254 
NATURE 
Wes 
[Fuly 16, 1885 
Occasionally, at very long intervals, the 17-year and 13-year 
forms appear simultaneously, Such an event as regards one of 
the largest broods happened in the year 1647,again in 1868, and 
will not again occur till 2089. But it must not be supposed that 
the broods are simultaneous over all the United States; they 
vary according to locality, so that somewhere or other there is 
nearly always a brood on the wing. Prof. Riley has, through 
his agents, collected information from many states, and for 
thirty-two different districts is able to predict the particular year 
of appearance during the next 13 and 17 respectively in these 
districts. 1887, 1890, and 1892 are the only years omitted as 
not likely to produce the Cicadas, One would imagine that in 
the course of 17 years a larval Cicada must occasion great 
damage to the roots of trees, &c., but it would seem that any 
damage in this way is as nothing compared with that inflicted on 
the foliage by the perfect insect during its brief existence. 
AW air-balloon railway is about to be constructed op the 
Gaisberg, near Salzburg, a mountain of no great height, but 
offering a magnificent view over the beautiful neighbourhood of the 
town. “The balloon, which will have grooved wheels on one 
side of its car, will ascend a perpendicular line of rails, con- 
structed on the principle of the wire-rope railway invented years 
ago for the Righi, but never realised. 
M. FouavuE has established at Meudon Observatory, with the 
kind assistance of M. Janssen, an apparatus for registering 
electrically the propagation of earthquakes in underground 
layers. Experiments have been made by the fall of a weight of 
600 kilogrammes from 7 metres ; the results having been deemed 
satisfactory, measures are being taken for procuring the fall of 900 
kilogrammes from 9 metres, which represents a shock of 81,000 | 
kilogrammes. 
investigations. 
A steam elevator will be procured for further 
AT the recent distribution of prizes at University College, 
Dundee, Prof. Gairdner, of Glasgow, strongly advocated the 
formation of a School of Medicine in Dundee. Dr. Gairdner 
not only urged the duty of setting a medical school afoot, but 
he showed how in some ways a new school may be made more 
attractive and more efficient than the old, so as both to supply 
the educational needs of its own neighbourhood and even to 
draw students from a distance also. Tradition, prejudice, and 
the vested interests of professors make all reform slow in the 
old Universities, and cause many changes which are admittedly 
desirable to seem well-nigh impossible of attainment. The 
matter in which Prof. Gairdner chiefly indicated the possibility 
of reform is the present separation of practical from theoretical 
instruction and the long delay in bringing a student face to face 
at the bedside with disease. In a new school, he thought, the 
attempt should be made to give men hospital instruction from 
the very beginning of their student life ; to illustrate to them in 
the wards what they are at the same time learning in the lecture- 
room in chemistry, anatomy, and physiology ; and to give the 
longest possible training to hand and eye and ear inthe subtle 
discrimination of disease. 
THE University College of Wales at Aberystwith was the 
scene of a destructive fire during Wednesday night last week, 
which resulted in the loss of two lives, including Prof. James Mac- 
pherson, and serious injury to three other persons. The College 
buildings were the largest and handsomest in the Princi- 
pality, having been built at a cost of 80,000/., and they include 
the necessary rooms and offices for the education of a large 
number of students. The flames spread with alarming rapidity, 
and in a short time had complete hold of the museum, library, 
professors’ rooms, and students’ apartments. By great exertions 
all the articles of value in the museum and library were removed. 
The Principal’s residence and examination hall escaped, but the 
northern wing was gutted. The College was insured for 10,000/.» 
but the damage will amount to 40,000/. 
A TELEGRAM from Simla, July 9, states that shocks of earth- 
quake continue to be felt in Cashmere at intervals of two or 
three days. A severe shock occurred at Srinagar on the 4th 
inst. 
A SEVERE earthquake, which lasted for some time, and was 
felt, with varying intensity, over the whole province, occurred 
at Calcutta on Tuesday morning, at twenty-three minutes past 
six. Some of the shocks were very serious, and the walls of a 
number of houses were cracked, causing the utmost alarm to the 
inhabitants. 
THE death is announced, at the age of forty-seven years, of 
Mr. N. W. Posthumus, director of the Higher Burgher School 
at Amsterdam, one of the founders of the Dutch Geographical 
Society, and from the beginning its secretary and one of the 
editors of its ¥oznal. Many contributions to the ** Tijdschrift 
Aardrijkskundig-genootschap ” are due to him. 
We have received from the Observatory of Brussels the 
volumes of the Azmales of the Royal Observatory there, giving 
the documents and observations made on the Transit of Venus 
in 1882 by the Belgian party ordered to Texas. Drawings are 
given of the contacts, which require careful study ; almost every- 
thing but the ‘‘black dip” was seen in a Dolland of 11 cm. 
aperture. 
THE American Government have forwarded a consignment of 
catfish to the National Fish Culture Association with a view to 
their being acclimatised to the waters of this country. They 
arrived per s.s. Britannic in perfect condition, all being alive, 
which, considering the long voyage they had been subjected to, 
is remarkable. The catfish is a very valuable food-fish, and 
would assume a high rank amongst the freshwater fishes of our 
waters if cultivated. Pending their removal to the Fish Culture 
Establishment of the Association at Delaford, they are being 
exhibited at the Aquarium of the Inventions Exhibition, where 
they attract considerable attention. 
SEVERAL of the picked dogfish in the tanks of the Aquarium 
at the Inventions Exhibition brought forth young last week. 
They lived for several days, but ultimately died. 
A FURTHER stock of landlocked salmon were turned into the 
Thames on Thursday last by the Thames Angling Preservation 
Society, in the presence of various gentlemen interested in the 
matter. This species is exactly suited to this river, being non- 
migratory, for salmon once quitting for the sea the polluted 
water of the Thames are not likely to return thereto. 
WE have received a new edition of Mrs. Lankester’s ‘* Wild 
Flowers Worth Notice,” revised, improved, and increased in 
size. Allen and Co. are the publishers. 
“Face and Foot Deformities ” is the title of a book of curious 
interest, by Mr. Frederick Churchill, C.M., published by J. and 
A. Churchill. 
THOSE interested in glaciology should read Prof. Forel’s little 
brochure on ‘‘Les Variations Périodiques des Glaciers des 
Alpes,” separately reprinted from the Fahrbuch of the Swiss 
Alpine Club (Staempli, Berne). 
Dr. J. E. TAyLor’s latest contribution to popular science is 
“‘ Our Common British Fossils and where to find them” (Chatto 
and Windus). A prettily illustrated book of a similar character 
is Mr. F. G. Heath’s ‘* Where to find Ferns,” published by the 
S.PsC.K. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus lalandii 8) 
