5i8 



NA TURE 



{March 31, 1887 



on the following points : exact time of occurrence of the earth- 

 qualce ; the time compared with that of the nearest railway or 

 telegraph station ; locality of occurrence, and whether felt 

 indoors or in the open ; nature of soil ; what the observer was 

 occupied with ; how many shocks were felt ; nature of motion, 

 undulating or oscillating ; from what direction the shock came ; 

 whither it went ; how long the motion lasted ; what were its 

 effects ; did the shock resemble others experienced by the 

 observer ; was there any sound ; was the sound heard before or 

 after the earthquake ; what was the interval between the 

 shocks ; v\ ere phenomena of restlessness in animals, or pecu- 

 liarities of the weather, observed; if near sea or lake, were 

 there any strange motions in <,he same ; the names of any 

 other persons who are known to have noticed the earthquake. 

 Karthquake phenomena having been more than usually frequent 

 in Noruay during the past year, it is believed that Dr. Reuch's 

 circular may be of considerable service to science. 



At a meeting of the Japanese members of the Seismological 

 Society of Japan held at the Imperial University on January 

 20 (according to a report in the Japan Weekly Mail) two 

 papers were read in Japanese. The first was by Mr. Kikuchi, 

 on the geology of Corea. In it the writer described the geo- 

 logical map made by Prof. Gottsche, who visited that country 

 after leaving Japan. The paper also gave a description of the 

 geological formations and the minerals found in the different 

 provinces of Corea, and showed that Corea differs from Japan 

 in the fact that these formations in the former country are 

 much older, and on that account more stable, than those in the 

 latter. This, Mr. Kikuchi thought, might account for the com- 

 parative absence of seismological phenomena in Corea. The 

 second paper, by Mr. S. Sekiya, was on recent destructive 

 earthquakes. The writer described in succession the causes 

 and effects of the earthquake which occurred in Japan on Feb- 

 ruary 22, 18S0 ; the earthquake at Ischia in 18S3 ; the shock of 

 October 15, 1SS4, in Japan ; the earthquakes in Spain in 1S84 ; 

 those of the United States of last year ; and the shock of January 

 15 in Japan. It was pointed out that the three earthquakes men- 

 tioned as occurring in Japan were very similar in their intensity, 

 and that they extended over nearly the same area ; but, with 

 regard to their place of origin, the writer said the first two 

 shocks originated in Tokio Bay, or in the ocean beyond the 

 peninsula, while that of the present year originated in a spot to 

 the south-west of the two previously mentioned. A third paper 

 on the meteorology of Tokio was postponed. It appears from 

 this and other reports which we have published from time to 

 time that the Japanese Section of the Seismological Society, 

 where the papers are read in the Japanese language, is, like the 

 parent Society, in a very flourishing condition. It evidently 

 supplies a demand for this department of science amongst 

 Japanese who know no language well except their own. 



At the first meeting of the London Commission for the Mel- 

 bourne Centennial International Exhibition, held on Thursday, 

 the 24th inst., the chairman, Sir Graham Berry, said that the 

 proposed buildings of the Exhibition would cover an area of 

 more than 1,000,000 feet. It was decided that a deputation 

 should ask Sir Henry Holland to take steps for the appointment, 

 in connexion with the Exhibition, of a Royal Commission for 

 the United Kingdom, and that the Foreign Office should be 

 requested to communicate on the subject of the Exhibition with 

 foreign Powers, India, and colonies other than Australasia. 



On Saturday evening last, a lecture on " The Habits of Ants '■ 

 was delivered by Sir John Lubbock in the theatre of the Work- 

 i ng Men's College, Great Ormond Street. The lecturer gave an 

 interesting account of some of the results of his own observa- 

 tions, and brought forward much evidence to prove that ants 

 possess " something more than mere instinct." 



By an Order in Council, dated March 7, Her Majesty has 

 declared that the following antiquities shall be protected by the 

 Ancient Monuments Act: (l) Little Kit's Coty House, or the 

 countless stones of Tottinglon, at Aylesford, in Kent ; (2) the 

 chambered tumulus at Buckholt, in Gloucestershire; (3) the Druid's 

 circle and tumulus on Eyam-moor, in Derbyshire ; (4) the Pictish 

 tower of Carloway, in Ross-shire ; {5) the Ruthwell Runic cross 

 in Dumfriesshire ; and (6) St. Ninian's Cave, at Glasserton, in 

 Wigtownshire. The Order will not come into force until it has 

 lain for forty days before both Houses of Parliament. 



In the so-called Seelberg, where in 1816 the mammoth 

 group which is the chief ornament of the Stuttgart Museum 

 was found, further excavations are being made under the direc- 

 tion of Dr. Fraas. Many skeletons, weapons, and implements 

 have been discovered, and Dr. Fraas is of opinion that the 

 mammoth group found seventy years ago was artificially put 

 together by prehistoric artists. 



In the American Naturalist there is an article by Mr. John 

 Murdoch on what he calls " some popular errors in regard to 

 the Eskimos." One of these "popular errors" is the notion 

 that the Eskimos pass the winter " in a sort of hibernation, in 

 underground dens, living in enforced idleness and supporting 

 life by stores of meat laid up in less inclement seasons." Mr. 

 Murdoch, who spent two winters at Point Barrow, says this is a 

 wholly mistaken impression. In spite of the extreme inclemency 

 of the climate, the winter, he asserts, is passed by the Eskimos 

 " in one continued round of activity," and he gives a very inter- 

 esting description of the manner in which they occupy themselves. 

 Another "popular error "on this subject is the idea that the 

 Eskimos always eat their food raw, and devour enormous quanti- 

 ties of blubber. At Point Barrow, Mr. Murdoch found that 

 food was habitually cooked, although certain articles, like the 

 "black skin" of the whale, were usually eaten raw. Taking 

 into account the fact that the Eskimos have no butter, cream, fat, 

 bacon, olive-oil, or lard, he doubts whether much more fat is 

 consumed by them than by civilised peoples. At Point Barrow 

 the fat of birds and the reindeer was freely partaken of, but 

 comparatively little actual blubber either of the seal or whale 

 was eaten. " Seal or whale blubber was too valuable, — for 

 burning in the lamps, oiling leather, and many other purposes, 

 especially for trade. " 



A BOOK on " Sensation and Movement,'' by M. Ch. Fere, of 

 Paris, has just been published. The author tries to show how 

 different sorts of sensations react upon the vasomotor and 

 motor phenomena, as indicated by pletysphygmograph and 

 dynamometer. 



In a work on " The Nationalities of Bohemia," lately pub- 

 lished. Dr. L. Schlesinger shows that 37-11 per cent, of the 

 population of that country are Germans, and 62-83 are Czechs 

 The limits within which the languages of the two races are 

 spoken are generally very sharply drawn. There are 13,184 

 inhabited places in Bohemia, and in 4304 of them German alone 

 is spoken, in 8473 the Czech language alone. In only 407 

 places are both languages used. 



The death is announced of Prof. Simon Spitzer, Professo r 

 of Analytical Mechanics at the Technical High School of 

 Vienna, the author of various well-known mathematical works. 

 He died on March l6 at the age of sixty-one. 



The new University building at Upsala is approaching com- 

 pletion. It has been in course of erection since 1879, and will 

 be one of the finest University buildings in Europe. It will 

 be opened with great ceremony on May 18 next by the Kmg 

 of Sweden, in presence of delegates from the principal foreign 

 Universities. 



