These four volumes of painstaking work, including 
more than 1400 pages and 174 plates, would alone have 
constituted a most important contribution to natural 
knowledge, reflecting high honour upon the author ; but 
this is only a part of the work which he accomplished. 
He had a lively interest in deep-sea exploration, and, as 
a member of the commission, took a prominent part in 
the dredgings of the 7a/¢sman expedition in the year 1883. 
The results of this and of the 7ravazlleuwry work were 
made known in his “La Vie au fond des Mers” in 1885. 
Another work published about this time is the ‘‘ Faune 
des Crustacés de la Nouvelle-Zélande,” and his “ Zoologie 
Descriptive” was issued in the same year. In 1893 he 
published, in conjunction with M. Grandidier, “‘ Obser- 
vations relatives aux ossements d’Hippopotames trouvés 
dans le Marais d’Ambolisatra 4 Madagascar” (Am. Sci. 
Nat. Zoologie, 1893, ser. vii. vol. xvi., pp. 151-190, pls. 7-15). 
In this memoir are described the remains of the remark- 
able pigmy hippopotamus found by M. Grandidier, from 
which place also Dr. Forsyth Major obtained the 
material recently described by him in the Geological | 
Magazine. 
Besides the examples of Dr. Filhol’s labours above | 
alluded to, he made many other contributions to zoology 
and paleontology. Under his name will be found, in 
the Royal Society’s catalogue, upwards of fifty papers 
published before the year 1883, and about as many more 
have been published since that date. This noble record 
has been appreciated by his fellow workers throughout 
the world, and has not been without hearty recognition 
in his own country ; for besides the Lalande-Guérineau 
prize in 1876, already mentioned, he was awarded the 
gold medal of the Scientific Congress of the Sorbonne 
in 1879, the chief prize for physical and natural science 
of the Academy of Sciences ; he was the recipient of the 
Petit-d’Hormoy prize in 1883, and received the decoration 
of the Legion of Honour in 1886. 
Dr. H. Filhol at one time held the chair of zoology of 
the Faculty of Sciences of Toulouse, his native town ; in 
1885 he became subdirector, and subsequently director, 
of the laboratory of anatomical zoology at the Museum 
of Natural History, Paris; more recently he was appointed 
to the professorship of comparative anatomy at the same 
national institution, and continued to hold that post 
until the time of his death. 
NOTES. 
THE German Emperor has, with the consent of the British 
Government, appointed Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, G.C.S.I., 
C.B., late Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a 
foreign Knight of the Order Pour le Mérite for Science and 
Arts. . It has been officially decided that the regulations regard- 
ing foreign decorations do not apply to this order. 
Lorp RAYLEIGH has been elected a corresponding member 
of the section of natural sciences of the Imperial Academy of 
Sciences of Vienna. 
Mr. J. B. ScrrvENoR has been appointed geologist on the 
Geological Survey, and Mr. D, A. MacAlister has been 
appointed temporarily to investigate metalliferous mines. 
We learn that Lord Salisbury has asked the President of the 
Board of Trade to receive a deputation from the Institution of 
Electrical Engineers on the subject of the present unfavourable 
condition of the law relating to electric lighting and traction 
(see NATURE, vol. Ixvi. p. 35). The deputation is to wait on 
Mr. Gerald Balfour to-day (Thursday). In view of the back- 
wardness of this country in electrical engineering and of the 
large degree in which this backwardness is due to restrictive 
legislation, it is to be hoped that the Government may be induced 
to introduce more rational laws without delay. 
NO. I701, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
[JUNE 5, 1902 
THE Berlin correspondent of the 7%mes writes that experi- 
ments were carried out last year at the General Telegraph Office 
in Berlin with a new system of octoplex typographic telegraphy. 
It is claimed that this system will enable twenty operators to 
send 18,000 words an hour through a single wire. The despatch- 
ing instrument is of the typewriter form, and to telegraph any 
letter it is only necessary to depressa single key. The receiving 
instrument prints the message on a sheet of paper (not ona tape), 
and this can be immediately detached and forwarded to its 
proper destination. An installation to enable communication 
between Hamburg and Frankfurt by this system is being put up, 
and will shortly come into use. Further particulars and develop- 
ments will be awaited with interest. The invention is due to 
the late Prof. H. A. Rowland, of Baltimore. 
Ir is reported that Mr. Thomas A. Edison has been experi- 
menting with a view to the invention of a storage battery to 
enable automobiles to run 100 miles without recharging. As 
soon as a 5000 miles endurance test, which is about to be 
started, is completed, he will begin the manufacture of storage 
batteries for the use of automobiles, launches and street cars. 
It is understood that Mr. Edison’s invention will also greatly 
diminish the weight of automobiles. 
THE fifty-first annual meeting of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science will be held at Pittsburgh from 
June 28 to July 3. At the first general session the retiring 
president, Dr. C. S. Minot, will introduce the president-elect, 
Prof. Asaph Hall. The presidents of sections will deliver their 
addresses on Monday, June 30, and Dr. Minot will give his 
address, as retiring president, on the following day, at the 
Carnegie Museum. The programme of the work of the sections 
has not yet been published. 
THE forty-seventh annual exhibition of the Royal Photo- 
graphic Society will be held from September 29 to November 4. 
There will be five sections, namely, (1) selected pictorial photo- 
graphs; (2). general professional work; (3) photographic 
apparatus and materials ; (4) photo-mechanical processes of 
reproduction ; (5) scientific photography and photography in its 
technical applications. The judges of sections four and five will 
be Sir William Abney, K.C.B., F.R.S., Mr. Chapman Jones 
and Mr. E. Sanger Shepherd. 
THE Bulletin of the Belgian Academy contains an obituary 
notice by M. C. Le Paige of M. Francois Deruyts, who died in 
February last. M. Deruyts was an ardent student of pure 
geometry. On leaving the University he published a remark- 
able dissertation on the theory of involution and unicursal 
homography, and this formed the nucleus for a series of in- 
vestigations dealing with the geometry of hyperspaces and the 
determination of the singular elements in an involution of any 
order. From general theorems, numerous elegant applications 
to special curves and surfaces were deduced. M. Deruyts also 
possessed an intimate knowledge of analysis and mechanics. 
AN International Shipbuilding Congress in connection with 
the Diisseldorf Exhibition was opened on Monday by the 
Crown Prince of Germany. More than 550 delegates are in at- 
tendance. Of foreign countries Great Britain is most numerously 
represented. The Institution of Naval Architects is represented 
by the Earl of Glasgow (president), Lord Brassey, Messrs. 
Elgar, Thornycroft, Yarrow, and others. The Crown Prince, 
in declaring the Congress open, expressed the regret of his 
father, the Emperor, that his Majesty was unable to be present, 
and hoped that the deliberations of the Congress would be 
fruitful in good results. 
Tue Board of Agriculture has given notice that the Colorado 
beetle has again made its appearance at Tilbury. Potato 
growers are, therefore, requested to examine their plants and 
‘ 
q 
