June i, 1882] 



NA TURE 



Norwegian naturalist to conduct a scientific mission to Kam- 

 chatka. At two days' notice, Herr Stejneger started, on March 

 22, well supplied by the U.S. Signal Service Department with 

 all the instruments and appliances necessary for carrying out his 

 instructions which emanate conjointly from the Smithsonian and 

 the U.S. Meteorological Institutions. A year and a half has 

 been suggested as the term of his mission, but in this, as in 

 other matters, he is left to follow his own judgment in regard to 

 the best way of attaining the objects it is proposed to secure. 

 These are : (1) the erection of a meteorological station, of the 

 first class if possible, on the coast of Kamchatka, and one of 

 the second or third class on Behring Island, and at Petro- 

 pawlovsk, for each of which he is to make arrangements that 

 will secure their permanent efficiency after his departure ; (2) in 

 the capacity of a member of the U.S. Fish Commission, to draw 

 up a report of the fishing-grounds, more especially with reference 

 to the condition of the cod-fisheries ; (3) to collect, for the 

 national museum the largest attainable number of the remains of 

 the now extinct Rhytina, or Arctic sea-cow, good skins of Phoca 

 lamina, Otaria ursina, and other sea-animals, together with a 

 few skeletons and a large number of the crania of these and other 

 marine mammals, and of the local birds and fishes. Herr Stej- 

 neger promises to keep the readers of Natural acquainted with 

 the success that may attend him in the prosecution of his various 

 and arduous labours. 



We are glad to observe that the telegraph is making rapid 

 way in China. The Shanghai-Tientsin line has been working 

 now for a few months, and a line is being constructed in the 

 south between Canton and Hongkong — a distance of about 100 

 miles. The first section is to connect Canton, which is practically 

 the commercial capital of China, with the frontier of British 

 Kowloon, situated opposite the town of Victoria. After some 

 consideration it has been decided that a land-line is preferable to 

 a submarine cable, as it will be more economical, and the latter 

 alft 1 v ould seriously interfere with the enormous junk traffic and 

 fishing operations in the estuary of the Canton River. It is 

 interesting to remark that this line is purely a private under- 

 taking of a company of Chinese merchants in Canton, who, 

 doubtless, want to be on a level with their brethren in the north, 

 in rapidity of communication with the markets of the world. 

 The line, as above stated, will for the the present terminate on 

 the confines of British territory. It seems hardly credible — but 

 the fact is stated in the Hongkong journals — that opposition is 

 made by the British authorities to the further construction of 

 the line, and especially to the cable across the harbour necessary 

 to connect Kowloon with Hongkong, unless it is constructed by 

 a British company. .. 



We regret to see that the project of a meteorological observa- 

 tory in Hongkong, which we have alreadydescribed in Nature, 

 is still "under consideration." Major ; Palmer's ^very complete 

 scheme, on which we commented at the time, was in the hands 

 of the Colonial Office six months ago, but nothing has since 

 been done, and there seems to be grounds for the fear that a 

 work of much importance, local as well as general, for which 

 funds are amply provided by the colonial authorities, will be 

 postponed so long that the officer to whose knowledge and ability 

 the scheme is chiefly due will have left the colony. It will be 

 difficult and may be impossible to find a well-qualified substitute 

 in a small community such as that of Hongkong. 



The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain propose to hold 

 next year an exhibition similar to the one held in the year 

 1S6S at the Crystal Palace, with the object of ascertaining the 

 position of the science of aeronautics, and with the view of 

 affording an opportunity to inventors to embody and exhibit the 

 results of their labours. Several prizes will be offered, and an 

 exhibit of balloons and all the appliances connected therewith 



will be invited ; also of any methods for propelling a balloon or 

 any gas vessel, influencing its direction, prolonging its life, im- 

 proving its utility, &c. The Council will be glad to have an 

 intimation addressed to the secretary, from members or others, 

 that they are likely to exhibit, or to assist in raising the funds 

 which will be necessary to carry out the project. 



It has been decided by the Chancellor of the Upsala Uni- 

 versity to purchase the botanical collection belonging to the 

 famous Swedish botanist, the late Prof. Elias Fries, for a sum 

 of 1250/. ; the collection, however, does not include a Scandi- 

 navian Phanerogam herbarium, a collection of mosses and algse, 

 as well as some other objects, which have been purchased by 

 some one, who desires to be unknown, and presented to the 

 Botanical Museum in Upsala. 



The Swedish Diet has voted a sum of about 300/. towards a 

 geological expedition to Spitzbergen in the summer of 1883, 

 which amount will be placed at the disposal of the Academy of 

 Science in Stockholm ; it is, however, stipulated that all objects 

 collected shall be presented to the National Museum. 



Intelligence from the island of Fayal, one of the Azores, 

 states that a violent earthquake occurred there on May 3. The 

 shocks continued during an hour, in which time churches, public 

 buildings, and several houses were destroyed. 



After efforts to domesticate several species of wild ducks in 

 America, capturing them young, or raising them from the eggs, 

 Mr. Lindon says (Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci.) that none adapted 

 themselves thoroughly to the barnyard state except the mallard, 

 dusky duck, and Canada goose, whose progeny prospered well, 

 and attained a greater weight and size than the ordinary domes- 

 ticated stock. Some of them betray- a tendency to revert in 

 plumage, to their original condition, but the majority have been 

 completely metamorphosed into the ordinary barnyard fowl. No 

 hybrids from any two different wild species, which bred only 

 within the inclosure, were ever obtained, except from crosses 

 between the mallard and dusky duck. The mallard has been 

 supposed to be the originator of the common tamed ducks, but 

 the dusky duck is now pronounced to be fully as domesticable. 



In view of the vagueness of expression "rainy day" in 

 meteorology, Prof. Schmeltz has lately devised an apparatus to 

 register the actual duration of rain. (He was not aware of M. 

 Redier's apparatus for this purpose). From a description in 

 the Journal de Physujue (May), we learn that a long band 

 of Morse paper sensitised for rain is used. The paper is 

 dipped in a solution of sulphate of iron, dried carefully, and 

 coated with tannic acid, or pulverised ferrocyanide of potas- 

 sium, n.ixed with powdered resin for better adherence. The 

 strip is stretched between rollers, one of which is actuated by 

 means of an endless chain from a toothed wheel on the axle of 

 the minute hand of a common clock. It passes under a funne' 

 in the top of a wooden case, which is open below and is fixed 

 outside a window. By means of guide rollers it receives doubk 

 inclination (longitudinal and transverse), and the rain in excess 

 does not sensibly spread beyond the part passing under the 

 funnel. The length which the rollers transfer during a whole 

 day is divided into twenty-four equal parts, each corresponding. 

 on an average, to an horn. When no rain has fallen during the 

 day, the paper strip used may be utilised again, being easily- 

 wound on the delivering roller. This simple and cheap apparatus 

 is said to act admirably. 



A well-arranged and instructive Popular Handbook to the 

 Natural History Collection in the Museum of the Yorkshire 

 Philosophical Society, has been issued by the keeper, Mr. Walter 

 Keeping. 



The Council of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and of 

 Electricians have determined that the Society shall offer three 



