36 



NA TURE 



yNov. 12, 1874 



its position immediately soutli of Laquillo too often occasions 

 the drought to continue, the soil is burnt up and divested of all 

 fertility, and the residents are neither sufficiently rich nor suffi- 

 ciently numerous to artificially irrigate their lands as their neigh- 

 bours in Ponce have done. The consequence is, that the crops 

 are very uncertain in their yield, and it is expected that if some- 

 thing is not done to ensure irrigation, there will very soon be no 

 produce at all." 



We have received a copy of the rules of the Metropolitan 

 Scientific Association, the object of which is announced to be 

 " the investigation and promotion of the study of the Pliysical 

 Sciences, including Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry, the various 

 departments of Natural History, and Biology." Lectures are to 

 be given, and meetings for discussion to be held. The subscrip- 

 tion is fixed at 5^. a year for members and y. (id. a year for 

 associates. Mr. W. R. Birt, F.R.A.S., is the president, and the 

 hon. sec, to whom all communications respecting the Associa- 

 tion should be addressed, is Mr. C. W. Stidstone, 13, Moorgate 

 Street, E.G. 



The ash of the better coals of the American carbonifeious age 

 appears to be derived wholly from the plants which formed 

 them. According to analyses by many chemists (quoted by 

 Prof. Dana, in the last edition of his "Geology"), made 

 on lycopods, ferns, ' equiseta, mosses, conifera, &c., there is 

 in them an average quantity of silica and alumini, such .that if 

 the plants were converted into coal it would amount to 4 per 

 cent, of the whole, and the whole ash would be 4'75' Many 

 analyses of bituminous coal show but 3 per cent, of ash and 4*5 

 is an average. Hence it follows: — (i) That the whole of the 

 impurity in the best coals may have been derived from the plants ; 

 (2) the amount of ash in the plants was less than the average of 

 modern species of the same tribes ; (3) the winds and waters for 

 long periods contributed almost no dust or detritus to the marshes. 

 In that era of moist climate and universal forests there was 

 hardly any chance for the winds to gather dust or sand for trans- 

 portation. 



The Medical Press draws attention to a new tonic medicine 

 under the name of Boldo. The tree is said to be found on iso- 

 lated mountain regions in Chili ; the bark, leaves, and bloisoms 

 possessing a strong aromatic odour, resembling a mixture of tur- 

 pentine and camphor. The leaves contain also a large quantity of 

 essential oil. The alkaloid obtained from the plant is called " Bol- 

 dine. " Its properties are chiefly as a stimulant to digestion and 

 having a marked action on the liver. Its action was discovered 

 rather accidentally — thus : some sheep which were liver diseased 

 were con fined in an inclosure which happened to have been recently 

 hedged with boldo twigs. The animals ate tlie leaves and shoots, 

 and were observed to recover speedily. Direct observations prove 

 its action : thus, one gramme of the tincture excites appetite, 

 increases the circulation and produces symptoms of circulatory 

 excitement, and acts on the urine, which gives out the peculiar 

 odour of boldo. Though we have not seen any specimens of 

 the boldo as imporied, there seems little doubt but that it is tlie 

 Boldoa fra^raiis, a Monimiaceous tree, the Chilian name of 

 which, however, is usually wri ten Bo'uiu. The leaves, which 

 are rough, are opposite, ovate, and are borne on short stalks. 

 The plant is dioecious, and the flowers are borne in axillary 

 racemes. All parts of the tree are fragrant ; hence its specific 

 name. The little berries are eaten, the bark is used for tanning, 

 and the wood is considered by the natives superior to any other 

 for making charcoal. 



A LARGE monumental fountain, ornameatid by the celebrated 

 sculptor Carpeaux, has been erected on the Observatoire Place 

 at Paris. It represents Europe, Asia, Africa, and America 

 rotating the globe, which they carry on their heads, and is very 

 effective ; but in spite (/ M. Le \'errier's protestations, tliey are 



rotating the globe from east to west, according to the Ptolemean 

 theory. 



The Khedive of Egypt has given his cordial support to the 

 English Government Transit of Venus Expedition In Egypt. He 

 has furnished the principal station on Mokattam Heights, 600 ft. 

 above Cairo, with tents, a guard, and a mounted escort, and is 

 making a telegraph line to connect that station with Greenwich, 

 through the Submarine, Gibraltar, and Malta Cable. His 

 Highness has also sent a steamer to tow the Thebes branch of 

 the expedition to their destination, and .he has brought all the 

 huts and instruments up by special train from Suez. 



Sir Dougl.\s Forsyth's Yarkand curiosities, illustrative of 

 the ethnology of the regions he visited, will be shortly sent from 

 India to South Kensington. 



We are glad to see that Mr. T. H. Ince, furrier, of Oxford 

 Street, has entered the lists as a technical educator, having just 

 issued a neat booklet containing well-compiled, and on the whole 

 trustworthy, information concerning the animals whose skins he 

 makes use of in his trade. Many who read Mr. Ince's brochure 

 will be surprised at the great variety of animals, both British 

 and foreign, whose skins are, in one way or another, turned to 

 the uses of an advanced and luxurious civilisation. 



At its last sitting the Council of the Paris Observatory de- 

 clared that the Meridian Service is not in a good condition. 

 M. Leverrier, 'therefore, has written to the Minister for Public 

 Instruction, advising him to ask M. Loewy, a member of the 

 Institute, and the head of the Meridian Service, to resign 

 if he does not give up the direction of the Connaisance des Temps — 

 both offices being too much for one man, however zealous and 

 learnel. 



An immense number of errors have been discovered by M. 

 Leverrier in the stellar observations, which were ready for printing, 

 and which were made before the reorganisation of the Paris 

 Observatory was completed. All these observations will be sub- 

 jected to a most careful scrutiny, and many will be rejected alto- 

 gether. The correct observations will not be printed before 

 further reductions are made. A special credit of i5,ooof. will 

 be asked from the National Assembly for that special purpose, 

 and will certainly be granted. 



The several French public administrations have received in- 

 structions to favour men who have been non-commissioned officers 

 in the army in making subsidiary appointments in their offices. 

 In some cases competitive examinations will be established far 

 these places. 



The tanks of the Manchester Aquarium have just been en- 

 riched by a remarkably fine specimen of the Angler (Lophiits 

 pisca.'orins), over 4 ft. in length. The fish is in the best possible 

 condition, and was obtained by the curator, Mr. W. Saville 

 Kent, from the Royal fish weirs at Colwyn Bay. It is the first 

 and only example of the species on exhibition at any of the 

 many aquaria now established, and many interesting data will 

 no doubt be derived from the observation of its habits for the 

 first time in confinement. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Nisnas Monkey (Cercopithecus pyrrJwnottis) 

 from Nubia, presented by Dr. R. F. Mayne; a Bengalese Leopard 

 Cat (Fells ben^alciisis) and an Egyptian Cat (Fells e/iaus) from 

 India, a Leadbeater Cockatoo (Caea'.ua hadbeaterl) itom Am- 

 tralia, deposited; a pair of Bar-headed Geese (Anser iiidiciis) 

 from India, and three Night Parrots {Slrln«ops liabropttliis) from 

 New Zealand, purchased. Thes; last-named birds form the 

 finest collection of the species ever seen in this country, 



