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NATURE 



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in the countrj' has necessarily interfered with the acquisition of 

 all the data required to formulate a comprehensive and scientific 

 theory of the Norwegian climate. As a contribution, however, 

 to our meteorological knowledge, the author's numerous tables 

 of the frequency and periodicity of certain weather phenomena 

 in various parts of the country are of considerable value, while 

 special and novel interest attaches to his observations of various 

 anomalous meteorological conditions, such, for instance, as the 

 occurrence of a maximum rainfall at points far inland and un- 

 connected with the sea, which he refers to the influence of 

 cyclonic agencies. 



M. Paul Bert, who has been gazetted Resident-General in 

 Tonquin and Annam, has been interviewed by several corre- 

 spondents, and h.as written articles indicating that he will 

 endeavour to promote the interests of science. He is desirous 

 of establishing a " Tonquin Institute," some organisation similar 

 to the Institut d'Egypte, which was created by Bonaparte 

 m 1798. Although nothing definite has been stated, these 

 declarations have created some sensation in the French scientific 

 world. 



More than usual seismic activity is reported from Central and 

 South America. On the 18th ult. the town of Amatitlan, in 

 Guatemala, was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, there being 

 altogether 131 shocks. In other parts of Central America shocks 

 of earthquake have occurred. It is reported from Guayaquil 

 that symptoms of earthquake have been observed at Chimbo, in 

 Ecuador, coincident with a renewed eruption of the volcano of 

 Cotopaxi. The previous eruption of this mountain was lately 

 referred to here. The Ecuador volcano, Tunqurqua, is in a 

 state of violent eruption, being evidently, it is stated, in 

 sympathy with Cotopaxi. 



An influential Committee has been formed for the purpose of 

 raising a permanent record of Dr. Redwood's services to 

 chemistry in its relation to medicine and pharmacy. It is pro- 

 posed to found a " Redwood Scholarship " in connection with 

 the Pharmaceutical Society, which has for more than half a 

 century been the principal scene of Dr. Redwood's labours. 

 Subscriptions should be sent to the Honorary Secretaiy, Prof. 

 Dunstan, 17, Bloomsbury Square, London, W.C. 



Mr. Langton Cole, of Loughrigg, Sutton, Surrey, writes 

 to the Times that a remarkable meteor was seen there on the 

 l5th at 5.9 p.m. in bright twilight. Its apparent course, which 

 was marked by a continuous and brilliant train, was from the 

 zenith to a point due east, about 15° above the horizon. It was 

 brighter than Venus, and the diameter of its head seemed about 

 one-si.\th of that of the moon. A Wimbledon correspondent 

 also writes that he witnessed the fall of a meteorite, apparently 

 a few miles east-north-east of Rickmansworth Church, at about 

 5.5 p.m. on the same day. The "nucleus" was comparatively 

 small, and showed vividly the colours of the rainbow. The 

 tail was not the long fleecy fiery thing one sometimes sees in 

 such cases, but a well-defined oval, about the apparent size of 

 the moon in her present phase, and as bright and creamy as 

 molten silver. 



The fourth of Prof. Terrien de Lacouperie's course of lectures 

 on Indo-Chinese philology will be delivered on Wednesday, the 

 27th inst., at University College. The subject will be "The 

 Languages of Thibet and Burmah." 



The last number of the Folk-Lore Journal (vol. iii., part 4) 

 contains some Chilian popular tales collected viva voce in the 

 . country, and translated by Mr. Moore. Rev. Walter Gregor, 

 in a paper on "Some Kolk-Lore of the Sea," describes the 

 superstitions and sayings of the fishing population on the north- 

 east coast of Scotland Some of the former are very curious 

 survivals ; while other customs appear to have for their object 

 the drinking of whisky at some one else's expense. Mr. 



Christopher Gardner, of the Consular Service in China, gives a 

 number of Mongolian folk-tales, translated apparently from 

 M. Potanin's work on North-Western Mongolia; and Dr. 

 Morris continues his folk-tales of India, the present instalment 

 being the most important contribution to the number. 



We regret to learn of the death of Mr. J. B. Jeaffreson, 

 M.R.C.S., on the 12th inst. Till lately President of the High- 

 bury Microscopical Society, he was well known in the North of 

 London as a diligent worker with the microscope in biological 

 research. 



The Berlin Academy of Sciences has gr.anted 3000 marks 

 (150/.) to Lieut. Quedenfeldt for an exploring tour to the Atlas 

 Mountains. Lieut. Quedenfeldt will principally study the natural 

 history of the district. 



At the forthcoming Indian and Colonial Exhibition it is in- 

 tended not only to display turtles in tanks, but to hatch them 

 from the ova. It is exceedingly interesting to watch the 

 manoeuvres of the infant turtles on being liberated from the 

 ova, and this is sure to prove one of the sights of the Exhibition. 

 A spacious conservatory is being specially erected for the pur- 

 pose, in which the turtles will be surrounded by every detail of 

 their natural existence. 



A STRIKING evidence of the fertility of the sea-trout {S. trictla) 

 has been revealed at the South Kensington Aquarium, where 

 several have been artificially spawned with great success. We 

 believe this is the first time on record that this species has 

 been made to yield ova under similar circumstances. The fish 

 in question had been kept in captivity with other species of 

 Salmonidse for three years, and therefore had never visited the 

 sea, as is their wont, but notwithstanding the check thus placed 

 upon their natural instincts, their condition has not been in the 

 least impaired, neither have their productive functions become 

 disorganised. The operations of the inhabitants of the Salmonidae 

 tank at the Aquarium are very interesting to watch at this 

 season of the year, especially the manner in which the fish pair 

 with opposite species — for instance, the fontinalis with the 

 common trout, [the sea-trout with the Gilleroo trout, &c. In 

 captivity, fish yield their ova much later than they do when in a 

 wild state ; but of every thirty subjected to artificial existence 

 there is, upon an average, only one barren fish amongst them. 



At the Lochbuy Fishery, Isle of Mull, the property of the 

 Maclaine of Lochbuy, large quantities of ova of salmon and sea- 

 trout are being incubated, consignments having been imported 

 from abroad. The extensive waters on the Lochbuy estate, 

 which were formerly destitute of fish, now teem with life, the 

 result of systematic pisciculture. The proprietor has been most 

 successful in spawning from the fish captured in the rivers of the 

 property. 



The papers in the last number (No. 3) of the Proceedings of 

 the Chester Society of Natural Science are of a more than usually 

 hiirh order, which is not -surprising when the names of some of 

 the authors appear. Prof. McKenny Hughes has a paper, with 

 elaborate illustrations, on the geology of the Vale of Clwyd ; 

 Mr. Aubrey Strahan writes on the denudations of North Wales ; 

 while Prof. Judd suggests as a problem for Che=hire geologists 

 the investigation of a patch of secondary strata between Audlem 

 and Wem, not far from Chester,— the points suggested are the 

 exact extent and limits of this outlier, the relations of the Lias 

 to the surrounding strata, and the nature, thickness, and fossil 

 contents of the strata of which it is composed. A committee of 

 of the Society has Ijeen appointed to examine into the subject. 

 Mr. Mackintosh describes certain traces of an interglacial land- 

 surface near Crewe. Mr. Walker has three papers— one on 

 the climatic causes affecting the distribution of Lepidoptera in 

 Great Britain, the second on the Macrolepidoptera of the Chester 

 district, which is a long and careful list ; and his third paper 



