‘616 
NATURE 
largest free library in Scotland, and promising in a second five 
years to be among the most important collections of books in the 
kingdom. One of the best functions of a public library in any 
town is to become the centre to which will gravitate all publica- 
_tions of any local value or interest. For since every subject or 
author is naturally connected with some locality, if this were 
well carried out all over the kingdom, information would gradu- 
ally be as well arranged and as readily accessible as in a cyclo- 
pedia. The collections undertaken by the Mitchell Library at 
Glasgow are (1) the works of Burns and other Scotch poets and 
verse writers, one object of which will be ‘‘to preserve local 
dialects, local customs, and local memories” ; (2) all papers 
which in any way illustrate the city’s growth and life ; (3) speci- 
mens of early Glasgow printing. The Scotch Covenanters is 
another subject in which a collection of publications has been 
commenced. Still nearly one-fifth of the volumes in the 
Mitchell Library, and more than one-fifth of the volumes in 
-circulation, belong to the department of Arts and Sciences. The 
attendance of readers has been quite as large as the present 
premises will accommodate. 
THE Council of the Society of British Artists opened their 
gallery in Suffolk Street on Sunday last to the members of the 
Sunday Society. A similar privilege has been granted for 
Sunday next, the 29th inst., when the public will be admitted 
during the afternoon and evening by free tickets, to be had by 
all who apply, inclosing a stamped and addressed envelope, to 
the Honorary Secretary, 8, Park Place Villas, W. The eighth 
annual meeting of the Sunday Society will be held in the 
Princes’ Hall, Piccadilly, on May 5, under the presidency of Sir 
Coutts Lindsay. 
WE have received the Memorandum of Association of the 
National Smoke Abatement Institution, signed by the Dukes of 
Westminster and Northumberland, Lord Mount-Temple, Sir 
W. F. Pollock, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir Hussey Vivian, and Mr. 
Ernest Hart. The objects of this institution are already weil 
known to all our readers. 
Tue diplomas and scholarships of the Spring Session of the 
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, were conferred on the 
successful students on the 19th inst. Among those on whom the 
diplomas were conferred were Messrs, Sen and Hossein, the 
two Indian scholars first sent to the College by the Government 
of India. It is worthy of note that one of these gentlemen, Mr. 
Sen, obtained the highest number of marks ever reached for the 
diploma. 
A LARGE collection of weapons and implements from the 
Stone Age in Japan has, we are informed, arrived in London. 
The collector, Herr von Siebold, is an official of the Austrian 
Embassy in Japan, and has resided for many years in the latter 
-country. The collection. embraces, we believe, a large number 
of flint arrowheads, celts, axes, as well as numerous specimens 
of pottery taken from shell-heaps in various parts of Japan. 
The well known magatama and kudatama ornaments are also 
well represented. Except a few in the Christy collection in the 
British Museum, and a small collection given by Herr von Sie- 
bold himself to the Copenhagen Museum, the Japanese Stone 
Age is not, we believe, fairly represented in any archeological 
‘museum in Europe. 
More than 259 years ago the English residents in Japan were 
perplexing themselves, as they are to-day, on the subject of 
earthquakes. In the diary of Richard Cocks, just published for 
the Hakluyt Society by Mr, Maunde Thompson, we find, under 
date November 7, 1618, the following entry :—‘‘ And, as we 
retorned, about 10a clock, hapned a greate earthquake, which 
caused many people to run out of their howses. And about the 
lyke hower the night following hapned an other, this cuntrey 
| April 26, 1883 
being much subject to them. And that which is comunely 
markd, they allwais hapen at a hie water (or full sea); so it 
is thought it chanseth per reason is much wind blowen into 
hollow caves under grownd at a loe water, and the sea flowing 
in after, and stoping the passage out, causeth these earthquakes, 
to fynd passage or vent for the wind shut up.” 
News from Mr. Stanley dating down to the middle or 
December has just been received at Brussels. Stanley had 
reached the African coast, and, after having augmented his party 
by 223 natives from Zanzibar, under the leadership of the Belgian 
traveller, M. de Cambier, had started for Vivi, the first station 
established by the International African Society. At Vivi pre- 
parations were being made for the construction of a railway line 
to the landing-place on the river, but the work proceeded slowly; 
owing to the total absence of beasts of burden. Upto now seven 
stations have been established—Vivi, Isanghila, Manyangha, Lu- 
tété, Stanley Pool, [baka Nkoutou, and Bolobo ; the latter is dis- 
tant about 700 miles from the mouth of the Congo, and is the last 
one established. Of the four small steamers taken to Africa three 
had been launched, and the fourth was being transported from 
Manyangha to Leopoldsville. The seven stations already seem 
to become centres of civilisation, and exercise a beneficial influ- 
ence upon the surrounding native tribes. Horned cattle had 
been introduced at Vivi, and at Leopoldsville agricultural work 
had begun, cabbage and lettuce thriving exceedingly in that 
locality. At Bolobo a fertile and well-populated country was 
reached, which extends far beyond the limits of De Brazza’s 
journey. The progress of the latter was contemplated with 
equanimity, yet fears were entertained regarding the claims of 
the Portuguese Government, and also concerning the freedom of 
way and commerce. 
SEVERAL Swedish officers have recently left Europe, being 
invited to join Mr. Stanley on the Congo. 
THE Swedi-h Academy of Sciences has offered a reward to 
the vessel which first brings despatches, &c., to the meteoro- 
logical observing party wintering at Spitzbergen. 
THE despatch of the Swedish corvette Vanadis on a voyage 
round the world is contemplated. Several men of science will 
accompany her, among whom is Dr, Stolpe, the well-known 
ethnographist. 
ON the 13th inst., between 8 and 9a.m., a remarkable mirage 
was seen at Olsta, in the parish of Sala, Sweden, It displayed 
distinctly a town in Eastern style situated by the sea, with 
temples and minarets, while to the left a forest of fine cypress 
trees was seen. In front was a train in motion, while a body of 
soldiers appeared marching along a road, with their bayonets 
fl shing in the sun, The whole was visible for nearly an hour, 
when it gradually faded away. 
THE French Academy of Sciences, at its meeting on Monday 
last, selected MM. Bonnct and Resal as candidates for filling 
the place vacated by the decease of M. Liouville, in the Bureau 
des Longitudes. 
Last week M. de Lesseps delivered several speeches at the 
Sorbonne and in other places, showing that the Roudaire Inland 
Sea will be useful and profitable, and the speaker met with very 
decided success. On Monday, M. Cosson, his usual antagonist, 
delivered a long speech, pointing out the danger of the opera- 
tions, but the French Academy of Sciences took no notice of it, 
and no commission being appointed the matter dropped. 
At the March meeting of the Russian Physical Society, M. 
Sreznevsky read a communication on an instrument largely 
employed but the theory of which is from being established, 
namely, the hygrometer of Saussure. Its scale, usually traced 
by comparison with a psychrometer, varies with the month when 
