168 



NATURE 



{Dec. 31, 1874 



was proposed to provide a number of aquariums, as also 

 the necessary apparatus for dredging in deep water, so that 

 the pupils might be practically as well as theoretically 

 instructed. 



Whilst Prof. Agassiz was appealing to the public to 

 support his beneficent scheme, tiie attention of Mr. John 

 Anderson, a wealthy merchant of New York, was attracte 1 

 to it. Mr. Anderson, " although not possessing himself 

 any intimate acquaintance with natural histor)'," " sym- 

 pathised warmly " in the professor's project for making 

 that department of science a branch ot education, and in 

 aid thereof offered to hand over to trustees for the benefit 

 of the scheme a whole island situated in Buzzard's Bay, 

 in Massachusetts. 



We need hardly say that the munificent offer was 

 gladly accepted, and Penikese Island, containing 100 

 acres of great fertility, several springs of fine fresh water, 

 and a mansion house, constituting altogether a "most 

 attractive location for a summer residence," became, in- 

 stead of Nantucket, the seat of the proposed institution, 

 which was appropriately named after the donor, the 

 "Anderson School of Natural History." 



A few days after the acceptance of this noble gift by 

 Prof Agassiz, Mr. Anderson gave a further proof of his 

 liberality by presenting the sum of 850,000 for tlie equip- 

 ment and current expenses of the institution, which was 

 thus enabled to make a start under very favourable cir- 

 cumstances. 



When matters had progressed thus far, it was hardly in 

 accordance with the nitional characteristics that much 

 delay should take place in commencing work. So, 

 although the island of Penikese was only presented to 

 Prof Agassiz on the 22nd April, 1S73, a site was selected 

 for the school, the plans were arranged, and the contract 

 actually signed for the necessary works on the 16th May, 

 and the 8ih July was appointed for the building to be 

 ready. In vain the architect and builder declared that it 

 was impossible, and urged the postponement of the 

 opening until the following year. Prof. Agassiz, perhaps 

 with a presentiment of the future, was inllexible, and a 

 commencement was actually made on the appointed day. 

 During the summer a second building, containing another 

 numerous set of working rooms and dormitories and a 

 lecture room connecting it with the former edifice, was 

 nearly completed, together with the interior arrangements 

 of the whole school. 



During tlie first session, 1873, the pupils were from 

 forty to fifty in number, consisting chiefly of teachers 

 (boih male and female) in colleges and schools and other 

 public institutions. Prof. Agassiz lectured nearly every 

 day. Mr. Galloup, a citizen of Boston, sent his yacht 

 to Penikese, and handed it over to Count Pourtales, who 

 took charge of the dredging parties during the whole 

 session. Ten or twelve ol the pupils went out every day, 

 thus obtaining instruction in the use of the implements, 

 and at the same time obtaining many specimens for the 

 lectures which could not have been collected from the 

 shore. 



Other efficient workers "were Dr. A. S. Packard, jun.. 

 Prof. Jordan, Dr. Brewer, Prof. Wilder, and Prof Guyot. 

 Full instruction was thus given in various branches of 

 natural history, in geology, in physical geography, and 

 especially in zoology. 



So successfully was this scheme can-ied out, that for the 

 succeeding session a much larger number of applications 

 than accommodation could be provided for was received, 

 when the untimely death of the founder occurred and 

 somewhat imperilled the continuance of his noble plans. 

 Fortunately, a worthy son succeeded to a worthy father, 

 and under the direction of Mr. Alexander Agassiz, the 

 Anderson School of Natural History has, we believe, 

 continued in its career of prosperity, although details of 

 its second year's working have not yet reached us. 



When we consider what has thus been done in the 



United States, it is no slight reproach to us that nothing 

 of the sort has been attempted in England. The great 

 aquariums which have recently been built in several 

 places offer unusual facilities for such an institution. But, 

 alas ! Brighton, Sydenham, and Southport are, we fear, 

 wholly given up to ten per cent. The only counterpart 

 of Prof. Agassiz in Europe is Anton Dohrn, whose " Zoo- 

 logical Station" at Naples is a worthy rival of the Anderson 

 School of Natural History — perhaps even more complete 

 in its organisation. We trust, however, that before long 

 a similar scheme may be started in this country. 



THE LAST TYPHOON AT HONG KONG 



'T^HE typhoon at Hong Kong of September 1874 is the 

 -•■ greatest calamity that has visited the crown colony 

 since its establishment in 1841. In each of the years 

 1859 and 1865 one of these desolating storms occasioned 

 a great deal of damage to shipping in the harbour and 

 vicinity; in 1867 two occurred, the second of which raged 

 with great violence during the day, and was consequently 

 observed with considerable interest ; on Sept. 2, 1871, a 

 still more striking instance is recorded ; * but the whole 

 of these phenomena sink into utter insignificance when 

 compared with the furious typhoon which swept over the 

 island during the night of the 22nd and the morning of 

 the 23rd of September last. Without speaking of the 

 dire elTects produced by the latter, tenfold more terrible 

 than any hitherto experienced, one far more crucial test 

 may be adduced as evidence of the truth of our assertion. 

 It is an admitted fact that the force of the wind during 

 a cyclone or typhoon is always in direct proportion to the 

 height of the mercury in the barometer. Now, the lowest 

 reading of the barometer previously recorded at Hong 

 Kong was during the typhoon of 1S71, viz., 29' 15 ; whilst 

 at Macao, on the same occasion, the mercury fell to 28'39. 

 But during the recent event, the reading at Hong Kong 

 at 2.15 on the morning of the 23rd was 2875 according 

 to one barometer, and 2S73 according to another ; whilst 

 at Macao the mercury actually fell to 28 ! — a fall we 

 believe to have been altogether unprecedented in the 

 history of atmospheric reading in China. Hence we con- 

 ceive this to have been one of the most severe instances, 

 if not the severest, of a typhoon on record. The fact that 

 the readings at Macao were lower in 1871 than at Hom^ 

 A'o//g in 1874 does not affect the question, for, as w'e 

 shall see presently, the first-mentioned place always 

 suffers more severely than the latter, owing to the greater 

 concentration of the power of the wind at its turitiiig 

 point. 



Many points of interest are connected with the late 

 typhoon. It was observed that the clock upon the clock 

 tower .at Pcddar's Wharf in Hong Kong stopped shortly 

 after two, and it has been stated upon good authority that 

 five or six other pendulum clocks stopped at the same 

 hour. Now, this was exactly the time when the most 

 violent throe of wind that was experienced throughout 

 the entire night took place ; hence we are justified in 

 assuming that, at the precise moment when the typhoon 

 was at its height, a shock of earthquake probably oc- 

 curred, pointing to the conclusion that the atmospheric 

 disturbance induced physical disturbances in the crust of 

 the earth. The possibility of the existence of such a con- 

 dition has been argued at length by Prof Lyell in his 

 " Principles," where he states that the inhabitants of 

 Stromboli are said to make use of the island " as a 

 weather-glass," its volcanic disturbances " increasing 

 during tempestuous weather," so that " the island seems 

 to shake from its foundations." He considers that ex- 

 treme changes in the atmospheric pressure exerted upon 

 a vast superficial area might well be deemed to influence 

 the confined gases and liquids interposed between the 

 * See Nature, vol. v. p. 166. 



