4 fee a Y 7 
| Fune 19, 1873] 
NATURE 
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151 
long time, which need in general to be examined only 
once in one, two, or three years. 
_ The vital importance of this subject to the interests of 
safe, speedy navigation, will be impressed upon everyone 
by the disaster that befell the Az/antic, consequent upon 
being some twenty miles (or ninety seconds of time) out 
in her reckoning, 
NOTES 
Last Thursday the gentlemen already named by us were 
elected Fellows of the Royal Society. 
THE Baly Medal for physiological research has been awarded 
to Dr. Sharpey. 
A PoRTION of the collection made by the naturalist D’Al- 
bertis in New Guinea, and referred to in our Notes last week, 
has already arrived in England, and at the meeting of the Zoo- 
logical Society, on Tuesday, June 17, Mr. Sclater, F.R.S., 
announced that among other valuable species, it contained both 
male and female specimens of a previously unknown Bird of 
Paradise of the Epimachine division, with a peculiarly long and 
curved beak, which he proposed to name Drepanephorus albertist, 
after its discoverer. 
A PROJECT has been set on foot by Colonel Grant, so well 
known from his African travels, to form a loan exhibition of 
skulls and horns of hollow-horned animals, in order that by 
observation and comparison of a large number of characteristic 
specimens, facts may be obtained regarding the form, sexual 
characters, and locality of each particular species. It is proposed 
to have as many as from twenty to fifty specimens of each species, 
so as to be able to form groups representing every stage in the 
life of each, as also to show the varieties of species in different 
localities. When from three to five thousand specimens of the 
one hundred and fifty existing species has been promised, means 
will be taken to secure the most suitable place in London for 
their exhibition. 
ARRANGEMENTS have been made, under the sanction of Dr. 
Whewell’s friends and executors, for the publication of a life of 
the late Master of Trinity, with selections from his correspond- 
dence and remains. The literary and scientific remains and cor- 
respondence will be edited by Mr. Todhunter, Lecturer, and 
ormerly Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge. The account 
of Dr. Whewell’s college and university career will be written 
by Mr. W. G. Clark, Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Cam- 
bridge. Some of the most distinguished of Dr. Whewell’s 
friends, to whom application has been privately made, have 
kindly placed their papers at the disposal of the editors, and ex- 
pressed their approbation of the proposed work. The editors 
now ask in a more public manner for the loan of letters or other 
materials which will assist them in their labours. Mr. J. L. 
Hammond, Fellow of Trinity, as the surviving executor under 
Dr. Whewell’s will, has undertaken to receive, on behalf of the 
editors, any documents that may be intrusted to them, all of 
which will be catalogued and carefully preserved, and returned 
within such limits of time as may be prescribed, 
A CONFERENCE took place on Saturday, in promotion of a 
project to which we have already alluded as the “Trades 
Guild of Learning,” for extending the advantages of university 
education to the working and middle classes of this-country. 
It is proposed that local organisations shall be formed in various 
towns, and put into communication with a central guild, for the 
purpose of defraying the cost of the attendance of duly authorised 
lecturers sent from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, to 
conduct classes and deliver lectures on subjects, such, for example, 
_as Political Economy, English Literature, Force and Motion, 
{ 
Astronomy, Physical Geography, &c. Technical education is 
to form a leading department of the scheme, and it appears that 
Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester have already made arrange- 
ments and fixed dates for receiving the lectures, and that the 
authorities of both Universities, but that of Cambridge especially, 
have given cordial encouragement to the idea.  Saturday’s 
conference was yery fairly attended by representative working 
men in the capacity of delegates from societies more or less nume- 
rous and powerful, and the whole day from eleven in the 
morning until seven in the evening was occupied in the discussion 
of the project. Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., presided for the 
first few hours, and was succeeded in the chair by Mr. Mundella, 
M.P. With them were the Rev. H. Solly, Mr. James Stuart, 
M.A., Hon, Sec. to the Syndicate, who is actively engaged in 
furthering the scheme in connection with the Universities, Mr. 
Webster, Q.C., and other gentlemen, and a few ladies. It was 
agreed that women should not be excluded from the advantages 
of the guild, 
ON June 7 a meeting was held of the Druitt Testimonial Com- 
mittee, at which it was reported that a handsome silver cup, 
along with 1215/., was to be presented to Dr. Druitt, who is 
still in India. 
THE subscribers to the Children’s Hospital, Bristol, have re- 
solved to admit female practitioners to the medical staff of the 
hospital. 
THE following, in alphabetical order, have passed first-class 
in Natural Science at St. John’s College, Cambridge :—Clough, 
Jukes-Browne, Koch, Marshall, Sollas. Of the above, Marshall 
has been elected to a Foundation Scholarship, Clough, Jukes- 
Browne, Koch, Sollas (scholar 1872) have been awarded ex- 
hibitions. 
In the last issued Part of the Birds of Europe, which has 
just appeared, the name of Mr. Sharpe is no longer associated 
with that of Mr. Dresser as co-editor. The former of these 
two gentlemen has been compelled, on account of his many 
duties at the British Museum, to retire from his connection with 
the work which he was so instrumental in organising, and Mr. 
Dresser is now sole editor. The Viscount Walden, F.R.S., 
President of the Zoological Society, has relieved him of part of 
his considerable task, by undertaking to write most of the syno- 
nyms of the future parts, which will be sufficient guarantee for 
its accuracy and exhaustiveness. 
THE concluding Part of Dr. W. L. Buller’s Birds of New 
Zealand has just been issued. The genus Aféeryx, the last dis- 
cussed, and most interesting in the avifauna of these islands, is 
divided into four species at least, of which 4. Aaasti closely 
resembles 4. owemii, except in size, being considerably larger. 
The author also considers that the evidence, as far as it goes, is 
in favour of 4. haasti differing from 4A. maxima of M. Jules 
Verreaux, which he thinks represents another species as large as 
a full-grown turkey. The Introduction contains several in- 
teresting supplementary notes ; further facts are given in favour 
of the Quail Hawk (Mieracidea nove-Zealandie) being distinct 
from the Sparrow Hawk (/7. drunnea) ; the validity of Platy- 
cercus alpinus, as a species, is established ; the Huia bird (/ere- 
valocha acutirostris) is placed among the Starlings, close to 
Creadion instead of with the Upupide, and Tribonyx mortiert 
is included in the New Zealand fauna. There are seven excel- 
lent plates, and a supplementary series is promised. 
THE recent changes which took place in French policy have 
deprived science of an active and able leader in M. Jules 
Simon, who was sparing no trouble to promote new inquiries and 
restore French science to its pristine activity. His imme- 
