90 
NATURE 
[Fune 2, 1870 
cated both from the stock to the graft and from the graft to the 
stock. 
Ir has long been laid down as a maxim in botanical hand-books 
that variegation and double flowering never go together. Many 
botanists have, however recently doubted whether the law always 
holds good, and that the double phenomenon may sometimes 
occur appears now to be definitely established by an article con- 
tributed by Prof. Morren, of Liége, to the April and May number 
of the Belyigue Horticole, in which he gives a description, accom- 
panied by a drawing, of a wall-flower possessing both double 
flowers and variegated leayes. The plant has now been grown 
for seyeral years by M. Em. Rodigas, of St. Trond. 
M. SCHUTZENBERGER, Professor of Clinical Medicine at Stras- 
burg, publishes an essay on higher instruction, in which he com- 
pares the system in yogue in France to those pursued in Germany, 
England, and America, and discusses the influence of the Napo- 
leonic University system on the institutions for higher instruction, 
Dr. R. Wotr, Professor at Ziirich, reprints ‘* The Discoveries 
of the Telescope, and their results in Astronomy,” a lecture given 
at the public hall in Ziirich. 
From the same author we haye a second part of a Manual 
of Mathematics, Physics, Geodesy, and Astronomy, copiously 
illustrated with woodcuts. 
PROFESSOR MIQUEL, of the Hague, publishes the first part of 
a ‘fCatalogus Musei botanici Lugduno-batavi,” being a cata- 
logue of the flora of Japan, with lists of the Japanese col- 
lections contained in the Leyden Herbarium. 
Tue eighth volume of Dr. Frisch’s collected works of Kepler, 
containing the ‘*Collectanea ex codicibus Pulkoviensibus,” the 
‘*Judicium matris Kepleri,” and some smaller treatises, lies on 
our table. 
A MaGaziNz is now published at Heidelberg under the title 
Annalen der Ocnologie devoted, entirely to the discussion of 
the cultivation of the yine and the manufacture of wine. It is 
edited by Dr. Blankenhorn and Dr. Résler, 
PERHAPS the most extraordinary instance of excessive and 
depraved appetite on record is that of a French soldier, named 
Tarare, whose case is described in yol. xxI. of the Dictionnaire 
des Sciences Médicales, by Dr. Percy. He was born near 
Lyons, and came up to Paris, where his first exploit was to eat 
a basket of apples—at a friend’s expense. On yarious occasions 
he swallowed a series of corks and other indigestible materials, 
which produced such violent colic that he was obliged to attend 
the Hotel Dieu, and whilst being examined almost managed to 
swallow the watch-chain and seals of the surgeon in attendance, 
M. Giraud, Desault, on the occasion of one of these attacks of 
colic, tried to frighten him out of his gross habits by declaring 
that it would be necessary to open his stomach, and arranged 
the instruments ; he ran away, and relieved himself by copious 
draughts of warm water. Soon after he found that his appetite 
had really increased to an excessive amount, pro» bly owing to 
the continued irritation produced by these absurd tricks, At 
17 years of age, when only weighing roolb., he could eat 24lb. 
of beefinasmany hours. He now entered the army, and being 
recognised by the Surgeon-Major, M. Courville of the oth Regi- 
ment of Hussars, he was detained for the sake of curiosity. From 
the day of his admission, he was ordered quadruple rations, 
with pickings and waste meat, but often slipped into the dis- 
pensary to finish off a poultice or two. One day he was observed 
to seize a large cat: and, after sucking its blood, left, ina very 
short time, only cleanly picked bones, the hair being rejected in 
the course of about half an hour, like other carnivora, He was 
fond of serpents and eels, swallowing them whole. On another 
occasion he consumed in a few minutes a repast, spread out for 
fifteen German workpeople, of milk, &ce., after which he was blown 
out like a balloon, In the presence of some officers he swal- 
lowed, at one sitting, 3olb. of liver aad lights. His insatiable 
appetite was for once in his life mace useful, by his being selected 
to convey a correspondence between General Beauharnais and a 
French colonel, which was inserted in a box and swallowed 3 but 
he was caught and soundly thrashed. He fell under suspicion of 
having eaten a child fourteen months old. It is stated that he 
was of mild and gentle manners and aspect. After death his 
stomach was found in a very diseased condition. 
THE Tyneside Naturalists’ Field Club is not only one of the 
most vigorous and truly scientific in the country, but is nearly 
the oldest, and probably one of the largest, numbering 699 
members. At its 24th anniversary meeting recently held, the 
following gentlemen were elected as officers, yiz. :—President— 
Mr. George S. Brady; Vice-Presidents—the Revs. W. Feather- 
stonehaugh, B.A., J. F. Bigge, M.A., H. B. Tristram, LL.D., 
W. Greenwell, M.A., G.C. Abbs, M,A., A. M. Norman, 
M.A., J. C. Bruce, LL.D., A. Bethune, M.A., and R, F. 
Wheeler, M.A., Sir W. C. Trevelyan, Bart., Drs. Embleton 
and Charlton, and Messrs. R. B. Bowman, Richard Howse, 
George Hodge, Ralph Carr, R. Ingham, T. Sopwith, Rowland 
Burdon, George Wailes, and E. J. I. Browell. Treasurer—Mr, 
R, Y, Green, Local Secretaries—Durham, Mr. John Booth ; 
Ifexham, the Rey. W. T. Shields; Morpeth, Mr. W. Creigh- 
ton, Committee—Messrs. Thomas Atthey, Jos. Blacklock, T, 
J. Bold, James Clepham, John Coppin, W. Dinning, D, O, 
Drewett, Albany Hancock, John Hancock, Jos. Watson, A. 
I, Marreco, and Dr. Philipson. Auditors— Messrs. Tena Seg 
Foster, and T. P. Barkas. 
WE have received from the Canadian Goyernment Emigra- 
tion Office a copy of the Year-Book of Canada for 1870, con- 
taining a yast mass of information respecting British North 
America, which will be very useful to those interested in the 
country. It also contains an interesting paper on the Clima- 
tology of British North America, written by Mr. G. T. King- 
ston, the director of the Magnetic Observatory at Toronto; an 
account of the Educational Establishments, by Mr. J. C. Pat- 
terson, of Oltawa; and a paper by Mr. T. Cross on Mining 
in Canada, both of which are of interest, One of the chief 
points in the latter paper is the statement that mining in Canada 
is every year assuming a more steady and settled character, 
The gold working in Noya Scotia has giyen less fayourable 
results than in 1867, but the falling off is ascribed to the depth 
at which the lodes were being worked, and the inadequate 
nature of the machinery employed. The total yield in 1868 was 
20,541 ounces ; and the inspector expresses the opinion that 
gold mining in the province is yet far from that deyelopment 
which may be expected. 
M. L’ ABBE VAULLET, director of the hospital of Annecy, 
believes, says Zes Mondes, that he has proved that the temperature 
of the department of Haute Savoie has gradually risen in a very 
appreciable manner during the last forty years. The mean 
temperature, formerly 8° tog° C., now exceeds 10°5°, The proofs 
he adduces are the adyance of the cultivation of the vine, and of 
grain, and the retreat of the glaciers. The causes of this ameli- 
oration of the climate M. Vaullet considers to be the disforesting, 
the destruction of hedge-rows, the clearing of uncultivated lands, 
the multiplication and maintenance of roads, the draining of 
marshes, and the increase of population and of cattle, 
Dr. THomMAs ANDREWS has recently deliyered two lectures in 
the chemical lecture-room of Queen’s College, Belfast—the 
first on carbon, the second on carbonic acid and carbonic oxide, 
They form a portion of a course of strictly scientific lectures, the 
attendance being confined entirely to working men, the admis- 
sion by ticket, but without charge, On each occasion the hall 
was crowded, 
