NATURE 



117 



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1873 



THE TRANSIT OF VENUS EXPEDITIONS 



SOME time ago we called attention to the admirable 

 opportunity which would be afforded by the ap- 

 proaching Astronomical Expeditions for the observation 

 of the Transit of Venus to investigate the Natural History 

 of several little-known islands of the Pacific. The addi- 

 tion of one or two members to these expeditions could 

 make but a comparatively trifling addition to the expense, 

 and while the Astronomers were observing, the Naturalists 

 would be busily employed in collecting. We are glad 

 to be informed that at a recent meeting of the Council 

 of the Royal Society it was determined to take action in 

 this matter, and to advise the Government to attach a 

 small staff of NaHiralists to the two expeditions destined 

 to observe the transit in the Island of Rodriguez and Ker- 

 guelen's Land. There can be little doubt, we presume 

 that the Government will readily accede to the advice 

 thus offered to them. 



Rodriguez, an outlier of the Mascarene group, is in 

 many ways specially worthy of thorough investigation. 

 As a general rule oceanic islands lying at a distance from 

 the great continents are of volcanic origin. The Seychelles 

 and the island of Rodriguez are almost the only known 

 exceptions to this rule. Rodriguez, so far as the slight 

 information we possess on the subject extends, is believed 

 to be composed of granite overlaid by limestone and other 

 recent rocks. It is, therefore, of great importance that an 

 accurate geological examination should be made of this 

 island, more especially as its nearest neighbours Bourbon 

 and Mauritius follow the ordinary rule of being volcanic. 

 A second rich field of biological research in Rodriguez 

 will be found in the fossil remains to be met with in the 

 caves of the limestone rocks. These have already yielded 

 good fruit to the investigations of Mr. Edward Newton. 

 the Colonial Secretary of Mauritius, aided by grants from 

 the British Association. The complete skeleton of 

 Pe~opliaps solitaria, a bird allied to the Dodo of the 

 Mauritius — has been restored from these remains, as is 

 well-known from the excellent memoir upon this extinct 

 bird published by Mr. Newton and his brother. Prof. 

 Newton of Cambridge, in the Philosophical Transactions 

 of the Royal Society. But besides additional bones of 

 the Solitaire, which will be welcome to many Museums, 

 it will be desirable to become acquainted with the other 

 animals which were the Solitaire's fellow-creatures when 

 in existence. Some of these are also obscurely known 

 through the exertions of the Messrs. Newton, but it 

 cannot be doubted that ample materials of this kind are 

 still lying hid in the caves of Rodriguez for the benefit of 

 future explorers. 



The recent Zoology and Botany of Rodriguez also 

 merit thorough investigation in order to ascertain 

 whether they show any parallel differences to that of its 

 geological structure as compared with the rest of the 

 Mascarene group of islands. 



Kerguelen's Land, the second point selected for biolo- 

 gical investigation, is also likely to give ample occupation 

 for a naturalist who will be able to devote several months 

 to its exploration, while the necessary preparations are 

 Vol. IX. — No. 216 



being made for the observation of the great astronomical 

 event. In 1840 Kerguelen's Land was visited by the 

 Antarctic Expedition under Sir James Ross. The dis- 

 tinguished naturahst who accompanied the expedition 

 ascertained that it contains a scanty land-flora of flower- 

 ing plants, some of which belong to types elsewhere un- 

 known, and an extraordinary profusion of marine forms 

 of both the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Of the 

 land-plants a good series was obtained, but as regards 

 the marine flora and fauna much must remain to be 

 done— especially as Sir James Ross's visit took place in 

 mid-winter. The ChaUciiger will visit Kerguelen's Land 

 early next year in order to ascertain the best station for 

 an Astronomical Observatory, and her excellent staff of 

 naturalists will, without doubt, not neglect the opportunity 

 thus given to them. But looking to the great size of the 

 island, which measures nearly 100 miles by 50, and to 

 what is reported of the excessive richness of the marine 

 forms of life, there will certainly be ample occupation left 

 for the naturalist whom it is proposed to send there alono- 

 with the Transit expedition. 



There is, in fact, no doubt that it would be difficult to 

 find two spots on the earth's surface where investigation 

 is more likely to lead to satisfactory results than in the 

 case of these two little-known islands. Nor is the oppor- 

 tunity now offered of obtaining these results at a very 

 small cost to the nation likely to recur, if now neglected. 

 We ti-ust, therefore, that on the part of the Government 

 there will be no hesitation in acceding to the scheme put 

 before them by the Council of the Royal Society. 



ELLIS'S LIFE OF COUNT RUM FORD 



Memoir of Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford 



with Notices of his Daughter. By George E. Ellis. 



(Published in connection with an edition of Rumford's 



complete Works by the American Academy of Arts 



and Sciences. Boston.) 



'"PHIS biography supplies a want that has been sorely 



-^ felt by all who have desired to obtain a reliable 



account of Count Rumford's eventful life. It is, I think 



impossible to name any equally eminent man of modern 



times concerning whom so little was known before the 



publication -of this work. The only preceding sources 



of information, Prof Pictet's letters. Prof Renwick's 



sketch in " Sparks's Library of American Biography," 



Cuvier's Eloge and] the Cyclopedia biographies made 



up from these and each other, are most vcxatiously 



contradictory on points of primary interest. Aided by 



Rumford's own correspondence, and other original and 



direct sources of information, Mr. Ellis's industry has at 



last rescued us from these perplexities. 



The career of scientific notables is usually of a simple 

 and uneventful character, but that of the poor school- 

 master of New Hampshire is sufficiently adventurous 

 and romantic to supply materials for a sensation- 

 novel writer. 



He married early ; to quote his own words — " I took a 

 wife, or rather she took me, at 19 years of age." He 

 describes his married life as both happy and profitable, 

 but it lasted scarcely three years, during which he became 

 a prominent public man and a full-blown soldier, with 



