Jan. 17, 1884] 



NA TURE 



71 



was previously a Corresponding Member. Science, in speaking 

 of Prof. Sylvester's departure from America, says: — "Prof. 

 Sylvester's departure removes from the University not only the 

 most distinguished scientist but the most interesting personality 

 connected with it ; and his absence will make a gap in the 

 general life of the University no less than in his own department. 

 It is somewhat noticeable that no American college has con- 

 ferred an honorary degree upon him during his residence in lliis 

 country." 



At a meeting on Tuesday, in connection with the memorial 

 (0 the late ^fr. Spottiswoode, Mr. De La Rue stated that he 

 believed a portrait would be painted by Mr. John Collier, and 

 that it would be placed along with those of other presidents of 

 the Royal Society, in the Society's rooms. 



The death is announced, in his fifty-third year, of Mr. John 

 Henry Dallmeyer, the well-known optician. 



Dr. Johnston-Lavis writes to us from Naples, Jan. 10 : — 

 " For some six days the seismographs at the Vesuvian Obser- 

 vatory have been in a disturbed state, and on Monday, January 7, 

 at 1.48 p.m., a distinct shock was registered. As the sirocco 

 was blowing, the mountain was enveloped in fog and cloud, so 

 that on Wednesday morning when the news arrived at Naples 

 of an eruption during the night it was received with half incre- 

 dulity. The volcano appears to have commenced its violent 

 throes about I a.m. on the 9th, when there issued a stream of 

 lava which has flowed down the north-north-west side of the 

 cone and crossed the Atrio del Cavallo. Tho?e who were for- 

 tunate enough to look towards the mountain at about 2.30 a.m. 

 on Wednesday morning describe the sight as splendid. Tlie 

 maximum explosive violence was at about 10 a.m. We passed 

 the afternoon and evening on the mountain between the obser- 

 vatory and the lava stream, but were paralysed by the quantity 

 of cloud, which prevented a near approach. To-day the view of 

 the mountain has cleared up, but the activity seems to have 

 much diminished. I hope to visit and photograph the crater 

 to-morrow, when I will send more details." The Standard's 

 Naples correspondent, writing on the llthinst., says: — "The 

 violent eruption of Vesuvius has come to a sudden close. The 

 new mouth, which had opened just below the old crater, and 

 from which a large stream of lava issued, flowing down the 

 north-eastern side of the mountain, has to-day ceased to be 

 active. On examination of the old crater, a fissure can be seen 

 directed in a straight line to the new mouth. No signs of 

 similar activity have been experienced since 1875, and a much 

 stronger eruption is now looked for by Prof. Palmieri." 



We understand that Prof. Mcintosh, who has undertaken 

 some investigations for the Trawling Commission, is about to 

 institute inquiries at St. Andrew's in coimection with the Fishery 

 Board for Scotland, in order to throw some light on the habits 

 and time of spawning of the sole, turbot, and other flat fiah. 

 These investigations are intended to enable the Fishery Board, by 

 artificial cultivation or otherwise, to increase the supply of 

 these important and much-esteemed fishes, and bring them 

 within the reach of the general community more than is at 

 present possible, owing to their being in great part imported 

 from Grimsby and other fishing stations, and where, the supply 

 being often very limited, the prices are extremely high. In this 

 and other work we believe the Fishery Board is making arrange- 

 ments to provide Prof. Mcintosh with tanks and other appliances, 

 so that, in addition to assisting the Board in its scientific investi- 

 gations, he will be better able to prosecute his inquiries for the 

 Trawling Commission. It is anticipated that, while the sole and 

 other flat fish are being studied at St. Andrew's, the herring and 

 its allies will be investigated in a laboratory to be formed by the 

 Fishery Board at North Berwick. Besides Prof. Mcintosh, it is 



expected that Prjf. McICendrick of Glasgow, Prof. Stirling of 

 Aberdeen, and Prof. Schafer of University College, London, 

 will assist in these investigations. It is also interesting to note 

 that, in addition to this work which it is intended to undertake, 

 the fishery ofiicers of the Board, at its twenty-six stations on the 

 coasts of Scotland, and the Board's cruiser Vigilant, are engaged 

 with great success in collecting materials for the Board, which, 

 when examined, will go far to clear up many of the mysteries as 

 to the food of fishes. The materials collected are being sent 

 from time to time to the University of Edinburgh, where they 

 are examined by Prof. Cossar Ewart, the convener of the Scien- 

 tific Investigition Committee of the Fishery Board, and by Mr. 

 J. Duncan Matthews, one of the laboratory assistants. 



The thirty-seventh annual general meeting of the Institution 

 of Mechanical Engineers will be held on Thursday, January 24, 

 and Friday, January 25, at 25, Great George Street, West- 

 minster. The chair will be taken by the President at half-past 

 seven p.m. on each evening. The following papers will be read 

 and discussed as far as time will admit : — On Thursday, 24th, 

 Experiments on Friction : Report of the Research Committee 

 (adjourned discussion) ; On the Consumption of Fuel in Loco- 

 motives, by M. Georges Marie, of Paris ; on Friday, 25th, On 

 the Physical Conditions of Iron and Sleel, by Prof. D. E. 

 Hughes, F.R.S. ; On Portable Railways, by M. Decauville, of 

 Petit-Bourg, Paris ; On the Moscrop Engine Recorder, and the 

 Knowles Supplementary Governor, by Mr. Michael Longridge, 

 of Manchester. 



We are glad to see t'nat Dr. Doberck's enterprise is meeting 

 with the approval it deserves in Hong Kong and China. " Dr. 

 Doberck, the Government Astronomer, who arrived at Hong 

 Kong a few months ago," the Hong Kong Free Press of Nov. 6 

 says, "has since been most usefully employing his time in visit- 

 ing the different coast ports and Formosa, and returned from 

 the latter yesterday. He has, we understand, verified a number 

 of instruments belonging to the Imperial Maritime Customs of 

 China, and has studied the geographical conditions of the coast 

 as bearing on meteorology, a very necessary matter in order to 

 arrive at accuracy in discussing observations. We are glad to 

 learn that the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Authorities 

 evince a strong disposition to cooperate with the Hong Kong 

 Observatory in the matter. It is of the first importance, in 

 order to be able to arrive at any definite results so as to be able 

 to forecast the weather, and compile a reliable weather table, 

 that the meteorological observations conducted at different ports 

 on the China coast should be made at the same hour, in the 

 same manner, and by instruments corrected to the same standard. 

 It is to be hoped therefore that Sir Robert Hart will allow his 

 able staff to take part in this work, and that monthly registers 

 will be kept at all the treaty ports from Newchwang to Pakhoi 

 and transmitted to the Hong Kong Observatory, which, by 

 situation, is best fitted to become the centre of such a system. 

 The Observatory in this colony is on a very modest scale, and 

 the vote for its maintenance is a mere trifle when the good that 

 is to be gained from it is considered, and we trust that the efforts 

 of the astronomer will not be paralysed by too great attention 

 to economical consider.itions on the part of the local government. 

 The Inspector-Gener.-il of Customs has always displayed a most 

 laudable desire to promote improvements in lighting the coast 

 and facilitating navigation ; and he will, we hope, see his way 

 to promote the success of Dr. Doberck's work by cooperating 

 with the Hong Kong Observatory. The Sicawei Observatory 

 has done some good work, but its operations have necessarily 

 been limited owing to the absence of reliable observations at the 

 ports. What is expected from the Government Astronomer is 

 that ultimately he may be able not only to give forecasts of the 

 weather but to furnish such a guide to mariners as would render 



