unhappily, not confined to Australia. Everyone must desire 
that the garden should not be a ‘cheerless ’ ‘scientific desert’ at 
the same timeit is equally clear that it should not be transformed 
merely into ‘a pleasure-ground worthy of the name.’ It is satis- 
ctory, however, to learn that the Baron's services to the State 
will not be lost, that he will not suffer in pocket by the change, 
‘and that additional and much needed assistance will be given 
” 
“THE Canadian Ornithologist is the name of a serial started 
Jast month, ‘‘ with the object of making a monthly depository 
of facts, theories, and anecdotes relating to our feathered 
friends.” Dr. Ross of Toronto is the editor. The first number 
leaves much room for improvement in its successors. 
TuE last number of the Yournal of the Society of Arts contains 
‘report by Dr. R. J. Mann, on ‘“‘ Recent Scientific Inventions 
New Discoveries at the International Exhibitions.” 
THE following is the list of candidates successful in the com- 
petition for the Whitworth Scholarships, 1873 :—Samuel Dixon, 
3, draughtsman, Manchester ; Roger Atkinson, 20, analytical 
chemist, Crewe ; Joseph Amscow, 22, chemist, Crewe; W. R. 
usfield, 18, student, Cambridge; W. H. Warren, 21, engi- 
er, Wolverton ; William Barber, 20, draughtsman, Notting- 
m; William H. Fowler, 19, engineer, Oldham ; Thomas 
ugden, 23, mechanic, Oldham; Cyrus Bullock, 22, mill- 
ight, Worsley, near Manchester ; John Lockie, 20, engineer, 
_ Tue following gentlemen have passed in the First Division on 
he First B.Sc. Examination for 1873, in the University of Lon- 
don :—P. Bedson, E. B. Cumberland, T. F. Harris, S. A. Hill, 
W. Hudson, J. Viriamu Jones, O. Lodge, J. G. MacGregor, 
‘W. R. Parker, T. S. Tait, C. M. Thompson, A.,T. Wilkin- 
son, B.A. 
_ THE “ Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association,” for July, 
% almost wholly occupied with an account of the interesting 
ard instructive excursions of the Association during the summer 
months of last year. It contains, besides, a paper by Mr. John 
Paterson, “‘ On a Visit to the Diamond Fields of South Africa,” 
“and another by Mr, John Curry, ‘‘ On Columnar Basalts.” 
Tue ‘‘ Mineral Statistics of Victoria for 1872,” are made up 
as usual of a host of tabulated details of all kinds, relating to the 
minerals and mines of that colony. Owing to changes in the 
law it seems to be more difficult than heretofore to collect 
accurate statistics as to the quantity of gold raised, many mine- 
owners being unwilling to furnish retums. According to 
returns furnished by the Commissioners of Trade and Customs, 
the quantity of gold exported in 1872 was 1,160,554 oz. 19 dwts., 
the estimates of the Mining Registers being 1,331,377 0z. 
18 dwts. 
A spEcIAL Report on Emigration by the American Govern- 
ment has been sent us, containing a great amount of information 
likely to prove very valuable to intending emigrants, as well as 
to statisticians. Not only does it contain statistics as to the 
number, nationalities, &c. of emigrants during the last few years, 
but much information as to rent of land, staple products, kind of 
labour in demand, wages to be earned at various trades and 
occupations, &c. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 
past week include a Silvery Gibbon (Aylobates leuciscus) from 
Java, two Slow Loris (WVycticebus tardigradus) and a Binturong 
(Arctictis binturong) from Malacca, a Tiger (Felis tigris) from 
India, presented by Sir Harry Ord, C.B. ; a Malay Bear (Ursus 
malayanus) from Borneo, presented by Mr, A. C. Crookshank ; 
acommon Marmoset (/efa/e jacchus) and a Black-eared Mar- 
moset (/. fenicillata) from Brazil, presented by Mr. J. Stanley ; 
a Cornish Chough (Fvegilus graculus), presented by Mr. G. 
Holford ; a Gazelle (Gazella dorcas) from Muscat, presented by 
NATURE 
335 
Major C, B. E, Smith ; two Blue-headed Pigeons (Starnaenas 
cyanocephala) feom Cuba, a White-headed Saki (Pithecia leucoce- 
hala) from Demerara, and a Hawk-headed Parrot (Deroptyus 
accipitrinus) from Brazil, deposited. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
THE Zoologist for this month commences with an interesting 
paper by Mr. T. H. Potts, who is paying so much attention to the 
birds of New Zealand, on the habits of the Night Parrot of that 
country (Stringops habroptilus). One of its favourite foods is the 
younger part of the fern Asplenium bulbiferum, called Piki- 
piki, which, being only partly diges*ible, forms large pellets of 
excreta on the floor of their tunnel homes. All those who have 
kept a bird of this species as a pet, agree in testifying to its in- 
telligence and companionableness.—Mr. Cecil Smith, among his 
ornithological notes from Somersetshire, records experiments, 
suggested by Prof. Newton, with a view of ascertaining how far 
birds in general, and especially some of the foster-parents of the 
cuckoo, have any objection to eggs of a different colour being 
placed in their nest. In nearly every case the exchange was per- 
fectly successful.—Mr. Gatcombe had an opportunity of ex- 
amining a Night Heron obtained near Ivybridge, in Devon; he 
also records other ornithological notes. —A specimen of Sey//arus 
arctus is mentioned by Mr. J. S. Bowerbank, as having been 
obtained by him at St. Leonard’s (it was five inches long), as well 
as an Angel Fish.—Mr., A. G. Butler finds, as one of the effects 
of the Wild Birds Protection Act, that farmers employ boys to 
collect and break up all the eggs on their grounds, as they are 
now deprived of the satisfaction of destroying the birds. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
EEEDS 
Naturalist’s Field Club and Scientific Association, 
Aug. 5.—Mr. Louis C. Miall read a paper on ‘*The Permian 
Rocks of the Neighbourhood of Leeds.” He first described the 
base of the Permian System. The carboniferous rocks having 
been disturbed, thrown into anticlinals and faulted, were greatly 
denuded, and the Permian rocks were then deposited upon the 
new surface thus produced. The conditions of deposit of the 
magnesian limestone were then considered. The abundance of 
mineral salts, exclusive of carbonate of lime, the scantiness of 
animal life and the dwarfed state of the mollusca, all po‘nt to 
deposition in an inland sea or confined basin similar to the Cas« 
pian, Dead Sea, or Great Salt Lake of the present day. In 
parts of he Triassic period the previous marine surface appears 
to have become, in part at least, terrestrial or fresh water. Ata 
much later period the Permian rocks, with others of subsequent 
formation, were denuded extensively, and reduced to the state in 
which they now occur. The Permian series of the neighbour- 
hood of Leeds were then specially referred to. The Lower New 
Red Sandstone of South Yorkshire (the Pomfret Rock of Smith) 
does not appear to be present, at all events in a conspicuous 
state, in this district. The so-called Lower New Red Sandstone 
of Plumpton is undoubtedly of carboniferous age. The Upper 
and Lower Magnesian Limestone are well displayed. Various 
sections of these rocks at Rigton, East Keswick, Collingham, 
Whin Moor, and Knaresborough, were described in the paper. 
Remarks on the colour of the soil produced by underlying Per- 
mian rocks on the few fossils which have occurred at Garforth 
and Cold Hill, near Sherburn, and on the superficial drift, con- 
cluded the paper. 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, April 24.—Dr. Wiesner 
presented a work on the influence of temperature on the deve- 
lopment of Penicillium glaucum. Germination of spores takes 
place between 1°5° and 43° C. ; development of mycelia between 
2°5° and 40°; and formation of spores between 3° and 40°. These 
processes attain maxima of rapidity, the first and third at 22% 
the second at 26°.—Dr. Hause gave a paper on the decrease of 
heat with the height in Asiatic monsoon countries. The decrease 
is less on the windy side than on the lee. The yearly average 
decrease is not less in the tropics than in central Europe. 
May 8.—Dr. Thin presented a memoir on the structure of 
touch bodies. 
May 15.—Dr. Boué read a paper on petrified bod es which 
have been forced from their place of deposition ; and another on 
