512 



NATURE 



\Oct. 2 2, 1874 



of Assistants of the Clothworkers' Company have offered 

 three exhibitions of 50/. a year each, tenable for three 

 years, for the encouragement of the study of natural science ; 

 the first examination to be held at the beginning of the Hilary 

 Term 1S75, at which time one exhibition will be awarded. 

 Gentlemen who shall have matriculated in the present term, 

 or who have not yet matriculated, are eligible for this exhi- 

 bition. 



The following sonnet on the late Dr. Jeffries Wyman appears 

 in the New York Nation, with the initials "J. R. L.": — 



" The wisest man could ask no more of Fate 

 Than to be simple, modest, manly, true, 

 Safe from the Many, lionoured by the Few ; 

 Nothing to court in World, or Cliurch, or State, 

 But inwardly in secret to be great ; 

 To feel mysterious Nature ever new. 

 To touch, if not to grasp, her endless clew. 

 And learn by each discoveiy how to wait ; 

 To widen knowledge and escape the praise ; 

 Wisely to teach, Ijecause more wise to learn ; 

 To toil for Science, not to draw men's gaze, 

 Iiut for her lore of self-denial stern ; 

 That such a man could spring from our decays 

 Fans the soul's nobler faith until it burn," 



A TELEGRAM from Berlin states that Major von Mechow will 

 shortly start by sailing vessel from Rotterdam to succeed Dr. 

 Lohde, who is in ill liealth, in the military command of the 

 scientific expedition which left Europe in June 1873, under the 

 leadership of Dr. Clussfeldt, for the exploration of Central 

 Africa. The Berlin African Society.wiU also send out a second 

 expedition under the leadership of Captain von Homeyer, which 

 will leave at the end of December. It will first proceed to 

 Canandge, on the frontier of Angola, and will endeavour to 

 reach the capital of Muata-Jamvo. 



The Austro- Hungarian explorers of the North Pole are 

 preparing a popular edition of their adventures, as well as a 

 scientific narrative. 



We learn from Iron that a scheme has been recently devised 

 for supplying London with an inflammable mixture of gases to 

 replace coal. The new gas, termed "pyrogen," consists of a 

 mixture of nitrogen and carbonic oxide, three-fourths by weight 

 consisting of the latter gas. The temperature of combustion of 

 the mixture is stated to be 2,700" C. ; and for heating purposes 

 the flame of the burning gas is to be allowed to raise some good 

 radiating substance to incandescence in an ordinary grate. It is 

 justly pointed out that with our present arrangements three-fifths 

 of the available heat of coal are wasted, but, on the other hand, 

 it must not be forgotten that on the proposed plan the force 

 evolved in the oxidation of the carbon (in whatever form it is 

 made use of) to carbonic oxide is likewise wasted. We should 

 prefer, on the whole, to see some feasible plan for utilising the 

 waste heat of coal, as the highly poisonous nature of carbonic 

 oxide would, in the absence of all other olijections, be a serious 

 obstacle to its introduction into our dwelling-houses. 



At an influential meeting held at Manchester on Monday, to 

 take measures to secure some permanent memorial of the late 

 Sir William Fairbaim, it was resolved to raise funds for the pur- 

 pose by public subscription, and " that the permanent memorial 

 of Sir William Fairbaim be in the form of a statue of such a 

 character and to be placed in such a position as may be hereafcer 

 determined, and also for a scholarship or some other suitable 

 endowment inconnection with the Owens College." It was un- 

 derstood that the scholarship or endowment should have special 

 reference to the teaching of engineering or pure mechanics. J 



Mr. John Horne, of the Botanic Garden, Mauritius, who 

 is now on a botanical expedition in the Seychelles, writing to 

 Dr. Hooker, says that he has visited the islands of Silhouette, 



Praslin, and Felicite, searching them from the sea-shore to the 

 tops of the highest hills, in Silhouette up to 2,200 ft., at which 

 elevation Pitcher-plants abound, hanging in immense clusters 

 over every stone, bush, and tree. Flowers of these Nepenthes 

 were obtained, and arrangements made for procuring a good 

 supply of plants. When these materials come to hand it will be 

 seen whether the Nepenthes of Silhouette is different from the 

 N. wardii which grows in Mahe. The tops of these mountains 

 where the Pitchers grow have a perpetual moisture hanging over 

 them, being almost constantly enveloped by mist and rain. 



We have received an excellent little Italian work^price only 

 two francs, notwithstanding its many illustrations. It is entitled 

 " Parasiti Interni degli Animali Domestici,"and is a translation 

 of the well-known little En^jlish work on the subject, by Dr. 

 Spencer Cobbold, F.R.S. The Italians are very anxious to make 

 themselves acquainted with English scientific works, and this 

 translation by Dr. Tommasi, as well as the admirable translation 

 of Huxley's "Vertebrate Anatomy" by Prof. Giglioli, show 

 their earnestness. 



The fifth volume of the " Annali del Museo Civico di 

 Storia Naturale " of Genoa, just issued, is occupied vrith an 

 excellent memoir on the Ornithology of Borneo, prepared by 

 Count Tommaso Salvadori, of Turin. The memoir is based on 

 the collections made in Sarawak in 1865 and subsequent years, 

 by the Marquis Giacamo Doria and Dr. Odoardo Becciri, which 

 contained about Soo specimens. All previous authorities on 

 the birds of Borneo have been consulted, and the result is a com- 

 plete 7-esumc of all that is yet known upon the ornithology of 

 this most interesting country, which will be highly acceptable to 

 naturalists. 



At two o'clock f. M. on the 1 8th inst . a severe shock of earth- 

 quake was felt at Malta. There was a iieaving motion, accom- 

 panied by an explosive noise resembling the bursting of a shell. 

 Eight slight shocks followed later. Several buildings are injured, 

 but no casualties are reported, 



A TELEGRAM, dated Bombay, Oct. 17, states that a cyclone 

 in Bengal has caused a total interruption of telegraphic commu- 

 nication with Calcutta. Fifty miles of the line are reported to 

 have been blown down, and a passenger train has been thrown 

 cfif the rails. No further details of the damage done have yet 

 been received. 



The Council of the Labour Representation League have 

 drawn up a Report founded upon the resolutions adopted by the 

 members at a meeting held some weeks since touching the 

 endowed schools in their relation to technical education. The 

 Report, which deals very fully with the question, and which 

 will shortly be published in c.xlaiso, recommends a scheme of 

 technical training under four heads, viz. — i. In our elementary 

 board schools. 2. The secondary industrial schools. 3. The 

 higher endowed schools, such as Eton, Harrow, &c. 4. The 

 Science and Art Department at South Kensington. The scheme 

 will be submitted to a general meeting of workmen and others 

 interested in the question, ior discussion and approval. The 

 Council of the League express themselves very sanguine as to the 

 beneficial results that would follow the adoption of the scheme. 

 In connection with the subject of technical education we may 

 state that the opening meeting of the members of the Artisans' 

 Institute was held on the 14th inst., in the premises of the insti- 

 tution. Castle Street, St. Martin's Lane. The meeting was 

 addressed by the Rev. H. Solly, Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., 

 Dr. Carpenter, and others, and the promoters are sanguine of 

 its success in educating and elevating skilled workmen. 



On Monday evening a public meeting was held in the hall of 

 Clanricarde College, Pembridge Square, Bayswater, Dr. J. II. 

 Gladstone, F.R.S,, presiding, to eslabUsh a popular society in 



