274 



NATURE 



\Aug. 6, 1874 



Godard, F.S.A., read a short paper on the church. The mem- 

 bers of the Association afterwards visited the Temple Church, 

 which is noted for the fact of its tower being 4 ft. out of the 

 perpendicular. 



The great work "On the Marine Mammals of the North 

 Pacific," by Capt. C. M. Scammon, of the United States 

 Revenue Service, has now been completed and is published by 

 John H. Carmany & Co., San Francisco. It forms a stout 

 quarto volume, with many plates, and contains an exhaustive 

 history of the whales, porpoises, and other Cetaceans, together 

 with that of the sea-elephant, sea-lion, sea-otter, the walrus, &c., 

 all accurately figured and described. A specially important sec- 

 tion of the volume is that upon the American whale-fishery, 

 giving an account of its origin, extent, mode of prosecution, its 

 progress and present condition, with a full description of all the 

 apparatus used in the capture and utihsation of the Cetaceans, 

 and the incidents of a wh.aling life. In an appendix is a sys- 

 tematic account and catalogue of the Cetaceans of the North 

 Pacific, by Mr. Dall, a glossary of words and phrases used by 

 whalemen, and a list of stores and outfits. As an exhaustive 

 treatise, even of a limited field of the whale-fishery, this book 

 will probably occupy the first rank in the literature of the 

 subject. 



The Reports and Proceedings for 1873 of the Miners' Asso- 

 ciation of Cornwall and Devon contain a number of valuable 

 papers on various subjects connected with mining. The Asso- 

 ciation, we regret to see, is somewhat cramped for want of funds, 

 though we are glad to see from the lecturer's report that much 

 good work is being done in the way of spreading scientific 

 knowledge among the young men of the districts in the midst of 

 which the Association is established. 



The sum of 22 guineas, subscribed by a few gentlemen, having 

 been placed in the hands of the Council of the Leicester Literary 

 and Philosophical Society to be distributed in prizes, in such a 

 manner as to promote the study of natural science, the Com- 

 mittee appointed for carrying out the scheme have resolved to 

 ofTcr the prizes on a plan by which they hope that the interest 

 and co-operation of a large number of persons will be secured, 

 and the Town Museum at the same time greatly benefited. The 

 prizes will be awarded for specimens of Leicestershire rocks, 

 minerals, and fossils ; Leicestershire insects and spiders ; Leices- 

 tershire shells, land and water ; Leicestershire plants, including 

 crvptogams. Every specimen must have been collected within 

 the borders of the county ; and the other precautions are such 

 as ought to produce a valuable local collection of specimens. 



Few persons are aware of the important exploration which 

 has been going on for a year or two past in Costa Rica, under 

 the direction of Prof. William M. Gabb, a geologist and ex- 

 plorer of Philadelphia, well known for his excellent scientific 

 work, especially in connection with the geological survey of 

 California, under Prof. Whitney. The special object is an in- 

 vestigation of an entirely unknown region of South-eastern Coita 

 Rica, inhabited only by savages, but known to contain rich 

 treasures of minerals, worked by the Spaniards in the early days 

 of the Conquest ; this knowledge being only by traditions. Al- 

 though the party has consisted„only of Prof. Gabb and four 

 assistants, it has already gathered a great deal of important in- 

 formation and material in reference to the economical, scientific, 

 and political history of the region investigated. In the course 

 of his labours. Prof. Gabb found the people less savage than 

 had been supposed, and he his already succeeded in winning 

 their confidence to such an extent as to induce their chief to 

 accompany him on a visit to San Jose. As might hive been 

 expected, the geological structure of the country has occupied a 

 large share of Prof. Gabb's attention, and enough has been dis- 



covered to warrant the belief that the mineral resources are of 

 great importance. The greatest interest attaches, however, to 

 the discovery of two previously unknown volcanoes, not less than 

 7,000 ft. high, in the main Cordillera just north-west of Pico 

 Blanco. Of these he is about to make a thorough examination. 

 The natural history collections made by the professor are of un- 

 usual magnitude and value, embracing all departments of zoo- 

 logy, 'lid especially rich in mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. 

 Of fish there were but few species, but all tliat could be found 

 were secured. The ethnology and philology of the country have 

 been attended to very thoroughly. Material illustrating the 

 manners and customs of the people was also gathered in great 

 quantities, and important discoveries made oi Huacos, or prehis- 

 toric graves. In addition to these, Prof. Gabb is on tlie track of 

 an ancient buried city, of which no mention is made in any his. 

 tory of the country. The natural history and ethnological col- 

 lections made have been sent to the National Museum, where 

 they form a conspicuous feature in the Centi'al American series. 

 The material thus collected by Prof. Gabb will, on his return, be 

 made the subject of an elaborate work, in whiclr he hopes tu pre- 

 sent the whole subject of the physical and natural history of tire 

 country in its fullest detail. An important geological discovery 

 made by him is that the appearance of di-y land on the isthmus 

 is of Tertiary dale, and that it is coeval^with the period of vol- 

 canic excitement in the Califotnian sierra. 



Mr. E. Dunkenfield Jones, of Pjroleira, near Jacareby, 

 province of Sao Paulo, Brazil, writes us that on April 21 he 

 witnessed a most glorious lunar rainbow just after a thunder- 

 storm, at about 8. 30 P.M. The arc was one of about 120°, and 

 the secondary bow was just visible though not distinct ; but the 

 most renrarkable part of the phenomenon was the increase of 

 light over the vihole segment of the circle. The clouds williin 

 the rainbow appeared much lighter than those outside. The 

 bow was quite white, not the slightest trace of colour appearing. 

 The moon was only five days old, and rt seems strange that the 

 rainbow should have been so bright with so young a moon. Our 

 correspondent understands that lunar rainbows are very uncom- 

 mon in that part of the world. This is natural, he states, for 

 showers (during which alone the phenomenon can take place) 

 generally occur before sunset and are rare at night. 



The exhibition intended to celebrate the fiftieth year of the 

 Franklin Institute is to be held in Philadelphia from Oct. 6 lo 

 Oct. 31. All products of national industry may be sent for 

 exhibition. In addition to three classes of premiums — a silver 

 medal of the Franklin Institute, a bronze medal, and a diploma 

 of honourable mention — cases of special merit may be referred 

 to the Committee on Science and Arts, with a recommendation 

 for the award of the Scott legacy premium or tire Elliot Cresson 

 gold medal. The Scott legacy premium — a bronze medal and 

 2odols, — is vested in the City of Philadelphia by the provisions 

 of the will of John Scott, of Edinburgh, made in 1S16, and the 

 city has confided the trust to the Frairklin Institute. The 

 Elliot Cresion gold med.al is an honour which has rarely been 

 awarded. 



" Reixirt on the Physic.ll Character and Resources of Gipps- 

 land" (Melbourne, 1S74) is the title of a pamphlet of upwards 

 of 60 pp., containing a report of the Surveyor-General and the 

 Secretary of Mines for Victoria of observations made on a re- 

 cent tour through that part of the colony of Victoria. Gipps- 

 land includes that part 'of the colony between E. long. 

 145° 50' and 150°, and contains an area of l3,8gS square miles. 

 The report contains many careful observations on the geology, 

 natural history, and resources of the district, and is a valuable 

 addition to our knowledge of the great southern continent. A 

 good map and a geological section accompany the report. 



