Sept. 18, 1873] 
NATURE 
403 
small scar of original adherence. The principal costals 
are prominent, and round the region of the base beset with 
small spines directed somewhat upwards. The upper 
portion of the costa is without spines. The primary and 
secondary septa are broad and exsert. Pali are absent, 
the columella is fascicular. The absence of pali, the form 
of the columella, and the nature of the base, associate this 
form with the Ceratrotrochi, as defined by Milne-Edwards. 
The animal is of a dark madder colour on the region 
of the margin of the calicle between the exsert primary 
and secondary septa, and on the membrane investing the 
wall of the corallum from the margin down to the com- 
mencement of the spines. This dark colour is succeeded 
on the disc by a band of pale bluish, within which there 
is again a zone of very dark madder colour round the 
mouth. The dark colouring-matter is interesting, as it 
gives an absorption spectrum of three distinct bands. 
On Friday, July 11, we sounded in 2,025 fathoms, 
376 miles to the west of Madeira, the bottom very well 
marked “ globigerina ooze,” and the bottom temperature 
5 C, 
dhe weather for the last few days had been remarkably 
fine, with a pleasant light breeze. When we turned up on 
deck on the morning of the 16th, we were already at 
anchor in the beautiful bay of Funchal, and looking at the 
lovely garden-like island, full of anticipations of a week’s 
ramble among the peaks and “ currals” and the summer 
“quintas” of our friends—anticipations which were 
coomed to be disappointed. 
WYVILLE THOMSON 
THE INTERNATIONAL METRIC COMMISSION 
AT PARIS 
jo continuation of the notices of the proceedings of 
this Scientific Commission (see NATURE, vol. vii. 
p. 237), it may now be stated that the French Section 
have been engaged during the present year in the work of 
the Commission entrusted to them, and have continued 
their sittings up to the present time. It appears from the 
printed “ Procés Verbaux” that their attention has been 
principally directed to the further investigations and ex- 
periments required for the melting and casting of the 
large mass of alloy of platinum and iridium, determined 
upon as the material of all the new standards, with the 
view of obtaining a homogeneous ingot of these two 
metals in the proper proportions. This preliminary work 
is now so far completed that the twelve members of the 
Commission elected as the Permanent Committee, have 
been summoned to meet at Paris on October 1, to consult 
upon the subject with the French Section, and more par- 
ticularly to discuss and decide the following points :— 
1. The date of the definitive of the melting platinum- 
iridium intended for the construction of the new Interna- 
tional metric standards. 
2. The question whether the J/étres-d-bouts requested 
by some countries shall be constructed from the metal of 
the same melting as the J/¢/res-a-traits. 
3. Whether the kilograms shall be made from the 
metal of the same melting as the J/dtres-d-tratts. 
As to the number of metric standards required to be 
constructed by the Commission, the greater number of the 
Governments represented at the Commission have already 
intimated their wishes to have in all 31 metres and 24 
kilograms. Germany and Italy have not yet notified 
their decision. Austria and Switzerland have declined to 
reply until the question of the creation of an International 
Bureau is satisfactorily settled, and it is understood that 
the same course is’ being followed by Germany. Russia 
is favourable to the creation of the Bureau, but has not 
yet decided on the number of standards she will require. 
In addition to the number of fifty delegates already 
appointed by twenty-nine Governments to take part in 
the International Metric Commission, and whose names 
have been already announced, the Haytian Government 
has nominated M. Ch. Laforestie, Chargé d’Affaires of 
the Haytian Republic, and the Government of Brazil has 
nominated Prof. Such de Capanema as their respective 
delegates of the Commission. The French Government 
has also invited the Governments of Central America, 
Persia, China, and Japan to send delegates to take part 
in the proceedings of the Commission, 
As it will be expedient to construct a number of spare 
copies of the new metric standards, it will probably be 
necessary to prepare for the’construction of not less than 
fifty metres and nearly as many kilograms. 
But difficulties must inevitably and at once arise at 
Paris from the course taken by the Governments of Ger- 
many, Austria, and Switzerland, as it tends materially to 
impede the attainment of the declared primary objects of 
the Commission to construct and furnish every Government 
interested with uniform metric standards, which are to be 
accurately verified, and of equal authority. After the ex- 
piration of four years from the date of the appointment 
of the Commission by the French Government, oa 
September 2, 1869, and the passing of almost unanimous 
resolutions at a full meeting of the Commission in 1872, 
upon the ‘mode of constructing the new standards, the 
time has now arrived when everything has been got ready 
for commencing the actual construction of the new stan- 
dards. It can hardly be expected that this, the real work 
of the Commission, is to be stopped until the ulterior 
question of the creation of an International Metric Bureau 
is settled to the satisfaction of the three above-mentioned 
Governments. Nor does a further significant step which 
has been recently taken by the Austrian Government lead 
to much hope of a satisfactory solution of this question. 
The Austrian Government has officially declared th t 
it accepts in principle the establishment of an Interna- 
tional Metric Bureau upon the basis of the resolutions 
passed by the Commission, so far as relates to the objects 
and functions of this Bureau; and that it is quite dis- 
posed to take part in a Convention upon the subject, pro- 
vided that all the other Governments represented at the 
Commission give their adherence. But it expressly re- 
serves the right of making new propositions when the 
questions of the organisation, the seat, and the direction 
of the Bureau are discussed, as well as the right of 
definitively approving the Convention. 
It proposes, at the same time, that in order to maintain 
the international character of the negociation, the seat of 
the Conference shall be at Berne, where the Inter- 
national Telegraphic Conference is now held, or at Brus- 
sels, these two cities being equally upon neutral territory. 
And that for facilitating the proceedings of the Con- 
ference, the Permanent Committee appointed by the 
Metric Commission, shall previously elaborate a project 
of Convention to be communicated to the several govern- 
ments interested ; and that the Conference be not con- 
voked for completing the definitive Convention until the 
preliminary negociations shall be sufficiently advanced to 
allow of a favourable result. 
The invitation given by the French Government to the 
Austrian and other governments, was to take part in the 
creation of the International Metric Bureau based upon 
the five points proposed by the Commission, and it now 
appears that Austria objects to three out of these five 
points. And even as regards the other two points, Aus- 
tria’s adhesion is conditional upon the concurrence of all 
the other governments represented at the Commission. 
Up to the present time, however, the governments of five 
countries only have officially notified their concurrence, 
whilst those of twelve countries have formally declined to 
take any part in the establishment of the proposed Inter- 
national Metric Bureau. Under these circumstances, its 
creation at all seems very problematical, however desir- 
able it may be in the interests of metrological science. 
