492 



JSfA TURE 



\April 23, 1874 



The re mapping of England by the Geological Survey, giving 

 the drift in its various divisions is steadily progressing, and in a 

 short time a large part of Lancashire will be published. The 

 quarter sheets, numbered by the survey 81 N. W., SS S.W., 

 89 S. E., 90 S. E. , 91 S. W. are engraved and in the hands of the 

 colourist, and the work for 91 S.E., 90 N.E., 89 N.W. has been 

 completed and the maps are in the engravers' hands. The sheet 

 N.E. Somerset, and the London district have been ready some 

 time. The old maps giving the rock mapping will continue on 

 sale, for information that cannot be so readily gained in any 

 other way arises from a comparison of the mapping of the rock 

 with that of the surface drift. 



According to the Abbe David, the Chinese river Hangkiang, 

 until lately almost unknown, is an important river of commerce, 

 traversed by vessels of every size. A considerable portion, how- 

 ever, is difficult of navigation, owing to the existence of 

 numerous rapids and many rocks. 



The death of Rev. John Bachman is announced as having 

 taken place at Charleston on February 24. In the decease of 

 this gentleman, Science loses one of the oldest of American natu- 

 ralists, and one who has been quite prominent in the history of 

 American zoology. He is well known from his association with 

 Mr. Audubon in the pieparation of the great work on the North 

 American mammals, of which one edition was published, in folio, 

 at 400dols., and another, in quarto, at 40dols. This, as far as 

 its illustrations and biographies are concerned, still forms the 

 standard treatise on the subject, although the systematic portion 

 has been in a measure superseded by later and more critical in- 

 V stigat'ois. It was, however, preceded by several monographi; 

 papers upon squirrels, hares, shrews, and other species, and 

 also by papers upon the seasonal and other changes in colour in 

 birds and mammals. Dr. Bachman's friends claimed for him 

 the distinction of having been the first person in the United 

 States to practise the art of artificial impregnation of fish, 

 although this is stoutly contested by Dr. Garlick and other writers. 



Mr. R. B. Walker writes from Corisco Bay, in Western 

 Africa, in regard to a young gorilla which he had alive for some 

 time, and hoped to forward to the Zoological Society of Lon- 

 don. Contrary to the usual assumption in regard to this species, 

 the specimen in question proved to be extremely docile and per- 

 fectly tame. When first purchased it was shy and suspicious, 

 but not spiteful. At the expiration of about a week it was led 

 around without resistance, and it ate whatever eatable thing it 

 could lay its hands on, including a basin of condensed milk with 

 a raw egg beaten up in it. It was quite tame, eating, sleeping, 

 and playing with a large bull-terrier, the two animals being con- 

 stantly together. It unfortunately disappeared one night, and 

 was supposed to have fallen overboard. 



The forthcoming number of Petetmann's Mitthdlungen will 

 contain the conclusion of the account of the return journey of 

 Count Wiltschek's Arctic expedition through North-east Russia, 

 and some remarks on the geognostic survey map of the coast of 

 the Waigatt Strait in North Greenland, between Disco Island 

 and the mainland, by M. Steenstrup. The number will also 

 contain an account of Gosse and Warburton's travels through 

 West Australia (recently referred to in NATURE), accompanied, 

 of course, by an excellent map. 



A Roman Company, we learn from La Nature, proposes to 

 lay a railway between Naples and Mount Vesuvius. 



We would direct the attention of our physiological readers to 

 a short paper which has just appeared in the "Proceedings of 

 the Royal Society," by Mr. E. A. Schiifer, on the Intracellular 

 Development of Blood-Corpuscles in Mammalia, in which he 

 sho«s, in the subcutaneous tissue of the new-born rat, how the 

 red corpuscles, statically developed together with the primitive 

 capillaries, become the dynamically circulating blood-discs of 

 the older]animal, as in the area vasculosa of the embryo chick. 



We are glad to see that the Leeds Naturalists' Field Club and 

 Scientific Association has just concluded the most successful 

 year of its existence, its operations during the past twelve months 

 having been attended by most gratifying and steady progress. 

 We have received the syllabus of a number of lectures (by Mr. 

 L. C. Miall) and excursions to take place during the present and 

 next months, illustrative of the geology of the West Riding. 

 There will be four lectures, illustrated by seven excursions. 



Wk. have received a short and carefully compiled sketch of the 

 Geology of the County of Suffolk, written by Mr. J. E. Taylor, 

 of the Ipswicli Museum, a gentleman who, by the popularity of 

 his lectures and the large audiences which he draws, is doing 

 more than anyone to develop a genuine and lasting love for 

 natural history in that part of the country. 



Messrs. LonOiMans & Co. have in the press a " Manual of 

 Industrial Chemistry." It is a translation of Profs. Stohmann 

 and Engler's German edition of Payen's "Precis de Chimie 

 Industrielle, " by Dr. J. D. Barry. It will be edited and sup- 

 plemented with chapters on the chemistry of the metals, by Dr. 

 B, II. Paul, and will be copiously illustrated. The same 

 publishers also have nearly ready an " Introduction to Expe- 

 rimental Physics, Theoretical and Practical," by Adolf F, 

 Weinhold, Professor in the Royal Technical School at Chem- 

 nitz, translated and edited by Benjamin Loewy, F. R. A.S. ; it 

 will also have a pieface by Prof. G. C. Foster, F. R. S., and be 

 illustrated with numerous woodcuts. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Mourning Kangaroo {/lalmalurus liictiiosiis) 

 from the south of New Guinea, deposited by .Signor L. M. 

 D'Albertis ; two Gold Pheasants {Tliaumalca pida) from China, 

 presented by the Rev. A. B. Frazer; a White-cheeked Flying Squirrt 1 

 [ricroinys ieucogenys) from Japan, presented by Mr. A. Gower, 

 H.B.M. Consul at Kobe; a Common Fox {Cams vulpes) from 

 Russia, presented by Mr. J. W. Ouchterlony ; a Long-nosed 

 Crocodile {Crocodibis cataphradus) from West Africa, presented 

 by Mr. II. T. Cooper; and a Red Kangaroo {Macropus riifus), 

 born in the Gardens. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The Geographical Afagazinc, No. I, April. — Such is the title 

 of the successor to Ocean Highways, which a " Notice " informs 

 us, "has been discontinued," Mr. C. R. Markham, C. B., F. R.S., 

 " having taken the editorship of the Geographical Magazine, 

 issued under new proprietorship." We certainly prefer the out- 

 side appearance of the new magazine to that oi its predecessor, the 

 cover being much more tasteful and business-like ; it has made 

 an excellent start also as to content'. The first article, accom- 

 panied by a map, is on " The Basin of the Helniund," which 

 includes all the streams that flow down into the great lake or 

 swamp of Sistan, and lies athwart the line of advance from the 

 north towards India. A large part of this area is still entirely 

 unknown, and the article gives an account of the existing mate- 

 rials whence a knowledge of the region can be obtained. Tlie 

 next article gives an interesting account of the Russian Staff- 

 Captain N. M. Prshevalski's Travels In Mongolia in 1S70 — 73. 

 Captain Prshevalski "has acquired most valuable scientific infor- 

 mation which, combined with the map he intends shortly to 

 publish, will shed a flood of light on the geo;;raphy, zoology, 

 and botany of Mongolia and Northern Thibet." This is 

 succeeded by an article on "The Hydrographical Department 

 of the Admiralty," giving a brief history of this most important 

 department of the naval service, and a sketch of its labours. 

 The article contains some valuable hints as to how the 

 department might be made more efficient than it is if 

 Government would only be a little more wisely liberal. An 

 article on the Island of Ilormuz, by Lieut. A. W. Stifle, gives 

 an account of the present state of the island and of the remains 

 of its ancient grandeur. We can only name the other original 



