218 
NATURE 
[Fuly 14, 1870 
2 eee 
back street willdo for a museum,” it maintains that ‘* English- 
men cannot fairly be charged with undervaluing Natural History ; 
witness the crowds that throng the great Grecian temple in 
Bloomsbury, to pause at the cases of stuffed monkeys, and to 
marvel at the Aorns of the megatherium | /” as indeed well they 
may. Whether Englishmen can be charged with undervaluing 
natural history or not, it is clear that newspaper leader writers 
can be charged with expressing a confident opinion on subjects 
in which they are unacquainted with the most elementary facts. 
Clearly there is room for more science teaching. 
Ar a recent meeting of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia 
Professor Morton resigned the office of Resident Secretary, he 
having received an appointment in a distant city. The resigna- 
tion was accepted, and the President stated that Professor Mor- 
ton had consented to continue his charge of the Journal of the 
Franklin Institute, which had achieved so desirable a position 
under his management. The new position accepted by Professor 
Morton is that of President of a College of Mechanical En- 
gineering, to be established in Hoboken, opposite New York. 
He is succeeded at the Institute by Dr. W. H. Wahl. 
Tue Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers has 
awarded the following premiums :—1. A Telford Medal and a 
Telford Premium, in books, to Edward Dobson, Assoc. Inst. 
C.E., for his Paper on ‘‘The Public Works of the Province of 
Canterbury, New Zealand.” 2. A Watt Medal and a Telford 
Premium, in books, to R. Price Williams, M. Inst. C.E., for 
his Paper on ‘The Maintenance and Renewal of Railway 
Rolling Stock.” 3. A Watt Medal and a Telford Premium, in 
books, to John Thornhill Harrison, M. Inst. C.E., for his Paper 
on “The Statistics of Railway Income and Expenditure, and 
their bearing on future Railway Policy and Management.” 4. 
A Telford Medal and a Telford Premium, in books, to John 
Sopwith, jun., M. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on ‘ The Dressing 
of Lead Ores.” 5. A Telford Medal anda Telford Premium, 
in books, to James Nicholas Douglass, M. Inst. C.E., for his 
Paper on ‘‘The Wolf Rock Lighthouse.” 6. A Watt Medal 
and a Telford Premium, in books, to George Berkley, M. Inst. 
C.E., for his ‘‘ Observations on the Strength of Iron and Steel, 
and on the Design of parts of Structures which consist of those 
Materials.” 7. A Watt Medal and a Telford Premium, in books 
(to consist of the second series of the Minutes of Proceedings, 
vols. xxi. to xxx. inclusive), to Robert Briggs, of Philadelphia, 
U.S., for his Paper ‘‘ On the Conditions and the Limits which 
govern the proportions of Rotary Fans.” 8. A Watt Medal 
and a Telford Premium, in books, to Edward Alfred Cowper, 
M. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on ‘Recent Improvements in 
Regenerative Hot Blast Stoves for Blast Furnaces.” 9. A Tel- 
ford Premium, in books, to John Grantham, M. Inst. C.E., for 
his Paper ‘* On Ocean Steam Navigation, with a view to its 
further development.” 10. A Telford Premium, in books, to 
Daniel Makinson Fox, M. Inst. C.E., for his ‘‘ Description of 
the Line and Works of the Sao Paulo Railway, in the Empire 
of Brazil.” 11. The Manby Premium, in books, to Emerson 
Bainbridge, Stnd. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on ‘* Coal Mining in 
Deep Workings.” The Council have likewise awarded the 
following prizes to students of the Institution:—1. A Miller 
Prize to Robert William Peregrine Birch, Stud. Inst. C.E., for 
his Paper on ‘‘The Disposal of Sewage.” 2. A Miller Prize 
to Henry Thomas Munday, Stud. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on 
“The Present and the Future of Civil Engineering.” 3. A 
Miller Prize to William Walton Williams, jun., Stud. Inst. C.E., 
for his Paper on ‘‘ Roads and Steam Rollers.” 4. A Miller 
Prize to Sidney Preston, Stud. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on 
‘* The Manufacture and the Uses of Portland Cement.” 5. A 
Miller Prize to Edward Bazalgette, Stud. Inst. C.E., for his 
Paper ‘‘ On Underpinning and making good the Foundations of 
the Irongate Steam Wharf, St. Katherine’s, London.” 6. A 
Miller Prize to Josiah Harding, Stud. Inst. C.E., for his Paper 
on ‘The Widening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway 
between Liverpool and Huyton, and on the Construction of a 
Branch Line to St. Helen’s.” 7. A Miller Prize to the Hon. 
Philip James Stanhope, Stud. Inst. C.E., for his Paper on “The 
Metropolitan District Railway.” 
Tue fabled alligator captured in the Thames some months 
ago has been surpassed by a hippopotamus disporting itself in 
the Seine. The scarcity of water has been so great in the 
Jardin des Plantes, that his majesty had been taken by his keepers 
to the river for his daily bath, securely held, as was thought, by 
his chain. One day, however, he snapped his chain during his 
gambols, to the no small dismay of the A/anchisseuses and steam- 
boat passengers, one lot of whom he threatened to demolish ata 
mouthful. Several keepers who attempted to board him were 
treated to a playful ducking, but after the upsetting of a good 
number of small boats, he was at length captured and hauled 
ashore. The poor brute must have thought that the good old 
times of the pre-glacial epoch had returned. 
A spPECIAL general meeting of the Fellows of the Royal 
Geographical Society was held on Monday last at the Royal 
Institution, Albemarle-street, to consider the question of pur- 
chasing a large freehold house for the society’s map rooms, 
library, and offices. The president, Sir Roderick Murchison, 
explained the necessity for further accommodation, and stated 
that the Council had at length concluded to purchase the large 
house No. 1, Savile Row. The meetings, however, would still 
be held in the great hall of the University of London. The re- 
solution to purchase the property in Savile-row for 14,4007. was 
carried without opposition. 
THE Second Report of the King’s School Natural History and 
Natural Science Society, Sherborne, shows the activity with which 
the study of natural science is followed in the school. As might 
be expected in so rich a neighbourhood, geology “appears to be 
the branch of science most zealously cultivated. 
WE have received the First Annual Report of the American 
Museum of Natural History. Until 1869 New York was behind 
Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago in possessing no 
Natural History Museum, a position which a number of gentle- 
men then determined their city should no longer occupy. Rooms 
were therefore secured in a building in the Central Park, and 
large subscriptions were at once collected, and employed in 
purchasing collections in Europe. Baron Osten-Sacken and 
other gentlemen also made large donations of specimens and 
books ; and thus, without any assistance from the State ex- 
cept a grant from the duplicate specimens of Natural History 
belonging to it, the New York Museum of Natural History is in 
a fair way to become one of the most important on the continent. 
Tue Natural History Association of Natal has issued its 
second report. Papers were read during the past session 
by the Rev. Dr. Callaway, on phenomena occurring among 
the natives akin to mesmerism, the basis of their faith in 
divination, in which many interesting and striking facts were 
brought forward. Mr. Windham’s paper on ‘*‘The Game- 
birds of Natal,” was illustrated by a collection of mounted 
specimens, chiefly shot by himself, and generally identifiel 
by Mr. Layard, whose work on the birds of South Africa 
forms the recognised authority on the subject. In entomology, 
valuable papers were read by Mr. H. C. Harford, on the larvae 
and pupz of some Lepidoptera of Natal; by Mr. Morant, Notes 
of a collecting trip in the Transvaal, during which several new 
and interesting species were captured ; and by Dr. Seaman, on 
protective resemblances in some local forms of insect life. In 
botany there are records of a new climbing Scrophulariaceous 
. 
