268 
NATURE 
[ Fan. 6, 1870 
getic director. Dr. Edward Hartstein was not only a man ot 
wide scientific attainments, but a good practical farmer, and 
thoroughly acquainted with the English and Scotch systems of 
agriculture in their more advanced phases. Appointed to the 
directorship of the Poppelsdorf Academy at the early age of 32, 
he devoted himself heart and soul to the interests of that institu- 
tion, and to the advancement of agriculture in his native country. 
He was the author of various works on rural economy, and for 
some time immediately previous to his death had been busily 
engaged in working up the materials for a book which should 
combine the results of his practical experience with the most 
recent conclusions of the botanist, the chemist, and the physio- 
logist. Dr. Hartstein was bom in 1823, and died on the 14th 
ultimo, a victim to over-work. He was a member of the Royal 
British Agricultural Society, a distinction which he highly prized. 
THE Lygineer states that a meeting of Government science 
teachers was held in Manchester on Monday week, when it was 
resolved to submit to the Department of Science and Art an 
expression of regret and disapproval of the sudden and unan- 
ticipated mode in which that department has repudiated its 
engagements with the teachers, chiefly with reference to lectures. 
The received theory that public companies have no conscience 
seems to be very generally true of public departments, except 
when they happen to be dealing with interests strongly repre- 
sented in the Ilouse of Commons. 
M. Lorret, Professor at the School of Medicine in Lyons, 
has undertaken the Natural History Course at the Faculty of 
Sciences in that city, vice M. Jourdan, who retires. 
THE Council of the Society of Arts have decided to create a 
new office, that of Inspector of the Educational Department, and 
have selected for this appointment Mr. Critchett, who has been 
for thirteen years Assistant-Secretary. The latter office wil] not 
be filled up. 
THE series of public lectures on scientific subjects which is 
given every winter at the Sorbonne commenced on the 23rd 
ultimo, when M. Fernet discoursed on the subject of optical 
illusions. The other lectures comprised in this course are as 
follows :—Jan. 6.—M. Garnier, Mining Engineer, ‘‘ The Island 
of Otaheite.” Jan. 13.—M. A. Cazin, ‘“ The Motor Forces.” 
Jan. 20.—‘‘M. P. Bert, Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of 
Paris, ‘‘Sympathetic Nervous Actions.” Jan. 27.—M. Lies- 
Bodard, Professor at the TIaculty of Sciences at Strasbourg, 
**Ozone.” Feb. 3.—M. Janin (of the Institute), ‘Sound and 
Light.” Feb. 10.—M. Wolf (of the Imperial Observatory), “‘ The 
Shape of the Earth.” Feb. 17.—M. Jansen, ‘‘The Eclipse of 
the 18th August observed in the East Indies.” Feb. 24.—M. 
Bouley (of the Institute), ‘‘ On Insanity.” March ro.—M. Faye 
(of the Institute), ‘On the Figure of Comets.” March 17.—M. 
G. Ville, Professor at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, 
“* Theoretical Agriculture.” When shall we be able to announce 
a like series of lectures by men of scientific eminence, as open 
free to all comers in our own metropolis ? 
A COMMITTEE has been formed at Leipzig to collect funds for 
the purchase of the celebrated museum of the late Dr. Klemm, 
of Dresden. This museum consists of some 14,000 admirably 
arranged objects, illustrative of what is known in Germany as the 
history of civilisation. Should the committee succeed in raising 
sufficient money to attain their purpose, the collection will be 
handed over to the University of Leipzig, on condition that it is 
made available for all classes of society. In consideration of the 
scientific importance of keeping together such a collection as 
this, the representatives of Dr. Klemm are willing to sell it to 
the committee for the moderate sum of 10,000 thalers. 
THE first number of the Annales des Scien-es Geologiques, a 
periodical on the same plan and of the same size as the Azzales 
des Sciences Naturelles, has just been issued. M, Hébert, Pro- 
fessor of Geology at the Faculty of Sciences of Paris, is the 
geological editor; M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards undertakes the 
paleontology. One volume, consisting of four numbers, will be 
published annually. The greater portion of the number before 
us is occupied by the first part of an important treatise by M. 
Louis Tartet, secretary of the French Geological Society, ‘‘On 
the Geology of Palestine and the neighbouring countries.” This 
treatise embodies the observations obtained during the course of 
the expedition of the Duc de Luynes to the Dead Sea. M. 
Hebert contributes a paper ‘On the Lignite-bearing grit of 
Helsingborg and Héganis in Southern Sweden,” 
WE have been requested to contradict the statement contained 
in our Jast number, that the Yournal of Botany will in future be 
edited by Mr. Henry Trimen, of the British Museum. Dr. 
Seemann will continue to edit the journal; but greater promi- 
nence than hitherto will be given to British Botany, and that 
department will be under the joint superintendence of Mr. Trimen 
and Mr. Baker, of Kew. 
A SPECIAL JoURNAL for the publication and discussion of 
observations of shooting-stars and bolide is about to appear 
under the editorship of M. Kieselmeyer, of Dresden. It will be 
published at irregular intervals dependent upon the amount ot 
material in the hands of the editor. The price will be from 
2fr. 50c. to Ifr., according to the number of subscribers. 
THE culture of the Cinchona, or Peruvian bark, in St. Helena 
is progressing satisfactorily, The plants are all in excellent 
health, and have a fine, green, vigorous appearance. There are 
now about 4000 planted out, and it is thought a sufficient number 
can be obtained from them to stock the whole colony. 
TueE Southampton Town Council have decided to adopt the 
““A BC” process for the utilisation of sewage, and to make 
such arrangements with the Native Guano Company as may be 
agreed upon. 
AUTHENTIC cases of the successful treatment of snake bites are 
of some interest. Dr. Bell supplies two in his ‘‘ New Tracks in 
North America.” On the Rio Grande, in October, 1867, two 
horses were bitten by the same rattlesnake, while grazing. A few 
hours afterwards the submaxillary, parotid, and all glands situated 
about the head and neck were greatly enlarged ; from the nostrils 
and gums, a clear, mucous discharge ran down; the eyes were 
glairy, with the pupils greatly dilated, and the coat was rough 
and staring. To each animal Dr. Bell gave half-a-pint of whisky, 
with a little water, and half an ounce of ammonia, while the 
wounds were fomented with a strong infusion of tobacco, and 
afterwards poulticed with chopped tobacco leaves. Both horses 
recovered. One, although reduced in flesh, and thrown out of 
condition, was fit for work in a week, but the other only just 
escaped with his life, becoming a .perfect skeleton, and only 
commencing to mend at the end of three months. Dr. Bell adds 
that a little weed, common throughout the Wester States (called 
by Engelmann, Zwphorbia lata, and by Torney, £. dilatata), is 
said to be a specific for the bite of the rattlesnake, but at the very 
time the plant was wanted it could not be found, although con- 
tinually met with elsewhere, along the route, so that the experi- 
ment could not be tried. 
PROFESSOR GIEBEL, of Halle, reports the results of some 
interesting experiments which he has made with the object of 
ascertaining the correctness of the popular notion that sparrows 
are destructive animals, feeding chiefly on grapes and stone-fruit. 
He found on examining the intestines of seventy-three young 
sparrows, between the 18th of April and the 24th of June last, 
that forty-six of them had fed exclusively on insects (beetles, 
caterpillars, &c.), and seven only exclusively on stone-fruit, 
the rest having all more or less fed on insects. An examination 
of forty-six old sparrows gave similar results; three only were 
fruit-eaters and the rest chiefly insect-eaters. 
