April 26, 1883] 
NATORE 
615 
THREE months ago Mr. Raphael Meldola, as retiring Pre- 
sident of the Essex Field Club, gave an interesting address, which 
is now printed in a separate form, on ‘f Darwin and Modern 
Evolution.” It gives a clear and well-condensed account of 
Darwin’s life and work. The following extract concerning the 
first publication of the theory of natural selection at the Linnean 
Society is of historical interest, and also, we think, of some instruc- 
tive value :—*‘ Mr. Wallace has narrated to me that one of his cor- 
respondents, a well-known entomologist, wrote to say that it was a 
general remark in natural history circles, with respect to the 
paper, that it was much to be regretted that the author had not 
more confined himself to statements of fact!’’ This shows that 
the naturalists of the Linnean Society at that time had the same 
intolerance of anything like speculative brain-spinning which 
still finds occasional expression, But to-day we have to thank 
the sagacity of the greatest of naturalists that, while cautious of 
speculation, he nevertheless courted it as a friend to the highest 
interests of science, while leaving ‘‘the well known entomolo- 
gists” to shun it as the worst of enemies, The truth is that in 
biology, as in all other branches of science, unless the only aim 
of a worker is to accumulate knowledge of details, he is bound 
to resort to hypothe-es as feelers after principles. On the other 
hand, of course, speculation, like fire, while the most valuable 
of servants, nay also be the most dangerous of masters. The 
lruest scientific judgment, therefore, consists in using speculation 
as not abusing it; and if in particular cases it is asked how much 
latitude is thus to be allowed to speculative thinking, the answer 
inust be that this is just the question which in all particular 
cases it requires the truest scientific judgment to decide. All 
that can be said, as a matter of general principle, is that qui-e as 
much and even more harm may arise from an over-nervousness 
of deductive method in biclogy, as may arise from an over- 
confidence in them; and also that the theory of evolution—at 
Jeast in our opinion—is now sufficiently well established to admit 
of being used deductively in no stinted measure, without danger 
of violating the best methods of scientific procedure. 
THE great and deserved success which has attended the Girls’ 
Public Day School Company has now led to the formation of a 
similar company for establishing schools for boys. A meeting, 
under the presidency of Lord Aberdare, was held on the 24th 
inst. at the rooms of the Society of Arts, at which the objects of 
the company were explained. The basis of the new schools is 
that of a self-supporting company, independent alike of Govern- 
ment and charitable aid. It is stated that premises will shortly 
be secured in Kentish Town, where the first school will be 
opened in a few months. 
Carr. C. E. Durron, of the United States Geological 
Survey, who spent half of last year in Hawaii studying the 
voleanic phenomena there, and whose researches among the 
plateaux of Utah have brought to light so many interesting 
phases of volcanic action in that region, is about to undertake 
the exploration of a still more extensive volcanic region. He is 
organising his forces for a summer campaign in the Cascade 
Range, beginning at the southern end in California, among the 
yoleanic piles of Mount Shasta, and working northwards across 
Oregon to the remote peaks of Mounts Hood and Rainier, in 
Washington Territory. [nm this way a preliminary survey of the 
region will this year be made, and the information will be gained 
that will serve as the basis for future more detailed exploration, 
That vast region contains possibly the most colossal outpouring 
of volcanic matter anywhere to be seen in the world. Geologists 
will rejoice that it is now to be systematically examined by one 
so competent as Capt. Dutton, who has specially trained himself 
for the task. ‘The American Congress is to be congratulated on 
the enlightened spirit in which these surveys of the Western 
Territories are conceived and carried out. 
THE Central Swedish Meteorological Observatory, in Stock- 
holm, has issued a request, signed by Baron Nordenskjold, 
calling upon those who may witness meteoric phenomena to send 
minute particulars of the same to him. He requests that the 
following details may be noted :—Time, duration, direction as 
well as height above horizon, whether the meteor had a tail, 
emitted smoke, burst, or simply disappeared from view, whether 
any sound and any fall of objects were observed. He also: 
requests that a drawing of the phenomena may if possible be 
forwarded. In conclusion, he says: ‘* There often appears a 
peculiar dry mist or ‘sun-smoke’ over extensive tracts of land 
in Sweden, sometimes accompanied by a remarkable smell ex- 
tending for hundreds of square miles. The nature of this phe- 
nomenon has not yet been ascertained. As I am informed that 
it was recently noticed in certain parts of Norrland, I beg that 
any observer of the same will forward all particulars he may 
possess.” 
GEoLoGIsts will learn with regret that Mr. Alexander 
Murray, who has so long and so ably directed the Geological 
Survey of Newfoundland, feels himself compelled by advancing 
years and enfeebled health to retire from his duties. For many 
years he was one of the late Sir William Logan’s chief officers in 
the Geological Survey of Canada, where he long ago gained 
his geological spurs. His iron constitution and indomitable 
enthusiasm have carried him through more hardships than have 
fallen to the lot of almost any living geological explorer, but they 
have been borne with a quiet courage and good-humoured in- 
difference altogether admirable. May he find now the honour- 
able rest and recognition to which his long devotion to the colony 
s> justly entitles him. He will be succeeded by his present 
second in command, Mr. James P. Howley, in whose expe- 
rienced hands the Surveying Depart nent of Newfoundland will 
be excellently administered. 
ProF. TYNDALL will on Thursday next, May 3, at the Royal 
Institution, give the first of a course of three lectures on 
“«Count Rumford, Originator of the Royal Institution.” 
ALTHOUGH the circulation of books from Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne Free Library has not quite kept up this second year, yet 
the Report, with its account of the handsome new building, is a 
very satisfactory one. The carrying on of education in various 
ways, in combination with the Science and Art Department and 
with the City and Guilds of London Institute, by literary and 
commercial classes, including even a competition in oratory sup- 
ported by a ‘‘ Bequest,” is valuable work that ought naturally to 
fall, as it has done here, into the same hands as control the 
library. The method of encouraging juvenile readers by per- 
mitting the use of the whole library to the more intelligent is 
good where these readers are sufficiently known to the librarian, 
There is no doubt that the true reason is given for the large 
increase in the issue of fiction, viz. that the committee have 
added to their’stock in that class in a proportion twice as great 
as in any other class. ‘* The love of” fiction ‘increases as much 
as the” fiction “ itself increases.” 
THE Mitchell Library at Glasgow has taken the only method 
of repressing this circulation of fiction, viz. that of not buying 
the books! In this well-endowed and promising institution, 
only open five years, yet now containing 45,000 volumes, there 
are only 374 volumes of fiction ; yet so great is the demand for 
this class of reading that every volume has been issued ninety- 
eivht times, 7.c. changed twice every week throughout the year ! 
This library, however, supported mainly by the splendid bequest 
of 70,000/. Jeft by Mr. Stephen Mitchell in 1874, has purposely 
relegated this department and that of branch libraries to the rd. 
rate, able to produce in Glasgow 11,v00/. a year, while itself 
takes the form of a great reference department, already the 
