March 2c, 1884] 



.V.^ TUR£ 



487 



of Civilisation,'' Buckle attributes some of the superstition 

 of the inhabitants of Spain and Italy to the occurrence of 

 earthquakes and other volcanic phenomena ; but in 

 Japan there is "no testimony to any effect produced on 

 the imagination by the earthqualces from which the 

 Japanese islanders suffer such constant alarms." Nor is 

 there any tradition of a deluge, which is the more remark- 

 able as Noah's deluge has recently been claimed as a 

 myth of Altaic origin. "Yet here we have the oldest of 

 undoubtedly Altaic nations without any legend of the 

 kind." There is no such thing as star- worship, nor are 

 there any fancies such as the imagination of other races 

 has connected with them. 



Much, very much, more might be written on this 

 deeply interesting volume. Although more than a 

 thousand years of Japanese history must be cut away, 

 "the Japanese mythology is the oldest existing product 

 of the Altaic mind." When to this are added the facts 

 that here we have the zpsissi/ita verba (for the translation 

 is literal) of the Japanese compiler of eleven centuries 

 ago, that it is the first complete translation of an archaic 

 Japanese work, that it is the first work in which an 

 attempt is boldly made to separate Japanese history from 

 myths, and to fix the commencement of the historical 

 er£, and that it cor.tains abundant illustrations of the 

 manner and ideas of this primitive race as recorded by 

 themselves, we have said enough to attract a wide circle 

 of students. Besides the very valuable preliminary dis- 

 cussions, the text is abundantly annotated by the trans- 

 lator, who has for this purpose made use of the works of 

 the numerous native commentators and editors of the 

 « ork. 



NOTES 

 The gold and silver Rumford Medals have been presented by 

 the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to Frof. Rowland 

 of Baltimore for his researches on heat and light. 



We are sure that every field-naturalist and working geologist 

 will be grateful to Prof Bryce for introducing into Parliament 

 his Bill " to secure access to mountains and moorlands in Scot- 

 land." Since the sub.-titution of deer for sheep and cattle on 

 the Scoitiih moors and mountains, great res-tiictions have been 

 placed on access to these favourite haunts of the lover of nature, 

 so that in some districts the tourist and collector are faced by 

 the trespassers' board in all directions. We have no wish what- 

 ever to infringe the rights of private property, but sarely ihe 

 great landed proprietors of Sc<^tland can affoid to be gci.ercus 

 to those whose noblest game is a rare butterfly, an Alpine fljwer, 

 or a chip from the rocky escarpment of a hill. AlreaJy 

 some of the most valuable hunting grounds of science have 

 been shut up, and in the present condilion of things we 

 may soon hear of such natural phenomena as the Paralltl 

 Roads of Glenroy being rendered inaccejsible, and the 

 traveller confined to the dusty highway.-;. The Bill em- 

 bodies every possible precaution against the abuse of the access 

 craved, and we strongly advise the members of the many natural 

 history societies and field clubs all over the country to use every 

 legitirrate means to obtain for it Parliamentary tanction. We 

 need scarcely point out how greatly interested in the provisions 

 of the Bill are all artists and the great army of tourists. 



Sir J. H. Lefroy, we are glad to learn, has accepted the 

 presidency of the Geographical Section at the Montreal meeting 

 of the British Association. 



SiGKOR QuiNTiNo .SELLA, whose death on Maich 15 is 

 announced, was president of the R. Accademia dti Lincei. 



We regret to learn of the death of Dr. Behni, the eminent 

 geographer of Gotha, the editor of the Gcogiaphhche MitlhcH- 

 iiiigeii, the Ccographisches JahibtKh, and, along with Prof. 

 Wagner, of the well-known "Bevdlkerung der Erde. " 



We are glad to notice the hear:y maimer in which the Times 

 recognises the necessity for scientific education among all classes. 

 In an excellent leading article on the Technical Institute, it 

 maintains that the old rule-of-thumb methods will no longer 

 suffice, and that science and. organised knowledge are bound to 

 invade industry as they have already invaded almost every branch 

 of human endeavour. 



There can be uo doubt of the great scientific value of a 

 batbymetrical survey of the Scottish lochs, about which Lord 

 Balfour of Burleigh asked a question in the House of Lords on 

 Tuesday, and concerning which there has been a correspondence 

 between the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Government. 

 No one wishes to retard the completion of the English Survey 

 for the purpose of this special undertaking ; but this is not 

 necessary, as, without going to any great expense, Government 

 might easily employ other existing agencies iu carrying out the 

 work. 



Sir Richard Owe.n' was on Saturday pi-esented with a 

 framed and illuminated address by the Geologists' Association, 

 on the occasion of his retirement from the post of Director- 

 General of the Natural History Department of the British 

 Museum. A large audience assembled in the lecture-hall at 

 South Kensington to witness the ceremony. The address was 

 presented by Dr. Henry Hicks, F.G.S., who said that in his 

 retirement Sir Richard Owen would take with him the good 

 wishes and warm interest of all who appreciated his scientific 

 work, and his great per.-onal kindness in communicating its 

 results to others. Sir Richard Owen, in reply, said that, of all 

 the recognitions which he had recently received of his years ot 

 service in the State museums, none would be more valued by 

 him than that testimonial from his fellow workers in those walks 

 of natural science in which he had been for over half a century 

 more or less occupied. He would value the addi-ess amongst the 

 rarest of his treasures, and he trusted that its contemplation 

 would stimulate his sons and grandsons, particularly the latter, 

 to walk in their grandfather's footsteps. Pie returned his 

 grateful thanks, and wished the members and all present every 

 happiness.- 



It is intended at the forthcoming celebration of the tercen- 

 tenary of Edinburgh University to confer the degree of LL.D. 

 on sixty-nine gentlemen, among whom are Prof. Cayley, Mr. 

 Archibald Geikie, Prof. Helmholiz, Sir John Lubbock, Sir 

 Henry Maine, and Prof. Haeckel. 



At its last private sitting the Academy of Sciences of Paris 

 debated the question of the sale of the Observatory grounds in 

 order to find the funds required for the erection of a siicciirsale 

 ill the vicinity of Pari--. The matter was postponed for fifteen 

 days, after a long and interesting discussion. The majority of 

 the Academy is of opinion that it would be desirable to grant 

 the credits required for the erection of a new establishment ; 

 but many members are against the sale of any parcel of ground. 

 They contend that the present position of the Observatory must 

 not be deteriorated under any pretence whatever. MM. Wolf 

 audjanssen delivered addresses defending the statiiquo. 



The convention for the protection of cables has been signed 

 in Paris by the plenipoteniiaries of the following nations : — 

 Germany, Argentine Republic, Austria- Hungary, Belgium, 

 Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, San Domingo, Spain, United 

 States of America, United States of Colombia, France, Great 

 Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, 

 Roumania, Salvador, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, and Uru- 

 guay. The protocol has been left open for acceptation by the 

 other countries. This is the final step towards the accomplish- 

 ment of the work originated at the Congress of Electricians in 

 Paris. 



