494 
NATURE 
[ Oct. 19, 1871 

animal physiology, magnetism and electricity, physical geo- 
graphy, and mathematics. Weare particularly glad to see that 
they are arranged for young persons and adults of both sexes. 
IN reference to the threatened destruction of what still remains 
of the Druidical Temple at Avebury, a correspondent of the 
Times states that negotiations are in progress for the purchase of 
the land intended to have been sold for building allotments, so 
that the remains of this fine old temple shall remain in their 
present state. 
PROF. PHILLIPS’s so much looked-for work on the Geology of 
the Thames Valley is announced for publication, The Professor 
proposes to make it his text-book for a course of lectures on Ox- 
ford Geology, to be delivered this term at Oxford. 
A SEVERE earthquake shock was felt at Callao and other 
places on the coast on August 21. The direction of the undula- 
tions was from N.W. to S.E., and the shocks lasted for fifteen 
seconds. Cero Azul and Pisco also suffered from the same shock. | 
| Upper Forest Tin Works, near Swansea. 
On Sunday the 8th of this month, a violent earthquake shock 
was felt at Pera and Constantinople. The motion lasted for 
about five seconds. No great amount of damage was done, 
THE terrible fire at Chicago, which raged during the early part 
of last week, and of which the ravages far exceed those of the 
Great Fire of London, affords us an additional example from 
which to judge of the truth of the so-much-disputed assertion, 
that extensive fires are almost invariably followed by heavy 
downpours of rain, which have been caused by them. In this 
case the latest telegrams assure us that the fire was chiefly 
checked on the third and fourth days by the heavy and con- 
tinuous downpour of rain, which it is conjecture was partly due 
to the great atmospheric disturbances which such an extensive 
fire would cause, especially when we are told that the season 
just previous to the outbreak of the fire had been particularly 
dry. 
Tue Association formed in California for the purpose of intro- 
ducing Eastern fish into the waters of that State has received a 
first instalment in 15,000 young shad, hatched in the Hudson 
River just a week before, and brought in large tin cans filled to 
the shoulder with fresh water. They proved to be in excellent 
condition on their arrival on the Sacramento, and were taken 
thence higher up the river to Tehama, where it was proposed to 
plant them, The expenses of this enterprise are borne from an 
appropriation on the part of the State of 5,000 dollars for this 
special purpose, 
A VERY remarkable collection of medicinal and other drugs 
has been brought together in the Exhibition of Natural Industry 
of the United States of Columbia or New Granada in the City 
of Bogota. Among febrifuges it includes the yellow quina of 
Zaragoza and the Sarpolata, which is considered more effective 
even than quina of dye plants. It is observed that Mr. P. M. 
Gonsalez has produced three shades of green from plants dis- 
covered by him in Antioquia. The Achivilla of that province 
produces golden yellow, the Bruja a splendid red, the Ojo 
Venado an intense black, and the plant of the Sagus a blue 
equal to indigo. 
THERE is in the Museum at Cassel a curious collection illus- 
trating European and other trees. It is in the form ofa library, 
in which the back of each volume is furnished by the bark of 
some particular tree, the sides are made of perfect wood, the top 
of young wood, and the bottom of old. When opened the book 
is found to be a box, containing either wax models or actual 
specimens of the flower, fruit, and leaves of the tree. 
THE New Vork Times states that a solid section cut from one 
of the original ‘big trees” of California is in New York on its 

way to a European Museum. Five men were employed twenty- 
five days in felling this huge tree ; its height is 302 ft., and its 
largest diameter 32 ft. The specimen was cut at a distance of 
20 ft. from the base. The stump is covered in, and is now used 
as a ball-room! It has been .ascertained from counting the 
annular rings that the tree is more than 2,500 years old. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the Stationery announces a new fibrous 
plant for paper-making purposes, the Cizeraria maritima, or sea 
rag-wort. Several very satisfactory results have been received 
from various paper-makers as toits great utility for trade pur- 
peses, and there is every reason to believe, if proper attention is 
paid to its cultivation, it will in time become a staple article of 
commerce amongst manufacturers. The seed, at present, is im- 
ported from France and the south of Europe, but preparations 
are being made for growing it on a large scale in this country. 
The same journal, in an article on ‘‘ Iron-paper-making,” gives a 
history of the manufacture of the thinnest sheet of iron ever 
rolled, manufactured by Messrs. W. Hallam and Co., of the 
The sheet in question 
is 1oin. by 54in., or 55in. in surface, and weighs but 20 grains, 
which being brought to the standard of 8in. by 5}in., or 44 sur- 
face inches, is but 16 grains, or 30 per cent. less than any pre- 
vious effort, and requires at least 4,800 to make rin. in thick- 
ness. 
Ir is stated that tobacco in any form may be used with great 
advantage against snakes of all kinds. By pouring a decoction 
of it in suspected places, they are driven away, and this fact is 
known to both the natives of Hindostan and to those of North 
and South America. If it can be administered to them it is 
certain death, 
*In his ‘Contributions towards the Materia Medica and 
Natural History of China,” Mr. Frederick P. Smith records the 
following facts respecting the use of Fungi as food in the Celestial 
Empire :—Large quantities of Fungi are eaten by the Chinese 
of every province under the name of Hiang-kw’an, and have 
some medicinal or dietetic properties assigned to them. The 
Polypori, or Boleti, are generally preferred to the Agarics, so 
largely eaten in Europe. Awei-h'ai, or Ti-k‘ai, are edible 
Agarics, or Helvellz, and perhaps include poisonous sorts. 
They are burnt and applied to swellings and sores. 7Zi-ri 
is probably an Agaric, said to be tonic in its effects. {The 
Muh-rh are a numerous class of parasitic fungi growing on trees. 
They are much eaten. They come from Ching-ting fu in Peh- 
chihli, Shun-king fu and Sui-ting fu in Szch‘uen, Li-p‘ing fu in 
Kweichau, Yun-yang fu in Hupeh, and from Shang chau and 
Han-chung fuin Shen si. Manchuria and the Amur country 
supply a portion of this food. The S#4-rh is a Polyporus 
brought from Fung-t‘ien fu in Shingking, Hwui-chau fu in 
Nganhwui, Nan-kang fu in Kiang-si, and from Lai chau in 
Hunan, Z*u-kw‘an, or Ti-fan, are Agarics or Amanitas, or 
answer to the ‘‘toad-stools” and other injurious fungi. Some 
of them are said to cause irrepressible laughter. Alum and 
chicory are reported to be antidotal to their poison, Japanese 
mushrooms appear in the tariff as 7wng-yang-hiang-hu. 
MUCH interest was excited in the scientific journals some time 
ago by the accounts given in the Panama papers of the flights of 
a beautiful butterfly, the Urania leilus, By late advices from 
Panama we learn that these insects were passing over that city, 
from west to east, in July last, in very large numbers, and in 
some cases were attracted into houses by the light so as to al- 
most fill the apartments. They are said to be accompanied 
during the day by swallows and swifts, and in the night by the 
different species of goat-sucker, which probably destroy large 
numbers. Nothing is at present known, however, of the place 
whence they came, nor the region to which they are ultimately 
bound, 
