NATURE 



{Dec. 1 6, 1880 



NOTES 



The subscription opened by the Paris' Academy of Sciences 

 for raising a statue to M. Becquerel, the celebrated electrician, is 

 almost closed, having produced 15,000 francs ; only 1500 francs 

 more are required. Those wishing to subscribe should send their 

 contributions to M. Maindron, at the Academy of Sciences, as 

 early as possible. 



Last week M. Moll, the doyen of the Professors of the Con- 

 servatoires des Arts et Metiers, died in Paris. He was the 

 oldest teacher of agriculture and one of the first, having been 

 one of the staff of the celebrated Rouvilley«7«^-i-W^, established 

 about sixt)' years ago. 



The Nestor of German bryologists, Prof. Ernst Hampe, died 

 at Helmstedt on November 23 at the age of eighty-five years. 



On Nov. 23 the first section of the St. Petersburg Academy of 

 Sciences (physico-mathematical sciences) had to choose a member 

 in chemistry, and aninduentially-signedpresentationrecommended 

 Prof. Mendelejef to the choice of the Academy. The Academy 

 would certainly have done' itself honour .in choosing a man of 

 such eminence in science, but we regret that Prof. Mendelejef was 

 not elected. This is held locally to show that the Academy is influ- 

 enced in its selection by other reasons than the value of a candi- 

 date's scientific work. The impression on the public in general, 

 we believe, is very unfavourable to the Academy ; not a day 

 passes, we are informed, that Prof. Mendelejef does not r.;ceive 

 letters and telegrams from men eminent in science expressing 

 admiration for his work?. Many scientific societies have made 

 him an honorary member, and only the other day the University 

 of Moscow did the same. ■ 



An interesting collection is being made by M. Dumas of 

 medals commemorative either of scientific men or scientific dis- 

 coveries. The number already collected is far greater than had 

 been expected. 



Lieut. Julius Payer, one of the leaders of the Austrian 

 North Polar Expedition of 1872-74, has settled at Munich with 

 the intention of devoting himself exclusively to the art of 

 painting. 



The central committee for the erection of a Spinoza monument 

 at the Hague have, before their dissolution, resolved to utilise 

 the remaining balance of funds in their hands for publishing a 

 new and handsome edition of the complete works of the great 

 philosopher. Doctors J. van Vloten and J. P. N. Land have 

 been commissioned to prepare the new edition. In the interest 

 of thi, laudable undertaking the friendly request is now addressed 

 to all librarians and possessors of autographs to communicate 

 with these gentlemen regarding any autographs of Spinoza which 

 may be in their possession, in order to render the edition as 

 complete as possible. Communications are to be addressed to 

 the publishing firm of Martinus Nijhoff at the Hague. 



A STRONG shock of earthquake was felt at Wiesbaden on the 

 night of the 8th instant, at eleven o'clock ; the shock was 

 directed from north to south. A strong subterranean noise 

 preceded it, and a violent wind of short duration was ob- 

 served. Another shock is reported from Saxony. A freh 

 violent shock lasting two seconds occurred at Agram at 

 twenty-seven minutes after midnight of the 7th. Subterranean 

 rumblings followed the shock and continued to be heard through- 

 out the night. As on the last occasion the shock was accom- 

 panied by distant storms and preceded by a slight vibration. 

 On Wednesday night last week there was a strong earthquake 

 shock at Agram which lasted six second.s. It was preceded by a 

 loud rumbling. On the day previous the earth trembled for an hour 

 together. That of Wednesday night was the stro.ngest shock 



since the first. Two walls fell in and the houses shook. On 

 Thursday evening last six slight shocks were felt at Vienna. At 

 Agram there were two violent shocks at half-past two and half- 

 past three o'clock in the morning. A shock of earthquake was 

 felt at Brescia on the afternoon of the loth, accompanied with 

 a mmbling noise. 



Prof. Rudolph Falb gave a lecture in the 'Vienna Gewerbe 

 Museum on November 27, in which he said that earth- 

 quakes are subterranean volcanic outbreaks, produced by the 

 cooling action of the hot liquid interior of the earth and the 

 attraction of the sun and moon. In support of this view he 

 urged that most earthquakes occur at the time when the sun is 

 nearest us, viz. , in January, fewest in June ; also the number of 

 earthquakes increases in the months of April and October, 

 because of the stronger attraction of the sun on March 21 and 

 September 23. He said further that in the period December 

 16-30 this year fresh earthquakes might occur at Agram. 



A NEW and somewhat bold hypothesis as to the 'cause of 

 earthquakes has been propounded by Dr. Novak in Pesth. He 

 considers that, besides the rotation of the earth on its axis and 

 its revolution round the sun, a multiplicity of motions of the 

 earth appear in space, in virtue of which the earth's axis, and 

 with it the equator, shift their position. This causes a variation 

 of the forces influencing the earth's form (centrifugal and centri- 

 petal force), and the earth has the tendency to adapt itself to 

 this change. He also considers a change of form of the earth 

 to occur through the shifting of the pole and the equator, and 

 that this may have effect some time afterwards, where the earth's 

 crust is weak. 



We are requested by the Sunday Society to announce the 

 following arrangements for the Sunday opening of the Winter 

 Exhibition of Oil Paintings at the Hanover Gallery, New Bond 

 Street, by permission of the proprietor, Mr. Weil. On Sunday, 

 December 26, the Gallery will be open to the Members of the 

 Society, and on the two following Sundays the public wilt be 

 admitted by free tickets, which will be issued to those applying 

 by letter and sending a stamped and addressed envelope to the 

 Honorary Secretary, S, Park Place Villas, W. On each Sunday 

 ticket-holders will be admitted from 4 o'clock till 7.30 p.m., 

 and the gallery will be closed at 8 o'clock. On the reassembling 

 of Parliament the Society will press its claims upon both Houses 

 of the Legislature by bringing forward the following resolu- 

 tion : — " That inasmuch as all opposition to the action of Her 

 Majesty's Government in opening on Sundays the National 

 Museums and Galleries in the suburban districts of London and 

 in Dublin has entirely ceased, owing to the good results which 

 have followed such opening, this House is of opinion that the 

 time has now arrived for extending this action to all institutions 

 of a like character, it having been most conclusively shown that 

 large numbers of the people rejoice in every opportunity that is 

 afforded them of spending Sunday intelligently and with due 

 regard for its preservation as a day of rest and cessation from 

 ordinary work and amusement." 



Some information regarding the obser^'atory at Nice, now in 

 course of construction through the munificence of M. Bischoffs- 

 heim, is given by M. Tissandier in La Nature. Some 35 

 hectares of ground have been acquired. The situation is a few 

 kilometres north-east of Nice, near the road from Corniche over 

 the Mont des Mignons (or Mont Gros), and 375 ra. above the 

 sea. There arc to be two large dwelling-houses for astronomers 

 and for accommodation of visitors. One is already finished, and 

 M. ThoUou has there done some excellent work in spectroscopy. 

 More than 250 workmen are at present busy on the buildings. 

 Some of the instruments will shortly be ready. The whole is 

 being organised un Jer the auspices of the Bureau des Longitudes. 



