562 
INAD OLE 
[March 31, 1870 
candidates : thirty-four in Physical, and twenty-five in Political 
Geography. The names of the successful candidates will be 
announced at the ensuing anniversary meeting. 
In the introductory lecture to his course of Comparative 
Anatomy, delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons, Prof. 
Flower discusses the objection to the theory of the origin of 
species by the process of natural selection, founded on the exist- 
ence of corresponding types of structure in the Monodelphous 
and Didelphous sections of mammalia. He considers the proba- 
bilities, instead of being against the independent origin of such 
similar structures, are exceedingly in their favour. The lecturer 
lays down as a yaluable guiding principle in morphological 
studies, that when we wish to discover the distinguishing charac- 
ters between different organisms, it is necessary to examine them 
in their most fully developed condition ; if, on the other hand, 
our object is to trace their resemblance, their intimate relation- 
ships, we must study them in their early embryonic stages. 
THE Revue des Cours Scientifiques reports that the Sars sub- 
scription now approaches 9,000 francs. Subscriptions have been 
received from Germany, Hungary, and America, In France 
nearly all the professors of higher instruction in science have 
subscribed to it. 
WE have received from the Royal Society a report of Prof. 
Duncan’s important paper on the Madrepores of the Porcupine 
Expedition. We shall return to this subject after completing 
Dr. Carpenter’s report of the more general results of the 
expedition. 
Pror. TYNDALL will have much to answer for in the results 
that may be expected from the spread of his ‘‘ dust and disease” 
theory. It is stated by the Atheneum that a new idea has 
been broached in a recent lecture by Mr. Bloxam, the lecturer 
on chemistry to the department of artillery studies. He 
suggests that the committee on explosives, abandoning gun 
cotton, should collect the germs of small-pox and _ similar 
malignant diseases, in cotton or other dust-collecting sub- 
stances, and load shells with them. We should then hear of 
an enemy dislodged from his position by a volley of typhus, or a 
few rounds of Asiatic cholera. We shall expect to receive the 
particulars of a new “Sale of Poisons” Act, imposing the 
strictest regulations on the sale by{chemists of packets of 
“cholera germs” or ‘‘small-pox seed.” Probably none will be 
allowed to be sold without bearing the stamp of the Royal Institu- 
tion, certifying that they have been examined by the microscope 
and are warranted to be the genuine article. 
WE have received from Professor H. A. Newton, of Yale Col- 
lege, a report on the meteor-display of November last, from 
which it appears that the cloudy weather prevented continuous 
observations in most parts of the United States, In the few 
stations, however, where the skies were clear, the observers fur- 
nish ample testimony to the appearance of unusual numbers of 
meteors on the morning of Noy. 14, the display continuing for 
several hours. The most successful observations were made at 
Pensacola, Florida, where they were observed in extraordinary 
numbers from 1°15 till dawn, most numerously between 3 and 4 
a.m. ; at Santa Barbara, California, where 556 meteors were 
observed between 1°18 and 3°43 a.m. ; and at Fredericton, New 
Brunswick. Prof. Newton remarks that if the whole number 
coming during the twelve or more hours of the display had been 
condensed into an hour or two, as in 1866, we should have had 
a like though not equally brilliant shower. 
THE Council of the University of Otago, New Zealand, an- 
nounces that it is now prepared to consider applications from 
candidates for two of the professorial chairs to be instituted for 
classics, including Greek, Latin, the English language and litera- 
ture ; and for Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. The salary 
attached to each chair will be 6007. per annum, which will com- 
mence torun from the date of embarkation, besides the class fees, 
which have been fixed at 3/. 3s. for attendance on each professor, 
per term of six months, commencing in the beginning of May of 
each year. An adequate allowance will be made for passage 
money and outfit. All candidates must be graduates of some 
established and recognised university. No religious test will, 
however, be required from any person to entitle him to hold office 
in the university, or to graduate or to hold any adyantage or pri- 
vilege thereof. Applications from candidates must be addressed 
to John Auld, Esq., W.S., Edinburgh, agent of the Province 
of Otago in Britain, and must be accompanied with testimonials 
and certificates. They must be in his hands on or before the rst 
day of April next. Further information relative to the university 
and the statistics of the province will be afforded on application 
to the agent. 
By the provisions of the late Dr. William J. Walker’s founda- 
tion two prizes are annually offered by the Boston Society of 
Natural History for the best memoirs, written in the English 
language, on subjects proposed by a Committee appointed by 
the Council. For the best memoir presented, a prize of sixty 
dollars may be awarded ; if, however, the memoir be one of 
marked merit, the amount may be increased, at the discretion of 
the Committee, to one hundred dollars. For the memoir next 
in value a sum not exceeding fifty dollars may be given ; but 
neither of these prizes is to be awarded unless the papers under 
consideration are deemed of adequate merit. Memoirs offered 
in competition for these prizes must be forwarded on or before 
April 1st, of the years specified below, prepaid and addressed 
“ Boston Society of Natural History, for the Committee on the 
Walker Prizes, Boston, Mass.” Each memoir must be accom- 
panied by a sealed envelope enclosing the author’s name, and 
superscribed by a motto corresponding to one borne by the 
manuscript. Subject of the Annual Prize for 1870: ‘‘ The re- 
production and migration of 77ichina spiralis.” Subject of the 
Annual Prize for 1871: ‘On the mode of the natural distribu- 
tion of plants over the earth.” 
THE following are the Afternoon Scientific Lectures of the 
Royal Dublin Society, to be delivered during April and May, at 
four o’clock on Saturdays, in the Lecture Theatre. April 2nd, 
Dr. J. Emerson Reynolds, ‘‘On Ozone, Nature’s bleaching agent 
and disinfectant.” April 9th, Dr. H. Minchin, ‘‘On some 
interesting phenomena of sound. April 16th, Prof. E. Hull, 
‘On the extension of the Coal-fields of England under the newer 
formations.” April 30th, Prof. Wyville Thomson, ‘‘ On the 
Cruise of the Porcupine.” May 7th, Mr. H. N. Draper, ‘* On 
Colours from coal-tar.” May 14th, Mr. C. R. C. Tichborne, 
“On Atmospheric Dust.” 
A course of lectures for women on the science and practice 
of music, by Mr. Sullivan, will be delivered at South Kensington, 
under the patronage of the Science and Art Department, shortly 
after the close of Prof. Oliver’s course on botany. It will in- 
clude a class for part-singing. 
WE have received a pamphlet entitled ‘‘ Proposals for the 
Illumination of Beacons and Buoys,” by Mr. Thomas Steven- 
son, F.R.S.E. The author discusses the different sources of 
illuminations for beacons and buoys, and the different applica- 
tions of sound for warnings during fogs. The subject is a highly 
important one, and we purpose to return to it at an early period. 
ACCORDING to the British Medical Fournal, Sir W. Fer- 
gusson is about to resign the chair of systematic surgery at the 
Medical School of King’s College, and Mr. Partridge his ap- 
pointment as surgeon to the hospital. Sir William will, how- 
ever, be appointed professor of clinical surgery, while Mr. Par- 
tridge still retains the chair of anatomy. Mr. Wood is expected 
to succeed Sir W. Fergusson as professor of systematic surgery ; 
