Nov. 12, 1874] 



NA TURE 



35 



must send their names to the Rev. R. B. Somerset, Cambridge, 

 on or before December I, of whom further particulars may be 

 obtained. 



There will be an examination for Scholarships and Exhibitions 

 at Christ's College, Cambridge, on April 6, 1875, and three 

 following days, open to the competition of students who intend 

 to commence residence in October 1875. Scholars will be 

 elected for proficiency in one or more of the following 

 subjects : — (i) Chemistry and chemical physics ; (2) geology and 

 mineralogy ; (3) botany ; (4) zoology, with comparative anatomy 

 and comparative physiology. A candidate may select his own 

 subjects, but will be required to show such knowledge of classics 

 and mathematics as to atford reasonable expeclation that he will 

 pass the Previous Examination without difficulty. Kvery candi- 

 date must send his name to the tutor (Mr. John Peile, M.A.) on 

 or before March 30, 1S75, and if a candidate in natural science, 

 must state the subject in which he is desirous of being examined. 



We regret to have to record the death at Chiswick on the 

 2nd inst. of Dr. Thomas Anderson, late Professor of Chemistry 

 in the University of Glasgow. Dr. Anderson was bom in 1819, 

 and was educated at the University of Edinburgh. On leaving 

 college he visited Stockholm, where he studied for some time 

 under Berzelius, and afterwards went to Giessen and studied 

 under Liebig. Returning to Edinburgh, he acquired consider- 

 able reputation by teaching chemistry in the Extra Academic 

 Medical School at Edinburgh, and whilst so engaged received 

 the appointment of Consulting Chemist to the Highland and 

 Agricultural Society. In 1S52 he succeeded Dr. Thomas 

 Thomson as Professor of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, 

 and discharged the duties of the chair with great acceptance 

 until l86g, when he was incapacitated from work by a paralytic 

 seizure. Having had another attack of paralysis in May of the 

 present year, he resigned his professorship in July last. Dr. 

 Anderson was the author of several papers on the organic bases, 

 especially those bases obtained from opium and coal-tar, and in 

 the destructive distillation of animal substances. In a paper on 

 " The Chemistry of Opium," read before the Chemical Society in 

 1862, he described a valuable method of extracting the alkaloids 

 of opium, and determining their relative qualities. 



Dr. J. H. Sl.\CK, one of the leading fish-culturists of the 

 United States, and also well known both as a physician and 

 naturalist, died at Bloomsbury, New Jersey, ow the 27th of 

 August last. 



The first part is just issued of the " Proceedings of the Physi- 

 cal Society of London," forming a volume of fifty-two pages, 

 illustrated by two plates, and comprising reports of eleven 

 papers read between March 21 and June 20, 1S74. Among them 

 is the very important one by Mr. Crookes, " On attraction and 

 repulsion accompanying radiation." The Society meets fort- 

 nightly in the Physical Laboratory of the Science Schools at 

 South Kensington, and now numbers about 130 members. 



The Society of Arts commences its winter session next 

 Wednesday, and a busy and useful session it promises to be. 

 There are the general evening meetings of the Society, the 

 Cantor Lectures, the African, Chemical, and Indian Sections, 

 and the Christmas Juvenile Lectures. This Society, as all socie- 

 ties should, seems to be getting more vigorous the older it grows, 

 and between its lectures, its technological examinations, and its 

 prizes, must be doing a great amount of good. 



The New Zealand Government has sent special agents over to 

 England for the purpose of collecting a quantity of small birds 

 of various kinds, and a colony of humble-bees, for introduction 

 into that country. It is expected that the consignment will be 

 ready for despatch in a few d.iys. Another attempt will also be 

 made this year to send a quantity of salmon over to the 



antipodes, only 135 salmon being now alive out of the 120,000 

 salmon eggs which were despatched two years ago. 



The production of opium in Asia Minor, which in former 

 years averaged annually from 2,000 to 3,000 baskets or 

 cases, each containing 150 lbs., has of late years much in- 

 creased, and the crop now averages from 4,000 to 6,000 

 baskets. Out of this quantity, which is shipped at Smyrna, 

 the United States take above 2,000 cases. England at one 

 time consumed a large proportion. The Dutch East India 

 Company also for many years have purchased large quantities 

 annually to send to the islands of Java, Batavia, and Sumatra, 

 and of late years the consumption generally has largely increased, 

 especially for North and South America and the West Indies. 

 Turkey opium is always preferred in England before that of 

 India, as it contains a much higher percentage of morphia than 

 either Indian or Persian ; it is on this account tliat the greater 

 portion of the opium used for medicinal purposes both in Europe 

 and America is the production of Asia Minor. The price of this 

 opium in the market has advanced much of late ; fifteen years 

 ago the average price was about 15J. per lb., and it now 

 realises about i/. per lb., though the fair character even of this 

 product has been tarnished by a system of adulteration which 

 has prevailed during the past two years. About 300 cases of this 

 adulterated opium have been sold in the period mentioned, so 

 that purchasers are now very careful from whom they obtain the 

 drug. 



Olive oil is produced in large quantities in Tunis. The olive 

 crops during the past two years have been so abundant that there 

 is still a great deal of oil in the country, notwithstanding the 

 immense quantities, amounting in all to 3,472 tuns, of the value 

 of 125,893/., that have been shipped during the past year to 

 Great Britain, France, and Italy. It is said that without a 

 great reaction takes place in the oil trade in Europe, vendors 

 in Tunis will be puzzled to know what to do with the supplies 

 they will have on hand. The deposits, or tanks, in the town 

 are said to be capable of containing 6,000 tuns of oil, but they 

 were not clear of the old supplies be ore the new was ready to 

 be brought in. So far as the working of the native oil-mills is 

 concerned, it is stated that no improvement has taken place. 

 An| Italian company contenplates the introduction of a steam 

 mill. For this purpose the British vice-consular house and its 

 premises have been bought, and are to be converted into a mill. 

 Some years ago one was tried at Mehdia, but did not answer. 

 A second was erected near Susa, with the view of buying up 

 the refuse or oil-cake after passing the native mills, and sub- 

 mitting it to further pressure ; but this in the hands of the 

 natives blew up. 



It seems to be very probable that the cultivation of sugar in 

 Porto Rico, which has to a great extent succeeded that of cotton, 

 will eventually give place to the growth of cofiee on a large 

 scale. Referring to this subject the British Consul says :— "The 

 geographical configuration of the island would almost lead to 

 the anticipation that some less succulent plant than the cane 

 should supersede it in the district of Guayama. gome of the 

 most fertile lands of the island are situated in it, and in favour- 

 able seasons no other part of Porto Rico can rival its fecundity ; 

 but the island is divided from east to west by a range of moun- 

 tains, the highest of which, Laquillo, is at the extreme east, and 

 at the southern foot of this mountain Guayama is situated. The 

 trade winds blowing from the north-east cause the rain clouds to 

 strike the northern side of Laquillo, and they are carried along the 

 northern face of the Sierra, a limited portion passing over their 

 summits to the south side. Thus Guayama and Ponce are sub- 

 ject to drought. In the rich and populous district of Ponce this 

 natural impediment has been overcome by an efficient system of 

 irrigation, but Guayama is less favourably situated in all respects ; 



