34 



ISTA TURE 



\Nov. 13, 1873 



of Mathematics, and M. Henry, Professor of Chemistry at 

 Louvain, in a letter to M. Quetelet, the secretary, protested 

 against the expression being allowed to pass uncensured, as it 

 was a violationof their religious convictions, and an infringement 

 of the traditional law of the Academy, that nothing be said to hurt 

 the religious convictions of any member. At the next meeting 

 of the Academy, October 11, M. Gilbert insisted on this note 

 being read, but by the vote ol the Academy the order of the 

 day was at once proceeded with. Thereupon the two aggrieved 

 professors felt called upon to resign their connection with the 

 Academy. Tire real facts of the case are stated by MM. Gilbert 

 .ind Henry in a long communication to the last number of the 

 Rcinie Sfientifique, from which it appears that the reference to 

 " the fable of Jonah " was not in the paper at all as originally 

 read, but was added in a note to the paper when subsequently 

 printed in the Bulletin of the Academy. No doubt the two 

 professors have a greater grievance than the irate Bishop Dupan- 

 loup had in the admission to the French Academy of M. Littre ; 

 and no doubt it is well in all scientific discussions in a mixed 

 society to steer clear of "the religious difficulty" entirely, but 

 after all it must seem to an outsider as if all this pother about 

 " the fable of Jonah " were a case of " much ado about nothing." 



A MEETING of the local executive of the British Association 

 was held on Monday, at Bradford, and the financial account, 

 which was submitted, showed the total expenses of the late 

 meeting in that to wn to amount to about 3, 300/. The guarantee 

 fund subscribed amounted to 5,200/. 



At a recent meeting of the Manchester Scientific Students' 

 Association at the Royal Institution, Mr. George C. Yates, 

 F.S.A., exhibited a unique specimen of a Neolithic Fhnt Celt, 

 or axe, which he had obtained at Holyhead a few weeks ago. 

 The specimen, we believe, has been thoroughly authenticated, 

 and Mr. Yates has consented to deposit it in the British 

 Museum. 



A SERIES of Birkbeck Scientific Lectures for the People was 

 commenced last v/eek at Leeds, by Mr. J. Norman Lockyer, 

 F.R.S., to be continued by Dr. Carpenter, Mr. MiaU, and Prof. 

 Martin Duncan, till Christmas. We believe that the action of 

 the Trustees in thus aiding the spread of scientific knowledge 

 throughout the country will be attended with the best result.s. 



On Tuesday last a deputation of the Harrow Vestry, repre- 

 senting the residents, tradesmen, and other classes of the parish, 

 had a second interview with the Governors of Harrow School, 

 for the purpose of lodging and explaining thirty-six objections 

 in detail to the proposed statutes for the government of the 

 school. One point most justly insisted on by the deputation is 

 the fact that John Lyon, the founder of the school, intended it 

 mainly for the benefit of the parishioners of Harrow, whereas 

 the Governors, like the Governors of others of our public schools, 

 notoriously throw every possible diflicuhy in the way of children 

 of common parishioners reaping the benefit of the fund generously 

 left for their education. The Governors try to silence the com- 

 plainants with a pittance of 250/. a year to found a subordinate 

 school We hope the Harrow Vestry will not cease to agitate 

 the matter, until they obtain all that rightly belongs to them. 



We have received a revised list of those who obtained Queen's 

 Medals at the Science and Art Examinations, May 1S73. 



A CORRESPONDENT at Cannes, France, informs us that on 

 November 4, about 6 p.m., a beautiful and distinct, though 

 faint, lunar rainbow was seen there, which lasted a quarter of an 

 hour, and then suddenly disappeared just as the first drops of 

 rain were felt. 



The forth:omii;j number of Peterrnmn's Alitlhcihuigcii will 



contain an article by Messrs. E. Behm and F. Hanemann on 

 the most recent discoveries in South-east Australia, accompanied 

 by a map in which these discoveries are embodied. 



Messrs. W. and A. K.Johnston have published a very use- 

 ful war-map of the Gold Coast of Ashantee and neighbouring 

 countries, with a sketch-map of Guinea and a small map of the 

 whole of Africa, all carefully disposed on one large sheet. 



For several winters past courses of lectures, intended mainly 

 for the industrial classes, have been given on scientific subjects 

 in the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, by the professors 

 of the University and other gentlemen eminent in their particu- 

 lar departments. The charge for a course of six lectures, the 

 number given on each subject, is only sixpence, and we believe 

 the results have been extremely satisfactory. The following is 

 the programme for the present winter: — "Chemistry of the 

 Common Metals," by Prof. A. Crum Brown, M.D. ; "Physi- 

 ology and I'ublic Health," by Dr. John G. M'Kendrick, 

 F.R.S.E. ; "Cosmical Astronomy," by Prof. Tait; " The Car- 

 boniferous Formation of Scotland," by Mr. James Geikie, 

 F.R S.E. ; " AVeather and Climate," by Mr. Alex. Buchan, 

 F.R.S.E.; "The History of Commerce," by Prof. W. B. 

 Hodgson, LL.D. 



The same journal has the following details concerning the 

 Italian .Association of Men of Science :^Inaugurated in 1S37 by 

 the Grand Duke of Tuscany (twenty-five years before France 

 had followed the parent movement in England), it fell under the 

 ban of Pope and Bourbon alike, who saw in it the foster-mother 

 of revolution. In spite of police restrictions and other proofs of 

 the dislike with which it was viewed, its meetings gained in 

 attractiveness every year till, in 1S46, favoured by the early 

 liberalism of Pio Nono and Charles Albert's ill-will to Austria, 

 it celebrated the centenary of Balilla's throwing olif the German 

 yoke in the Ligurian capital. Thanks to Piedmont, it outlived 

 the reaction of 1848; and in 1859-60 it shared in the national 

 jubilee it had assisted in consummating. Rome, proclaimed as 

 the capital in 1S61, was to be the scene of its reunion in 1862 ; 

 but the Vatican, countenanced by Austria and France, frustrated 

 the attempt. The storming of the Porta Pia in 1870 rendered 

 possible the long-cherished design, and, under the appropriate 

 presidency of the venerable Count Mamiani, formerly Prime 

 Minister of Pio Nono during his short constitutional reign, it met 

 on the 20th ult. in the capital. One hundred and fifty was the. 

 muster of members — not a numerous one, but counting the most 

 distinguished statesmen and savaits in the kingdom. Donati had 

 but lately fallen a victim to cholera, but his science was ade- 

 quately represented by the Padre Secchi, who still clings tc 

 the Society of Jenis. 



We have received from Mr. D. Mackintosh a reprint of his 

 article from the Quarterly Journal 0/ the Geological Societv, " On 

 the more remarkable Boulders of the North-west of England 

 and the Welsh Borders." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's collection during 

 the past week include a Crab-eating Opossum {Didelphys cati- 

 crivora] from the West Indies, presented by Mr. G. H. Haw- 

 tay.-.e ; a Common Parodoxure [Paradoxunts typus) from India, 

 presented by Mr. C. Maurer ; an Indian Jackal (Canis aureus) 

 from Penang, presented by Mr. F. H. Fredericks ; three Robbin 

 Island Snakes (Coronella Jt/ioearum) presented by Rev. G. H. R. 

 Fisk ; a Little Grebe (Poiiiceps minor), British, presented by 

 Mr. H. P. llensman ; a Black Wallaby (llalmaturus Ualabalus) 

 fromN. S. Wales, purchased; a Gazelle {Gazella doreas) from 

 Egypt, deposited; an Axis Deer {Cei-'UJ axis) and a Molucca 

 Deer (C. molueeeusis), born in the Gardens. 



