April 6, 1871 | 
NATURE 
4933 

attack was made upon him by one of his servants, which 
was happily frustrated ; but the newspaper comments upon 
the transaction developed the existence of so much animosity 
or jealousy toward foreigners on the part of the people that 
the doctor has finally determined to resign his position and 
return to Germany. Dr. Sarmiento, the President of the Re- 
public, it is said, has endeavoured to change this determination, 
but apparently without effect. In parting with Dr. Burmeister, 
Buenos Ayres will lose one who has given to the country that 
position in science through his writings that Dr. Sarmiento has 
in literature, and his loss will not easily be made good. It is an 
interesting fact that both the National Museums of Chili and of 
- the Argentine Republic are presided over by German naturalists, 
the director of the latter being Dr. R. L. Phillippi, well known 
in the scientific community. 
In June next Professor Birkett will commence his course of 
lectures on the Nature and Treatment of New Growths, at the 
Royal College of Surgeons, on the conclusion of which Mr. 
Hulke will deliver three lectures on the Minute Anatomy of the 
Fye. 
WE learn from the British Medical Fournal that Dr. E. Kein 
of Vienna has been appointed Assistant Professor in the new 
laboratory in connection with the Brown Trust for Experimental 
Pathology, which is about to be erected in London. Dr. Klein 
has been Professor Stricker’s assistant for several years, and has 
contributed muchto that author’s ‘‘ Handbook of Histology,” now 
being published in English by the New Sydenham Society. By 
this change, Austria will lose and this country gain one of the 
most promising of young histologists. As an investigator and 
teacher of the structure of tissues, Dr. Klein has been for several 
years held in much esteem in Vienna. 
TueE following are the arrangements for the Lectures at the 
Royal Institution of Great Britain after Easter, 1871 :—On 
Tuesdays, April 18 and 25, and May 2, William Pengelly, F.R.S., 
will deliver three lectures ‘‘On the Geology of Devonshire, 
especially of the New Red Sandstone.” On May 9 and 16, 
Charles Brooke, F.R.S., will lecture ‘‘ On Force and Energy.” 
On May 23 and 30, and June 6, the Rev. Professor Haughton, 
M.D., F.RS., will lecture ‘‘ On the Principle of Least Action 
in Nature, Illustrated by Animal Mechanics.” On Thursdays, 
April 20 to June 8, Professor Tyndall, LL.D., F.R.S., wil 
deliver eight lectures ‘‘On Sound ;” and on Saturdays, April22 to 
June ro, J. N. Lockyer, F.R.S., will deliver eight lectures ‘* On 
Astronomy.” The lecture hour is three o'clock. The following 
are the probable arrangements for the Friday evenings after 
Easter, 1871, to which members and their friends only are 
admitted :—April 21, Professor Blackie, F.R.S.E., ‘‘On the 
Pre-Socratic Philosophy.” April.28, Professor Odling, F.R‘S. 
May 5, W. R. S. Ralston, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, 
On Russian Folk-Lore.” May 12, Professor Huxley, F.R.S. 
May 19, Colonel Jervois, R.E., C.B., Secretary of the Defence 
Committee, and Deputy Director of Fortifications, ‘‘ On the 
Defence of the United Kingdom.” May 26, Sir J. Lubbock, 
Bart, M.P., F.R.S., “‘On Relationships.” June 2, Professor 
Thomas Andrews, F.R.S., Principal of Queen’s College, Bellast, 
“ Onthe Gaseous and Liquid States of Matter.” June 9, Pro- 
fessor Tyndall, LL.D., F.R.S. 
Pror. WINCHELL, director of the Geological Survey of 
Michigan, has lately presented a report of the progress of 
the survey from its inauguration, May 1869, to November 
1870. He sketches an outline of the nature and extent of 
the researches he proposes in connection with the investi- 
gations, and expresses a desire for sufficient appropriations to 
enable him to complete his work in the shortest possible time, 
two years being suggested as sufficient with proper means. His 
plan includes, in addition to pure geology and mineralogy, 

such subjects as paleontology, climatology, natural history, 
ethnology, &c. The sum of 61,300 dols. is asked for by the 
Professor for the purpose of completing his field work, as well as 
of preparing the necessary maps and illustrations for his report. 
WE have information of the departure of M. Miclucho Maclay, 
of Russia, in the Russian steamer ///:tiaz, for a seven or eight 
years’ cruise in the Pacific—the first two of which are to be 
expended in the investigation of the island of New Guinea. 
This region, as is well known, abounds in objects of natural 
history of the greatest interest, although comparatively little, 
so far, is known of its features in detail. 
Tue Royal Belgian Academy of Science, Letters, and the 
Fine Arts has just issued its thirty-seventh 4uaire, containing 
a historical sketch of the Academy, and biographical sketches of 
the following members who died during the year :—Frangois 
Joseph Navez, painter, with a list of his works and pupils ; 
Edward Ducpetiaux, political economist and prison reformer ; 
Charles-Fréd.-Phil. von Martius, the celebrated botanist ; Edouard 
Gerhard, philologist and archzeologist ; Prudens Van Duyse, 
poet ; and Charles Aug. de Beériot, composer. 
THE new explosive dualin has been used in the blastings re- 
quired for the great Hoosac tunnel in the United States. Over 
1,000lb. have been exploded since December 1, and it appears 
to possess the full strength of nitro-glycerin, besides being per- 
fectly safe from any ordinary blaster to handle. It will not 
explode by concussion, and can be tamped as hard as powder 
with perfect safety. There seems no reason why it will not 
eventually entirely supersede common powder for all blasting 
purposes. 
Tue Scientific American announces a substitute for lime in 
the lime-light of the oxyhydrogen jet. It appears that a prism 
cut out of the mineral dolomite will emit a light as powerful if 
not superior to the calcium light. The dolomite is made up of 
nearly equal parts of the carbonate of lime and magnesia, and 
the combination of these two earths produces effects superior to 
what can be obtained from either of them alone. The light is 
said to be suited for photographic purposes, especially for copy- 
ing pictures. As dolomite is an abundant rock, its application 
for purposes of light may prove of peculiar value. 
THE report of the Manchester Field Naturalists’ Society for 
1870 has, according to the Secretary, ‘‘little to say except that 
the year’s proceedings have been marked by smoothness and 
success, with no particular incidents to give it distinction above 
preceding years, and certainly without any of an infelicitous 
kind.” The meetings have been well attended ; there has been 
a considerable entry of new members; and the Treasurer's 
report is satisfactory. The report is taken up with brief résumes 
of the proceedings at each meeting, and a summary is given of a 
useful paper by Mr. R. B. Smart ‘‘ On the Variation of Species” 
in the vegetable kingdom. We much regret that, from a society 
numbering its members by hundreds, we cannot obtain a pro- 
portionate amount of work ; indeed many of the smaller bodies 
put the Field clubs of our large towns to shame in this respect. 
Mr. Grindon’s ‘‘ Flora cf Manchester” is not only out of date, 
but also out of print ; and a complete fauna and flora of the 
district would be both useful to naturalists and creditable to the 
society. Surely among so many members some may be found 
both able and willing to undertake such a work. We observe 
that the Secretary, in the present report, speaks of plants by 
their English names, some of which are of his own invention. 
As their scientific equivalents are omitted we are left in the dark 
as to some of them; ‘‘dimplewort” is, we believe, Cotv/edon 
umbilicus, but “ blushwort” baffles our ingenuity. The Presi- 
dent for 187° is Mr. Thomas Turner, F.L.S., and Mr. 
Grindon continues to act as Secretary, 
