Apri, 14, 1887] 



NA TURE 



567 



The following is a tabulated analysis of the powdered 

 and sun-dried leaves : — 



Ether extract (chlorophyll and resins) ... 55 1 

 Alcoholic extract (gyninemic acid, tartaric 

 acid, glucose, neutral bitter principle, 



resin, &c.) i9'5o 



Aqueous extract (gum v\i per cent, glu- 

 cose, carbohydrate, and extractive) ... 16S7 

 Alkaline extract, by difference (albu- 

 minous and colouring matters) S15 



calcium oxalate 764 



pararabin 274 



Ash (balance of) 569 



Cellulose 2786 



Moisture 604 



Acid solution 



NOTES 



The Conference called by the French Government to con- 

 sider the means to be adopted for the construction of a photo- 

 graphic chart of the heavens, meets at Paris on Saturday next. 

 We believe that the Astronomer-Royal and Mr. Common have 

 been delegated to represent the Royol and the Astronomical 

 Societies. 



The Rev. S. J. Perry and Dr. Copeland have accepted Dr. 

 Bredichin's invitation to observe the total solar eclipse in August 

 next at his re.'-idence near Moscow. 



We regrtt to announce the death of Dr. Daniel Rutherford 

 H.ildane, who was for some time President of the Royal College 

 of Phy.-icians of Edinburgh. In response to a request by that 

 body he represented the College in the General Council of 

 Medical Education and Registration in the United Kingdom. 

 He died at his residence in Edinburgh on Tuesday last. 



The annual Conference of the National Union of Elementary 

 Teacht-rs, which has met this week at Portsmouth, has been 

 remarkably successful. It h.-ts been attended by about 400 dele- 

 gales from the different affiliated associations, and by a number 

 of individual members. In his inaugural address, Mr. Girling, 

 the President, made some sensible remarks on technical educa- 

 tion in elementary schools. Handicrafts could not be taught in 

 elementary schools, but he' was decidedly of opinion that our 

 system of primary education ought to be better adapted to fit 

 children for work when they leave school. He testified to the 

 enterprise and public spirit of the City Guilds, and their Secret- 

 ary, Sir Philip Magnus, who had started handicraft cKisses for 

 elementary teachers in London. But he would ask them to 

 CO operate in helping to make our educational system a more 

 rational one. Then the teachers would have most valuable aid 

 in preparing the future working-men of the country on intelli- 

 gent lines, and the technical training of children, now so well 

 begun in our infant-schools through the medium of kindergarten 

 exercises, might be carried still further in the senior schools. 

 At the meeting on Tuesday, a resolution was unanimously passed 

 in favour of the appointment of a Minister of Education. Mr. 

 Salmon, by whom this resolution was proposed, maintained that 

 many educational questions of the highest importance could be 

 adequately settled only by a Minister of much ability and wide 

 experience, invested with large authority an<l bearing direct and 

 undivided responsibility. Given such a Minister, with great 

 power and noble opportunities, they could justly look to him for 

 great efforts and noble issues. 



The fourth Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, issued 

 from the Royal Gardens, Kew, contains papers on Manilla hemp, 

 plantain and banana fibre, and pine-apple fibre. Manilla hemp 

 is one of the most important o f cordage fibres, and the whole 



supply cumes from the Philippine Islands. Everything made 

 from it can be easily converted into paper of excellent quality. 

 .\ plant of Manilla hemp may be seen in the Palm House at 

 Kew ; and sets of exhibits in the Kew Museum, No. 2, include 

 the raw fibre, cables, ropes, twine, fine muslin fabrics, " half- 

 stuff," and paper of all kinds, the latter being made from old 

 Manilla ropes. Manilla hemp plants have been introduced from 

 Kew to Jam.aica, and to other portions of the West Indies. In 

 favour.ible situations they grow well, but not so readily as the 

 ordinary bananas and plantains. As the fruit is valueless, they 

 can only be grown for the sake of the fibre, and this alone 

 does not appear to ofier sufficient inducement to pl.int up large 

 areas. 



An Exhibition of the products of the Philippine Archipelago 

 is to be opened at Madrid on June I. It is to be divided into 

 eight sections, with corresponding sections in the Central Com- 

 mission at Manilla. Amongst these the following are of specially 

 scientific interest : — (l) For the study of the geography, ineteoro- 

 logy, terrestrial magnetism, orography, hydrography, anthropo- 

 logy, geology, and mineralogy of the Philippines ; (4) the 

 botanical geography of the archipelago, its fauna and flora ; 

 (8) general education, public instruction, and the arts and 

 sciences in the Philippines generally. Sub-commissions have 

 been appointed in all the chief places in the archipelago to col- 

 lect objects for exhibition and information, to be forwarded to 

 the Central Commission, and thence to Madrid. 



During the next three months a course of lectures on zoology 

 will be delivered at the Zoological Gardens, Regent!s Park, by 

 Prof. Beddard. The lecturer will try to make the subject 

 intelligible and attractive to young people, and as the cost will 

 not exceed the bare price of admission to the Gardens, it may be 

 hoped that the course will be largely attended. The arrange- 

 ments have been made by the Association for the Extension of 

 University Education. 



A SMALL Industrial Exhibition was opened on Tuesday last 

 at the Flora Gardens Board School, Hammersmith. Its object 

 is to encourage home industries among the poor. 



The twelfth annual meeting of the members of the Sunday 

 Society was held on Monday, April 4, at the Conduit Street 

 Gallei'ies, Mr. R. Carter in the chair. Mr. Mark H. Judge, 

 Hon. Sec, read the annual report, which claimed for the past 

 year that never before had there been so many or such decisive 

 expressions of public opinion in favour of the Society's object. 



A REMARKAiiLE illustration of the puzzling migratory habits 

 of the herring has just been observed on the south-west coast of 

 Norway, at the so-called Jjederen, between the towns of 

 Stavanger and Egersund. This district used to be one of the 

 richest herring-fishing grounds in Norway during the spring, but 

 about twenty-five years ago the fish suddenly and completely 

 disappeared from the coast. Last month enormous shoals once 

 more came under shore, first "striking land" at the same spot 

 as in former times. The quality of the herring is exactly the 

 same as it was twenty-five years ago, and the shoals were 

 accompanied by numerous "herring" whales. 



The first and second parts of a Catalogue of the remains of 

 Siwalik Vertebrata contained in the Geological Department of 

 the Indian Museum, Calcutta, have been sent to us. The work 

 is compiled by Mr. Richard Lydekker, who says that the 

 magnificent Siwalik collection in the Indian Museum is equalled 

 only by that of the British Museum. 



An Exhibition of .Seeds will take place at Trondhjem, from 

 July 4 to 10, in connection with the eighth general Norwegian 

 .Agricultural Meeting. -\t the same time, lectures on the sub- 

 ject will be delivered to the meeting, and a Fisheries E.xhibition 

 will also be held. 



