Apri! 14, 1S81] 



NA TURE 



O^D 



Prof. C. V. Riley has just published, in the Second Report 

 of the United States Entomological Commission, " Further 

 Facts about the Natural Enemies of Locusts," meaning, of 

 course, by the latter term, the Rocky Mountain pes.t in particular. 

 His observations entirely concern insect parasites. The most 

 interesting are on the habits of t\^■o specie-; of Diptcra, allied to 

 Bombyliics, the larvre of which feed on the eggs of "locusts." 

 The plate (xvi. ) illustrating the subject is above praise, not only 

 on account of the scientific accuracy shown in the drawings 

 (which are by the author), but also as regards the reproduction 

 of them by the " lithocaustic " process adopted by a Baltimore 

 firm. We have seen other plates of entomological subjects 

 emanating from the same firm, and the impression formed on om- 

 mind is that no other process is equally adapted for the purpose. 

 Why cannot some of our own enterprising "lithographers" 

 produce the same result ? 



The following are the lecture arrangements after Easter, at 

 the Royal Institution : — Prof. Dewar, M.A., F.R.S., six lectures 

 on the Non-Metallic Elements, on Tuesdays, April 26 to May 

 31 ; Prof. Tyndall, D.C.L., F.R.S., .six lectures on Paramag- 

 netism and Diamagnetism, on Thursdays, April 2S to June 2 ; 

 Prof. H. Morley, three lectures on Scotland's Part in English 

 Literature, on Saturdays, April 30, May 7, 14 ; one lecture on 

 Thomas Carlyle, on Tuesday, June 7 ; Mr. E. C. Turner, 

 Lector at the University of St. Petersburg, five lectures on the 

 Great Modern Writers of Russia, on Saturdays, May 21, 28, 

 June 4, Thursday, June 9, and Saturday, June 11. The Friday 

 evening meetings will be resumed on Api'il 29, at 8 p.m. Prof, 

 J. S. Blackie, F.R.S.E., will give a discourse on "The Lan- 

 guage and Literature of the Scottish Highlands," at 9 p.m. 

 Succeeding discourses will probably be given by the Hon. G. 

 C. Brodrick, Mr. Francis Galton, Mr. W. H. PoUoek, Prof. 

 H. E. Roscoe, Prof. W. G. Adams, and Prof. Dewar. 



The usual course of Mayfair Lectures will commence, under 

 the auspices of the National Health Society, on Friday, April 22, 

 at 23, Hertford Street, Mayfair. The list of lecturers will this 

 year include the names of Dr. Siemens, F.R.S., Dr. Robert 

 Farquharson, M.P., and Prof. Fleeming Jenkin. 



We are glad to find from an announcement in the current 

 number of the Quarterly Jcurnal of Microscopical Science that 

 Dr. C. T. Hudson, of Manilla Hall, Bri^tol, is preparing a 

 volume for the Ray Society on the " British Rotifers." Dr. 

 Hudson is known not only for his numerou> contributions to our 

 knowledge of this group, but especially for his discovery and 

 excellent illustrations of one of the most important members of 

 the group (Pedalion). Dr. Hudson will have the advantage of 

 the use of Mr. P. H. Gorse's beautiful drawings of Rotifers, 

 which that observer has placed at his disposal. 



A LARGE party of the Members of the Geologists' Association 

 were on Saturday last conducted through the Geological Depart- 

 ment of the British Museum (Natural History), South Ken- 

 sington, by Dr. Heni7 Woodward, F.R.S., &c., the Keeper of 

 that Department. 



Apropos of the meeting of the French Association at Algiers 

 the Rt-iiue Scieiitijiqiie for April 9 devotes most of its space to a 

 series of articles on Algeria, its colonisation, statistic-, botany, 

 anthropology, hygiene, and zoology. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Macaque Monkey {Macacus cynomolgus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. R. J. Short ; a Common Para- 

 doxure (Paradoxurus typus), from India, presented by Mr. C. W. 

 C. Fletcher ; a Viverrine Cat (Fclis viverrina) from India, pre. 

 sented by Major C. R. Oxley ; two Squirrel-like Phalangers 

 (Belideiis sctjircns) from Australia, presented by Mr. D. W. 



Barker ; three Paradise Whydah Birds ( Vidua paradisea), a Pin- 

 tailed Whydah Bird [Vidua principalis), a Red-shouldered 

 Weaver Bird {Urobrachya axillaris), a Red -beaked Weaver Bird 

 (Quelea sanguinirostris), a Wiener's Finch (Pyhlia wieneri), two 

 Yellow-rumped Seed-Eaters (Crithagra c/nysopyga) from Mozam- 

 bique, presented by Mr. Maurice C. Angel, F.Z.S. ; two Laughing 

 Kingfishers [Dacelo giganiea) from Australia, presented by Mr. 

 Edward Trelawny ; an Alexandrine Parrakeet (Palceornis alex- 

 andri) from India, presented by Mr. Henry Day ; a Common 

 Gannet (Sida bassana), British, presented by Mr. G. Randall ; a 

 Common Marmoset [Hapale jacchus] from South America, 

 deposited ; an Indian Chevrotain ( Tragulus ntaninna) from 

 India, six Weeper Capuchins (Cebus' capucinus) from Brazil, four 

 Chestnut-eared Finches (Antadiiia casianotis) from Australia, 

 three Common Crowned Pigeons (Goura coronaia) from New 

 Guinea, an American Tantalus ( Tantalus loculator) from South 

 America, purchased ; two .Sclater's Curassows (Crax sclateri 

 i 9 ) from South America, on approval ; an Indian Darter 

 (Plotus melanogaster) from India, received in exchange. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



The Royal Medals of the Geographical Society have this 

 week been an arded as follows : — The Founder's Medal to Major 

 Serpa Pinto, "for his remarkable journey across Africa, from 

 Benguela to Natal, during which he explored nearly 500 miles of 

 new country, defined the fluvial systems of the southern slopes 

 of the Benguelan Highlands, and fixed the position of numerous 

 places by a series of astronomical observations ; also for the 

 admirable account of his journey, now in course of publication 

 in London, containing numerous original maps, tables of 

 observations, and a large amount of valuable and exact informa- 

 tion regarding the African interior ; " and the Patron's Medal to 

 Mr. Benjamin Leigh Smith, for his discoveries on the south 

 coast of Franz-Josef Land during last summer, as well as for his 

 previous expeditions along the north east land of Spitzbergen. 



At the meeting of the Geographical Society on Monday last 

 Mr. R. N, Cust read a paper by Col. Tanner on Kafiristan and 

 the Siah-po-^h Kafirs of the Hindu Kush. The paper, which 

 was hardly a geographical one in any sense, dealt chiefly with 

 the inhabitants of the Valley of Dara Nur and the Chugan 

 tribe, and to a less extent with the Kafirs, who are called " Siah- 

 posh" from tlieir wearing black clothes, and furnished some 

 very interesting information regarding their manners and customs. 

 Some philological notes had also been sent by Col. Tanner, but 

 these will be communicated to the Asiatic Mociefy. Some of 

 the more striking passages in Col. Tanner's notes, if we re- 

 member rijhtly, were read at the Swansea meeting of the 

 British Association. As much interest attaches to Kafiristan and 

 the Kafirs, and the results expected from Col. Tanner's expedi- 

 tion were so eagerly looked forward to, it was rather disap- 

 pointing to be told by Col. Yule that we have even now learned 

 no more than was buried in the record of a Jesuit Missionary's 

 travels some 200 years ago. No doubt had his health not failed 

 at the critical moment, and compelled him to return to India, 

 Col. Tanner would have succeeded in penetrating into 

 Kafiristan ifself, and collected valuable geographical infor- 

 mation. 



The Society formed at Milan for commercial exploration 

 in Africa is showing increased activity, and has despatched 

 another expedition to Tripoli, under the command of Capt. 

 Camperio, who is accompanied by Signor Cingia, an ex -cavalry 

 officer. The principal objects of this expedition are the explora- 

 tion of the Gulf of Bomba, and it will particularly examine the 

 ports of Tobruek and Derna, not far from the Egyptian frontier. 

 Capt. Camperio will afterwards make an attempt to penetrate 

 into the interior of the oasis of Jazabud, in order to open com- 

 mercial relations with its inhabitants. 



We are glad to learn that there is good hope that Col. 

 Flatters and many of his followers, who were reported to have 

 been massacred by the Touaregs, are still alive, though probably 

 retained as prisoners. . 



Doctors Schweinfurth and Riebeck, who have been 

 travelling in Egj'pt, left Cairo last month to explore the island 

 of Socotra. They do not seem to be aware that quite recently 



