Feb. II, 1875] 



NA TURE 



295 



park, and have set apart for the purpose a tract of sixty acres, 

 to which additions will be made from time to time as occasion 

 may require. A botanical museum and herbarium will be in- 

 cluded in the scheme. A circular has been issued by the board 

 of managers, soliciting contributions from kindred institutions. 

 The works are to be commenced as soon as the weather will 

 permit. 



It may be remembered that the United States steamer Tus- 

 carora, after having completed the line of soundings made for 

 the purpose of selecting a suitable route for a Transpacific cable, 

 under Comm.inder Belknap, again started on the same duty, 

 under the charge of Capt. Eiben, leaving .San Francisco on the 

 1st of November direct for the Sandwich Islands. The Hawaiian 

 Gazette of Dec. 2 announces her arrival at Honolulu, and remarks 

 that, in all, sixty-two casts of the sounding-line were made, the 

 first near the Farallones, the water gradually deepening from 

 that point to 2, 500 fathoms. In lat. 33" 10' and long. 132" the 

 depth began rapidly to diminish, showing 1,417, 435, 413, and, 

 finally, 3S5 fathoms in lat. 32° 58'. Numerous observations 

 were made, ^^■hich showed that there v/as a submarine peak 

 rising about 2,200 fathoms from the ocean bed. Beyond thisi 

 for a circuit of five miles around this peak, deep water was found 

 in every direction, and a few miles from the peak 2,500 fathoms 

 were reached. From this the depth gradually increased, until in 

 lat. 24' long. 152° the depth was 3,115 fathoms. This was only 

 about 400 miles from Honolulu. The soundings brought up 

 from the peak showed a mixture of lava and coral, which is sup- 

 posed to be indicative of a submarine volcano. The temperature 

 at the bottom was found to vary but little from 35° to 36° F. 

 The results of the survey, according to the Gazelle, are satis- 

 factory, showing, if anything, a better line between Honolulu 

 and San Francisco than that from San Diego. 



The science of medicine and surgery according to European 

 notions is making some progress in Japan. We learn that in 

 the hospital at Hakodadi there are twenty young men regu- 

 larly entered as students of medicine, daily lectures are given, 

 and "bedside .and other clinical demonstrations," the curriculum 

 being simil.ar to that of most medical schools. An illustrated 

 medical journal in the Japanese language is also published every 

 two months. 



From the Superintendent's Report (1874) it appears that the 

 Royal Botanic G.ardens, Calcutta, are recovering very slowly 

 from the devastating effects of the cyclones of 1S64 and 1S67. 

 The growth of the shrubs and trees planted to replace those up- 

 rooted has not been very luxuriant, and a long time must elapse 

 before the welcome and useful shade of noble trees such as once 

 filled the garden will be enjoyed there again. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include four Summer Ducks [Aix spousa] from 

 N. America, presented by Lord Braybrook, F.Z.S. ; a Macaque 

 Monkey (Macactis cytiomolgiis) from India, presented by Mrs. 

 Pole Shawe ; a Zebu {Bos inif.eus) born in the Menagerie ; a 

 White-fronted Capuchin Monkey (Cehis allnfrous) from S. 

 America, deposited ; two Indian Tree Ducks (Daidroey^iia 

 araiala) from India, received in exchange ; fourteen Basse 

 {Labrax lupus), three Grey Mullet (Afti^il eapilo), and a Cottus, 

 ( Cottus hibalis) from British Seas, purchased. 



SCIENTIFTC SERIALS 



Der Zoolo^ische Garten. — In the December number the first 

 article is one on monstrosities in wild bird.^ by Herr Plarrer 

 Jackel, who describes sever.al instances of additional and deficient 

 limbs, and figures the leg of a Golden Eagle with two well- 

 developed extra toes attached to the back of the tarsus.— The 

 editor, Dr. NoU, treats of the salmon-fishery on the Rhine at 



St. Gear. In 1S73 the number of fish captured was 1,162, 

 weighing in all l6,6i2 lbs.- An account by Dr. Taiber of the 

 chase of the South American Ostrich [Rea amerieaiia) with the 

 I'olas is reproduced from the " La Plata Monatsschrift." — Dr. R. 

 Meyer describes two breeding nests of the squirrel [Seiiinis vnl- 

 saris], in which the entrance was covered by a lid or flap, formed 

 of fine grass ; he confirms the statement that these animals have 

 other nests to which they remove their young in case of danger. 

 — Dr. A. Praetcrius writes on the domestic animals of the 

 ancient Greeks;. — Victor Ritter von Tschusi-Schmidhofen states, 

 on the authority of L. v. Ilueber, that the Lesser Kestrel (Tin- 

 nunculus ccnclvis) is spreading northward in Carinthia, and 

 replacing the common species ( T. alandarins), and also gives an 

 instance of the breeding of tlie Waxwing (Bomlncylla garrnla) 

 in Austria, a nest having been found in May 1872, in the Castle 

 park at Kremsier by Pfarrer Kaspar. Unfortunately, it was 

 destroyed, and the birds disappeared. 



Joifi-nal of the Asiatic Society of Btngal, Part II. No. 2, 1S74. 

 — Record of the Khairpur meteorite of Sept. 23, 1S73, by II. B. 

 Medlicott. This is simply a record of the appearance and fall 

 of a meteorite, from the observations of several persons, and the 

 weights of the specimens collected, the largest of which weighed 

 10 lb. 12 oz. 126 gr. The stone is described as being of the 

 usual steel-grey colour and crypto-crystalline texture. — Contri- 

 butions towards a knowledge of the Burmese Flora, Part I., by 

 .S. Ivurz : an abridged enumeration of Burmese plants, phane- 

 rogamic and cryptogamic, as far as they have come to the 

 writer's knowlenge, containing the polypetalous dicotyledons, 

 Ranunculacex to the end of the Geraniacea:. Epi'omised 

 generic descriptions are given, as well as a conspectus of the 

 species of each genus. — On the Asiatic species of Molossi, by 

 G. E. Dobson. Two new species are described, viz., Nyeti- 

 nomus tragatiis and A'. Johorensis. — Index to Part II. vol. xlii., 

 iS73- 



Astronomische Nachricltlen, No. 2,0iS. — This number contains 

 a long article detailing observations of the spectra o( Winnecke's 

 and Coggia's comets, and of changes in the heid of that of Coggia. 

 As to ttie spectrum of Winnecke's comet, the author states that 

 on the 7th and loth of May last the spectrum consisted of three 

 Irig'nt bands, the middle one the brightest, and sharply limited 

 towards the red end of the spectrum. The brightest por:ion of 

 lliis hand appeared a little more refrangible than the h^ line, 

 while the teginning of the band coincided with it. The bright 

 central porti-'U of the comet, iV diameter, appeared to have in 

 it certain bright points like stars of 12 to 14 magnitude, and the 

 central portion gave a faint continuous spectrum. On the 5th of 

 ]\Iay, Coggia's comet gave a spectrum of three bands : the central 

 one near /' line was brightest, and the one nearest the blue the 

 faintest ; the nucleus and contiguous portions gave a continuous 

 spectrum, in addition to the former one, extending from wave- 

 length 590 to 440. On the iSth the middle line was seen sharply 

 limited towards the red and shading towards the blue; the wave- 

 length of the sharp limit was estimated at 515 ; the other bands 

 were not so sharply defined on the red side as the central one, 

 and the relative brightness of each is given as yellow, 2 ; green, 

 4 ; and blue, i. The bands were strongest where crossed by the 

 continuous spectrum of the nucleus. No other bands were 

 visible ; the positions of the commencement of the bands from a 

 mean of observations are, 1st band, 562 '5 ; 2nd b.and, S'5'' ! ^"'^ 

 3rd band, 471 '6. A change in the comparative brightness of 

 the bands appears to have i.een noticed at times, and the author 

 observes that one might expect absorption bands in the continuous 

 spectrum corresponding to the bright bands, and that the changes 

 of brightness of the Imes should be viewed as an important 

 matter in reference to this expectation. Traces of absorption 

 bands appear to have been noticed, but their position not fixed. 

 The following table of comparison of spectra of comets and 

 hydrocarbons is given : — 



Comet. Comet. Comet II. 



Coggia. Henry. 1868. 



First band ( Beginning S62'5 562'6 5^3' 



of J Brightest part ...553-8 559 — 



Spectrum. ( End 541 54' 53^ 



Second i^^g'""'"S SiS'i SI?'! i^T^ 



dUto Brightest part ... 5'i-8 S''' - 



°'"°- (End 500 500 492 



Third I Beginning 471.6 4727 47''4 



458 



