March 16, 1871] 

In the year 1856 much excitement was produced 
among the naturalists of Vienna by the meeting of 
German naturalists and physicians in that city, and a 
great impulse was given to Natural History studies by 
the voyage of circumnavigation performed in the years 
1857-1859 by the frigate Novara, under the auspices of 
the Archduke Ferdinand Max, afterwards, to his mis- 
fortune, Emperor of Mexico. During this period also 
there was a movement in favour of publicity in the 
medical and philosophical faculties of the University, and 
some series of public lectures were delivered. 
1860. On the 6th December the Society for the Dif- 
fusion of Physical Knowledge commenced its proceedings 
in the apartments of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. 
The first general meeting took place on the 13th May, 
1861, in the hall of the Musical Society, when Prof. 
Eduard Suess delivered a foundation address. The pro- 
ceedings and lectures may properly be carried back 
through the agency of Dr. J. Grailich and his associates 
to the year 1855, when they commenced in the meeting- 
room of the Imperial Geological Institute. This society 
has continued to give lectures on Natural Science in 
two places, in one of which the old forms of a society are 
retained, whilst in the other lectures find interested 
listeners. 
1861. The Photographic Society, independently formed, 
held its first meeting under the presidency of Prof. A. 
SchrGtter in the green saloon of the Imperial Academy 
of Sciences on the 22nd March. The first photographic 
Exhibition in Vienna was opened on the 17th May, 1864. 
1862. The Austrian Alpine Club was established, its 
first constituent general meeting being held on the 19th 
November. 
1864. The Lower-Austrian Society for “ Landeskunde 
held its first constituent meeting onthe 16th December. 
1865. The Austrian Meteorological Society was founded 
on the 16th November, with an address from Dr. Karl 
Jelinek. 
1866. The year of the war. Prof. Haidinger retired 
in consequence of ill health from the direction of the 
Imperial Geological Institute, and was succeeded by Franz 
von Hauer, 
1869. A section of the German Alpine Association held 
its meeting in Vienna. 
1870. The Chemico-physical Society established under 
the presidency of Prof. H. Hlasiwetz. 
1870. The Anthropological Society founded on the 13th 
February. Its opening meeting was held in the Con- 
sistorial Hall of the University, when the president, Prof. 
Karl Rokitansky, delivered an address. 
1870. The Numismatic Society established. 
It is with a considerable pride that the venerable Prof. 
Haidinger describes the rapid advance that has been made 
in the scientific progress of his native city, and dwells 
upon the fact that the first impulse to this movement was 
given by the association of the “ Friends of the Natural 
Sciences,” in which he tookso much interest. Thecause 
of the failure to form a well-established society from such 
a promising commencement he finds in the unfavourable 
conditions of the time; and doubtless the spasmodic 
political movements which so closely followed the year 
1845 may well have distracted the attention of German 
men of science. The nascent society seems, however, to 
NATURE 


Le} 
393 

have merged into the Imperial Geological Institute, which 
has already done so much good work, and Prof. Haidinger 
is probably in the right when he claims for the “ Friends 
of the Natural Sciences” in their new capacity a vigorous 
influence in the establishment of other scientific societies 
both in and out of Vienna, 
The 8th November, 1845, may therefore well be “a day 
of joyful commemoration” with Austrian scientific men, 
for although, as Prof. Haidinger remarks, any retrospect 
reaching so far back must bring with it serious thoughts 
of the many participators in the first labours of the period 
who have disappeared from the scene, there is yet a higher 
point of view of a satisfactory nature, namely, that this 
period of twenty-five years has raised Austria to a far 
higher scientific position among nations than could have 
been claimed for her before, and, as he says, “ Peaceful 
progress is certainly the highest and worthiest object of 
human endeavours.” 


LAUGHTON’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 
Physical Geography in its Relation to the Prevailing 
Winds and Currents. By John Knox Laughton, M.A., 
F.R.G.S., &c. (London: J. D. Potter, 1870.) 
HIS work is designed to show that the whole 
atmosphere, relatively to the surface of the earth, 
continually moves or tends to move from west to east, 
and that the perrnanent local variations from this direc- 
tion are either eddies or deflections, formed in accordance 
with the principles which regulate the motion of fluids 
(p. 312). In the course of the discussion, Mr. Laughton 
has done good service by showing that prevailing opinions 
respecting the circulation of the atmosphere are very far 
from being in accordance with many well-ascertained 
facts ; and by insisting on the dependence of oceanic on 
atmospheric currents, which is confirmed in every case 
where the facts are tolerably well known. The book 
also contains the best popular account we have of the 
prevailing winds over large portions of the ocean. But 
he is not so happy with respect to prevailing winds over 
the land, and in the reasoning he employs in proof of a 
general motion of the atmosphere from west to east. 
It is stated that from Japan northwards the prevailing 
winds in summer are westerly (p. 136) ; and to the influ- 
ence of these winds, blowing across the northern opening 
of the narrow seas of this part of the earth, are ascribed 
the southerly winds on the coast of China, and thence 
southward to the equator (p. 280). Now the prevailing 
winds of this region are not westerly in summer, the 
direction being E.S.E. at Tong-chow, S.S.E. at Pekin 
and New-Chwang, S.S.W. at Nangasaki, S.E. by S. at 
Chacodate, E. at Nicolajewsk near the mouth of the 
Amoor, and N.E, at Ajansk, S.W. also prevailing to some 
extent at the last place. 
We are told that the wind blows almost constantly from 
the west on the north-west coasts of the Old and New 
Worlds respectively (p. 154). Now, whilst in winter the 
prevailing wind in Vancouver Island is S.W.., at Sitka it is 
E.S.E., easterly winds being to westerly as 4 to 1, and 
E.N.E. at Ikogmut. Again, over the whole of the west 
of Norway, the prevailing winds in winter are either S, 
or S.S.E, or S.E.; at Christiania they are N.E., easterly 
