i^b. 14, io>84J 



NA TURE 



365 



Never before in thehistory of daily journalism in any country did 

 science receive the recognition which Mr. Chenery accorded to 

 it. Mr. Chenery was not only a great scholar, but the nearest 

 approximation to an admirable Crichton that we have known, 

 and in this we find the secret of his skill as an editor. So 

 many-sided was he that whether teaching Arabic at Oxford as 

 Lord Alinoier's Professor ; taking bis part in the revision of the 

 Old Testament ; acting as Special Correspondent in the trenches 

 in the Crimea ; at his post as Editor of the Times or in private 

 life, he won the admiration of all who knew him by his deep 

 knowledge and splendid modesty. He was a perfect friend, and 

 gained the respect and love of all who came into contact with him. 



Dr. John Hutton Balfour, Emeritus Professor of Medi- 

 cine and Bo'aiy in the University of Edinburgh, Regius Keeper 

 of the Royal Botanic Garden, and Queen's Botanist for Scotland, 

 died on Monday at Inverleith House, Edinburgh. He was birn 

 in 1S08. Dr. Balfour was the father of Prof. Bayley B.ilfour, 

 whose appointment to the vacant Chair of Botany at Oxford we 

 announce to-day. We hope to say more about the late Prof. 

 Balfour next week. 



The death is announced of the distinguished American geo- 

 grapher, Prof. Arnold Henry Guyot. He was born at Neuchatel, 

 Switzerland, on September 2S, 1807. He studied at Neuchatel, 

 Stuttgart, and Carlsruhe, and at the last-named place formed a 

 close friendship with Agassiz, with whom he studied natural 

 science. In a tour through Switzerland in 1S3S he first discovered 

 the laminated structure of the ice in glac'ers, and showed that the 

 motion of the glacier is due to the displacement of its molecule-. 

 Agassiz, Forbes, and others afterwards confirmed these discoveries. 

 For .seven successive summers Guyot now investigated the distribu- 

 tion of erratic boulders, tracing them on both sides of the Central 

 Alps, in Switzerland and Italy, over a surface 300 miles long and 

 200 miles wide, and delineating eleven different regions of rocks. 

 The r vertical limits and the laws of their de-cent were deter- 

 mined by means of more than 3000 barometrical observations ; 

 and the characteristic species of rock of each basin were tracked 

 step by step to their source. In the United States he was em- 

 ployed by the Massachusetts Board of Education to deliver lec- 

 tures in the normal schools of the State, and before the teacher»' 

 institutes, and by the Smithsonian Institution to organise a 

 system of meteorological observations. In 1S55 Guyot was ap- 

 pointed Professor of Physical Geography in the College of New 

 Jersey at Princeton, which post he retained till his death. He 

 was awarded a medal for his researches at the Vienna Inter- 

 national Exhibition of 1S73. 



The Royal Society has appointed a committee, consisting of 

 Sir F. Evans, Prof. Judd, Mr. Lockyer, Mr. R. H. Scott, 

 General Strachey, and Mr. G. J. Symons, with power to add to 

 their number, to collect the various accounts of the volcanic 

 eruption at Krakaloa, and attendant phenomena, in such form 

 as shall best provide for their preservation and promote their 

 usefulness ; and a sum of 25/. has been placed at their disposal 

 for this purpose. In connection with this we direct attention to 

 the letter of Mr. Symons in our Correspondence Columns. 



The following note has been sent us from the Meteorological 

 Office : — " We have received notice of the establishment of a 

 system of storm and weather warnings on the Spanish coast. 

 The warnings are based upon ob-ervations received from stations 

 reporting daily by telegraph to the Marine Observatory at San 

 Fernando, which is superintended by Capt. C. Pujazon of the 

 Spanish Navy. This instituti:in also issues a daily weather 

 report and chart." 



The "Johns Hopkins University Circulars " have become an 

 important medium for communicating briefly the results of 

 research in all departments in connection with the many-sided 

 institution which issues them. Doubtless they are to be found 



at the leading scientific centres in this country, and are always 

 well worth looking into. The number for January contains a 

 brief report of the meetings in connection with the departure of 

 Prof. Sylvester from America ; how highly he was appreciated 

 there is evident from the following: — On the afternoon of 

 December 20 the academic staff of the University met in 

 Hopkins Hall, by invitation of the President, and after a brief 

 review by Dr. Story of the mathematical lectures here given 

 from 1876 to 18S3, and a like review by Dr. Craig of the contri- 

 butions printed in the American Journal of Mathematics, Prof. 

 Gildersleeve read the following paper, which, on motion of 

 Prof. Rowland, was adopted by the meeting as an expression of 

 their respect and good will. " The teachers of the Johns 

 Hopkins University, in bidding farewell to their illustrious 

 colleague. Prof. Sylvester, desire to give united expression to 

 their appreciation of the eminent services he has rendered the 

 University from the beginning of its actual work. To the new 

 foundation he brought the assured renown of one of the great 

 mathematical names of our day, and by his presence alone made 

 Baltimore a grcJt centre of mathematical research. To the 

 work of his own department he brought an energy and a devo- 

 tion that have quickened and informed mathematical study not 

 only in America, but all over the world ; to the workers of the 

 University, whether within his own field or without, the example 

 of reverent love of truth and of knowledge for its own sake, the 

 example of a life consecrated to the highest intellectual aims. 

 To ihe presence, the work, the example of such a master as 

 Prof. Sylvester, the teachers of the Johns Hopkins University all 

 owe, each in his own measure, guidance, help, inspiration ; and 

 in grateful recognition of all that he has done for them, and 

 through them for the University, they wish for him a long and 

 happy continuance of his work in his native land ; for them- 

 selves the power of transmitting to others that reverence for the 

 ideal which he has done so much to make the dominant 

 characteristic of this University." 



An ascent of Ben Nevis was made on Monday by Mr. C. D. 

 Cunningham, a member of the Alpine Club, accompanied by 

 M. Emile Rey, a Swiss guide, and John Cameron, the well- 

 known guide at Fort William. There were about six inches of 

 snow on the ground from the commencement of the new road ta 

 the Red Burn. Here considerable difficulty was experienced in 

 crossing the Burn and arriving on the top of the opposite bank, 

 owing to the grea' quantity of snow which had drifted into the 

 watercourse. From the well to the summit the ground, covered 

 with deep snow, was hard frozen, making the task comparatively 

 easy. Mr. Omond and his companions at the Observatory ap- 

 peared in g03d health and spirits, and entertained the party in 

 the most hospitable manner. The ascent occupied three hours 

 thirty-five minutes, and the descent two hours. 



The estimates submitted to the Dominion Parliament include 

 (says a Renter's telegiam from Ottawa) the sum of 25,000 dollai.^ 

 for the expenses connected with the meeting of the British 

 Association at Montreal this year. 



The German Cholera Commission has sent a fifth report from 

 Calcutta, dated January 5. Dr. Koch seems to have really dis- 

 covered special cholera bacilli. The Commission was furthec 

 o:cupied with the investigation into the causes of the great 

 decrease in cholera mortality in Calcutta, where the percentage 

 of deaths per thousand has diminished from ten to three. This 

 diminution is attributed to the improvement of the water supply. 



The Nautical Meteorological Office of Sweden maintains at 

 present nineteen stations at which meteorological observations 

 are made on a large scale, twenty stations for measuring the fall 

 of rain and snow, and sixteen hydrographical observatories. 

 Weather journals were last year received from eleven men-of-war 

 and fifteen merchantmen. The Meteorological OlTice in London 



