time. The observers are all to practise beforehand at the Im- 
perial Central Observatory at Pultowa, The geographical posi- 
tions of those stations at which the observations result success- 
fully will be afterwards determined by a special geographical 
expedition by the Russian navy. To perfect this portion of the 
work, a line of telegraph will be built through Siberia to 
Nicolaevsk. 
WE have received the programme for Session 1873-74 of the 
University of Durham College of Physical Science, at New- 
castle-on-Tyne. It contains ample information as to the 
amount and kind of instruction to be obtained at the Newcastle 
College, and full details as to the arrangements, fees, examina- 
tions, exhibitions, and scholarships. There are three exhihi- 
tions of 15/7. each to be awarded after examination in October, 
one scholarship, the T. Y. Hall scholarship, of 20/, yearly 
value, tenable for three years, and two scholarships offered by 
Mr. Hugh Taylor, consisting of the expense for maintenance and 
education at the Newcastle College, for two years: those last 
are for sons of overmen, deputies, or pitmen, who are engaged 
ia coal mines in the counties of Northumberland or Durham, 
and are between sixteen and eighteen years of age. So far as 
it goes, the Newcastle College seems to furnish a thorough 
training in scientific knowledge and method, 
WE have received from Mr. F. Abbott a paper read before 
the Royal Society of Tasmania, giving the result of his recent 
observations at the Private Observatory, Hobart 
Tasmania, of 7 Argus. He thus summarises the results 
of his most recent observations. In the eye draft of the 
object Argus, Feb. 1873, the principal stars appear to have 
retained their relative position as showa in the drawing of last 
year. The dark spaces are extending and becoming more un- 
defined, gradually filling up with small stars, fully hal’ as many 
again as shown in last iyear’s drawing; the whole field of the 
telescope when directed to 7 is studded with stars from the 7th 
to the 12th magnitude, too numerous to count, I have on the 
present occasion omitted to make a drawing of the object, asin all 
probability before long photography will be applied both to this 
and other portions of the dense Nebuia between it and x Crucis— 
a thing much required. ; 
Town, 
A MAGNIFICENT work, in the shape of a Photographic 
Album of Ethnology (‘ Anthropologisch-Ethnologisches Al- 
bum”), from the collections of the Berlin Anthropological 
Society, is about to be published in parts, by Wiegandt and 
Hempel, of Berlin, the photugraphs by C. Dammann, of Ham- 
burg. Each part will contain five leaves 48 centimetres in 
length by 64 centimetres in breadth, each Part in a separate 
portfolio. The contents will be arranged in tables con 
from ten to twenty photographs each, and the Price of each part 
is twelve thalers. The first part contains two tables illustrative 
of the East Coast of Africa, and three tables for Asia, illus- 
trating Eastern Siberia, Japan, Siam, &c. «\ppended to each 
portrait is a brief description indicating the country, particular 
district, sex, and age of the original. The immense value of 
such a work to ethnologists is evident. 
taining 
Fao the ‘Report of the Radcliffe Observer to the Board of 
Trustees,” we see that a considerable amount of regular obser- 
vatory work has been done during the past year, and that the 
establishment is in good condition, 
In a letter to the British Medical Journal, My. J. C. Galton 
refers to a sprcimen of a human heart in which the ‘ moderator 
band” recently found by Prof, Rolleston in the Cassowary, and 
long known to be well developed in Ruminants as a stron. 
fibrous cord, running in the right ventricle between its outer 
wall and the septum, is well developed as a thick muscular band. 
But he remarks that from it “ some of the chordze tendinece of the 
NATURE 
RR gare met Ry ae 
| Fuly 31, 187, | 
tricuspid valve take origin.” Prof. Rolleston also considers th: 
one at least of the column carne in man, which are unal 
tached in the middle of their course, and are in connection witl 
the musculi papiilares of the tricuspid valve, is homologous witk 
it. In the Ruminant, however, the band is quite free and a 
fibrous structure, and is apparently a much more specialise: 
z F ' 
development than the uncertain muscular cords found in the 
human heart. . 
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THE report of work contained in the “ Proceedings of th i 
Liverpool Naturalist’s Field Club for the year 1872-3,” appears) 
to us, on the whole, gratifying. The Society made nine fiel 
excursions during last summer, and, considering the unse' 
state of the weather, these were well attended. The worki n 
members of the Society, during these excursions, devote th em 
selves mainly to botanical collecting, though the majority o 
those who make up the parties spend their time in visiting plac 
of antiquarian and historical interest. Prizes are given for bo 
tanical collections, and we are afraid the Society do not ta 
the precaution of urging upon collectors the danger of exti 
pating the rare plants of the districts visited in their eagerness te 
make up prize-taking collections. Several evening meetin 
were held during last winter, at the first of which Mr. Fishe 
gave a résumé of the Botanical gains of the Society during the 
excursions. The following valuable papers were also read al 
these meetings :—‘*On the Respiration and Germination of 
Plants,” by Dr. Carter; ‘Corals and Coral Islands,” by the) 
Rev. H. H. Higgins, President ; ‘‘On the Intimate Relation 
between the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms,” by rt 
Chantrell; ‘*On the Sap of Plants, the Physical Causes of : 
its Ascent, and its Composition,” by Mr, Davies. We have © 
also received an ‘‘ Appendix to the Flora of Liverpool,” con. 
taining a considerable number of additions to that valuable 
work, which we noticed on its appearance about a yearago. 
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IT is said that the scheme which has been on foot for some 
time past, having for its object the closer connection of St 
Andrew’s University with the neighbouring town of Dundee, 
by the establishment of an affiliated college there, on the same 
principle as the Science College at Newcastle is connected w th 
the University of Durham, has fallen through, several of the 
St. Andrew’s professors being of opinion that if this arrange. 
ment were entered into it would ultimately end in the University 
being transferred across the Tay. 
’ 
THE first four parts of an ‘Illustrated International Review 
of the Universal Exhibition of Vienna, 1873,” have come to 
hand. It isa handsome and well-illustrated folio, printed in 
French, German, and English, 2nd promises to be an “abso 
lu:ely complete encyclopzedia of the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 
at once descriptive, artistic, scientific, anecdotic, wand biogras 
phical.” If the prospectus is faithfully carried out, the wor 
will be very valuable both in a scientific and an industrial point 
of view. i 
ADVICES to the 12thof June, dated Denver, U.S., make mens 
tion of satisfactory progress in the explorations conducted by 
Professor Hayden and his parties. One of the divisions of the 
survey a’ that time was established near Central City, in 
charge of Mr. Jackson, and cons st-d of Mr, Coulter as botanis' 
Mr, Carpenter as naturalist, and Mr. Cole as assistant natus 
ralist. They had already obtained a large collection of plans 
and zoological objects, having spent two weeks high up in th 
mountains. Mr, Jackson had made about fifty negatives of the 
higher peaks, principally in the vicinity of Long’s Peak. They 
expected to proceed shor!ly to the ‘Garden of the Gods.” Mr 
Gardner has been occupied in establishing his base line of trian- 
gulation, He has already erected three signal monuments thirty 
feet high, and twelve miles apart, all of which can be seen from 
the main range of mountains. One party is at work on Long’s 
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