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August 12, 1886] 
NATURE 
347 
second ordinary meeting of the Society had been held, and Mr. 
E. Tyrrel-Leith, the President, was able to give a very satis- 
factory account of its prospects. 
THE report of the Directors and Secretary of the City and 
Guilds of London Institute on the technological examinations of 
the present year has just been issued. It states that there is a 
large increase in the number of candidates who presented them- 
selves, and a satisfactory increase in the number of those who 
have passed. In 1885, 3968 candidates were examined, of whom 
2168 passed. In 1886, 4764 candidates were examined, of 
whom 2627 have passed. Examinations were held this year in 
48 subjects. Applications for exanination were received in all 
the 49 subjects, but, as only one candidate presented himself in 
sugar manufacture, in accordance with the regulations of the 
Institute no examination was held in this subject. Last year 
examinations were held in 42 subjects. The subjects in which 
there has been the greatest increase in the number of candidates 
are mechanical engineering, plumbers’ work, electric lighting, 
and gas manufacture. One new subject was this year added to 
the list—namely, brickwork and masonry, in which 99 candidates 
came up, and of these 57 satisfied the examiners. In addition 
to the practical examinations in weaving and pattern designing, 
in metal-plate work, in carpentry and joinery, and in mine-sur- 
yeying, which had been previously held, a practical examina- 
tion was held this year for the first time in typography. Seventy- 
seven candidates presented themselves for this examination, of 
whom 32 have succeeded in obtaining a certificate. From the 
returns furnished in November Jast, it appears that 7660 persons 
were receiving instruction in the registered classes of the Insti- 
tute, as compared with 6396 in the previous year. This increase 
is due partly to increased attendance at some of the classes, and 
partly to the formation of new classes, the number of classes in 
connection with the Institute having increased from 263 in the 
Session 1884-85 to 329 during the past year. These classes 
were held in 116 different towns of the United Kingdom. 203 
prizes have this year been awarded, being an increase of 26 on 
those granted last year. These awards include 180 money 
prizes, 65 silver and 138 bronze medals, of which 62 are in the 
honours grade and 141 in the ordinary grade. Last year there 
Were I77 money prizes, 51 silver and 126 bronze medals. 
Tue Norwegian Meteorological Institute of Christiania has 
adopted an ingenious plan for disseminating its weather reports 
among the farmers, fishermen, &c. 
every train departing from the capital to any part of the country 
after 3 p.m. a signal is exhibited indicating the weather to be 
expected for the ensuing twenty-four hours. These signals are 
very simple, consisting of red and white triangles, squares, and 
balls, each of which, or several combined, have their meaning ; 
a white ball, for instance, ‘‘fine weather,’ &c. These signals 
will also be displayed from the masts of several coasting steamers. 
The arrangement is in force from July 1 to October 1. 
ACCORDING to the official returns of the Minister of Educa- 
tion in Prussia the number of students in philology and the 
kindred subjects of philosophy and history in that kingdom— 
now for a considerable time known to be sensibly on the decrease 
in the field of the ancient classics—has altogether steadily 
declined from Michaelmas 1881 to Easter 1885. The number 
of students of philosophy, philology, anl history at the Uni- 
versities of Prussia amounted in the winter session of 1881-82 
to 2522, in the summer session of 1882 to 2535, in the winter 
session of 1882-83 to 2504, in the summer session of 1883 to 
2398, in the winter session of 1883-84 to 2311, in the summer 
session of 1884 to 2258, and in the winter session of 1884-85 to 
2181. Within a period of 3} years, therefore, the decline in 
the number of students of philosophy, philology, and history has 
been about 14 per cent. 
Thus, on the brake of- 
A LARGE specimen of the lizard tribe imported from Japan 
into the Colonial and Indian tropical aquarium lately died in the 
act of extruding her eggs, numbering eight. One of her feet 
that had become broken during her existence was found to have 
grown again. A further consignment of turtles has arrived at 
the aquarium together with a number of eggs, which have been 
placed in the Chelonian hatchery for incubation. Some fine 
specimens of foreign oysters have also arrived. 
Tuar kingfishers possess a remarkable instinct to avoid those 
fish proving harmful to them is exemplified by the following in- 
cident. A correspondent informs us that being infested with 
these birds he set traps for them in two of his ponds, one con- 
taining minnows and the other perch. A capture was effected 
daily where the minnows were located, but on no occasion was 
a kingfisher caught near the perch pond. The latter fish are 
injurious to birds. 
M. Gasron TISSANDIER in a recent number of La Nature 
describes the efforts made by himself and his brother to pursue 
the subject of aérial photography. For this purpose they sought 
the assistance of M. Paul Nadar, whose father made the first 
‘attempts twenty-eight years ago, to take photographs from 
balloons. An ascent was made on July 2 from Auteuil, the 
descent taking place after a voyage of about six hours at Ségrie 
in La Sarthe, the length of the journey being about 180 kilo- 
metres. The maximum altitude exceeded 1700 metres. During 
the voyage M. Nadar succeeded in executing thirty instantaneous © 
photographs, a dozen of which are, M. Tissandier says, unques- 
tionably the most perfect yet obtained from a balloon. ‘These 
were taken at various altitudes, ranging from 800 to 1200 metres. 
They were perfect in all details, but lose by reproduction by 
heliogravure. Those taken at 1200 metres it has been found 
impos ible to reproduce at all, as they lose all their fineness in 
the process. The apparatus was placed in different positions on 
the edge of the car, sometimes being almost vertical, sometimes 
inclined so as to form with the horizon an angle varying from 
25° to 45°. The time in each case was 1/250th part of asecond. 
M. Nadar has enlarged some of the photographs with the new 
Eastmann paper with remarkable success. It is obvious from 
the illustrations given in Za Nature that the photographs have 
suffered in the reproduction, the details being slightly blurred 
and indistinct, but the streets, principal houses, gardens, &c., 
are perfectly clear in the two pictures which were taken at alti- 
tudes of 800 and 1100 metres respectively. 
A RECENT number of the British North Borne» Herald con- 
tains a report on the climate of North Borneo, by Dr. Walker, 
the principal medical officer, which is interesting as being the 
first scientific account of the meteorolozy of this recent addition 
to the British Empire. The climate, Dr. Walker says, is notice- 
able for nothing more than for its equability and the absence of 
extremes. The temperature, rainfall, winds, natural phenomena 
generally, and the diseases are, for a tropical country, of the 
most mild and temperate types. The country is visited by the 
regular monsoons at the ordinary times ; the rainfall near the 
coast, according to records kept for seven years past, ranged 
from 156’9 to 101°26, and averaged 124°34. The temperature 
recorded at the coast has ranged between the extremes of 67°°5 
and 94°°5 ; better arrangements are now being made for observing 
temperatures. The absence of tornadoes and earthquakes is to 
be noticed. ‘The only indication at the present day of the exist- 
ence of volcanic action is a hot spring, which is reported to exist 
on an island near the coast. The bulk of the report is occupied 
with information of a more medical kind, such as the chief 
diseases, and their respective effects on the various races, native 
and immigrant, in North Borneo ; sanitaria, and the like. 
At a recent meeting of the Anthropological Institute at 
the Colonial Exhibition, Mr. Swettenham, of the Straits Civil 
