278 



NA TURE 



[July 19, 1906 



immediately recovered after the injection of ttie serum. 

 Twenty-two cases were also treated in the Banda district, 

 and in twenty-one cases the treatment was successful. 



The death of M. Edouard Piette in his eightieth year 

 removes from the ranks of French anthropologists a tire- 

 less investigator. He began to write on prehistoric ques- 

 tions as long ago as i86q, and contributed numerous articles 

 to periodicals, among which may be mentioned a supple- 

 ment to L'Anthropologic, entitled " Les Galets colori^s du 

 Mas d'.Azil," splendidly illustrated in colours. .Another 

 work was entitled " Les Terlres fun^raires d'Avezac-Prat " ; 

 but a great part of his material remains unpublished, 

 though some of the plates illustrative of it were exhibited 

 at the Trocad^ro some years ago. He formed a magnificent 

 collection of stone, bone, and early iron objects from 

 Brassempouy, Mas d'Azil, and other places, and presented 

 it about four years ago to the Museum of Saint-Germain, 

 where it is arranged in stratigraphic order. He was an 

 honorary fellow of many learned societies, but, his 

 generous benefaction notwithstanding, he was neither a 

 member of the Institute nor the recipient of a decoration. 



The death of the Rev. J. F. Blake will be felt by many 

 British geologists as a personal loss. Prof. Blake was 

 born in 1839. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and 

 Caius College, Cambridge, where he was senior scholar. 

 In the natural .science tripos of 1862 he took a second 

 class, and he was fifteenth wrangler. Following the pro- 

 fession of his father, the Rev. Robert P. Blake, he entered 

 the Church, and held curacies at Lenton, near Notting- 

 ham, and at St. Mary's, Bryanston Square. .Afterwards 

 he went as mathematical master to St. Peter's School, 

 York, a post he occupied for nine years. From 1876 to 

 1880 he was lecturer at Charing Cross Hospital on com- 

 parative anatomy. From 1880 to 1888 he held the chair 

 of natural science at University College, Nottingham. In 

 1895 he went out to India to arrange the Baroda Museum. 

 Prof. Blake was an active Fellow of the Geological Society 

 of London, and in 1891-2 he was president of the 

 Geologists' Association. His contributions to geological 

 literature cover a wide field, but the ground he made 

 particularly his own was the Jurassic of England. Many 

 of his papers will be found in the Journal of the Geological 

 Society, in the Palfeontological Society's monographs, and 

 elsewhere. A characteristic publication was the " Annals 

 of British Geology," an excellent work, which doubtless 

 failed through containing too fully the marks of Prof. 

 Blake's strong critical capacity. His natural enthusiasm 

 and integrity of character endeared him to all with whom 

 he came really in contact. 



Mr. F. Victor Dickins informs us that on August 21 

 the session of the Congrfe pr^historique de France will 

 open at Vannes, the curious old capital of the Morbihan, 

 under the presidency of M. A. de Mortillet. All necessary 

 information will be readily afforded by the general secre- 

 tary, Dr. Marcel Baudouin, Paris, rue Linn6 21. The 

 subscription and cost of excursions are extremely moderate, 

 and for ten francs a day, all comprised, the very best 

 accommodation Is procurable at Vannes. The session will 

 close on August 26 ; and arrangements are made for a 

 reduction of the fares on the French railways. 



The Daily Chronicle of July 6 publishes a Reuter 

 telegram of the previous day from Rome announcing that 

 the Duke of the Abruzzi had telegraphed to the King of 

 Italy that on June 16 he reached the highest point of 

 Mount Ruwenzori. The probable position of this peak, as 

 deduced from a combination of the best data available, may 

 be gathered from a paper by Lieut. T. T. Behrens, R.E., 

 NO. 1916, VOL. 74] 



in the current number of the Geographical Journal. Lieut. 

 Behrens makes use of (i) trigonometrical determinations of 

 two tops of a summit ; (2) trigonometrical rays to four other 

 summits ; (3) eight perspective views from sketches and 

 photographs, with some magnetic bearings ; (4) a map com- 

 piled from all available sources up to 190 1, chieHy based 

 on Dr. Stuhlmann's traverse and astronomical observations; 

 and (5) information just received from Mr. A. F. R. 

 Wollaston, a member of the zoological expedition sent out 

 under the auspices of the Natural History Museum, who 

 with two other members of the expedition made a number 

 of ascents in this range during April last. 



The Country in Town Exhibition, which was opened by 

 Princess Christian on July 5 in the Whitechapel Art Gallery, 

 has proved in every way as successful as its promoters 

 could have wished. The chief objects of the exhibition are 

 to show how many interesting remnants of the country and 

 its denizens there still remain in London, to suggest how 

 much of the country can be brought back to town, and to 

 indicate those places near the metropolis (which can be 

 reached at trifling cost) where the beauties of nature can 

 easily be enjoyed. In connection with the exhibition, a 

 series of lectures was arranged, the first being given by 

 Mr. Richard Kearton, on Nature at work and play. Dr. 

 Henry, In dealing with the question of tree planting In 

 London, showed that it was the way the trees were treated 

 rather than the injury caused by the atmosphere which 

 prevented them from growing. Mr. T. S. Dymond gave 

 many useful hints in connection with the soil of London, 

 Sir John Cockburn outlined the way in which Australian 

 cities have been beautified by tree planting, Mr. Herrod 

 dealt with bees, and Mrs. Dukinfield Scott showed her 

 animated photographs of plants. The chairman of the 

 executive committee is Mr. J. C. Medd, and the honorary 

 secretary is Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb. 



From a resolution published in the Pioneer Mail (June 

 15) it appears that the Government of India has had under 

 consideration the desirability of making better provision 

 for scientific research in connection with Indian forests. 

 In order to provide a staff of experts who will be in a 

 position to devote a large proportion of their time to the 

 prosecution of scientific research connected with forest pro- 

 duce, as well as to give the best available training to 

 candidates for the forest services, both of British India 

 and of native States, the Indian Government has, with 

 the sanction of the Secretary of State, decided to raise the 

 status of the existing Imperial Forest School at Dehra 

 Dun, and to add to its staff. The school will now be 

 known as the Imperial Forest Research Institute and 

 College, and the staff will include six officers of the 

 Imperial Service holding the following posts : — (i) An 

 Imperial sylviculturlst, who will make sylviculture his 

 special study. (2) .An Imperial superintendent of forest 

 working plans, who will collect and collate statistics of 

 the results of forest management throughout India. (3) 

 .An Imperial forest zoologist, whose chief duty will be to 

 investigate the damage caused by insects and other pests, 

 and to suggest remedial measures. (4) An Imperial forest 

 botanist, who will study the botany of forest plants, 

 diseases of trees, and distribution of species. (5) An 

 Imperial forest chemist, who will investigate the chemical 

 properties of soils and of the produce of the forests. (6) An 

 Imperial forest economist, who will make a special study 

 of the best methods of rendering forest produce of all kinds 

 available at the smallest cost to consumers, and will 

 keep in 'touch witn the commerce of India with the view of 

 fostering and meeting the demand for forest products. 



