August 17, 1882] 



NA TURi 



379 



entrance-fee to a fair, came in contact with the wire conducting 

 the electricity of a Brush machine to the lamps, and were 

 killed instantly. 



Prof. Maggi has recently made a protistological analysis of 

 the water of Lake Maggiore, taken at a depth of about 200 fee' 

 between Angera and Arona. There is a proposal, it is known, 

 to supply Milan with potable water from this source. No 

 injurious bacteria or Jlagellata were detected. The small deposit, 

 probably from the bottom of the lake, is pronounced innocuous ; 

 it consists partly of harmless inorganic matter in reduction, and 

 incapable of further evolution. The few diatom scales in it are 

 harmless, being pure silica. The very small number of live 

 organisms, as an Amcebi radiosa, Auerb., some Diatoms, and 

 Chlorococcum vulgare, Grev., indicate that the water is pure ; 

 for otherwise the r life would be impossible. The Diatoms and 

 Chlorococcum, feeding on inorganic matter, cannot serve as 

 criteria of the presence of putrescible substances. These 

 organisms were always found alive, even several months after 

 extraction, so that their presence in small quantity could not be 

 very hurtful ; still it would be well to purify the water contain- 

 ing them. In fine, Prof. Maggi pronounces the water in ques- 

 tion serviceable for industrial and domestic use. (For further 

 details of this research we mu-t refer to the Rendiconli of the 

 Reale Istituto Lombardo, vol. xv. fasc. ix., x.). 



In an article on Foreign Chinese Literature the North China 

 Herald, in a recent issue, refers to the translation of modern 

 scientific works into Chinese. In May, 1877, a Committee of 

 the general body of missionaries in China was appointed to 

 superintend the publication of a series of scientific and educa- 

 ti >nal works in the Chinese language for use among the Chinese. 

 This project has been carried out ever since, and a large number 

 of text-books are now undergoing translation at the hands of 

 Sinologues. The majority of the workers are missionaries, but 

 their ranks have been largely recruited from other sources. The 

 subjects undertaken are of a most comprehensive Dature. They 

 include treatises on logic, mental and moral philosophy, political 

 economy, philology, jurisprudence, the philology and structure 

 of plants, anatomy, mathematical physics, church history, meteor- 

 ology, astronomy, chemistry, trigonometry, algebra, natural 

 philosophy, zoology, ethnology, mineralogy, physical and poli- 

 tical geography, history, besides other works. The undertaking 

 of this large and important series of works reflects the highest 

 credit on the industry and intelligence of the missionary body. 

 But the work of putting the Chinese in possession of the 

 results of Western knowledge has not been confined to the mis- 

 sionaries. The Inspector-General of Chinese Customs, Sir 

 Robert Hart, who is known as an indefatigable educator of the 

 Chinese, is now superintending the translation of a series of 

 scientific text-books into the Chinese vernacular. The Imperial 

 College at Peking is assisting in the work. 



A meeting of Japanese literati, versed in European, Chinese, 

 and Japanese languages, was recently held in Tokio. Among 

 those present were the officers of the education and other de- 

 partments, who regret the confusion and intricacies of the Japa- 

 nese spoken and written languages. The object of the meeting 

 was to consider the best steps to be taken for purifying the 

 Japanese language from all foreign elements. After a lengthy 

 discussion it was decided to publish grammars and other books 

 in Kana, or the syllabary system, without the employment of 

 Chinese characters. A periodical is also to be devoted to the 

 furtherance of this scheme. The project seems a visionary one. 

 The Chinese element in the Japanese language is a very ancient 

 and powerful one. All Japanese philosophy, much of its 

 religion, its arts and sciences, have come from China, and have 

 brought their terminology with them. Even at the present day, 

 when the Japanese want a name for western inventions, for 



steam, railways, &c, they go to China for them. Not many 

 years since, a Japanese gentleman, who has since risen to a high 

 position in the service of his country, gravely proposed the 

 abolition of all kinds of Japanese and Chinese writing, and the 

 application of Latin letters to the Japanese language. This 

 reform is more radical than that now proposed, but it would 

 seem almost as easy of accomplishment. 



We have received from New South Wales an interesting 

 Report of the Trustees of the Australian Museum for 1881. 

 This Museum is open on Sundays, when the attendance is very 

 large indeed. The total number of visitors was 115,655, being 

 an increase of 3192 on the number for 1880. The number who 

 attended on Sundays was 41,660, being an increase of 8963 on 

 the number for 1880, while the attendance on week-days de- 

 creased by 5771 The average daily attendance on week-days 

 was 281, and on Sundays 801. The collections made during 

 the dredging excursion to Port Stephens in November, 18S0, 

 were in some orders and families very extensive, but they have 

 not yet been entirely worked out. The Crustacea have been de- 

 termined by Mr. Haswell, and the mollusca by Mr. Brazier. 

 The vertebrates are all well known species, excepting some small 

 deep-sea fishes. Most of the specimens were obtained within 

 Port Stephens itself ; and, with some differences in detail, they 

 represent a fauna very similar to that of Port Jackson. The 

 total number of species (invertebrata) procured may be roughly 

 estimated at 700. Of these the mollusca, chiefly of minute 

 kinds, comprise 450 species (1500 specimens), forty-seven of 

 which are new to science. There were obtained also many fine 

 specimens of sponges, of species hitherto unrepresented in the 

 Museum. Among the corals there are several rare species, and 

 some are new. Many other important additions have been made 

 to the Mu-eum. Among the collections purchased have been 

 many very valuable ethnological specimens from the South Sea 

 Islands, of a kind which it is daily becoming more difficult to 

 obtain. A collection of fishes from New Guinea was also pur- 

 chased. The Trustees are about to publish a Catalogue of the 

 Crustacea of the Australian Seas. This work has been prepared 

 by Mr. W. A. Haswell, M.A., B.Sc, and will te of great 

 scientific value, containing, as it does, descriptions of all known 

 Australian species, many of which are new to science. A Cata- 

 logue of the collection of fossils has also been prepared. Both 

 of these will shortly leave the printer's hands. Mr. Brazier has 

 been engaged in cataloguing the collections of shells. The most 

 important work undertaken by the Trustees during the year has 

 been the renewal of the exploration of the caves of the Colony ; 

 for which object a special sum of money was voted by Parlia- 

 ment. The bones obtained there are all of recent origin, belong- 

 ing to still existing species of the kangaroo, wallaby, wombat, 

 opossum, &c. The Siluro-Devonian fossils, however, obtained 

 from the limestone rocks are of considerable interest, and will 

 form a valuable addition to the Museum collection. In one cf 

 the caves at Wellington, known as the Breccia Cave, above 

 1000 specimens were obtained, many of them of great interest ; 

 among others an almost perfect ramus of a Thylacoleo w ith the 

 articulating condyle ; and the toe bones of a large species of 

 Echidna. In another cave the tooth of a Diprotodon and some 

 bones of small marsupials w ere found. In some other shafts the 

 bones were larger and more perfect than those in the Breccia 

 Cave. Among the most important discoveries were portions of 

 the pelvis of an immense kangaroo, caudal and cervical vertebrae ■ 

 jaws of large marsupials, especially five rami of Thylacoleo 

 nearly perfect, and many good teeth. A list of the mot 

 important specimens discovered is contained in the Appendix. 



With regard to the doctoring of wines by the process known 

 as pl&trage [i.e. adding plaster of Paris, or calcium sulphate, 

 which decomposes the potassium tartrate-, producing sulphate 

 of potassium, and preventing much of the astringent and colour- 



