66 



NATURE 



{_May 20, 1880 



M 



damp ground. The plant most sensible to electricity is the vine. 

 When a stroke of lightning falls in a vineyard the leaves affected 

 are turned red-brown or deep green, a circumstance which shows, 

 in the opinion of Prof. CoUadon, that the electricity descends 

 in a sheet or shower, and not in a single point, the number of 

 vines touched —sometimes several hundred — by a single coup 

 proving that the lightning has covered a wide area. 



The oldest libr.irian of the Royal Library at Berlin, Dr. 

 Buschmann, died recently at the advanced age of seventy-five 

 years. 



A NEW " lUustrirte Naturgeschichte der Thiere," by Philipp 

 Leopold Martin, with numerous illustrations by F. Specht, R. 

 Friese, R. Kretschmer, A. Goring, and L. Martin, jun., will 

 soon be published in two volumes (or fifty parts), by F. A. 

 Brockhaus, of Leipzig. The first volume will contain the 

 chapters on mammals and birds ; the second the remaining 

 vertebrates and the whole of the invertebrates. 



The Archfeological Society of Athens has purchased about 

 half the village which stands upon the ruins of the Temple of 

 Eleusis. The Society intends building new dwelling-houses in 

 another part, and to begin with excavations as soon as the pre-ent 

 inmates of the village have moved. 



The astronomer, Herr Rudolf Falb, well known through his 

 theory of earthquakes, has returned from his South American 

 fxploring tour, which extended over a period of more than two 

 years. In his researches he was led in the direction of ethno- 

 graphy and linguistics, and believes that he has made interesting 

 discoveries regarding "the original language of the human 

 race." 



In the vicinity of Milan pile-dwellings have been discovered 

 in a peat-moor, and the foundations of a Roman theatre in the 

 city itself. 



" Die deutsche Arbeit in fremden Erdtheilen " is the title of 

 an interesting lecture recently delivered by Dr. Karl von Scherzer 

 at the Leipzig Gemeinniitzige Gesellschaft. It is publi hed by 

 Rossberg, of Leipzig. 



The new Indian Section of the South Ken-ington Museum, 

 formed from the late India Museum, was opened to the public 

 on Monday. . 



It has been resolved to establish a Museum of Science and 

 Art in Aberdeen. 



An experimental department has been established at the Con- 

 servatoire des Arts et Metiers in the large hall, w here the engines 

 are set in operation every Sunday and Thursday from eleven to 

 six o'clock. Advantage has been taken of the motive power to 

 put in operation a number of Gramme and Alliance machines. 

 After having been exhibited during a fortnight, the instruments 

 will be replaced by others, and so on indefinitely. 



Dr. James Geikie, F.R.S., has been elected President of 

 the Perthshire Society of Natural History, in succession to the 

 late Sir Thomas Moncrieffe. From his addre,s at the annual 

 meeting of the Society we are pleased to see that the local 

 museum to be established by this enterprising Society is making 

 good progress and promises very soon to b; a fait accompli. 

 Dr. Geikie gave expression to some wholesome truths as to the 

 functions of such a local museum, the great purpoFe of which 

 ought to be to fully illustrate the natural history, geology, and 

 antiquities of the surrounding region. Thi', we are glad to 

 think, is what ihe Perth Museum promises to be, and it ought, 

 therefore, to prove one of the best local museums in the king- 

 dom, seeing that all in all, from a scientific point of view, Perth 

 is probably the most comprehensive and representative county, 

 as it is among the largest, in our islands. 



In a gravel pit near the town of Posen a mammoth-skull has 

 been discovered, but unfortunately in pieces. Most of the 

 piece=, however, are well preserved— the facial bones alone 

 weigh 28 lbs. 



An earthquake, accompanied by a loud subterraneous noise, 

 is reported from Ilanz, in the Swiss canton of Graubiinden. It 

 occurred on April 27 at 3.30 a.m. A smart earthquake shock, 

 coinciding with that at Villeneuve, and accompanied by subter- 

 ranean noises, was felt at Jarasp and Ardez, in the Engadine, 

 on the 7th inst. 



The centenary of the birth of Gotthilf Heinrich von Schubert, 

 the celebrated naturalist, was celebrated at Hohenstein on April 

 26. A monument of Schubert was unveiled, and some 500/. 

 have been collected for the foundation of a preparatory school 

 for little children, under the name of Schubert-Stift. 



A new French Society of Agriculture, " The National Society 

 for the Encouragement 'of Agriculture," held its first meeting 

 on May 15 at the Hotel Continental, Paris, M. Fouche de 

 Careilles, Senateur, in the chair. The President of the Republic 

 and the most prominent members of the French Government are 

 said to take interest in the new society. 



An ostrich, long on exhibition at Rome, having been suffocated 

 by thrusting its neck between the bars, there were found in its 

 stomach four large stones, eleven smaller ones, seven nails, a 

 a necktie pin, an envelope, thirteen copper coins, fourteen beads, 

 one French franc, two small keys, a piece of a handkerchief, a 

 silver medal of the Pope, and the cross of an Italian order. 



A remarkable discovery has recently been made near 

 Hirschberg, in the Riesengebirge (Silesia). In a locality called 

 Weltende, at the entry into the narrow rocky mountain ravine 

 through which the Bober flows, a large heap of bones of diluvial 

 mammals was found, such as pieces of reindeer horns and bones 

 of Elephas primigeiiiits, prehistoric ox, &c. The discovery is 

 important, because it proves the former occurrence of the large 

 mammals of the diluvial period even in this elevated valley of the 

 Sudeten mountain-chain. 



Dr. Beclard has introduced at Paris, in the buildings where 

 the old Rollin College has been so long established, a new mode 

 of demonstration for physiological experiments on living animal.'. 

 A circular barrier has been erected round a space where a 

 movable table is arranged on rails. The animal being placed on 

 the table, it is easy to understand that the experiments can be 

 witnessed by each pupil consecutively. 



Near Bautzen (Saxony) an ancient burial-gi'ound has been 

 discovered. Up to the present not less than 400 antique objects, 

 such as urns, well-preserved " tear- vases," sixteen bronze and 

 iron rings, a head ornament, needles, and buttons were found. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Pig-tailed Monkey (Macaciis iicincslriniis) 

 from Sumatra, presented by Mr. J. M. Donovan ; a Bennett's 

 Gazelle (Gazella bennctii) from India, presented by Mr. Harvey 

 Chevallier ; four Rose-coloured Pastors {Paster rosciis) from 

 Smyrna, presented by Mr. M. S. Bayliss, C.M.Z.S. ; six 

 Paradise Whydah Birds [Vidua principalis), two Yellow-backed 

 Whydah Birds [Coliopasser macniriis), a AVhitewinged Whydah 

 Bird {Urobrachya albonotata), twelve Red-beaked Weaver Birds 

 (Qiiele.1 sangiiiro:tris) from West Africa, presented by Mr. J. 

 Colm.an, C.M.Z.S. ; a Goffm's Cockatoo (Cacatiia gqt/iiii) from 

 Queensland, presented by Mr. W. T. Green ; three Young Lions 

 (Fc'is Ico) from Africa, a Grey-cheeked Monkey (Ccrcoccbus 

 albigena) from We't Africa, a Red-throated Amazon {Chrysotis 

 collaria) from Jamaica, deposited ; two Common Bluebirds 

 (Sialia wilsoiiii), two Yellow-legged Herring Gulls (Lams 

 cachinnans), bred in the Gardens, 



