JUNE 12, 1902] 
in 1876, directed attention to the importance of Fuchs’s 
then recent publications. 
How true was his forecast, | 
that “they must form the basis of all future inquiries on | 
this part of the subject,” the history of the years that 
followed has fully shown. 
NATURE 
157 
Fuchs was born at Moschin (Posen), May 5, 1833; he | 
became extraordinary professor at Berlin in 1866, 
ordinary professor at Greifswald in 1869, at Gottingen 
in 1874, at Heidelberg in 1875, and finally at Berlin in 
1884. G. B.M. 
CARLO RIVA. 
| ees geology has sustained a heavy loss in the 
death of the young and accomplished Docent in 
petrography and Assistant in the mineralogical labor- 
atory of the University of Pavia, Dr. Carlo Riva, 
Mr. F. FINN sends us from Calcutta an account of colour 
variation ina family of pigeons which have sprung from a pair 
of homing pigeons imported from England last year. ‘* Of the 
original pair,” he ‘says, ‘the cock isa blue chequer and hen a 
silver chequer. None, however, of their descendants have been 
silver, but all blue chequers, with the exception. of one, a blue 
almost exactly resembling the wild Columéa via, but with no 
white on the back. Asagainstthisonecase of reversion, there have 
been two of progressive variation ; for two birds, grandchildren 
of the original pair, though of different broods, show white in 
the tail, though their parents and grandparents had none.” A 
naturalist to whom the observations have been shown remarks :-— 
| *€ The production of white feathers in the tail I should hardly 
who was killed by an avalanche on the 3rd inst. while | 
ascending Monte Grigna. 
tions of various Italian minerals, he specially interested 
himself in the study of the volcanic rocks of Italy, and 
in conjunction with his friend G. de Lorenzo he had 
been for some time engaged ina detailed investigation of 
the volcanic cones and rocks of the “Campi Phlegrzi.” 
The first fruits of this conjoint labour appeared a year or 
two ago in a monograph on the remarkable but seldom 
visited cone of the island of Vivara, which was noticed 
in NATURE last year. Never before had such a com- 
Besides contributing descrip- | 
bination of geological and petrographical skill been | 
devoted to any of the old volcanoes’ of that classic 
district, so that geologists who had seen the memoir 
jooked forward with much interest to the application of 
the same talents to the other cones. It is understood 
that the account of Astroni was far advanced towards 
completion. But all this bright promise of a career that 
would have advanced the cause of science and shed lustre | 
on the scientific work of Italy has been abruptly quenched. | 
Those who knew Carlo Riva personally will keenly feel 
the untimely extinction of a nature so gentle and kindly, 
so enthusiastic and unwearying in pursuit of science, so 
full of power and yet so modest and retiring. He has | 
died a martyr to the energy with which he followed his | 
favourite studies, and carries with him to the grave 
the respect and affection of a wide circle of friends. 
A. G. 
NOTES. 
THE Prince and Princess of Wales were present at the 
Royal Institution on Friday last when Sir Benjamin Baker de- 
livered a lecture on ‘‘ The Nile Dams and Reservoir.” Before 
the lecture several striking experiments were shown to their 
regard as a case of progressive variation. It is more probably a 
reversion to some previous ancestor. Homing pigeons are not 
bred for colour, and it is almost certain that some of the 
ancestors of the pair sent would have had white feathers in the 
tail.” . 
At the forthcoming meeting of the American Association at 
Pittsburg, several of the sections and affiliated societies will meet 
in the Carnegie Institute, where the offices and reception room 
of the Association will also be situated. The accompanying view 
of the Institute is reproduced from the preliminary programme 
of the meeting. The local committee is a large one and contains 
many leading men and women connected with Pittsburg ; Mr. 
Carnegie Institute, Pittsburg. 
George Westinghouse, jun., is the president. It is noteworthy 
| as evidence of sympathy with scientific efforts that the following 
Royal Highnesses by Lord Rayleigh, Sir William Crookes, | 
Prof. Dewar and Prof. Macfadyen. 
THE Rome correspondent of the Daz/y Maz/ announces that 
the Accademia dei Lincei has decided to give Mr. Marconi a 
prize of 400/. as a reward for his work with wireless telegraphy. 
From the same source we learn that Mr. Pierpont Morgan has 
presented a set of cut precious stones, valued at 2000/., to the 
museum of the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris. 
SEVERAL correspondents have sent to the daily papers | 
accounts of the fall of a yellow powder on June 1 and 2 during 
a thunderstorm. At Great Yeldham, in Essex, and at Lang- 
port, Somerset, this yellow sediment was found after the storm 
had subsided, and was thought to be sulphur. Mr. C. Turner 
has, however, pointed out in the Zzmes that the substance 
supposed to be sulphur is in reality the pollen from pine trees. 
This is often produced in large quantities and has many times 
been mistaken in country places for ‘‘ showers of sulphur.” 
NO. 1702, VOL. 66] 
| good. 
resolutions were adopted unanimously on March 24 by the 
Federation of Churches at Pittsburg, Allegheny and vicinity :— 
“©Tnasmuch as all truth is one and is divine and inasmuch as all 
organisations for its conservation and propagation are kindred, 
the Federation of Churches of Pittsburg, Allegheny and 
vicinity records its pleasure in the fact that the American 
| Association for the Advancement of Science is to hold its 
| anniverary in Pittsburg this year. 
In behalf of the churches 
we desire a large and representative meeting here of the seers 
and prophets of science. In behalf of those interested in the 
advancement of education and knowledge we extend to them 
a hearty welcome.” 
Tue seventh annual congress of the South-Eastern Union of 
Scientific Societies, held at Canterbury on June 5-7, was as 
successful as any of the preceding ones. Thirty-seven societies 
are now affiliated to the Union, a slight increase on last year ; 
the accounts showed a small balance, and the attendance was 
An invitation to meet at Dover next year was accepted, 
and Sir Henry Howorth, F.R.S., was elected president for that 
meeting. Papers were read on “‘The Marine Aquarium,” by 
Mr. Sibert Saunders, and on ‘* Mycorhiza,” by Miss A. Lorrain 
Smith ; Prof. Poulton gave a lecture on ‘‘ Recent Researches on 
y 
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