
Fuly 13, 1871) 
NATURE 
211 

summer of 1869 in an expedition to the coasts of Labrador, 
Greenland, Melville Bay, &c., for the express purpose of study- 
_ ing the pictorial effects of Arctic scenery. A very large number 
of photographs were taken, as wellas many sketches, from which 
the finished paintings were afterwards completed. The collection 
is, therefore, unique of its kind. Among the most striking of 
the paintings is one representing sunset among the icebergs. 
THE Geologists’ Association organised excursions of its mem- 
bers to Ilford on the 17th of June, and to Riddlesdown on the 1st of 
July. In the former the chief objects of attraction were the 
famous mammaliferous brick-pits of Ilford, to which Mr, Henry 
Woodward acted as cicerone. Mr. Woodward and Mr. Searles 
V. Wood consider the Ilford beds to be older than those at Grays. 
The distribution of the fossils is remarkably different ; Zvephas 
primigenius, for instance, being the common species at Ilford, 
and &. antiguus at Grays. The party were afterwards kindly 
invited by Sir Antonio Brady to inspect his magnificent collection 
of mammalian remains. The excursion to Riddlesdown gave a 
good opportunity for examining the sections of the Upper Chalk, 
and the sequence of the formations of the Cretaceous system. 
This was the last excursion of the season. 
THE “ Working Men’s Club and Institute Union” has just 
issued a paper recommending the establishment of classes 
at each institution for the study of one or more of such branches 
of Natural History as Botany, Geology, and Entomology, 
according to the circumstances of the several localities. It 
is propo-ed that these classes shall on Saturday afternoons 
sally forth into the fields and woods for the collection of speci- 
mens illustrating the particular subjects of their studies. With 
the view of encouraging such pursuits, amember of the Council 
of the Union offers two prizes of three and two guineas respec- 
tively to the best collection made during the present season by 
members of workmen’s clubs. It is hoped that this suggestion 
may lead to the formation of museums of natural history at the 
clubs—the contents being collected and arranged by the members. 
The adoption of such pursuits in leisure hours will not only be 
productive of much mutual enjoyment to the working people of 
this coun ry, but afford a powerful argument for the more general 
adoption of the Saturday half-holiday by employers, 
THE Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society has recently 
revived its old custom of instituting geological excursions to some 
of the many objects of interest in the county, One of these took 
place last month under the guidance of the veteran geologist, 
Mr. J. Plant, and was an eminently successful one. 
Tue Liverpool Naturalists’ Field Club has issued its Report of 
Proceedings for the Session 1870-71. The address of the pre- 
sident, the Rev. H. H. Higgins, refers chiefly to the interesting 
palzeontological discoveries made duri»g the last two years in the 
neighbourhood of Liverpool, and is illustrated by a plate of fossils 
from the Ravenhead Collectionia the Free Public Museum. An 
epitome is given of the results of each of the summer excursions and 
of the papers read at the evening meetings, including one on the 
microscopic structure of the plants of the Coal Measures, by Prof. 
Williamson, A unique featuie of this Society is that at each 
Field Meeting five prizes are competed for, for the best 
flowers gathered or collected during the excursion. We are glad 
to see the Report published at so lowa price as one shilling, or to 
members, sixpence, and commend this laudable practice to the 
notice of other similar societies. 
Tue following schools have been invited by the Royal Geo- 
graphical Society to take part in the competition for prize medals 
for the ensuing year :—English Schools: St. Peter’s College, 
Radley, Abingdon; King Edward’s School, Birmingham ; 
Brighton College ; Cathedral Grammar School, Chester ; Chel- 
tenham College; Clifton College; Dulwich College; Eton 


College ; Haileybury College ; Harrow ; Hurstpierpoint ; Liver- 
pool College; Liverpool Institute. London : Charter House ; 
Christ’s Hospital; City of London School; King’s College 
School; St. Paul’s; University College School ; Westminster 
School ; Royal Naval School, New Cross. Manchester School ; 
Marlborough College ; University School, Nottingham ; Repton ; 
Rossall; Rugby; King’s School, Sherborne; Shoreham ; 
Shrewsbury; Stonyhurst College, Blackburn; Uppingham 
School; Wellington College; Winchester School. Scotch 
Schools: Aberdeen Grammar School; Edinburgh Academy ; 
Edinburgh High School ; Glasgow High School. Irish Schools: 
Royal Academical Institute, Belfast ; Dungannon Royal School ; 
Ennis College ; Portora Royal School, Enniskillen; Foyle 
College, Londonderry ; Rathfarnham, St. Columba’s College. 
THE part of the ‘‘ Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association” 
just published contains an interesting article by Mr. H. Wood- 
ward ‘*On Volcanoes,” and reports of the excursions made 
during 1870. 
THE last number of Petermann’s ‘* Mittheilungen ” contains 
an admirable physical map of the region covered by Hayward’s 
journey from Leh to Kasthgar in 1868-69. 
UnpbER the title “The Geographical Distribution of Sea- 
grasses,” Dr. P. Ascherson gives an account in Petermann’s 
‘*Mittheilungen,” of the distribution of the phanogamous plants 
native to sea-water. Of these he enumerates twenty-two, belong- 
ing to eight genera, and two natural orders. The area of each 
species is generally very limited, its distribution being dependent on 
the present condition of the sea in which it is found. Those which 
grow in temperate regions are frequently represented by closely 
allied species in tropical seas. Although the Isthmus of Suez is of 
comparatively modern geological date, the nine species of the Red 
Sea are entirely distinct from the four species of the Mediterranean, 
and, with one exception, belong to different genera. A map 
accompanies the paper. 
WE have on our table the Astronomical Register for June, and 
have much pleasure in calling the attention of astronomers to 
this magazine, which is rapidly improving in usefulness. 
THE December number of the Canadian Entomologist 
concludes the second volume. Itis intended to be increased on 
the commencement of the third volume, without any correspond- 
ing increase of subscription, to twenty pages each number, and 
will remain under the editorship of the Rev. C. J. S. Bethune. 
THE volume of lectures delivered at the Industrial and Tech- 
nological Museum, Melbourne, during the spring session of 1870, 
shows great activity in scientific matters in Victoria, Among 
the subjects discussed are the Circulation of the Blood, the Con- 
servation of Energy, the Application of Phytology to the Indus- 
trial Purposes of Life, Chemistry applied to Manufactures and 
Agriculture, the Preservation of Food, the common Uses of 
Astronomy, and On Methods cf Diffusing Technological 
Knowledge. 
WE have before us the number for May of the ‘‘ Journal of the 
Franklin Institute,” containing several valuable articles. We 
may notice in particular the continuation of a series on ‘‘ Iron 
Manufactures in Great Britain,” by Mr. R. H. Thurston, and 
‘© A Method of Fixing, Photographing, and Exhibiting the 
Magnetic Spectra,” by Dr. A. M. Mayer. 
WE have received the first volume of an important continental 
flora, ‘‘ Flora der preussischen Rheinlande,” by Dr. P. H. Wirtgen, 
including as far as the end of Thalamiflorze. Descriptions of 
each species are given, with physiological and morphological 
annotations, and a copious list of localities of the less abundant 
species. Independently of its scientific value, the book will be 
very useful to the numerous summer visitors to that district. 
A NEW port has been opened in Southern Chile in the Departs 
