Mar. 12, 1 8 74 J 



NATURE 



373 



ments and Scientific Societies in Europe is confidently expected ; 

 for Maury's services have benefited not his own country only, 

 but the maritime interests of the whole world. 



On the 19th of February, Dr. Peters, of Hamilton College, 

 New York, discovered a planet in ll'> 19" right ascension, plus 

 4 deg. 25"" declination. 



M. Charles Sainte Claire Deville, the meteorologist, 

 announced publicly before the French Institute, that the week 

 from March 9 to 16 would be a very cold one. The prognostica- 

 tion is in a f.iir way of being fulfilled. 



The last scientific letter written by the lamented M. Quetelet 

 was to General Myer, the Director of the American Meteoro- 

 logical Service. Its purpose was to inaugurate the daily 

 intercommunication of meteorological news between the States 

 and Belgium. The scheme so originated is working regu- 

 larly and was not interfered with by the death of the learned and 

 respected Belgian astronomer. 



The Lancet says that the authorities of the University of Aber- 

 deen have now under consideration a proposal to institute a new 

 degree in arts — that of Bachelor of Science. 



Herr von DEM Borne writes to ^t Deutsche Fisherei Verein, 

 in Berlin, that he is at present occupied upon an exhaustive 

 treatise, on the most recent and best methods and implements of 

 fishing with the hook and line, especially as used in England 

 and North America, and is desirous of receiving information on 

 these subjects from dealers and others, to be embodied in his 

 proposed work. 



Velocipedes are becoming an institution in Paris for for- 

 warding messages from the Exchange (Bourse) to the central 

 telegraphic office, rue de Crenelle. The rates charged by "veloce- 

 men" are two shillings. The run there and back, including 

 delivery of messages, takes about 25 minutes for a distance of 

 3 miles 1,320 yards. It is contemplated by some speculators to es- 

 tablish a public company. When Marshal Bazaine'strialwas going 

 on, velocipedes were used for conveying messages from Versailles 

 for the Mcnittur, one of the Parisian papers. The single run 

 was charged a pound sterling, and was accomplished in 45 

 minutes for a distance of I2| miles, at a quicker rate than 

 the railway trains. But the road descends all the way, 

 Versailles being on a higher level than Paris, and the railway is 

 circuitous ; stoppages are also very frequent on the line. 



Carrier-pigeons are largely used by Parisian periodicals for 

 carrying latest intelligence. They start from Versailles from two 

 o'clock in the afternoon till three. The average number is thirty 

 pairs, and the charge four shillings each pair. The journey is 

 accomplished in twelve minutes when fogs are not frequent. It 

 is not legal for newspaper editors to hire a wire for their pri- 

 vate use. 



M. Henry Giffard, the inventor of the Injecteur, has con- 

 structed a railway carriage with a patent suspension of his in- 

 vention, which prevents the passengers from feeling any incon- 

 venience from oscillation. The first public experiments will be 

 on the Versailles railway, just after the impending parlia- 

 mentary holidays. 



The election of a successor to the late Dr. Nelaton has given rise 

 to a severe contest in the Secret Committee of the French 

 Academy of Sciences ; for more than a month it has ob- 

 structed the usual routine of the Academy. The reports for yearly 

 prizes, which are ready for adoption, were not read over. 

 The number of competitors is greater than usual, amounting to 

 seven . 



The Parisian Municipal Corporation has decided upon the 

 building of a large bridge on the Seine, which in point of length 

 will be equal to Blackfriars or Waterloo Bridge, London ; but 



instead of being placed at right angles to the current, it will be 

 placed in an oblique direction. This extraordinary step is taken 

 to connect the rue des Etats on the left bank with the old arsenal 

 quarter on the right bank. 



M. FlGiriER has issued through Hachette his Antiee 

 Scientifiqtie. It is the 1 7th volume of the whole series. 



An International Agricultural Exhibition is to be held on a 

 grand scale at Bremen, under the patronage of the Crown Prince 

 of Germany, from June 13 — 21 n xt. The North German Lloyd 

 will grant special facilities to the English exhibitors for the con- 

 veyance of implement s from London, Southampton, and Hull. 



The enormous extent of the destruction of buffaloes on the 

 Western plains of the United States seems to have undergone no 

 diminution during the present winter, and there is every reason to 

 fear that, should this continue a few years longer, the animal will 

 become as scarce as is its European congener at the present day. 

 At present, thousands of buffaloes are slaughtered, every day, 

 for their hides alone, which, however, have glutted the market 

 to such an extent that, whereas, a few years ago, they were 

 worth three dollars apiece at the railroad stations, skins of bulls 

 now bring but one dollar, and those of cows and calves sixty and 

 forty cents, respectively. A recent short surveying expedition 

 in Kansas led to the discovery of the fact that, on the south 

 fork of the Republican, upon one spot, were to be counted six 

 thousand five hundred carcases of buffaloes, from which the 

 hides only had been stripped. The meat was not touched, but 

 left to rot on the plains. At a short distance hundreds more of 

 carcases were discovared, and, in fact, the whole plains were 

 dotted with putrefying remains of buffaloes. It was estimated 

 that there were at least two thousand hunters encamped along 

 the plains, hunting the buffalo. One party of sixteen stated that 

 they had killed twenty-eight hundred ^during the past summer, 

 the liides only being utilised. 



A COPY of the Calender for 1873-4, of the Imperial CoUege 

 of Engineering, Tokei, Japan, has been forwarded us. The 

 course of study prescribed, both general and special, theoretical 

 and practical, and the regulations for the government of the 

 CoUege, appear to us to be all that at present could be desired. 



We are asked to state that the Annual Dinner of the mem- 

 bers of the Institution of Civil Engineers has been appointed to 

 take place at Willis's Rooms, St. James's, on Saturday, March 21. 

 Mr. T. E. Harrison, the president, will occupy the chair. 



We are glad to see that Guido Cora's well-conducted Italian 

 geographical journal, Cojw/oj-, is to be henceforth issued monthly, 

 instead of every two months. 



An aeronautical society of Paris, the "Aerial Sport," has pub- 

 lished a programme of an aerial spring meeting to be held in the 

 neighbourhood of Paris, very likely Vesinet. The object is to send 

 in the air small fire balloons carrying des m/c/ies illumees, whose 

 length has been calculated so that the cargo of the balloon may 

 fall close to a post chosen. Every champion is to choose his 

 own wind ; but nobody has a right to approach closer to the 

 post than three miles. It is a kind of drill for shelling a place 

 with balloons by taking advantage of the wind. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 last week include a Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaiais) from 

 Java, purchased ; a Negro Tamarin {Midas ursulns) from North 

 Brazil, presented by Mr. W. Thomson ; two Goshawks (Astur 

 talnmbariiis), European, one presented and the other deposited 

 by Mr. G. Lascelles ; a Macaque 'iAor^t^ (Macacus cyntotnolgus) 

 from India, presented by Mr. S. Waight ; two Verreaux, Guinea 

 Fowl (Numida eduardi) from East Africa ; two Crowned Pigeons 

 (Goiira cofonata) from New Guinea, and a Common Cassowary 

 (Casnarius galeatus) from Ceram, purchased.. 



