536 
invitation from the Geographical Society of New York to visit 
that city during the summer months of next year. 
THE inaugural lectures in connection with the scheme of edu- 
cation adopted by the University of Cambridge for the town of 
Nottingham, were delivered on the oth inst. in the Lecture Hall 
of the Mechanics’ Institution of that town, and were largely 
attended. Mr. E. B. Birks, M.A., Fellow of Trinity, who has 
been appointed to conduct classes and to lecture on English 
Literature, gave his inaugural lecture in the afternoon to a large 
audience, "composed principally of ladies, for whom this subject 
has been specially selected ; and in the evening Mr. V. H. 
Stanton, M.A., Fellow of Trinity, who had been appointed to 
teach Political Economy, opened his course. On Friday week 
Mr. T. O. Harding, B.A., B.Sc., Fellow of Trinity, commenced 
his instruction in “ Force and Motion,” the introduction to Phy- 
sical Science. The Session will continue to next April, and will 
be divided ‘into two terms. For the second term, which will 
commence after Christmas, arrangements have been made for 
the study of Astronomy, Physical Geography, and English Con- 
stitutional History. Examinations will be held at the conclusion 
of each Term in the’work done, and University Certificates will 
be granted to those who succeed in them, 
WE learn from the Bulletin International of the Paris Obser- 
vatory, that Lieutenant Parem and Dr. Wykander, while 
passing the winter of 1872-3 on the coast of Spitzbergen, made 
a series of spectrum observations on the Aurora, and determined 
seven different spectral lines, which, according to Wykander, 
are identical with the spectrum at the bottom of the flame of}a 
candle or petroleum lamp.” 
Messrs. RouTLEDGE & Sons, have in the press, a ‘‘ New 
Illustrated Natural History,” by the Rev. J. G. Wood, M.A., 
with 500 Illustrations ; and ‘‘The Book of African Travel,” by 
W. H. G. Kingston. This work is intended to give records of 
the journeys of all the celebrated travellers in Africa down to the 
present time, It will be profusely illustrated. 
Messrs. HODDER and STouGHTon will shortly publish 
“Life, Wanderings, and Labours in Eastern Africa,” with an 
account of the first successful ascent of the equatorial snow 
mountain Kilima Njara, and remarks on the East African slave 
trade, by the Rev. Chas, New, of the Livingstone Search and 
Relief Expedition, illustrated. 
THE annual migration of the butterfly from east to west across 
the isthmus of Panama in August and September was, according 
to the Star, proceeding. The butterfly has golden green stripes 
on a black ground, and is very beautiful. It has been recognised 
by Mr. O. Salvin, of London and Guatemala, as the Urania 
Julgens, 
WE have received the diminutive prospectus of what is likely 
to be at least an ingenious and curious work; it is entitled 
“ Chemistianity,” and will contain ‘‘ 2,000 chemical facts, relat- 
ing to inorganic chemistry, explained within 5,000 lines of ora- 
torical verse, compiled by permission from the works of leading 
chemists of the day ; together with the views of the author (ex- 
pressed in verse) as to the advantages of a general knowledge of 
chemistry.” If the book is readable it will certainly bea 
triumph of ingenuity, if not of genius, on the part of the author, 
Mr. J. C. Sellars, manufacturing chemist, Birkenhead, who is 
also publisher. 
In the Chemical News for Oct. 17 will be found a long list of 
subjects for prizes to be awarded in May 1874, by the Société 
Industrielle de Mulhouse. 
THE first three parts are published (price 6¢. each) of “ British 
Marine Alge ; being a popular account of the Seaweeds of 
Great Britain, their'collection and perservation,” by W. H, 
NATURE 
Grattann, It is intended as a cheap and popular rather than 
scientific handbook to our marine flora, and will apparently 
serve a very useful purpose as such. The illustrations, though 
on a small scale, are sufficient to recognise the more striking 
forms. - 
THE last two parts, xi. and xii., of the new edition of Griffith 
and Henfrey’s Micrographic Dictionary, bring down the work 
as faras Hydra. The botanical articles have been written up to 
the present state of science by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley. 
Mr, A. ELLEY FINCH has published the lecture he delivered 
last March before the Sunday Lecture Society, ‘‘On the Pursuit 
of Truth.” We think he has done well in so doing, ashe shows 
clearly and shortly the only principles of evidence upon which, 
permanent and satisfactory belief can be founded, showing the 
distinction between the evidence which satisfies the theologian, 
the lawyer, and the man of science. Mr. Finch has added 
many footnotes and appendices, which, though often irrelevant, 
are in most cases valuable and interesting, the appendices being — 
mostly abstracts of passages from the works of well-known 
authors bearing more or less on the subject alluded to in the 
lecture. We wish the lecture a large circulation among the 
general public, whom it would tend to enlighten. 
THE Gazetie de Vos publishes some statistics with regard to 
education in Germany, which appear in Za Mature. According 
to the latest official information, the German Empire numbers 
380 gymnasiums, pro-gymnasiums, and academies (/ycées) ; 156 
Latin schools (in Bavaria and Wurtemberg); 270 ‘*real- 
schulen,” 12 high schools, technical and polytechnic. Prussia 
possesses besides, 26 provincial schoois of arts and industry ; 
Saxony, 5 commercial schools and 4 schools of arts, industry, and 
architecture ; 'Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 3 schools of the kind last 
mentioned ; the City of Hamburg possesses a school of art for 
boys and another for girls. Bavaria has 33 schools of arts, 
commerce, and agriculture ; Prussia, 26 agricultural schools, 
with 41 winter schools of rural economy. The rest of the 
German Empire possesses 56 other schools belonging to one or 
other of these categories. Prussia numbers 260 superior public 
schools for;girls, and the rest of Germany, 54. 143 seminaries 
for the training of teachers are in full activity in the German 
Empire during the present year ; primary instruction is given in 
60,000 schools. All the German States have schools for deaf- 
mutes and for the blind ; Prussia possesses 35 for the former and 
14 for the latter. With regard to schools for the artistic profes- — 
sions, Bavaria occupies the first rank, but Wurtemberg and 
Prussia have latterly made great progress in this direction. 
‘THE Pearl of the Antilles; or, An Artistin Cuba,” by Walter 
Goodman, is the title of a volume just published by Messrs. King 
& Co. Since Mr Goodman calls himself an artist, we should 
have expected a few illustrations of Cuban scenery in his work, 
but there are none. The work makes no pretensions to be a 
contribution to the natural history of Cuba, but in a very enter- 
taining manner the author gives a series of sketches of social life 
on the lovely island. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s collection during 
the past week include two Weka Rails (Ocydromus australis) 
from New Zealand, presented by the Acclimatisation Society of 
Otago ; an Alligator (A//igator mississipiensis) from New Orleans, 
presented by Capt. M. Cowper; two Patagonian Conures 
(Conurus patagonus) from Chili, two Solitary Tinamous (7ina- 
mus solitarius) from Brazil, received in exchange ; a Macaque 
Monkey (MJacacus cynomolgus) and a Bonnet Monkey (JZ. radia- 
tus) from India, presented by Mr. G. Veitch, and deposited ; a 
Cape Petrel (Daftion capensis), purchased, from Manilla, which 
is the first specimen of this bird obtained by the Society. 
