May 1 8, 1S82] 



NATURE 



67 



A SATISFACTORY Report for 1S81 has been issued by Mr. 

 Paton, curator of the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow. The 

 natural history collections especially have greatly increased 

 during the past year, and if displayed properly, would themselves 

 fill the Museum. It seems strange that so wealthy a city as 

 Glasgow should be content to have Iheir growing and valuable 

 museum so inadequately housed. 



Dr. P. A. Bergsma has resigned his appointment as Director 

 of the Batavia Observatory, and is returning to Europe. We 

 have often had occaion to refer to the good work done by Dr. 

 Bergsma at this Observat ry, especially on Meteorology. 



Mr. Henry Dyer, the efficient principal of the Imperial 

 College of Engineering, Tokio, Japan, is about to return to this 

 country. 



The death is announced of Col. J. T. Smith, R.E., F.R.S., 

 for many years Master of the Mint at Madras, and the author of 

 some valuable optical discoveries. 



We regret to learn of the death, at the early age of thirty-two, 

 of a promising young science teacher and lecturer, Mr. Thomas 

 Dunman, lecturer on Physiology at the Birkbeck Institution, and 

 Physical Science Lecturer at the Working Men's College. His 

 brief career furnishes a remarkable instance of what may be done 

 by energy, perseverance, and a strong faith in one's own powers. 

 Mr. Dunuian has done excellent work in science teaching at both 

 of the institutions mentioned. In 1879 he published a glossary 

 of "Biological, Anatomical, and Physiological Terms," and 

 finding his Lectures on Popular Scientific Subjects were so much 

 appreciated, he commenced last year to issue them in pamphlet 

 form. 



Messrs. Bailliere, Tindall, and Cox have the following 

 announcements : — A revised and enlarged edition of Harris and 

 Power's "Manual for the Physiological Laboratory " will appear 

 on June I ; a second edition of the Portrait-picture of the Inter- 

 national Medical and Scientific Congress of 1881 is in course of 

 preparation, with a few additional portraits ; a second part of 

 the President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' 

 (Mr. Fleming) work on " Animal Plagues," from the beginning 

 of the present century, will be published during the next few 

 days. 



Prof. Roscoe, with other members of the Royal Comnission 

 on Technical Instruction, visited Vienna during the past week. 

 Mr. Samuelson, M.P., the president of the Commission, and 

 Mr. W. Woodall, M.P., left on Friday to join their colleagues 

 at Dresden. After inspecting the schools and manufactories in 

 Saxony, it is the intention of the Commissioners to proceed to 

 Berlin. 



We have received copies of a circular letter and inclosures 

 which have been issued to the scientific societies of the United 

 Kingdom (with the exception of the Chartered London Societies, 

 and the medical and some few other societies of a similar cha- 

 racter) within the last few days. These papers are issued in 

 pursuance of the resolutions adopted at the -second Conference 

 of Delegates of Scientific Societies held at York. Any society 

 desirous of receiving these, or intending to send a Delegate or 

 Delegates to the Southampton Meeting of the British Association, 

 should apply to Mr. W. G. Fordham, Odsey Grange, Royston. 

 Mr. Fordham would be obliged to secretaries of scientific socie- 

 ties, or any of our readers, who would assist him in compiling a 

 complete list of the scientific societies of the United Kingdom, 

 by sending him information, particularly with reference to the 

 smaller provincial and local natural history societies, and similar 

 bodies. 



We have received the Annual Reports of three local scientific 

 societies — East Kent, West Kent, and Wellington College. 

 They all speak favourably of the work of the past year and of 

 the progress of the societies. The Report of the West Kent 



Society contains a sensible address on Evolution, by the 

 president ; and that of the Wellington Society shows that 

 considerable improvement has taken place since the last report. 

 On Saturday afternoon last the membeis of the Essex Field 

 Club met in the private lecture-room in the Natural History 

 Museum, South Kensington, at the invitation of Dr. Henry 

 Woodward, F.R.S., who delivered a very interesting and in- 

 structive lecture on the "Ancient Fauna of Essex." The 

 lecture was amply illustrated with specimens and diagrams, 

 many of the latter being specially prepared for the occasion, 

 and at its close Prof. Morris gave a brief risumi of the prin- 

 cipal facts of the geology of the Thames and Roding Valleys. 

 Dr. Woodward afterwards conducted the party through the 

 palaeontological galleries, and practically demonstrated many of 

 the more remarkable forms referred to in his lecture. 



The funds voted by the French Government for the next 

 Transit of Venus Expedition not being deemed sufficient, the 

 great commission presided over by M. Dumas in consequence of 

 the deficiency, is making an application to the Minister of Public 

 Instruction for an extension of credit. 



M. Eloy, a young aeronaut who executed on Sunday, May 7, 

 an interesting ascent, reported at full length to the Academy 

 of Sciences on the following day, is to make a series of 

 scientific ascents from La Villette Gasworks, and has sub- 

 mitted to M. Dumas a detailed programme of his proposed obser- 

 vations. We may state that their bearing is mostly on the 

 nature of clouds, their dimensions, their formation, their pro- 

 pulsion by the wind, and their situation in the several strata of 

 air by which they are propelled. The questions proposed by 

 M. W. de Fonvielle to Dr. Hermann Kopp will be solved as far 

 practicable. 



A LARGE Lacustrine canoe, in excellent condition, has been 

 found near Bex, 4000 feet above the sea-level, and nearly 3000 

 feet above the Valley of the Rhone. No Lacustrine relics 

 have ever before been met with in Switzerland, at such an 

 elevation. 



An International Hygienic Conference is to be held in Geneva 

 in September next. 



We regret to learn that the Hygienic Exhibition which was in 

 preparation in Berlin has been almost destroyed by fire ; but 

 the Committee have resolved to carry out the enterprise next 

 spring. 



His Excellency the Marquis of Lome, Governor-General of 

 Canada, has instituted a Society for the "Advancement of 

 Literature and Science in the Dominion of Canada," the first 

 meeting of which is fixed to take place in the city of Ottawa on 

 May 25, 26, 27. The President is Principal J. W. Dawson, 

 C.M.G., F.R.S. 



There is an interesting paper in the last number of the 

 Revue Scientifique, by M. Ch. Cornevin, on the Domestication 

 of the Horse. 



In connection with the election of M. de Freycinet to the 

 Paris Academy of Sciences, it may be noted that not less than 

 twenty-four members of the Senate belong to the several classes 

 of the Institute of France, seven to the Academie Francaise, five 

 to the Academy of Sciences, Morals, and Politics, five to the 

 Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres ; of these twenty- 

 four, not less than twenty are life-senators, whose number is 

 only seventy-five, and seven have been ministers. In the French 

 Lower House the number of Academicians is very small, only 

 three — two of the Academy of Sciences, one of these having 

 been minister, and one of the Academie Francaise. 



Prof. Forel distinguishes three regions in a glacier : — 1. The 

 neve" (infancy of the glacier). Excess of snow ; the summer 



