Jan. 7, 1 8 75 J 



NATURE 



195 



it had half passed over the limb of the sun, was visible, 

 reminding one of the dark part of the new moon on a 

 clear night. I may say that the whole appearance of in- 

 ternal contact was quite unexpected, and the absence of 

 the black drop puzzled every observer. External contact 

 was observed, I hear, almost simultaneously by all ob- 

 servers, a point of the utm ost importance when the degree 

 of ellipticity of the planet has been determined from 

 measurements of her diamete r." 



NOTES 



The Germans, we are glad to see, have finally decided to 

 send out a second expedition to the east coast of Greenland. 

 It is to consist of two steam-vessels, of 300 tons burden, each 

 manned by thirty men ; one to explore Greenland, while the 

 other advances to the north pole. The estimated cost is about 

 50,000/. sterling, and the expedition is to leave in June 1S75 or 

 June 1S76, according as the money can be got together. There 

 is no hint that the German Government is to lend assistance, 

 though we hope it will do something, after such a good example 

 has been set by our own Government. It would be a splendid 

 and healthy outlet for national rivalry to have these two expe- 

 ditions start this year, each doing its btst to win the Arctic cam- 

 paign, and striving to be the first to unfurl its particular national 

 flag over the long-fought-for goal. At all events, during the 

 next two or three years we ought to hear of some fine conquests 

 having been made in the far north. The preparations for our 

 own expedition are steadily progressing. Commander Mark- 

 ham, R.N., arrived on Tuesday at Portsmouth. 



One of the principal articles in this month's Geographical 

 Magazine is on I.ieut. Cameron's recent discoveries in the Tan- 

 ganyika region. The writer justly rates Lieut. Cameron's 

 work as of the highest importance, and we earnestly hope 

 that the appeal of the Royal Geographical Society for subscrip- 

 tions to enable Cameron to complete his work will be liberally 

 responded to. Already 1,494''. have been subscribed, including 

 500/. from the Geographical Society ; but of this, 544/. will be 

 swallowed up by expenses already incurred, so that there is really 

 only 950/. available. This, " it is confidently hoped, will be 

 largely increased as soon as the people of England are fully 

 aware of the necessities of their young countryman in the heart 

 of Africa, and of the glorious work that he is bravely attempting 

 to do, alone and single-handed." 



Dr. Allciiin will give the course of lectures on Comparative 

 Anatomy and Zoology this session at University College, Lon- 

 don, pending the appointment of a successor to the late Prof. 

 Grant. The introductory lecture will be delivered to-day, at 

 4 f. M. 



Mr. Bowdler Sharp, of the British Museum, delivered a 

 lecture on "The Birds of our Globe," on Tuesday, January 5, 

 in the private music-room at Mr. N. Holmes's residence. Prim- 

 rose Hill. The lecturer, commencing with the " Accipitres, ' or 

 birds of prey, gave a concise description of the various families 

 and genera of birds, terminating, according to modern classifi- 

 cation, with the " Struthiones," illustrating at the same time the 

 different groups by an elaborate series of paintings specially pre- 

 pared for the occasion by Herr Keulemans, the well-known 

 ornithological artist. 



We have received a foretaste of the forthcoming new edition 

 of the " Encyclopajdia Britannica," in the shape of a separate 

 reprint of Mr. A. R, Wallace's carefully written article on 

 " Acclimatisation." After an examination of a considerable 

 number of instances, Mr. Wallace concludes : " On the whole, 

 we seem justified in concluding that, under favourable conditions, 

 and with a proper adaptation of means to the end in view, men 

 may become acclimatised with at least as much certainty and 



rapidity (counting by generations rather than by years) as any of 

 the lower animals." 



The gi-eat hurricane which swept over Hong Kong on the 

 22nd and 23rd of September last, and to which we referred 

 at length last week, appears, from official reports, to have 

 caused considerable damage in the Government Gardens. 

 Mr. Ford, the superintendent, reports that the largest trees 

 suffered the most severely, several of the oldest and largest 

 being entirely destroyed. Many other trees, although not 

 destroyed, were severely damaged, having nearly the whole of 

 their branches broksn off, while many which were thus damaged, 

 but which had not their roots broken or strained, will, in course 

 of tim.e, produce fresh branches and foliage. A considerable 

 number of smaller trees and shrubs were entirely destroyed, 

 having been broken off close to the ground, while others were 

 blown over and a great portion of their roots so much exposed 

 to air and light as to threaten their ultimate destruction. 

 Operations were at once commenced for the preserN-ation of as 

 many of the trees and shrubs as there was any prospect of 

 saving, and the greater part of them were replanted and pro- 

 tected by supports. The flower-pots containing plants in various 

 parts of the gardens were broken in great numbers, and the 

 plants for the most part much disfigured. In the nurseries, like- 

 wise, the plants in pots were thrown out, but no serious damage 

 was effected. With regard to trees in different parts of 

 the town, which come under the Forest Department of Hong 

 Kong, Mr. Ford says : "I have observed that in nearly all 

 cases where trees were blown down in the typhoon of September 

 1871, and those trees were again set upright and have continued 

 to grow up to the late .typhoon, they have again fallen, and in 

 several cases are this time entirely destroyed ; thus proving, as a 

 general rule, that when once a tree suffers so severely as to cause 

 its prostration, little reliance can be placed on that tree ever 

 afterwards continuing or becoming a sound and healthy one." 

 In the Surveyor-General's Report to the Colonial Secretary of 

 I long Kong' on the damage caused by this hurricane, it is 

 regretted that no record remains of the pressure of the wind, 

 owing to the meteorological station connected with the Govern- 

 ment Hospital being swept away by its force. It is further said, 

 however : " That the island was not many miles distant from the 

 focus of the cyclone is proved not only by the intensity of the 

 wind, but by a feature known to exist only within such a focus, 

 namely, the abrupt intervals of calm during the height of the 

 gale. These lulls were instantaneous, often lasting as long as 

 lour or five minutes ; and, alternating with the most violent gust?, 

 equally sudden, the conjoint action of the two became, as it 

 were, that of a battering ram. " 



Many experiments have been tried in France to test the 

 effects of cold on railway axles. Many engineers suppose that 

 accidents to wheels do not result from any diminution of tenacity 

 of the metal, but merely from its losing all its elasticity owing 

 to the frost hardening the surface of the earth. A fact wliich can 

 be adduced as a strong ar-gument in favour of that theory was 

 otiserved by the inhabitants of Montmartr-e during the last 

 period of frost. The passing of the trains M-hich run so fre- 

 quently through the Batignolles tunnel at a distance of half a 

 mile was heard by them day and night, which is never the case 

 in ordinary circumstances. As soon as the thaw set in the trains 

 ceased to be heard ; the earth having resumed its former elas- 

 ticity, the sounds were dissipated as before. It has been observed 

 by French railway engineers that thaws are apt to lead to the 

 breaking of axles and chains. The elasticity being only partially 

 recovered, many shocks affect the trains when running at a fast 

 rate, and are apt to lead to catastrophes. 



Mr. W. Phillips, of Shrewsbury, proposes to publish, under 

 the title of "Elvellacei Britannici," dried specimens of the larger 



