472 
NATURE 
[| April 13, 1871 

pended ; but should the siege be prolonged, they may probably 
be resumed at Versailles, although some of its members are de- 
tained in Paris by the Commune as hostages. 
WE are sorry to learn that the Government of Nova Scotia, in 
resorting to the retrenchment system, has withdrawn the small 
annual grant heretofore made to the Institute of Natural Science, 
the only scientific society that colony possesses ; and, moreover, 
one which for the past eight years has struggled to maintain a 
position creditable to itself and the country in which it is esta- 
blished. Surely the trouble and expense of publishing, setting 
aside the gratuitous mental labour of those members who have 
furnished the interesting papers which together form the eight 
annual parts, comprising two volumes of over 1,000 pages, 
should have been considered by the authorities of the colony 
before they acted in such an illiberal spirit. We trust, neverthe- 
less, to see the Institute still progress in its career of usefulness. 
WE have great pleasure in announcing that Mr. Julian Gold- 
smid, M.P. for Rochester, who is a Master of Arts in the Uni- 
versity of London, has just made his University a handsome 
present of 1,000/., to be paid in annual instalments distributed 
over ten years, towards the formation of a good classical library 
in the new building. The Senate have accepted the offer, with 
a hearty acknowledgment of its generosity ; and a committee has 
already been appointed to begin the agreeable task of forming a 
classical library. We trust Mr. Goldsmid’s generosity may be 
infectious. The Sfectator suggests whether it is possible to secure 
for the University the late Prof. De Morgan’s unique Mathe- 
matical Library, which probably contains the most curious collec- 
tion of books on the history of mathematics to be found in Eng- 
land. The value of this collection is besides greatly enhanced 
by Mr. De Morgan’s own numerous and characteristic annota- 
tions. Whether the library is to be disposed of or not, we do 
not at present know ; but if it could be obtained, there would be 
a special fitness in securing it for the University of London, 
which would then have a really good start towards the formation 
of a fine classical and scientific library. 
Mr. ELwEs, of University College, London, and Mr. Jude, 
of King’s College, London, have been elected to Natural Science 
Scholarships at Christ’s College, Cambridge, of the respective 
values of 7o/, and 50/. per annum. 
WE have to record another instance of American munificence 
towards Science. Vassar College has received a donation of 
50,000 dollars to found a natural history professorship. 
WE have received the first number of the 4th volume of 
‘« Sirius,” edited by Dr. R. Falb, which promises to keep its old 
reputation as an excellent astronomical journal. It is accompanied 
by an admirable map of the stars of the northern hemisphere 
down to the 4th magnitude, the variable and double stars being 
indicated at a glance. 
SEVENTY years ago some domestic rabbits were introduced 
upon Sable Island, a small sandy islet lying about a hundred 
miles off the Nova Scotia coast, and being left alone and not 
crossed in breeding, they have entered their feral state in liveries 
of beautiful silver grey, with white collars, intimating some re- 
mote affinities with bygone races. 
Ar the Natural History Society of Ireland, held on Wednes- 
day, April 5th, R. P, Williams in the chair, Dr. A. W. Foot 
read a paper on ‘‘Irish Diptera.” The list contained those 
species taken by him during the previous summer, and embraced 
sixty-five species belonging to thirty-nine genera. Mr. W. Andrews 
read a paper on the species of the genus Hymenophyllum met 
with in New Zealand. Some pretty sketches of scenery in New 
Zealand were exhibited by the author, who also laid ona table a 
number of illustrative dried specimens} which had been com- 
municated to him by friends in America. 
On December 1 there was an earthquake at Tinnevelly in 
the Madras Presidency; and on the following day a slight 
earthquake was felt at Darjeeling, an English town in the 
Himalayas. 
ON the 9th February there was a very strong shock of 
earthquake at Illapel in Chile. On the 11th February a strong 
shock of earthquake was felt at Valparaiso in Chile about 4 A.M. 
It is worthy of note that both these earthquakes occurred simul 
taneously with freshets from the mountains. 
On Twelfth Day an Indian woman of Cuzco in Peru, forty- 
five years of age, gave birth to a triplet of boys, one of whom 
survived. Asthis happened strangely enough on the day of the 
Three Kings, it excited the superstitions of the’natives. The 
surviving boy was named Gaspar, after one of the kings, 
Coat of excellent quality is said to have been discovered near 
the rich silver mines of Caracoles in Bolivia, about twelve miles 
from Calama. 
In a recent number of the Sczentific American are short 
descriptions and drawings of two useful inventions ;—a Washing 
Shield, consisting of a corrugated shield or armour which pro- 
tects the arm and at the same time forms an effective surface for 
rubbing the clothes ; and an Anti-snoring device, consisting of a 
leather band placed over the head and chin, which effectually 
closes the mouth during sleep. 
a 
From the Thirteenth Annual Report of the East Kent Natural 
History Society we learn that that body is ‘in much the 
same condition as at the end of the preceding year.” The library 
has been largely augmented ; there has been but one excursion ; 
several lectures have been given ; and fortnightly evening meet- 
ings have been established. The Committee appointed to report 
upon the flora of the district seems to have made but little pro- 
gress. The Rey. J. Mitchinson, D.C.L., is the President; and 
Mr. George Gulliver, F.R.S., Secretary. 
THE Malvern Naturalists’ Field Club has issued in a neat 
volume its Transactions for 1853-70. It contains a large number 
of papers mainly illustrative of the natural history of the district, 
including catalogues of local birds, mollusca, lepidoptera, and 
fungi, with sketches of the geology of the Malvern Hills, and 
observations on the meteorology of Malvern. There is also an 
interesting sketch of the proceedings of the Society from its com- 
mencement in 1853, to the close of 1868, by the Rev. W. J. 
Symonds, F.G.S., President ; and a long paper on “ The Forest 
and Chace of Malvern: its Ancient and Present State; with 
Notices of the most remarkable old Trees remaining within its 
Confines,” by Mr. Edwin Lees. This is illustrated by several 
well-executed engravings of some of the trees referred to ; but 
we can commend neither the illustrations nor the matter of 
the same author’s paper “ On the Forms and Persistency of Arbo- 
real Fungi.” The volume, however, on the whole, is likely 
to be useful to the members of the club, and is a creditable pro- 
duction. 
THE more general use of buffaloes for the purpose of moving 
timber in some of the forests of India has been recommended by 
the conservators of those forests which are situate on compara- 
tively level or uneven ground as being more practicable and eco- 
nomical than elephants. It is found that there is great difficulty 
in some parts in obtaining sufficient fodder for the elephants, one 
of the consequences of which is that their health suffers, and this, 
when taken with the high price paid for them, causes considerable 
loss. Owing to the size and weight of many of the logs, how- 
ever, which often lie in difficult positions, a few elephants are 
necessary ; but in those forests where low trucks and carts can 
be used, it is said that a few pairs of buffaloes will do more work, 
and can be kept with less risk than elephants, 
