NATURE 
NOTES 
Sir L. PLAyFair asked the Secretary to the Treasury on 
Monday whether any answer had been given to the application 
of the Marine Biological Association for aid in establishing a 
station on Plymouth Sound to investigate the marine fauna and 
flora, especially in their relation to the food-fishes of these 
islands, and for which station 8000/. had already been subscribed 
from private resources. Sir H. Holland in reply stated that this 
application had received much consideration both from the 
present Government and its predecessors, and a letter was 
written to the association a fortnight since in which the Treasury 
undertook in general terms te ask Parliament for an annual 
grant for a term of years in aid of their undertaking, on condition 
that their work should be carried on in full concert with the 
Scotch Fishery Board, to whom Parliament has already granted 
considerable sums for similar objects. In the view of the Govern- 
ment these two bodies must be considered as working together 
towards the common benefit of the fishermen and fish consumers 
of the three kingdoms. On the whole this is satisfactory. No 
doubt it is desirable to form a central authority for dealing with 
fishery statistics and the scientific problems of fisheries for the 
three kingdoms, But this will take time; and in the mean- 
while it is to be expected that the Marine Biological Association 
will receive Government aid so as not to delay its useful work. 
The condition as to common action and harmony with the 
Scotch Fishery Board is very proper and is not likely to give 
rise to any difficulty. The leading and we believe only scien- 
tific member of the Scotch Fishery Board, Prof. Cossar Ewart, 
is amember of the Biological Association, and will no doubt 
co-operate in every way with that body. The Marine Biological 
Association is now a very large and weighty body, comprising all 
British zoologists. It is not to be expected that it should be con- 
trolledin any way by the Scotch Board, nor are we sure it would 
desire to interfere with Prof. Ewart’s valuable researches. But 
there need be no difficulty, we should think, about consultation 
and harmonious action. With the expected Government aid the 
Biological Association will be able to spend the greater part of 
its 8000/7. on building and equipping a first-rate laboratory on 
the splendid site granted to it by the War Office. It will be able 
to carry out a definite series of investigations under the guidance of 
Profs. Moseley, Lankester, Giinther, Huxley, and other leaders 
of the Association, and may be expected, step by step, to build up 
that knowledge of sea-fishes which isso much needed. The work 
to be done will no doubt be thoroughly systematised and appor- 
tioned to different workers. It should be remembered that the 
Marine Biological Association is not local: it aims at carrying 
on work on various parts of the English, Scotch, and Irish 
coasts, and in time, indeed, may become in all respects a 
national Association. 
THE Astronomische Gesellschaft meets this year at Geneva 
from August 19 to 22. The first meeting will be held at 1oa.m. 
on the 19th, in the hall of, the Aula of Geneva University. 
Geneva has been chosen for the eleventh meeting of this Associa- 
tion on account of its central situation. Although founded at 
Heidelberg twenty-two years ago, the Association includes 
among its members astronomers of nearly all civilised countries. 
THE Paris students are making extensive preparations for 
celebrating the tooth birthday of M. Chevreul, the veteran 
chemist, who has been a member of the Academy of Sciences 
since 1826, 
THE third session of the International Geological Congress, 
which was postponed last year on account of the cholera on the 
Continent, is fixed to be held this year on Sept. 28 at Berlin, 
under the honorary presidency of the yeteran geologist of Rhine- 
land, Dr. H. von Dechen. The President of the Organising 
Committee is Prof. Beyrich, and the General Secretary M. — 
Hauchecorne, 44, Invalidenstrasse, Berlin. 
To meet the requirements of ladies going up for the Pre- 
liminary Scientific or the Intermediate or Full B.Sc. examination 
at the University of London, under the new regulations, the 
Council of Bedford College, York Place, Baker Street, London, 
have arranged for a complete course of instruction in biology, to 
commence next October. Mr. A. G. Bourne will give lectures 
in animal biology, and will also have classes for demonstration. 
Mr. A. W. Bennett will lecture on vegetable biology, and Miss 
Mary Forster, of Newnham College, will give practical demon- 
strations twice a week. Provision is also made for adequate 
instruction in other branches of science required for the same 
examinations—yviz. mathematics, physics and chemistry, the two 
latter including laboratory work, 
THE secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society writes to 
say that the council of his society are prepared to offer their co- 
operation and assistance to such of the colonies as may desire as 
a feature of their courts examples of the indigenous flora in 
vestibules or plant-houses. The council, believing that collec- 
tions of ornamental and economic plants in a growing state, and 
of fruits, would be of much interest and value, will be ready to 
give advice and practical assistance in preparing, arranging, and 
carrying out such illustrations, to any of the colonies who may 
apply to them. 
Tuis season the rains have set in early and with unusual force 
in Southern India and Burmah, and about the usual time in 
Lower Bengal, while in Western India they have been later in 
commencing and are deficient in amount. Thus far, therefore, 
Mr. Blanford’s forecast of this year’s south-west monsoon, 
founded on last winter’s snowfall on the Himalayas, has been 
amply justified. 
AN invention, which it is anticipated will be of import- 
ance in future warfare, was on Monday night exhibited in 
the grounds of the Albert Palace by Mr. Eric S. Bruce, the 
inventor. It consists of the application of electric lighting to 
balloons, by means of which signals may be flashed at night 
over very wide areas. Before giving a practical demonstration 
of the working of his invention, Mr. Bruce delivered a brief 
lecture in the concert hall of the Albert Palace, in which he 
stated the results of his experiments and explained the manner 
in which he had arrived at them. The invention consists of an 
ordinary balloon made of a material as translucent as possible 
(in the case of the one at present on exhibition the material is 
cambric) in which are fixed a number of incandescent lamps. 
The balloon is a captive one, and the rope which secures it is 
also utilised for conveying the electric current to the lamps inside 
the balloon. The Morse system of telegraphy is employed for 
the signalling, which illuminates the balloon with flashes of light 
of longer or shorter duration. ‘The invention dates back only 
two months, and the experiments were made with a large balloon 
for the first time last night, and were completely successful. It | 
is proposed to continue the exhibitions of signalling for a month. 
The chief obstacle to be overcome in introducing the electric » 
light into the balloon was that occasioned by the highly inflam- 
mable nature of the gas with which the balloon is inflated. This 
has, however, been successfully surmounted. During the even- 
ing several sentences, including ‘‘ God Save the Queen,” ‘‘ Rule 
Britannia,” and ‘‘ Health and Happiness to Princess Beatrice,” 
were flashed from the balloon. 
On Thursday evening last, July 16, Finsbury Technical 
College was ex fé/e, the students having organised a conversazione 
