June 3, iS8o] 



NA TURE 



1 1 1 



hurst Hill, when a lecture was delivered by Mr. Henry Walker, 

 F.G.S., entitled "A Day's Elephant Hunting in Essex." At 

 the conclusion of the lecture Sir Antonio Erady, who has taken 

 an active interest in the formation of the Club, gave a detailed 

 account of his method of removing and subsequently preserving 

 the matnmalian remains from the brick-earth pits at Ilford. 



Mr. C. S. Sargent, Harvard Professor of Arboriculture, has 

 published, in his capacity of special agent of the approaching 

 United States census, a "Catalogue of the Forest Trees of 

 North America," preliminary to one which will be added to the 

 census report on the forest wealth of the United States. He 

 desires information concerning the geographical range of any 

 species, the most favourable region ar.d elevation and geographi- 

 cal formation for its multij-lication and perfection, its exception- 

 ally large dimensions, its common or local name, and its products 

 and uses. 



The number of persons who die from small pox is increasing 

 daily in Paris. Statistics prove that 858 died in 1879, and not 

 less than 1,038 in the four first months of iSSo. This circum- 

 stance has created a great impression, and Dr. Liouville, in 

 the Chamber of Deputies, has proposed a law to render vacci- 

 nation compulsory. It has been reported upon favourably by 

 the committee, and will accordingly in all probability soon 

 become a part of the law of the land. 



Several papers have stated that an official commission will 

 be appointed in France to witness the crossing of the British 

 Channel by a balloon travelling from France to England (weather 

 permitting). The fact is that the experiment is to be made from 

 Boulogne by M. Javis, with his own balloon and at his own 

 risk. But the port authorities have agreed to send M. Javis such 

 information as will enable him to select for starting a time when 

 the wind is blowing with some sufficient prospect of reaching 

 England. M. Javis will keep watch from June I to 20. A 

 steamer will follow as far as possible the hardy aeronaut on his 

 adventurous trip. 



A BRANCH of the recently-founded Thiiringer-Wald Club has 

 been formed at Leipzig. A similar club, at present numbering 

 twenty-five members, has been opened at Plauen (Saxony) with 

 a view of promoting and furthering visits of tourists to the ;o- 

 called Voigtland. The club « ill improve the roads, undertake 

 excursions on a larger scale, see to the fixing of proper sign- 

 posts, &c. 



On the shores of the Lake of Coa-tance the rare phenomenon 

 of a perfect solar halo was noticed on May 4 at noon. 1 he 

 large ring, which from time to time assumed splendid rainbow 

 tints, remained visible for more than two hours. At Berlin the 

 phenomenon of mock suns was observed on the gth ins^ 

 at 8 a.m. 



Interesting discoveries are reported from Italy. Near 

 Este, in the Veneto, at the foot of the Eugancian Mountains, 

 Prof. Prosdccismi discovered a prehistoric burial-ground with 

 many bronze and clay vessels. Eighty-two tombs were found, 

 of which forty four seemed to have been opened already by 

 the Romans, while the contents of the others seemed untouched. 

 The urns belong to three different periods, some are stained 

 black with linear ornament", others are striped red and black. 

 Some va=es are of such exquisite workmanship that they 

 could even to-day serve as 1 attems. A small cae of bronze is 

 adorned w ith human and animal figures. 



M. Varoy, French Minister of Public Works, has visited in state 

 Ihe regional competition of Ear-le-Duc, and gave an address at 

 a banquet. In this competition the most notable feature was 

 the w'ork done on a large field by a Gramme machine and a 

 Fowler plough before the Minister and an immense crowd on 



May 23. The electric current also gave motion to some agricul- 

 tural machines at a distance. This remarkable experiment was 

 conducted by M. Felix, of Germase, a country place in the 

 vicinity of Bar-le-Duc, where similar experiments on a smaller 

 scale were made last year. 



The Twelfth and Thirteenth Annual Reports of American 

 Archa:ology and Ethnology contain, as usual, several papers of 

 great ethnological interest. From the Report of the curator, 

 Mr. F. W. Putnam, it is evident that much excellent work con- 

 tinues to be done in the museum, which is rapidly becoming one 

 of the most valuable repertories of ethnology in the world. The 

 papers are all connected with American ethnology, the most 

 important probably being that of Mr. Eandelier, on the Social 

 Organisation and Mode of Government of the Ancient Mexican."^. 



The Proceedings of the Davenport (U.S.) Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, vol. i. part 2, while it contains a number of papers in 

 natural history, is noteworthy mainly for the large number of 

 papers on subjects connected with American ethnology, and 

 chiefly on various mound explorations. We are pleased to see 

 that this society continues to prosper ; it had the originality to 

 elect as its president for 1S79 Mrs. Mary L. D. Putnam. 



No. 4 of the Columbia College School of Mines Quarterly is 

 better than ever, and we are glad to learn that it has successfully 

 pas ed its brief probationary period, and is now regarded as an 

 assured and unexpected success. Among the articles in this 

 number are "Sanitary Problems of New York City," by Prof. 

 Trowbridge; "Artificial Diamonds," by Mr. Lucius Pitkin; 

 "Volumetric Analysis of Sulphuric Acid," by Mr. A. II. 

 Elliott; "A New Planometer," by Mr. L. M. Hooper. 



In the Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, 

 vol. iv. No. I, are several papers deserving attention. Mr, N. 

 Holmes has a specially interesting paper on the " Geological and 

 Geographical Distribut'on of the Human Race," and students of 

 the science of language will be interested in M. Coruna y Col- 

 ludo's account of the Zoque language, spoken in the State of 

 Chiapas, Mexico. There are two magnetic papers by Prof. 

 Nipher, a paper on Penlreiiiiles by Dr. G. Hambach ; on the 

 genus Finns by M. G. Engelmann, who has also a short paper 

 on acorns and their germination. 



As one of their "Occasional Papers" the Boston Society of 

 Natural History have published 3 volume of great value on the 

 " Geology of Eastern Massachusets," by Mr. W. O. Crosby. 

 It is evidently the result of long and competent investigation, is 

 well illustrated, and contains a large and well-printed geological 

 map of the region treated of. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Grey-cheeked Monkey {Cercoccbus albigena) 

 from West Africa, presented by the Earl of Lonsdale, F.Z.S. ; 

 a Vervet Monkey (Cercopilhecus lalandii) from South Africa, a 

 Balearic Crowned Crane (Balearicct pavonina) from West Africa, 

 presented by Mr. Frank Simpson ; two Cashmere Shawd Goats 

 [Capra hircus) from India, presented by Dr. W. Taylor ; an 

 Alexandrine Parrakeet (Paltnornis alexandri) from India, two 

 West African Love Birds (Agapornis pullaria) from West Africa, 

 a Common Raven {Coi~vus corax), European, a Crimson-eared 

 Waxbill (Estrclda phcenicotis) from West Africa, presented by 

 Mr. C. Williams ; a South American Rat Snake (Spilotes varia. 

 bilis) from Demcrara, presented by Mr. G. H. Hawtayne^ 

 C.M.Z.S. ; three Cashmere Shawl Goats (Capra hircus) from 

 India, a Malbrouck Monkey (Cercopilhecus cynosiirus) from East 

 Africa, a Philippine 'P3X2iiXoxwe(Paradoxurus philippensis) from 

 the Philippine Isles, three Black Tortoises ( Testudo carbonaria) 

 from Demerara, deposited ; two Purple-faced Monkeys (Semno- 

 pithecus leitcoprymntis) from Ceylon, a Ludio Monkey (Ccrco- 



