416 
NATURE 
[ Sept. 22, 1870 
wonderful. The size, quality, and shape vary considerably in 
the different streams, the largest being caught in the Sacramento 
river. While the salmon theoretically must haye clear water, it 
is remarkable that it seems to thrive in the muddy waters of the 
Sacramento.” Here is possibly some news for Mr. Frank 
Buckland. 
Tur Government of Honduras, in Central America, has 
granted to M. de la Roche for ten years the exclusive privilege 
of planting and exporting Corozo nut, paying two reals each 
hundred weight as royalty. What Corozo nut may mean, it is 
not easy to say. 
Mr. E. G. Squier, late commissioner of the United States 
in Peru, reprints a paper read before the American Geographical 
Society, containing Observations on the Geography and Archxo- 
logy of Peru. 
PROFESSORS JOHN TorREY and Asa Gray reprint from the 
Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 
their ‘‘ Revision of the Eriogenez,” a tribe of the order Poly- 
gonace@, first instituted by Mr. Bentham, wholly American, and 
especially characteristic of the drier western regions of the 
northern continent. They recognise seven genera, the same 
numberas Mr. Bentham, the number of species being increased 
from 105 to 115. 
THE Quekett Microscopical Club has just issued its fifth 
Report. The number of members has increased during the last 
five years from eleven to over 500, ‘fall imbued with a strong 
desire to seek out the unfathomable stores of interest revealed 
by the microscope, and all influenced by that insatiable thirst 
for the observation of the minute and the beautiful that only the 
microscope can open to view.” The club now meets twice a 
month throughout the year, at University College, Gower 
Street, and excursions are made during the summer season for 
the purpose of providing microscopical research. 
WE have just received the prospectus of the Ladies’ Educa- 
tional Association, and we are glad to see that the lectures will 
include two subjects in Science, a chemical course by Professor 
Williamson, and a course of eighteen lectures on experimental 
physics, by Professor G. Carey Foster. Both courses will be 
delivered at University College. By applying to the secretary, 
a free ticket can be procured for the first lecture of each course ; 
those requiring class tickets, free tickets for opening lectures, 
prospectuses, and information, are requested to send to the hon, 
secretary, J. E. Milne, Esq., 27, Oxford-square, Hyde-park, W. 
THE two volumes now published of Willkomm and Lange’s 
‘*Prodromus Flora Hispanice,” include the Ferns, Gymno- 
spermee, Monocotyledones, Apetalz, and Gamopetale. 
EXPERIENCE only too clearly shows that familiarity breeds 
contempt. Eyen earthquakes are now quite appreciated in some 
parts of the world. Thus the Se Francisco Bulletin of the 11th 
August says, ‘‘ Popular prejudice is rather in favour of these 
lighter demonstrations of subterranean force, as they seem to 
stave off the heavier shocks.” What next? 
Tue Smithsonian Institute of Washington has appointed a 
committee of scientific men to make a series of experiments to 
ascertain the temperature of the earth’s crust at a considerable 
depth below the surface. For this purpose an artesian well at 
St. Louis is to be utilised, and as this is 3,843 feet deep some 
interesting results may be looked for. 
THE decree of the Committee of the National Defence of Paris 
announcing that all woods and forests which might endanger the 
defence of the country will be set on fire on the appreach of 
the enemy, has already been acted upon to a large extent. 
Independently of the loss in an artistic and esthetic point 
of view, we can hardly be aware, probably the Parisians 
are hardly aware themselves of the amount of self-sacrifice this 
resolution will entail on themselves, andon their descendants. For 
some years past the climate of the central regions of France has 
been rapidly becoming drier, to the serious injury of many of 
the crops, a result attributed in part to the extensive cutting down 
of forests. The destruction of the world-famous forests of Fon- 
tainebleau, St. Cloud, St. Germain, and the Bois de Boulogne, 
will involve a material loss to the country, possibly hardly ex- 
ceeded by the actual expenses of the war itself. 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 
LIVERPOOL, Zuesday Morning 
Ape Liverpool meeting of the British Association is a 
great success. Distinguished visitors, a large com- 
pany, interesting papers, and splendid weather, have all 
combined in its favour. The hotels are all full to over- 
flowing, and accommodation extremely difficult to get. 
Almost all our well-known /aditués are here ; and among 
foreigners, Henry, Van Beneden, Stricker, Bolzani, and a 
number of others, lend lustre to the meetings. Professor 
Huxley’s address on Wednesday was listened to bya large 
and attentive audience, who appeared thoroughly to follo v 
his train of argument. At the general committee some 
new regulations of considerable importance were proposed, 
particulars of which will be found in another column. On 
Thursday a casual visitor to Liverpool would see at once, 
on emerging from the railway station at Lime-street, that 
something unusual was stirring. The centre of operations 
was the space that includes St. George’s Hall, where several 
of the sections are located, and the closely adjoining 
Derby Museum, where the Biological Section is to be 
found, and the reception-room, reading-room, and post- 
office. In this space and the neighbouring streets, the 
members of the Association may be recognised by the 
little blue or buff map-cards they carry, as symbolical as 
Murray in a Continental tour. Taking the various sec- 
tions in turn, we find three located in St. George’s Hall, 
A, E, and G. The Geographical Section is always a 
popular one, and attracted the largest audience of any to 
listen to the well-known and popular president, Sir 
Roderick Murchison, deliver his opening address. The 
room. selected was the small concert-room—not a very 
small one, by-the-bye—which was well filled, a large pro- 
portion of the audience being ladies, though I am afraid 
Sir Roderick’s failing voice hardly reached the whole of 
the company. How large a proportion stayed to hear Sir 
H. Rawlinson’s report on the Site of Paradise I did not 
wait to see. The two other sections in St. George’s 
Hall, the Mathematical and Mechanical, had to be 
reached by long winding passages, past rooms re- 
dolent of the law ; and were, of course, much more thinly 
attended, but very few ladies being met with here. Cross- 
ing over to the Derby Museum, and passing through the 
Reception Room, we reach the Free Public Library, where 
Professor Rolleston enchained a large audience by an 
address of upwards of an hour, which was generally ad- 
mitted to be /#e address of the day. His commanding 
presence, measured diction, and his happy hits and class- 
ical allusions, exercised a great charm over the meeting, 
and many were the inquiries where a report of the speech 
was to be obtained. This section then divided into three 
sub-sections, under the presidency of Prof. Rolleston, Prof. 
Michael Foster, and Mr. John Evans, each of which at- 
tracted a goodly number of visitors. A very large audience 
listened to Dr. Brown-Séquard’s long but very interesting 
account of his researches on the nervous system of 
guinea-pigs, of which little animal it is said, that he has 
left two thousand behind him in Paris, which, he fears, 
may fall a prey to the Prussians or to the exigencies of 
the siege. Those sections which are held at comparatively 
remote places are at a certain disadvantage, though many 
of the visitors appeared to avail themselves of cahs or of thy 
