry, which in 1877 will celebrate its centenary 
festival. : 
The parent institution continued in a flourishing state 
until 1780; but the mournful political situation of the 
country for some time after that had a most injurious 
effect, so that the very name of this Society was con- 
tinually changed. From 1798 it was called the Bavarian 
Society. King Louis called himself perpetual President 
of the Royal Society of Sciences ; but in 1820, by order of 
the Emperor’s Governor, the Prince of Plaisance, the 
| name of the Dutch was again adopted, and has been re- 
In the ninth or _ 
