April 7, 1887] 



NA 1 URE 



545 



translations), 45 ; French, 21 ; Dutch, 3 ; Latin, 3 ; Italian, S ; 

 Spanish, I ; Arabic, I. More books on this subject have been 

 printed in English and German than in any other language. 



I.N a recent Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission, Mr. 

 J. W. Collins describes the finding of a knife of curious work- 

 manship in the thick flesh of a large cod. The "find "was 

 made at Gloucester, Mass., on September 15, 1886, by Capt- 

 John Q. Gelchell, when discharging a fare of codfish from his 

 schooner. He had lifted several fish from a tub, and, running 

 his hand over the thicker portion of one of them to call the 

 attention of the by-st.inders to its fatness, he felt something hard 

 beneath his fingers. Further examination produced a knife. 

 The handle of the knife is of brass, curved and tapering 

 posteriorly, with a longitudinal incision, on the concave side, to 

 receive the edge of the bhide. The form is remarkable, and 

 suggests "the handiwork of some savage tribe, or the scrim- 

 shaw work of a sailor." The blade, which is of a lanceolate 

 shape, has been corroded a good deal, and the extreme point is 

 very thin. The total length of handle and blade together is 

 6J inches. "As to where the fish got the knife," says Mr. 

 Collins, "we can only conjecture, unless some ethnologist can 

 point out its origin. In any case, the finding of such a remark- 

 able implement in such a strange place must be a matter of 

 interest to the ethnologist and naturalist alike." 



The Colonial Council of Cochin China has decided to grant a 

 sum of 6000 francs a year for life to M. Pierre, the Director of 

 the Botanical Gardens at Saigon, provided he undertakes to 

 finish in Paris the publication of his " Flore de la Cochinchine," 

 and will leave ail the manuscripts and collections which he has 

 employed in the preparation of this work to the colony. The 

 same body has granted La Societe des Etudes Indo-Chinoises a 

 subvention of a thousand francs to aid in the publication of its 

 liiilldin. 



We have received the numbers of the Essex Naturalist, the 

 journal of the Essex Field Club, for January, Februaiy, and 

 March of the present year. The steady growth of the Club 

 has led the Council to decide upon the issue of a monthly 

 journal in place of the former Transactions and Proceedings 

 at irregular intcrvaN. It is scarcely surprising that residents 

 of the county of Essex should appreciate the labours of the 

 Society, inasmuch as they are wholly devoted to the county, 

 and are of interest even to persons who know little of Essex. 

 In this respect — namely, the thorough examination of the 

 district lying at their doors — the members of the Essex Field 

 Club set an example that similar Societies elsewhere would 

 do well to follow. Anything relating to the natural history, 

 geology, and prehistoric archaeology of Essex is welcomed. 

 Thus, amongst the papers in the three numbers before us, 

 we have a discussion on a curious subsidence near Colchester 

 in 1862 ; a report on the flowering plants in the neighbour- 

 hood of Colchester, by Mr. Shenstone, which is a kind of 

 supplement for that particular district to Gibson's " Flora of 

 Essex," published twenty years ago ; notei on the saffron plant 

 in England and its connection with the name of Saffron 

 Walden ; a paper on primaeval man in the valley of the Lea, 

 by Mr. Worthington Smith ; and a paper on the deer of 

 Epping Forest, by Mr. Ilarting. Apart from a succession 

 of papers such as these, it is scarcely necessary to remind 

 readers of Nature of such excellent special work as Prof. 

 Meldola and Mr. White's report on the East Anglian earthquake 

 of April 18S4, published by the Society. There are few associa- 

 tions in the United Kingdom which perform so adequately and 

 thoroughly the proper functions of a local Field Club or 

 Xaiuralists' Society, as the Essex Field Club. 



Earthqi/akes are reported from Travnik, in Bosnia, where 

 a shock, lasting for five seconds, and followed by two others. 



was felt on March 22, about 3 a.m. On March 23 three shocks 

 were noticed about 11.15 a.m. at Campfer and St. Moritz 

 (Orisons). At Stuttgart, on March 25, about 4 a.m., a perpen- 

 dicular shock was felt in the direction from west to east, fol- 

 lowed by oscillations continuing for ten seconds. At Savona, 

 in Italy, an earthquake was noticed about the same time. Ac- 

 cording to a telegram from Aden, dated the 5th inst., shocks of 

 earthquake had been repeatedly felt there during the previous 

 four days, but no damage had been reported. 



Mr. Edward Woods, President of the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers, will give a conversazione on Wednesday, May 25 

 (Derby Day). It will take place in the South Kensington 

 Museum by permission of the Lords of the Committee of 

 Council on Education. 



The semi-centennial .anniversary of the University of Louis- 

 ville was celebrated on March 2. The doctorate address on the 

 occasion was delivered by Dr. David W. Yandell, who offered 

 some interesting reminiscences of teachers of medicine in the 

 University. When the institution was founded, it was the 

 fourth medical school west of the AUeghanies. " There are as 

 many schools now in Louisville alone," said Dr. Yandell, "as 

 were then in all the territory which extended from the Ohio 

 River to the Pacific Ocean." Dr. Yandell claimed on behalf of 

 the University that it is "a school where practical medicine is 

 taught in all its branches in a thorough, practical way." " It 

 points to its record with becoming pride, and finds there its 

 guerdon and its hope for the future." 



O.v April I the fine Botanic Garden of Glasgow passed from 

 the hands of the shareholders of the Royal Botanic Institution 

 into the possession of the Corporation of Glasgow. The Garden 

 was founded in 1816. Shortly after this date the Botanic Insti- 

 tution received a Royal Charter, and in consideration of the 

 importance of the teaching of botany in the University, as well 

 as for the general encouragement of the study of this science, a 

 sum of 2000/. was granted from the Treasury. A further sum 

 of 2000/. was advanced by the University of Glasgow, on con- 

 dition that special facilities should be given to the Professor of 

 Botany in the University for teaching his science ; and it need 

 hardly be said that from this point of view the maintenance of 

 the Garden is of primary importance. The financial history of 

 the Garden has at no time been fully satisfactory, and the Insti- 

 tution has at the end of seventy years found itself in the position 

 of a debtor to the Corporation to the extent of 46,000/. The 

 greater part of this sum has been expended in recent years in 

 the erection of fine conservatories, which, in point of condition 

 and extent, place the Garden at the head of provincial establish- 

 ments. The collections of plants date back to the foundation of 

 the Institution, but the bulk of them have been acquired within 

 the last ten years, very large and valuable donations having 

 been received from Kew, Edinburgh, and Glasnevin, while 

 large contributions have also been made by the leading growers 

 throughout the country. Owing to peculiar municipal complica- 

 tions, following on the totally unexpected rejection of a Bill 

 in Parliament for the annexation of Hillhead and Kelvinside 

 to the city of Glasgow, by a Committee of the Lords, 

 after it had passed through the House of Commons, it 

 is as yet uncertain what line of action the Corporation may 

 adopt with regard to this valuable property which has fallen into 

 their hands. It is in their power to disperse the collections, sell' 

 the fine and costly houses, and dispose of the twenty-three acres- 

 of hand for building-purposes. This course would be deplored 

 not only by the citizens of Glasgow, who would thus lose for 

 ever a most picturesque open space, but also by all who are 

 interested in the botanical progress of the country. Were the 

 establishment maintained on its present footing as a Botanic 

 Garden, the Corporation would do credit to itself, and would 

 materially assist in the advance of that which has always been 



