482 



NATURE 



\_SeM. 14, 1882 



Several shocks of earthquake have been felt at Panama 

 recently ; one on September 7 caused a great deal of damage, 

 while on the 9th another shock seems to have done still more 

 damage. Several towns in the interior seem also to have suf- 

 fered, whilst the long-dormant volcanoes of Chiriqui are said to 

 be active again. 



The example of the English Government has produced some 

 effect on the French military aeronauts. Their captive balloons 

 will be exhibited publicly for the first time in the great manoeuvres 

 of this year. 



The Academy of Aerostation will try on September 22 the 

 system of aerial, panoramic photography, for which they have 

 received a subvention fiom the City of Paris. This scientific 

 experiment, which, it is expected, will bear interesting results, 

 will take place on the occasion of the file of the "Defence 

 National," round the Lion of Belfort, at a very little distance 

 from the Observatory. 



In the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, vol. xv. 

 (for 1881, published in 1882), Mr. W. M. Maskell, F.R.M.S., 

 continues his valuable memoir on the Coccida of New Zealand, 

 and describes interesting new forms. The descriptions appear 

 to be clear, and the notes on economy full and serviceable. The 

 figures are unfortunately rough, and in two instances where the 

 males are delineated, are practically useless from this cause. 

 This is unfortunate, because male Cocci are comparatively rare, 

 and very much depends upon their careful delineation when dis- 

 covered. We think no one would ever suspect the true position 

 of the insect figured on PI. xiv. Fig. 27, were it not for the 

 surroundings. 



We have before us the Silzungsberichte und Abhandlung ,/i der 

 natunuisscnschaftlichen Ceselhcha/t /sis in Drcslen for January- 

 June, 1882. The publications of this old-established society 

 seem to be scarcely so well-known in this country as they should 

 be. The financial condition appears to beflouri hing. There 

 are few local societies in Germany that possess an invested 

 capital of 250/. to 300/. We note, especially, the following 

 papers contained in this part :— The Diamonds of the Royal 

 Mineralogical Museum of Dresden, "crystallograpbische Unter- 

 sucht," by A. Purgold ; Results of ob ervations at the meteoro- 

 logical station at Dresden, by Prof. S. A. Ntubert ; a paper on 

 a fossil Pseudo-scorpion from the Carboniferous of Zwickau, 

 by H. B. Geinitz ; and another on fossil Cockroaches from the 

 " Dyas" of Weissig, by Dr. Deichmiiller, illustrated by a plate. 

 There are also several botanical papers. 



The Swedish Government has decided, that from the be- 

 ginning of next year no individual shall be employed on railways 

 or on board ship in that country till his sight has previously 

 been tested as to c dour-blindness, by a method devised by Prof. 

 Holmgren of Upsala. 



We have received a letter from a gentleman in Hong-kong, 

 signing himself "Verax," referring to a note in our is ue of 

 June 1, on the subject of the projected Chinese telegraph line 

 between Ilong-kong and Canton, and the alleged refusal of the 

 Colonial authorities to permit the landing of the cable across 

 Victoria harbour on British territory. The facts as stated in 

 our note he allows to be correct. But whatever the grounds — 

 and "Verax" fails to show there are any substantial ones — 

 for local opposition to the enterprise, we regard it as peculiarly 

 unfortunate that any forward step of the Chine-e should be 

 retarded by the British authorities. 



A member of the Russian Geographical Society, Mr. Poliakov, 

 who with a few followers has been exploring the island of 

 Saghalien, recently ceded by Japan to Russia, has just returned 



to St. Petersburg, having spent about a year in the island. He 

 states that the greatest river, the Tyniy, is navigable for vessels 

 w ith sixteen feet draught for a distance of eight miles. This 

 river is the only harbour on the island with the exception of 

 Kuegda Bay on the north coa-t, but which is situated in a barren 

 and unpopulated district. The flora and fauna w ere found to 

 be the same as those of North Siberia. Judging from the anti- 

 quities and stone implements discovered, it is supposed that the 

 island has been inhabited in prehistoric times, while other 

 remains show that at one time large fisheries have been carried 

 n here. 



We have on our table the following publications: — Ueber 

 den Bau und das Wachtthums der Zellhaute, Dr. Ed. Stra-s- 

 burger (Fischer, Jena) ; Synthese des Mineraux et des Roches, 

 F. Fouque et Michel Levy (G. Masson) ; Elementary Bo'any, 

 Henry Edmonds (Longman and Co.) ; Handbuch der Verg- 

 leichenden Anatomie, E. O. Schmidt (Fischer, Jena) ; Our 

 Great Peril if war overtake us with our Fleet deficient in Number. 

 Structure, and Armament, Admiral T. M. C. Symons, G.C.B. 

 (VV. Kent and Co.) ; The Economics of Fair Trade, W. R. 

 Herkless (Wilson and McCormick) ; The Physiology and Patho- 

 logy of the Blood, R. Norris, M.D. (Smith, Elder, and Co.) ; 

 On Failure of Brain Power, Julius Althaus, M.D. (Longman 

 and Co.); Benderloch : or Notes from the West Highlands, 

 W. Anderson Smith (A. Gardner); Sdurfossiler og Pressede 

 Konglomerater I Bergensskifiene, Hans W. Reusch (Broggers, 

 Kristiania) ; Meteorological Charts for the Ocean District ad- 

 jacent to the Cape of Good Hope, Stationery Office ; also Re- 

 marks explanatory of the foregoing ; Catechism of Modern Ele- 

 mentary Chemistry, E. W. v. Volckxsom (Kegan Paul) ; Cameos 

 from the Silverland, vol. ii., E. W. White (Van Voorst) ; Worms 

 and Crustacea, Alpheus Hyatt (Green, Heath, and Co.) ; Micro- 

 Fungi, Thomas Brittain (Heywood) ; Faith, the Life Root 

 of Science, Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion, H. Griffith 

 (Elliot Stock) ; Experimental Physiology, Richard Owen (Long- 

 mans) ; The Origin and Relations of the Carbon Minerals, Prof 

 Newberry ; Tests of Incandescent Lamps for Fall of Resistance, 

 &c.j A. Jamie-on ; House Sanitation, G. H. Stanger, C.E. (C. 

 John Steen, Wolverhampton) ; Induction, Willou^hby Smith 

 (Hayman Bros.) ; Hothouse Education, J. A. Digby (Stanford) ; 

 Familiar Lessons on Food and Nutrition, Part I., T. Twining 

 (Bogue) ; An Impromptu Ascent of Mont Blanc, W. H. Le 

 Mesurier (Elliot Stock). 



The additions to the Zoolog'cal Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Pig-tailed Monkey (Macaats Hemes trinus i) 

 from Java, presented by Mr. W. Mas in ; a Rhesus Monkey 

 [Macacus erylhrceus 9 ) from India, presented by Mrs. H. C. 



Dawson ; a Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), a Spider 



(Mygale, sp. inc.), a Scorpion (Scorpio, sp. inc.) from West 

 Africa, presented by Mr. G. H. Garrett ; six Spanish Blue 

 Mag.'ies (Cyanopohus cooki), three Pleurodele Newts (Pleurodtles 

 walti) from Spain, presented by Lord Lilford, F.Z.S. ; a Greater 

 Yasa Parrakeet (Coracopsis vasa) from Madagascar, presented 

 by Major-General Hill ; two Common Barn Owls (Strix 

 flammea), Briiish, presented by Dr. Boyd, F.Z.S. ; a Grey 

 Ichneumon (Herpestes griseus) from India, presented by Mrs. 

 Freeman ; six Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis), European, pre- 

 sented by Herr J. Sehliger ; two Pennsylvanian Mud Terrapins 

 [Cinosternonpennyslyvanicum),\ViO Adorned Terrapins (CUmmys 

 ornala) from North America, presented by Mr. A. Forrer ; a 

 Ring-tailed Coati (jVasua rufa) from South America, deposited; 

 a Leopard (Felis pardus i ) from Africa, a Small-eared Fox 

 (Cams micro/is <5 ) from the Upper Amazons, a Marsh Ichneumon 

 (Hetpestes paludosus) from South Africa, two Water Chevrotains 

 (Ilyomoschus aquaticui), an Erxleben's Monkey (CercopUhecvs 

 erxLbcni) from West Africa, a Red-faced Saki (Braihyttrus 

 rubicicndus ? ) from the Upper Amazons, a Weeper Capuchin 



