August 13, 1885] 
NATURE 
Ss 
Leone eee eee eee 
E. C. Potter, Chicago, U.S.A. ; on certain accessory products 
of the blast furnace, by Mr. T. Blair, Wingerworth Ironworks, 
Derbyshire ; on a new form of cupola furnace, by Mr. James 
Riley, Glasgow ; on a new form of pyrometer, by Mr. A. von 
Bergen, Middleton Ironworks, Darlington ; on the ancient and 
modern methods of manufacturing tin-plates, by Mr. Philip W. 
Flower, Melyn Tinworks, Neath; on the manufacture of basic 
steel on the open hearth, by M. Pourcei, Bilbao, Spain; on the 
Forth Bridge, by Mr. Benjamin Baker, M.I.C.F., London. 
Tue International Telegraph Conference was opened at Berlin 
on Monday by Dr. Stephan, German Postmaster-General. No 
fewer than 33 States and 17 telegraph companies are repre- 
sented, and about 72 delegates had already assembled to day. 
Dr. Stephan opened the sitting with an address, in which, in 
the name of the German Emperor, he bade the delegates 
welcome, and made some general observations on the rapid 
development of telegraphic science and communication, as well 
as on the desirability of placing the advantages of this science 
still more within the reach of all classes. On the motion of 
the English delegate, Mr. Patey, Dr. Stephan was elected 
President of the Conference, which then proceeded to appoint 
two committees—one for the consideration of tariff questions, 
the other for matters of technical administration. Dr. Stephan 
then thanked the Swiss Government for presiding so successfully 
over the International Telegraph Bureau (of Berne), and the 
British Government for duties it had undertaken since the last 
Conference at London (1875). He also adverted to the memory 
of several deceased members of that Conference, including Sir 
William Siemens. 
AmoncG those on whom the degree of LL.D. was conferred at 
the recent Graduation ceremonial of Edinburgh University are 
Prof. John Anderson, M.D., F.R.S., Superintendent of the 
Imperial Indian Museum of Calcutta, Professor of Comparative 
Anatomy in the Medical College of Calcutta, Fellow of Calcutta 
University ; Dr. Johann Georg Biihler, Ph.D., C.1.E., Professor 
of Sanskrit in Vienna University ; and M. Antoine d’Abbadie, 
Member of the Institute of France, well known for his writings 
in geology, astronomy, and Oriental matters. 
On any Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, until the end of 
September, persons of archeological tastes may visit the rooms 
of the Royal Archeological Institute, Oxford Mansions, near 
Regent Circus, to see the large and most interesting collection 
of antiquities which Mr. W. M. Flinders Petrie, working under 
the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, has discovered 
at the Nebireh Mound, which is now established to be the site 
of the famous Greek City of Naucratis, and the cradle of Greek 
art. The thorough exploration has resulted in laying bare what 
was the earliest Greek settlement in Egypt, and in bringing to 
light archzeological treasures beyond price. Innumerable objects 
of purely Greek art, statuettes, terra-cotta figures, painted vases, 
votive offerings, bronzes, sculptures have been found, together 
with an immense quantity of pottery in considerable variety. 
Naucratis was a city of potters, and Athenzeus states that her 
ceramic productions were in great vogue around the shores of 
the Mediterranean. In the mound which covered the city 
potsherds were found in well-defined layers of different cen- 
turies, susceptible of exact classification, and as such forming an 
interesting chapter in the history of Greek art. The collection 
is particularly rich in the archaic variety of white faience 
pottery, of which, prior to Mr. Petrie’s labours, only three or 
four pieces were known to exist. He found bowls by the 
hundred. The connection of Greek pottery with that of Egypt 
is shown at every step, showing how the one descended by 
gradual steps from the other. The scarabcei, amulets, pictorial 
ornaments, deities, tiles, and other articles found in early Greek 
tombs all around the Mediterranean have been found amid the 
ruins of Naucratis in the very workshops where they were pro- 
duced. The sites of several factories were brought to light, each 
containing many samples of their products. One of these was a 
Greek manufactory of scarabs for exportation, full of such 
blunders as foreigners would make in the hieroglyphs. In another 
part of the city what had evidently been a flourishing iron 
manufactory was unearthed, where every stage of production 
was carried on by Greek workmen, for ore, slag, and finished. 
tools have all been found. The tools are principally chisels for 
working in wood, but there were also an axe, a hoe, a sickle, 
knives of various kinds, bodkins, and, what is a total novelty in 
archeological discoveries of this kind, fishhooks. There is 
satisfactory proof forthcoming that this scene of early Greek 
iron-working was in full vigour in the sixth century before 
Christ. 
Av the monthly meeting of the Entomological Society of 
London, held on August 5, J. W. Dunning announced that a 
Royal Charter of Incorporation had been granted to the Societys 
It bears date July 20, 1885. The Ethnological Society was 
founded in 1833. 
WE are glad to know that there is now a chance that the 
teaching of geography, which has been one of the blots of our 
ordinary English education from the many colleges downwards» 
will be put upon a proper scientific basis. At present it is 
usually made a task for the memory rather than an instrument 
of education. Messrs. Macmillan, in announcing a new series of 
Geographical Text Books, have the courage to state that ‘‘ the 
first principles of geography, however, cannot be effectively 
taught from books. They must be enforced practically from 
familiar local illustrations.” In a preliminary volume, therefore, 
the teacher is taught how to lay a solid geographical basis, 
founded upon the pupil’s own personal experience. Throughout 
the series the fundamental idea will be to present the essential 
facts in such a way as will show their relationship to each other. 
The physical features will be connected with the climatology of 
a country, and both will be shown to affect the distribution of 
life, while the bearing of all these influences upon human history 
and commercial progress will be constantly kept in view. The 
boundaries of parishes and countries, the positions of towns and 
the diffusion of population, will be linked with their geo- 
graphical explanation. A knowledge of the topography of 
a country, and of the local names by which it is expressed, 
will be shown to be the necessary accompaniment of an 
adequate knowledge of the history of the inhabitants. In 
short, it should be a constant aim to represent geography not as 
a series of numerical tables or a string of disconnected facts, but 
as a luminous description of the earth and its inhabitants, and of 
the causes that regulate the contrasts of scenery, climate, and 
life. Messrs. Macmillan have placed the editorship of the series 
in the hands of Mr. Archibald Geikie, F.R.S., Director-General 
of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, and have 
already secured the co-operation of Mr. H. W. Bates, TESTE Ss5 
Mr. Clements R. Markham, C.B., F.R.S., Mr. John Murray, 
Ph.D., F.R.S.E., Mr. E. B. Tylor, D.C.L., F.R.S., Mr. A. 
R. Wallace, LL.D., F.R.G.S., Rev. Edmond Warre, D.D., 
Head Master of Eton, Rev. J. E. C. Welldon, M.A., Head 
Master of Harrow, and others. 
Ir has been decided to withhold from publication the Report 
of Drs. Klein and Gibbes upon Dr. Koch’s discoveries in rela- 
tion to the germ theory of cholera, until the conclusions of a 
committee appointed by the Secretary of State for India with 
reference to that Report are also ready. 
WE have received from Mr. Lawton, of Hull, a communica- 
tion with regard to preventing collisions with icebergs. He 
