Oct. 6, 1870| 
IN the last part of the Zetschrift fiir Biologie is an interesting 
paper by Dr. Camerer, on the locality of the sense of taste, or, as 
he expresses it, ‘‘On the dependence of the sense of taste on 
the part of the oral cavity irritated.” His experiments have 
been conducted on himself, his wife, a lady friend, and six 
peasant girls. He employed solution of common salt, quinine, 
sugar, and sulphuric acid as the exciting agents, and localised 
their action by pouring a drop or two into a small open tube 
that was pressed on different parts of the tongue, the determina- 
tion of the test fluid being required without the subject of the 
experiment being made acquainted with the nature of the solu- 
tion used. It is well known that there are three kinds of 
papillze on the tongue—the conical, the fungiform, and the circum- 
vallate. Dr. Camerer finds that the sensibility of different parts 
of the tongue depends essentially on the presence and on the 
number of the fungiform papillz. The fungiform papillz, he 
finds, are most abundant near the apex of the tongue, they are 
less numerons at the edges of the tongue, and disappear near the 
root. ‘There are no papillz on the under surface of the tongue. 
The latter part he finds to be destitute of gustatory sensibility, 
whilst the sensibility is most acute when the papillz are most 
closely aggregated tcgether, He states also that when a strong 
solution has been tasted of any of the above substances, the 
delicacy of the sensibility is impaired for twenty-four hours. 
Other direct and carefully conducted experiments showed that 
the gustatory sensibility resided in the fungiform papillz them- 
selves and not in the parts adjoining. 
ACCORDING to the Food Fournal, in Belgium the butchers use 
laurel-oil on the door-posts and window-frames for the purpose 
of keeping away flies, with great success. So simple a contri- 
vance would be a great boon to the /aditués of our eating-houses 
and confectioners, and would be useful to every housekeeper. 
The emanation from minced laurel leaves is rapidly fatal to all 
small insects. : 
Wir a view further to promote the cultivation of the Rhea 
fibre, the Viceroy of India has sanctioned an expenditure tem- 
porarily of 87, per month, at Shaharunpore and at Dehra Dhoon, 
a hill station. 
THERE are now in London specimens of iron manufactured 
for the first time in Peru by the Peruvian Government Commission 
from magnetic iron ore, found within twenty miles of Lima, and 
from fair an :hracite taken from a seam sixty feet thick at sixty 
miles from Lima. The Government is awaiting the develop- 
ment of the railways now in progress. Renewed efforts are 
being made to enlist English capital in the restoration of the 
silver mines. 
Mr. ADAMS, the Secretary of our Legation in Japan, has been 
rendering good service in doing all he can to protect the silk- 
worm in those countries by his influence and advice, which are 
willingly received. At the last advices he had returned from a 
lengthened tour in the interior, on which he will report, In 
Japanese are some illustrated works on silk culture. 
ON CERTAIN PRINCIPLES TO BE OBSERVED 
IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL 
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY* 
rt having been now finally determined that the Natural 
History collections of the British Museum shall be 
removed from their present site to South Kensington, to 
form thenucleus of a National Museumof Natural History,f 
_* Read before Section D at the meeting of the British Association at 
Liverpool, on September 16, 1870. 
+ On the 3rd of August last a vote of 6,000/. was proposed in the House 
of Commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer te clear the ground ‘“‘ for 
the erection of a Natural History Museum” on the site of the International 
Exhibition at South Kensington, and carried, after a division. 
NATURE 
455 
it appears to me that the principles upon which the pro- 
posed new institution are to be established and conducted, 
are well worthy of the special and most serious attention 
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
The inauguration of a National Museum of Natural 
History by one of the nations that have contributed most 
largely to the advancement of the natural sciences, is an 
event that is not likely to recur very often. If the oppor- 
tunity thus presented be properly taken advantaze of, and 
the new institution started upon sound principles of 
administration and arrangement, there can be no doubt 
that a most material impetus will be given to the progress 
of natural science in this country. 
Under these circumstances I think I need hardly apo- 
logise for troubling the section with a few remarks upon 
certain points which appear to me to be most essential 
to be observed in the establishment of a National Museum 
of Natural History. These, I trust, will at all events pro- 
voke discussion, and induce some of the many distin- 
guished naturalists present at this meeting to turn their 
attention to this most important subject * 
The energies of our rulers, especially in these troubled 
times, are too fully occupied with ordinary politics to 
allow them to bestow much care on such a matter, and 
unless it be forced on their attention by the British 
Association, or in some other authoritative manner, the 
result will be, I fear, that the system of administration 
now followed in the British Museum as regards the 
Natural History collections. will be transplanted along 
with the collections themselves, and the excellent oppor- 
tunity of a grand reform, which may never again present 
itself, will be utterly wasted t 
The remarks which I propose to offer to the section on 
this subject may be divided into three heads. First, L 
will say a few words concerning what appears to me to be 
the best mode of government of the prog®§ed National 
Museum of Natural History. Secondly, I eak of the 
form of building which in my opinion ought to be adopted ; 
and lastly, of the arrangement of the collections within that 
building. 
I, Ofthe form of Government of the National Museum 
of Natural History. 
On this part of my subject I shall make but few re- 
marks, having regard to the fact that, in common with 
many other of my fellow naturalists, | strong’y committed 
myself on this point some years ago. and have in nowise 
changed my views since that period. In the memorial, 
of which I hold a copy in my hands, and which was pre- 
sented to the Chancellor of the Excheqnerin 1866 having 
been signed by 25 leading members of the Royal, Linnean, 
Geological, and Zoological Societies, it will be found to be 
stated that in our opinion the chief administration of the 
National Museum of Natural History sh: uld be entrusted 
to one officer, who shill be immediately responsible to 
some member of the Government. Those who are ac- 
quainted with the present mede of administration of the 
Natural History collections in the British Museum wil, Tam 
sure, readily agree to this proposed reform. It will be recol- 
lected that the government of the British Museum is vesied 
by Act of Parliament in a body ot fifty trustees, consisting 
principally of great officers of state, and of nominees of cer- 
tain families whose ancestors have contributed to the hete- 
rogeneous contents of that buil ing. Amongst these fifty 
trustees there are but two or thiee that are in any wise 
interested in Natural History. Their secretary and 
* For account of this discussion see p. 465. 
+ Inthe “bill to enable the I'rustees of the British Museum to remove 
portions of their collections,” prepared and brouzht in by the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer in 1862, it was ) roposed to be enacted that the trustees might 
remove the natural history collections to South Kensington and certain 
pictures to the National Gallery. But, in a subsequent clause, 1t was 
proposed to be added that “‘ except in so faras was therein before expressed, 
nothing therein contained should affect the rights, powers, duties, or obli- 
gations of the trustees of the Brit sh Musenm.” At that time, therefore, it 
was clearly intended to coutinus the rule of the trustees over the natura 
history collections when removed to South Kensington, 
