May 2, 1872] 



NATURE 



13 



NOTES 



The following lectures in pure Science are being delivered 

 this term in Oxford. Prof. Phillips on the Heat of the Interior 

 of the Earth, Ancient Climate, Earthquakes and Volcanos. 

 Prof. Story Maskelyne two courses of lectures ; — the first course 

 of four lectures " On the projection of crystals, and on the rela- 

 tions of morphological symmetry to the distribution of physical 

 and especially of optical characters;" second course "On litho- 

 logy mineralogically considered." Prof. Lawson on Structural 

 and Physiological Botany. He also proposes to make arrange- 

 ments with his classes for botanical walks. The Professor of 

 Astronomy will give practical instruction in the use of Astro- 

 nomical Instruments at the Observatory at the Museum. The 

 Chemical and Physical Laboratories are each open as usual, 

 special courses of instruction being given in each. The Professor 

 of Anatomy and Physiology proposes to form classes for practical 

 instruction in Physiology and Anatomy. The Hope Professor 

 of Zoology is engaged in the classification of the Hope, Burchell, 

 and other collections. Dr. Lee's Reader in Chemistry is lectur- 

 ing on the Non-metallic Elements, the Lee's Reader in Anatomy 

 is lecturing on Comparative Anatomy, and the Lee's Reader in 

 Physics on the Mechanical Theory of Heat, and on Hydro 

 mechanics. 



At the last meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, the 

 President announced the Royal and other awards for the year 

 1872, made by the Council, as follows : — Founders Gold Medal- 

 — Colonel H. Yule, C. B., for his important geographical works 

 " Cathay and the Way Thither," and " Marco Polo." Patrons 

 Gold Rfcdal. —Mr. R. B. Shaw, for his adventurous journey to 

 Yarkand and Kashgar, and his observations for fixing the longi- 

 tude of the former place. A Cold Watili. — Lieut. G. C. Musters, 

 R.N., for his journey in Patagonia. 25/. — Karl Mauch, for his 

 discoveries in South-East Africa. Schools Prizes. — Physical 

 Geography. — Gold Medal — S. E. Spring Rice (Eton College). 

 Bronze Medal— h. S. Butler (Liverpool College). Honourably 

 Mentioned— C Penrose (Haileybury); E. Dickson (Cheltenham); 

 J. R. White (Liverpool Institute); H. De Vere Vane (Eton). 

 Political Geography. — Gold Medal — W. G. CoUingwood 

 (Liverpool College). Bronze Medal — W. C. Graham (Eton). 

 Honourably Mentioned — R. H. Sayle (Uppingham); W. L. Kings- 

 ford (Rossall); H. E. Dickson (Rossall). 



The conversazione of the Royal Society on Saturday evening 

 last was a highly successful one. The company, notwithstanding 

 the counter attraction of the Duke of Edinburgh's reception at 

 the Royal Albert Hall, was a brilliant one, and many of the 

 objects and apparatus exhibited were of great interest. There 

 was a beautiful series of photographs of landscape sceneiy, the 

 geysers, and mud-springs in the regions of the Yellowstone 

 kiver explored by Prof. Hayden, exhibited by Mr. A. Tylor ; 

 and some of the early photographs of M. Nicpce de St. Victor, 

 showing effects of colour ; and a collection of Madreporaria 

 dredged up by Count Pourtales from the sea-lloor in the course 

 of the Gulf Stream, exhibited by Prof. Duncan. Mr. Browning 

 and Messrs. Elliott Bros, had, as usual, a number of telescopic 

 and spectroscopic instruments. 



The Senate of the University of London has this year re- 

 elected all the old examiners in the Faculties of Science and 

 Medicine, with the exception of the two in Forensic Medicine, 

 the new examiners being Dr. Arthur Gamgee and Prof. Henry 

 Maudsley. 



An Inaugural Meeting of the French Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science was held last week at Paris imder the 

 presidency of M. Claude Bernard ; when the committee of 

 management was elected as follows : MM. Claude Bernard, 

 president ; Broca, Delaunay, d'Eichthal, de Quatrefages, Wurtz, 



Comu, secretary, and G. Masson, treasurer. It is still undecided 

 whether to hold the first meeting, in August next, at Lyons, 

 Bordeaux, or Lille. M. Wurtz delivered an address on the 

 character and objects of the Association, in which he an- 

 nounced that the requisite guarantee fund of 100,000 fr. is 

 already subscribed, and will probably be considerably ex- 

 ceeded. The movement appears to be meeting with a hearty 

 response from all the leading men of science in France ; it is 

 welcomed as an aid in the regeiieration of their country, by 

 promoting a spread of scientific knowledge and a love of 

 science throughout the provinces ; and we trust it will also 

 have the effect of cementing a closer alliance between French 

 science .ind that of the other countries of Europe. 



The Engineer announces the death, at his residence near 

 London, on April 15, at the age of 84, of Mr. Augustus Siebe. 

 Born in Saxony, he served early in life against the French in the 

 Prussian army ; and after the return of peace employed himself 

 first in watch- making, and afterwards in engineering. The per- 

 fection of the diving apparatus in particular engaged his atten- 

 tion, and to him are due many of the improvements now in 

 constant use. In this capacity he was sole maker to the 

 Admiralty, his apparatus having been used with great success 

 in the removal of the wreck of the Royal George. 



Dr. Pettigrew, F. R. S., will deliver a course of lectures on 

 the Physiology of the Circulation in the Lower Animals and in 

 Plants, at the P.oyal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, each 

 Friday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, during May, June, and July. 



Prof. Max Muller gave a public lecture on April 24, at 

 the Taylor Institution, Oxford, "On Darwin's View of Lan- 

 guage." There was a large attendance. 



The old Ashmolean Society at Oxford, which was revived 

 last term after a lengthened period of quietude, met on Monday 

 last in the University Museum, when communications were made 

 to the Society by Rev. R. Main, F.R S., "On the Breaks of 

 Continuity in the Mean Daily Temperature in the months of 

 April and May," and by Mr. A. G. Vernon Harcourt, F.R.S., 

 " On the Sulphur Compounds in Goal Gas, and the means of 

 removing them." 



The garden of the Acclimatisation Society of Paris, ruined 

 during the siege, is about to be reopened. A great part of the 

 damage has been repaired, the ornamental and horticultural 

 parts have been replaced, and there are already many animals in 

 the park. 



At a recent meeting of the P'rench Acclimatisation Society, 

 M. de Grandmont called attention to the project of the Govern- 

 ment to establish a grand piscicultural est-iblishment at Mont. 

 beliard, to replace that at Huningue, now passed into the hands 

 of the Germans. Very successful establishments of a similar 

 character are now in operation at La Suisse and at Clermont 

 Ferrand (Puy-de-D5me) ; the latter, under the direction of M. 

 Rico, furnishing annually not less than 30,000 ova of trout for 

 replenishing the various streams in the department. 



The following excursions arearrangedby the Geologists' Asso- 

 ciation during the present month : — Saturday, May 4, excursion 

 to Erith and Crayford, under the direction of Mr. J. Logan 

 Lobley. The party will leave Cannon Street Station by the 

 North Kent train at 2'lo p.m. for Erith, and will, upon arriving 

 at Erith, inspect the fine section of the Thanet Sands overlying 

 the chalk, exposed at that place. Subsequently the party will 

 proceed to Crayford, and visit the extensive excavations in the 

 Pleistocene Deposits from which have been derived the large 

 collection of Mammalian Remains in the possession of Dr. 

 .Spurrel, and inspected by the Association last session. — Saturday, 

 May II, visit to the British Museum, guided by Mr. Henry 

 Woodward. Members will meet at the Museum, Great Russell 



