374 
origin of the names of the groups of beds, their lithological 
characters, thickness, range, &c., with a historical notice of the 
various classifications that have been at different times employed. 
The lists of fossils will be arranged on a new plan, showing in a 
tabulated form for each formation the genera that first appear, 
those that last appear, and those that are numerically abundant 
in that formation. Separate tables give the characteristic 
species. These lists are prepared expressly for this work by Mr. 
R. Etheridge, F.R.S., &c., Palzontologist to Her Majesty’s 
Geological Survey of Great Britain, 

THE continental scientific journals record the death of Dr. 
Milde, a well-known botanist, whose contributions to systematic 
cryptogamic botany are especially valuable. 
WE haye to notice the death, at a very advanced age, of 
James De Carle Sowerby, the first secretary of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Regent’s Park, an office which he held till last year, 
when he resigned it in favour of his son. Mr, Sowerby be- 
longed to a family, many members of which have distinguished 
themselves by their devotion to various branches of science, and 
to the pictorial illustration of natural objects. 
THE Essex Institute publishes an obituary notice of its late 
president, Mr. Francis Peabody, of Salem, who died October 
31, 1867, and who was noted for his researches in mechanical 
physics. 
‘THE trustees of the Manchester Grammar School are so satis- 
fied with the excellent work done in the Physical Science De- 
partment, under the superintendence of Dr. W. M. Watts, that 
they have begun to fit up a second and larger laboratory, at the 
cost of from 7o00/. or 800/, It is only three or four years since 
this department of the school was opened, and already many 
valuable scholarships and other honours have been gained by the 
boys. 
TuE following eminent archzeologists are announced as con- 
tributing papers for the next session of the Society of Biblical 
Archzeology :—M. Heinrich; Brugsch, F. C. Chabas, Clermont 
Ganneau, and the Chevalier de Sauley. The first part of the 
society’s transactions will be ready early in the spring, and will 
containarticles by Dr. Birch, J. W. Bosanquet, M. Ganneau, 
Prof. Lowne, Lieut. Prideaux, G. Smith, and H. Fox Talbot. 
THE Society of Arts have consented to give their co-operation 
to the Polytechnic Exhibition, to be held at Moscow next year, 
in celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of 
Czar Peter the Great. 
AccorpING to recently-published statistics of the University 
of Edinburgh Botanical Class, in the session of 1871 the 
number of pupils was 306. Of these, 241 (including 5 ladies) 
were medical students, 12 pharmaceutical students, and 53 
general students. 
THE Archeological Society, whose gathering at Weymouth 
we recorded last week, devoted Wednesday to an examination of 
objects of antiquarian interest in that town, including the Cor- 
poration regalia and muniments. On Thursday papers were 
read as follows:—By Mr. H. S. Cuming, F.S.A., ‘‘On the 
Patron Saint of Dorset, St. Edward, King and Martyr.” By 
Mr. J. Drew, F.R.A.S., F.G.S., ‘On Art Treasures and their 
preservation.” By Mr. G. Eliot, ‘‘On the Antiquities of Port- 
land.” There was afterwards an excursion to Corfe and Dor- 
chester, visiting several objects of interest on the way. The 
papers read on Saturday and Friday evenings were as follow :— 
Mr, J. R. Planché, Somerset Herald, ‘‘On the Family of Robert 
Fitzgerald, the Domesday Tenant of Corfe.” Mr, Edward 
Levien, M.A., I'.S.A., Hon. Sec., ‘‘On Wareham and its 
Religious Houses.” Mr. W. H. Black, F.S.A., ‘On Wareham 
and the Earliest Historic Monuments in Dorset.” Rev, William 
Bames, B,D., ‘ On the origin of the name and people of Dorset.” 
| NATURE 


[ Sept. 7, 1871 
Mr. Joseph Stevens, M.D., ‘‘ On newly-discovered Roman and 
Saxon remains at Finkley near Andover.” The meeting was 
brought to a close on Saturday evening. Saturday’s excursion was 
first by rail to Bindon Abbeyg thence to Wareham, and afterwards 
by railto Corfe Castle. The concluding meeting was held at the 
Royal Hotel on the return of the excursionists to Weymouth, at 
8.30, when, after the reading of some papers, the usual formal 
resolutions and votes of thanks to the gentlemen who had assisted 
the Association in conducting the proceedings were passed and the 
congress was brought to a close. 
Tue Annual Meeting of the Devonshire Association for the 
Promotion of Literature, Science, and Art, recently held 
its sittings at the picturesque little town of Bideford, 
occupying three days, the retiring President, Mr. J. A. Froude, 
resigning the chair to the Rey. Canon Kingsley, who gave an 
eloquent and interesting address. Papers were read, mostly of 
an archeological and geographical character, by Mr. Pengelly, 
Mr. Spence Bate, and other distinguished Devonians. 
It isstated that Prof. Watson, of the University of Michigan, 
has discovered a new planet in the constellation Capricorn, of the 
tenth magnitude. This is the 115th of the series. 
Mr. J. R. Hinpb, F.R.S., has calculated the Ephemeris for 
Greenwich mean time of Futtle’s Comet, which will be visible 
during this and next month. According to Prof. Luther, its next 
perihelion passage will occur about the 30th of November. The 
following are Mr. Hind’s figures :— 
1871 Right Ascension. Declination. 
Sept. 1 100° 13°2' 62° 22°7' 
Aye 106° 36°6' 60° 556’ 
LS 115° 12°8' 58° 20°7' 
23 «~—«oM22? 388’ 5g Bt 
Oct. 1 129° 15°7' 50° 49°5' 
» 7 133° 44°3' 47° 276" 
»» 13 137° 51°5' 42° 35°5’ 
Pror. A. HALL sends us some careful Equatorial Observa- 
tions made at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, and 
Supplementary Notes on the observations for magnetism and 
position made in the U.S. Naval Observatory expedition to 
Siberia to observe the Solar Eclipse of August 7, 1869. 
A RECENT number of the ‘‘ Astronomische Nachrichten ” 
contains an elaborate paper by Prof. E. Schonfeld, ‘‘On the 
Change of Light of Variable Stars.” 
THE Journal of the Society of Arts states that a memorial 
monument has been erected in New South Wales to the memory 
of Captain Cook, at the supposed place at which he landed from 
the Zxdeavour in April, 1770. On the monument are two brass 
plates, one bearing the following inscription :—‘* Captain Cook 
landed here 28th April, 1770. Victoria Regina. This monument 
was erected by the Hon. Thomas Holt, M.L.C., A.p. 1870. The 
Earl of Belmore, Governor.” The other contains the following 
words from Captain Cook’s journal :—‘* We discovered a bay and 
anchored under the south shore, about two miles within the 
entrance, in 6 fathom water, the south point bearing S.E., and 
he north point east. Latitude 34° S., longitude, 208°37°.” The 
entrance to the bay where Cook landed has other memorials. 
On the north side is the column erected, on behalf of the French 
nation, to the French navigator, La Perouse. The enclosure 
around the column is planted with trees and flowers. The monu- 
ment erected by Mr, Holt is on a place less elevated, but it can, 
nevertheless, be seen from several parts of distant suburbs, 
Public subscriptions are being made for a monument of a more 
costly kind, to be erected in one of the parks of the city of 
Sydney. 
THE last number of the Bulletin of the Société d’Acclimata- 
tion of Paris contains an interesting and important report on the 

