Jitne 3, i8So] 



NATURE 



1^5 



this connection we believe that he rendered valuable service to 

 Sir Bartle Frere during his mission to Zanzibar. 



The New York Herald of May 14 says : — The evidences 

 multiply which go to show that there has been an early and 

 exceptionally large Lreak-up of the ice-fields within the Arctic 

 basin since the sun ciossed the Equator. The extraordinary 

 mildness of the last winter was universally marked east of the 

 Rocky Mountains, and it would seem the abnormally high 

 temperature extended far to the north and made its impression 

 on the icy seas. Off the coast of Newfoundland the recently 

 reported ice drift will be memorable not only for the magnitude, 

 but also for the multitude of the icebergs and the ice-fields. On 

 the western side of the continent the w inter reports indicated a 

 milder season in the vicinity of Behring Sea and its Polar 

 approaches. It is not improbable, therefore, that the steamer 

 Co)-d>in, about to sail for the relief of the missing v balers and 

 to communicate with the American Arctic expedition in the 

 Jeannette, will find that the premature development of the spring 

 has already loosened their icy bonds, and that they are preparing 

 to pursue their respective routes. The sun's power may be 

 insufficient to dissolve the Jeannettc's solid moorings, but the 

 mightier agency of winds and waves attending the storms that 

 sweep the ocean north of Behring Strait in May and early June 

 may be expected to break up the ice off Wrangell Ijland and 

 accomplish her release sooner than if she had wintered on the 

 north-east side of Arctic America. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 J INTELLIGENCE 



\l Cambridge. — Prof. Humphry's Rede Lecture on man was 

 interesting and eloquent, if on the whole rather depressing. He 

 pleaded for long and patient investigation, especially in coming 

 to the discovery or comprehension of any process, whether of 

 natural selection or any other, by which the large cranial cavity 

 of man can have been evolved in early men. He ga\e full 

 weight to the argument from the size of the brain at birth, and 

 the perfection of the lungs at the same period. At any rate the 

 brain of primitive man appeared to have been structurally fitted 

 for higher duties than they were ever called upon to perform. 

 His brain was prophetic of his future. Ability is to be mea- 

 sured by the power to deal with the material before us ; and 

 thus it is doubtful whether the ability of the present was greater 

 than that of preceding generations, prehistoric or historic. Pro- 

 gress did not necessarily imply improvement, and increased 

 means did not imply greater power, however they might enable 

 power to be wielded with better effect. The pliysical capability, 

 he thought, long preceded fimctional activity ; and man's advance 

 to civilisation was the result of the response of his nature to his 

 conditions. He believed in the great value of contact and blend- 

 ing of varieties, and attributed the stationary condition of certain 

 races partly to their early progress keeping them exclusive, and 

 to the physical conditions which had walled them in. The cli- 

 mate of the temperate portions of the Eurasian Continent proved 

 favourable to the development of the energies of mammals and 

 men, and the configuration of the northern continent was espe- 

 cially favourable to migration. Thus there had nowhere been 

 through any long period the still dulness of pure blood or the 

 cramping domination of one power. The mingling of races in 

 Britain, in a land of great natural advantages and resources, had 

 led to the development of ability in the people to work out free- 

 dom, to invent, to adopt international conventions, and to free 

 others. But he perceived dangers in the increased sensitiveness 

 accompanying the great subdivision of labour nowadays. Of 

 the two evils, learned feebleness was a greater evil than ignorant 

 strength. The preservation of the weak and sick did not make 

 the mass of people stronger and healthier ; thus there must be 

 sterner sanitary precautions as a foremost question. WoiUd 

 that some of the time spent on Burials Bills could have been 

 spent in coiLsidering the crying needs of the health of the living. 

 This misapplication of energy, said the Professor, had its parallel 

 in the mistaken efibrts to prevent the investigations by which 

 physiology might be advanced and the laws of health educed. 

 Few things would tend to the improvement of the race so much 

 as judicious matrimonial selection, and he hinted at the impor- 

 tance of providing a healthy race for the future. Finally, as 

 to man's body at least, and its future, he felt compelled to say 

 that we found ourselves floating on the stream of time ; the 

 barque, we suppose, moves on. Sufficient for the day must be 



the knowledge thereof. Whether we peer fore or aft, it is 

 obscurity. 



Sir George Jessel, the Master of Tthe Rolls, has been 

 elected Vice-Chancellor of London University, in place of Sir 

 John Lubbock, who resigned on his becoming a candidate for 

 the representation of the University in Parliament. The election 

 is not likely to be contested. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Linnean Society, May 24. Anniversary Meeting. — Prof. 

 Allman, F. R.S., president, in the chair. — At this, the ninety- 

 second ann'ial general meeting, there was a large attendance of the 

 Fellows. The President, after a few introductory remarks of 

 congratulation on the prospects of the Society generally, referred 

 to the obituary, pointing out that several of the oldest members 

 would now no longer appear on the list, -•\mong others, Prof. 

 T. Bell (,r/. 87), J. Miers {<e(. 91), Gen. Munro, Dr. David 

 Moore, Wilson Sanders, E. W. Cooke, R.A., Fellows, and T. 

 Atthey, Associate, besides Foreign Members of high standing, 

 showed a heavy death-roll. The Secretaries and Treasurer, 

 after full term of service, had proposed to resign, and as a matter 

 of form this had been acceded to by the Council. The Secretary 

 (Mr. F. Currey) then read his report. Since the last anniversary 

 the Society had lost by death ten Felloe s, three Foreign Members, 

 and one Associate ; and three Fellows had withdrawn. On the 

 other hand, there had been an accession by election of twenty- 

 eight new Fellows, three Foreign Members, and four Associates. 

 The librai-y showed a marked increase and improvement, by 

 additions obtained by purchase, exchange, and donations, and 

 had been amply used in biological reference and loan of books. 

 The scientific communications and exhibitions at the meet- 

 ings during the session had kept pace with the march of 

 science, and the attendance of the FeUows bore witness 

 to the active interest taken in the proceedings generally. 

 — The Treasurer (Dr. J. Gwyn Jeffreys) then read his 

 report. In resigning office he congratulated the Society on its 

 increasing prosperity in a financial point of view. Notwithstand- 

 ing the late depression of commerce, which had to a greater or 

 less extent injuriously affected other scientific societies, as well as 

 the additional yearly expenditure con.-equent on the removal to 

 Burlington House, and the greater amount of salaries paid, the 

 publications had not been restricted ; considerably more having 

 been spent on the library than formerly. The Society is quite 

 free from debt ; has an invested capital of ^3730 12s. 8;/., and 

 the balance at bankers and on hand at this date is /522 iS.f. 2d. 

 Twelve months ago, owing to the unfortunate and long illness of 

 the Librarian, his accounts became confused, and the Asst.- 

 Secretary had since undertaken the receipts anti payments, and 

 had the books thoroughly balanced. A Special Commit'.ee had 

 also been appointed by the Council for invetigating the financial 

 position of the Society, and their valuable sugge.-tions had been 

 adopted, especially as to the reasonable limitation of the publica- 

 tion expenses, which had increased from £ig6 14J. in 1876 to 

 ;£^iloo 5i. id. in 1S79. With respect to the compositions, which, 

 even if they were altogether invested, must seriously diminish the 

 income of the Society, the Treasurer stated that during his five 

 years of office he had received ^1968, and invested ^920 15 ^ 

 During the previous five years no part of the compositions appear 

 to have been invested. He had also received and invested ;^840 

 for legacies. The Society's capital had been doubled ; it was in 

 1875 X1860, and is now;^ 3730 12s. Sd. The annual contributions 

 received in 1S76 amounted tO;^694 13^., and last year tO;^948 I2y. 

 The ballot for Council and Officers having been proceeded with, 

 the following gentlemen retired from the Council : — Messrs. J. 

 Ball, W. CariTithers, F. DuCane Godman, Dr. A. Giinther, and 

 the Rev. G. Henslow. In their places were elected :— Messrs. 

 E. R. Alston, G. Bentham, G. Busk, Dr. M. Foster, and B. 

 D. Jackson. For the Oflicers, Prof. G. J. AUn.an was re-elected 

 President ; Mr; Fredk. Currey (the outgoing Secretary), Treaurer ; 

 Mr. B. Daydon Jackson, Botanical Secretary ; and Mr. Edward 

 R. Alston, Zoological Secretary. — Prof. Allman thereafter gave 

 his usual annual address, taking for his subject "The Vege- 

 tation of the Riviera, a Chapter in the Physiognomy and Distri- 

 bution of Pkants." In this addnss (not well adapted for brief 

 abstract), by a few broad outlims, a sketch of the most striking 

 features of the vegetation and its peculiarities as derived from 

 the physical contour of the country, geographical position, and 

 climate, « as given. The phenomena extant are of high interest 



