no 



NATURE 



\June 3, 1880 



president. Prof. Krejczi, a geologist of repute, delivered an 

 address in whicli he pointed out the importance of German 

 natural science, rather a bold, and certainly commendable, thine 

 to do in the somewhat narrow-minded Czech capital. 



The Swiss Natural History Society will hold its general 

 meeting on September 12-15 next, in the small town of Brief 

 in the canton Vaud, at the foot of the Simplon. 



We are pleased to hear that negotiations are in progress for 

 the transfer of the Museum Godeflfroy to the City of Hamburg. 

 In it are to be found by far the finest series of the zoological 

 and ethnographical products of the Pacific Islands j'et assembled 

 together, including, we believe, all the types of the new species 

 described in the thirteen " Hefts " of the Journal dcs Miisatm 

 Godeffroy. It would be a great misfortune to science if these 

 were distributed all over the world by the auctioneer's hammer, 

 so that it is much to be hoped that a satisfactory arrangement 

 will be come to between the liquidators of the "Maison 

 Godeffroi " and the citizens of Hamburg. 



The Emperor of Russia has conferred the Grand Cross of the 

 Order of Stanislaus upon Dr. Hermann Obst, the director of 

 the Ethnographical Museum of Leipzig. 



We would earnestly draw the attention of our readers to the fact 

 that the Secretaiy of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, 

 U.S., of which Mr. James Smithson was the founder, is desirous 

 of obtaining information respecting that gentleman to assist in 

 the preparation of a memoir. J.ames Smithson, F.R.S., was the 

 son of Hugh, first Duke of Northumberland, and Elizabeth, 

 heiress of the Hungerfords of Audley, and niece of Charles, Duke 

 of Somerset. In 1826 he resided at Bentinck Street, Cavendish 

 Square. He died in 1829. The following are some of the 

 points on which information is desired :— " John Fitall, a trusted 

 servant of Mr. James Smithson, died June 14, 1S34, at Bu.h 

 House, Wanstead, Es-ex, England. Have his heirs any relics 

 or mementoes of Mr. Smithson — any notes, letters, &c. ? Mr. 

 Charles Drummond, a London banker, was the executor of Mr. 

 Smithson. Can we procure originals or copies of any letters of 

 Mr. Smithson from him ? What do the records of the Royal 

 Society say as to the election of James Lewis Macie as a Fellow ? 

 Perhaps a report was made to the Council as to his qualifications ? 

 What can be learned of the disagreement between Mr. Smith- 

 son and the Council of the Royal Society ? Mr. Wheatstone 

 knew of it. Do any of the surviving Members remember the cir- 

 cumstances? Information relative to Henry Louis Dickinson 

 (half-brother of Jame; Smithson), Colonel of the 84th Regiment 

 of Foot. Information relative to the college life of James Lewis 

 Macie, a graduate of May 26, 1 7S6, of Pembroke College, Ox- 

 ford University. Letters from James Smithson to Sir Humphrey 

 Davy, Sir Davies Gilbert, Hon. Heniy Cavendish, Dr. W. H. 

 WoUaston, Mr. Smithson Tennant, Dr. Joseph Black, Dr. 

 Hutton, M. Arago, M. Gay Lussac, M. Cordier, M. Haiiy, M. 

 Klaproth, M. A. C. Becquerel, M. Fanjas de St. Fond, Mr. 

 Thornton, Mr. Maclaire, Mr. Wm. Thomson ; or any original 

 letters of Mr. Smithson. Can the original manuscripts be found 

 of Mr. Smithson's communications to the Royal Society or to 

 Thomson's " Annals of Philosophy " ? Can Mr. Smithson's author, 

 ship of papers or articles in any scientific journals be identified? 

 What can be learned of Mr. Smithson's mother, Mrs. Macie ? or 

 of Col. Henry Louis Dickinson's mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Coates ? 

 At what number in Bentinck Street did Mr. Smithson reside? 

 (He held apartments, was not a householder.) Had he at any 

 tmie any other residence ; if so, where?" Any information on 

 the above points should be addressed to Prof. Spencer F. Baird, 

 care of William W'e^ley, 28, Essex Street, Strand, London, the 

 agent of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Mr. Story Maskelyne put his maiden question in Parlia- 

 ment the other evening very appropriately in connection with 



the Natural Ili-tory Museum. Mr. Adam, in reply, stated that 

 the trustees of the British Museum had been informed that they 

 may now proceed to remove their collections to the new Natural 

 History Museum. The question of providing residences for the 

 officers of the museum was considered by the late Government, 

 who did not see their way to comply with the request. At 

 present, therefore, it is not contemplated that any such residences 

 should be erected. 



A DIFFICULTY has Supervened in the St. Gothard tunnel, 

 which, according to the Times correspondent, threatens seriously 

 to retard the completion of the undertaking. In a part of it 

 where the formation is a porous white stone the vaulting has 

 already given way two or three times, and it has required the 

 greatest care and constant staying with timber to prevent the 

 passage thereabouts from completely collapsing. It was thought, 

 however, that a granite wall 6 feet thick would be sufficiently 

 strong to support the superincumbent mass of white stone and 

 keep the tunnel permanently open, A wall of this thickness has 

 just been finished, but it too has begun to give h ay, and the 

 engineers are at their wits end how to overcome the difliculty. 

 In the opinion of Dr. Stapf, the geologist of the tunnel, it can 

 be overcome only by making a wide curve so as to get round the 

 white stone instead of going through it. This would involve the 

 entire reconstruction of that part of the tunnel, in which case it 

 vill probably not be ready for traffic before the time fixed for 

 the completion of the lines of approach, two years hence. 



Mr. Seth Green, writing to theA^tw York IVorldoi May 14, 

 says that one morning when he was watching a spider's nest a 

 wasp alighted within an inch or two of the nest, on the side 

 opposite the opening. Creeping noiselessly around towards the 

 entrance of the nest the wasp stopped a liltle short of it and for 

 a moment remained perfectly quiet ; then reaching out one of 

 his antenna; he wiggled it before the opening and withdrew it. 

 This overture had the desired effect, for the bo s of the nest, as 

 large a spider as one ordinarily sees, came out to see what was 

 wrong and to set it to rights. No sooner had the spider emerged 

 to th.it point at which he was at the worst di advantage than the 

 wasp, with a quick movement, thrust his sting into the body of 

 his foe, killing him easily and almost instantly. The experiment 

 was repeated on the part of the wasp, and when there was no 

 response from the inside he became satisfied, probably, that he 

 held the fort. At all events he proceeded to enter the nest and 

 slaughter the young spiders, which were afterwards lugged off 

 one at a time. 



In a series of papers on the northern part of the continent, 

 contributed to an Australian paper under the somewhat odd 

 title of " Northern Lights," the writer mentions a curious feature 

 of the creeks and lagoons in the north of Queensland. This i^ 

 what is called " floating grass." It is a tall aquatic grass, which, 

 while growing in the mud when within reach, is quite inde- 

 pendent in that respect, and extends its creeping stems into the 

 deepest water ; and by the interweaving of these, and of the 

 roots emitted from every joint, makes^a dense mat of verdure, 

 which, at first si^ht, seems to have its origin on solid ground. 

 It is however quite posible to walk on it without risk of 

 entanglement. The method is to keep going, lifting the feet 

 well, and with the body in as flat a position as possible. Horses 

 and cattle are fond of this grass, and it is said that the masses of 

 it are sometimes so dense, although with twenty feet of water 

 underneath, that horses have been known to cross on them. 



On the French Eastern Railway Achard electric brakes are 

 being tried, and are said to work satisfactorily. The electricity 

 is not supplied by ordinary cells, but by Plante's accumulating 

 battery. 



A meeting of the Epping Forest and County of Essex 

 Naturalists' Field Club was held on Saturday, May 29, at Buck- 



