444 



NA TURE 



{^iMarch lo, 1887 



Messrs. Cassell and Co. will have ready, shortly, "A 

 Manual of Pr.ictical Solid Geometry, adapted to the Require- 

 ments of Military Students and Draughtsmen," compiled by 

 Major William Gordon Ross, R.E., Professor of Geometrical 

 Drawing and Fortification, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. 



Messrs. Griffin will publish, shortly, a work on pathology, 

 by Prof. Julius Dreschfeld, of Owens College. 



Dr. Thomas Jones, Lecturer on Surgery at Owens College, 

 has a work on surgery in preparation. Messrs. Smith, Elder, 

 and Co., will be the publishers. 



Mr. H. K. Lewis will issue immediately " Photography of 

 Bacteria," illustrated with eighty-six photographs reproduced in 

 autotype, by Dr. Edgar M. Crookshank ; also a second edition, 

 revised and considerably enlarged, of " Manual of Bacteriology," 

 by the same author. 



We have received the first number of the Wesley Naturalist. 

 a monthly journal of the new Wesley Scientific Society, of which 

 the Rev. Dr. Dallinger, F.R. S. , is President. In an intro- 

 ductory paper. Dr. Dallinger says the Society does not hope to 

 do important original work. Its aim will be " to direct, stimu- 

 late, and help, mostly the young and those engaged in daily 

 work, in acquiring correct knowledge of the principles of a 

 chosen branch of science." 



Messrs. Gurney and Jackson, the successors to Mr. Van 

 Voorst, are about to publish a List of British Birds, which has 

 been revised by Mr. Howard Saunders. It will be printed so 

 as to be available for the labelling of specimens. The use of 

 varied type will enable the student to distinguish readily the 

 rarer visitors and the species having a doubtful claim to be 

 considered British. 



An extensive fish-culture establishment is being formed by 

 Mr. William Biu'gess on his estate at Malvern Wells, Worcester, 

 for the proi)agation of Salmonida^ and coarse fish. A series of 

 breeding- and rearing-ponds has been made, and a hatchery 

 capable of incubating four millions of ova is being constructed. 

 The site selected for the purpose is said to be admirably adapted 

 for fish-culture, as there is an abundance of pure water. Mr. 

 Burgess has already turned into his waters a quantity of fish, 

 including trout, salmon, and carp. 



In the spring the U.S. Fish Commission steamer W/Azfrwj 

 will sail for her work on the Pacific. The fish-bearing proper- 

 ties of the Kiu Sawa, or Black Stream of Japan, will be investi- 

 gated. The Kiu Sawa, crossing the Pacific in a high latitude, 

 is said to modify the temperature and climate of Alaska and the 

 Aleutian Archipelago in very much the same way as the Gulf 

 Stream modifies the climate of the British Isles. 



The managers of the Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern 

 show much discretion in the choice of subjects for their well- 

 known " Penny Science Lectures." On Tuesday last a lecture 

 on " Vesuvius and Ischia, a Volcano and an Earthquake," was 

 delivered by the Rev. W. W. Edwards. On Tuesday next, 

 Prof. George Forbes will describe "A Journey across A.sia, 

 through Siberia," and, on the 22nd inst., the Dean of West- 

 minster will lecture on " Westminster Abbey." 



A REPORT of the proceedings of the thirty-fifth meeting of 

 the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 held at Buffalo in August last, has lately been published. It 

 contains, besides many short papers and abstracts, the address 

 of Mr. H. A. Newton, the retiring President, and the addresses 

 of the Vice-Presidents in the Section-; of Mathematics and 

 .\stronomy. Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Science and En- 

 gineering, Geology and Geography, Biology, .Anthropology, and 

 Economic Science and Statistics. 



In the second Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, issued 

 from the Royal Gardens, Kew, there is an interesting account of 

 Cape boxwood. Some time ago a sample of the wood of this tree 

 was sent to Kew, and it was found that the two woods were almost 

 identical. It was clear, therefore, that Cape boxwood was none 

 other than a species of Buxus, and perhaps B. sempei-'irens 

 itself. Small samples were exhibited in the Cape Court at the 

 recent Colonial and Indian Exhibition, and in the Catalogue it was 

 stated that the wood had been " very favour.ibly reported on for 

 engraving purposes." The general appearance of the specimens 

 at the E.xhibition did not recommend Cape boxwood to the 

 notice of engravers. 



We regret to announce the death of Dr. Birnbaum, Professor 

 of Chemistry at the Technical High Scho.d at Carlsruhe, on 

 February 20; and of Dr. Reinhold von Reichenbach, the well- 

 known chemist, who died at Gratz on February 23. 



The South American Exhibition at Berlin has resulted in a 

 great pecuniary loss. 



M. E. Berili.on has just published a Uttle book on Paul 

 Bert's scientific career. Being a medical man himself, he has 

 been able to give a very clear and accurate idea of M. Bert's 

 work in physiology. 



At a recent meeting of the Paris Biological Society an 

 apparatus was shown, made of iron and glass, in which a pres- 

 sure of 1000 atmospheres can be developed f jr the purpose of 

 studying the influence of pressure on animal life. 



The third meeting of the French Congres de Chirurgie will 

 take place in Paris in the month of April 1888. The second 

 one was held in November 1886. Prof. Verneuil is President- 

 Elect for 1 888. 



The earthquake which took place on February 6 in Southern 

 Indiana, Illinois, a small portion of Kentucky, and East Central 

 Missouri is said by American newspapers to have had an area 

 of about 75,000 square miles. The greatest intensity was in 

 South-Western Indiana and .South- Eastern Illinois. The U.S. 

 Geological Survey is trying to obtain accurate information as to 

 the boundary of the area covered. 



Correspondents in Athens report that on Friday last 

 successive slight shocks of earthquake were felt from noon to 

 midnight at Philiatra. The direction was south-west by south. 



M. Floran de Villepigne has devised, in Paris, an 

 instrument, the autographometer, which records automatically 

 the topography and difference of level of all places over which it 

 passes. It is carried about on a light vehicle, and those who 

 wish to use it have nothing to do but to drag it, or have it 

 dragged, over the ground of which they desire to obtain a plan. 



The University of Berlin is being attended, during the present 

 term, by no fewer than 5357 students. This is the largest num- 

 ber of students that have ever been enrolled by a German Uni- 

 versity. In the Faculty of Philosophy there are 1984 students ; 

 in that of Medicine, 1297 ; in that of Law, 1282 ; in that of 

 Theology, 794. The number of instructors is 288, of whom 

 147 are in Philosophy, 103 in Medicine, 22 in Law, and 16 in 

 Theology. 



The Chicago Manual Training School has lately issued its 

 fourth annual Catalogue. The requisites for admission to this 

 institution are that the candidates be at least fourteen years of 

 age, and be able to pass a satisfactory examination in reading, 

 spelling, writing, English composition, geogr.aphy, and arith- 

 metic. The course extends over three years, and includes 

 instruction in mathematics, science, language, drawing, and 

 shop-work, during the entire period. The school has a well- 

 equipped wood-room, foundry, forge-room, and machine-shop, 



