y April 21, 1875] 



NATURE 



497 



result. The Prelect of Naples had sent a deputy, and many 



eminent scientific men were present. After the festival, the 



guests visited the magnificent aquarium and the working room of 



' the zoologists ; there are eighteen gentlemen now working there. 



' The States which have reserved working tables at the Station 



- are Prussia, Italy, Russia, Austria, Bavaria, Baden, Holland, 



Saxony, Alsace and Lorraine, and Mecklenburg ; also, as our 



readers know, a table has been reserved for the University of 



Cambridge. 



The writer of the article on the Tinws Weather Chart in last 

 week's Nature (p. 473), requests us to state that the word " baro- 

 grams " in the fourth paragraph should have been " isobars." 



Mr. Edward Bellamy, F.R.C.S., will commence his course 

 of lectures on "The Anatomy of the Human Form" in the 

 tlieatre of the South Kensington Museum on Friday, 23rd inst., 

 at 4 P. M. 



M. WuRTZ has tendered his resignation as professor in the 

 Paris Medical School, and it appears to have been accepted ; 

 but before taking any definite step, M. Wallon has summoned a 

 meeting of the professors to ascertain who they thought ought to 

 be appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. 



On April i5 a meeting of botanists from various parts of 

 Scotland was held at Perth to hear the report of the committee 

 (appointed at the Fungus Show held in Aberdeen last autumn) 

 to organise a Scottish Cryptogamic Society. A constitution 

 was adopted, and office-bearers were elected for the present year, 

 the President being SirT. MoncreifTe of Moncreiffe, Bart. ; Vice- 

 president, Prof. Dickie, Aberdeen ; Secretary, Dr. Buchanan 

 White, F.L.S. It is intended to have a show of crypto- 

 gamic plants, especially of fungi, every year in various districts 

 of Scotland in rotation, and the show for this year is to be in 

 Perth in the last week of September, when it is expected that a 

 very large number of specimens will be exhibited. The Society 

 will also adopt other means of promoting the study ot Crypto- 

 gamic Botany, and it is possible that it will from time to time 

 issue a few fasciculi of " New or rare Scottish Cryptogamic 

 Plants." English cryptogamologists desirous of becoming cor- 

 responding members of the Society should communicate with 

 the Secretary (Dr. Buchanan White, Perth), from whom infor- 

 mation regarding the Society or the show may be obtained. 



M. Leverrier being deeply engaged in his official work at 

 the Observatory, has no time to deliver his regular course of 

 lectures on astronomy at the Sorbonne. M. Wolf has been 

 appointed by him as his substitute. 



Large meteors were seen during the recent clear nights in 

 different places in France ; at Havre on the 12th, and at Paris 

 on the loth. The Paris meteor was seen at two o'clock in the 

 morning ; the direction was not specified, but the colour was 

 green. The Boulevard St. Michel appeared as if it were illu- 

 minated. The Havre meteor was very large, going with an 

 immense velocity from south-east to north-west. 



The first storm of the season in Central France was felt on 

 April 7 in the department of Gers, near the small picturesque 

 town of Lectoure. The spire of Saint Martin de Gorgue was 

 almost demolished by a thunderbolt. Very fev/ French churches, 

 especially in small country places, are supplied with lightning 

 conductors. 



The halo which was observed by M. de Fonvielle at Paris 

 on the 1 2th of March, and also in England, was observed at the 

 same time at Montsouris Observatory, about six miles south 

 of Montmartre, and termed "a trace of halo," instead of a 

 perfect one. As the moon had the same altitude for both observers, 

 the icy cloud must have been suspended at a small distance, 

 and nearer the zenith at Montsouris that at Montmartre. If 



telegraphic signals were exchanged during their appearance,'these 

 phenomena could be discussed with great benefit to science. 

 Aurora; Boreales were frequent during the beginning of March, 

 wliich is in accordance witli the opinion of meteorologists that 

 they are caused by icy particles rendering the upper part of the 

 atmosphere more conductive of electricit)'. 



Six useful lectures by Prof. Frankland on "How to teach 

 Chemistry," originally delivered to science teachers, will shottly 

 be published by Messrs. Churchill, from notes taken and edited, 

 with Dr. Frankland's sanction, by Mr. George Chaloner, F.C.S. 



We hear that New College and Balliol College, Oxford, and 

 the municipal authorities at Bristol, have finally determined to 

 establish a new College of Science and Literature at Clifton. 

 (See Nature, vol. x. p. 93.) It is anticipated that 50,000/. 

 will be raised for the buildings in Bris'.ol. The two above-named 

 Colleges have each promised 5,000/. towards the foundaticn, and 

 it is said that they both intend giving a further sum towards the 

 endowment. 



The Committee appointed to examine into the advisability of 

 a new survey of Massachusetts (see Nature, vol. xi. p. 3S1) 

 have reported strongly in its favour, almost to the full extent 

 desired by the scientific men whose advice they asked. To a 

 small pamphlet on the subject which has just come to hand, is 

 appended what we take to be the draft of an Act which the 

 Committee advise the Senate and House of Representatives to 

 pass. The Act recommends the appointment of a Board of 

 seven persons, with the Governor and a Secretary. This Board 

 will employ suitable persons to make a thorough topographical, 

 geological, and biological survey of the Sta'e. The Board is to 

 see to the preparation of a topographical map on the scale of 

 I : 25,000, and also will prepare from the surveys enlarged maps 

 on the scale of l : lo,oco. Careful reports are to be prepared 

 upon the geology of the State, with special reference to the 

 discovery of coal, ores, and building material of economic value ; 

 also reports on the zoology and botany of the State, comprising 

 catalogues of the animals and plants, with particular reference to 

 those injurious and those beneficial to man. The proposed Act 

 also provides that 30,000 dollars be annually appropriated for 

 the expenses of the survey, and that yearly reports be presented to 

 the Legislature. These provisions are on the whole satisfactory, 

 and there is no doubt the Massachusetts Legislature will give 

 them the force of law. 



From the Seventeenth Report of the East Kent Natural 

 History Society, we are glad to see that it continues prosperous, 

 "losing nothing of its interest and usefulness." The total 

 number of members is ninety-four. The Report contains a 

 brief account of the Society's meetings during 1S74, from which 

 it would seem that the actual work of the Society is carried on 

 by a very small proportion of the members. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include an Australian Dingo (Canis dingo) from 

 Australia, presented by the Zool. and Accl. Soc. of Victoria ; a 

 Crested Porcupine [Hyslrix cristala] from W. Africa, presented 

 by Mr. G. W. Venderkist; two Red-footed Crab-eating Raccoons 

 {Frocyon cancrivorus) from Demerara, presented by Mr. J. R. II. 

 Wilton ; an Impeyan Plieasant (Lop/io/'/ionis imfeyanus) from 

 the Himalayas, presented by Capt. J. E. Whitling ; a Rufous 

 Tinamou {Rhync/wtiis rufcscats) from BrazU, presented by the 

 Viscount Ilill ; a Sharp-nosed CrozoiWe (Crocodiliis anuricaniis) 

 from Jamaica, presented by Capt. A. M. Drummond ; ten Green 

 Lizards {Lacerta viridis) from Jersey, presented by Mr. G. E. 

 Drage ; a Quica Opossum {Didclfhys quica) from Brazil, a Red 

 Ground T)o\e (Gcolryson mouttuia) from South Ameiica, pur- 

 chased. 



