144 Miscellaneous — Dover Coal-boring. 



made Demonstrator in Biology in the Normal School of Science, 

 and in 1885 Assistant-Professor. Professor Huxley in that year 

 was compelled by ill-health to resign all his public offices, only 

 retaining his connection with the Normal School of Science and 

 Koyal School of Mines as Dean and honorary Professor of Biology. 

 On Professor Huxley's death in 1895, Dr. Howes was appointed his 

 successor as Professor of Zoology. He was formerly Lecturer on 

 Comparative Anatomy to St. George's Hospital Medical School, and 

 for several years was one of the Examiners in Biology to the 

 University of London ; a Vice-President and member of Council of 

 the Zoological Society of London ; Hon. Zoological Secretary Linnean 

 Society ; ex-President of the Malacological Society ; and President 

 of Section D, British Association in 1903. Dr. Howes was widely 

 known by his " Atlas of Practical Elementary Biology," and by his 

 papers on the morphology and physiology of the Vertebrata, both 

 recent and fossil. He was joint editor with Dr. D. H. Scott of 

 a revised and extended edition of Huxley & Martin's " Course of 

 Practical Instruction in Elementary Biology." 



His death at the comparatively early age of 51 years was doubtless 

 accelerated by a combination of unfortunate accidents, which acting 

 upon a highly nervous organisation proved too severe for his 

 delicate constitution to sustain. He leaves a wife and daughter to 

 deplore his loss. 



I^^ISCEXjXjTLITEOTJS- 



DovER CoAL-BORiNG. — It is Satisfactory to learn that " At last the 

 dogged perseverance of those who direct the policy of the Con- 

 solidated Kent Collieries Corporation (Limited), on whose shoulders 

 have fallen the mantles of several Kentish coal companies, has been 

 rewarded, and a workable seam of bituminous coal, one foot eight 

 inches thick, has been ' struck.' " We quote these words from the 

 Morning Fast of February 4th. It will be remembered that a boring 

 at Dover in search of coal was commenced in 1886, and the discovery 

 of coal was announced in 1890. The present record of '' ' Black 

 Diamonds ' at last " is simply the confirmation of the evidence 

 obtained in the original boring by the sinking of a shaft through 

 the same series of strata to a depth of 1274 ft. 10 ins. A coal- 

 seam found in the original boring carried out by Mr. F. Brady has 

 now been struck in the shaft at practically the same level, and about 

 12 tons of good coal have been raised. It is stated that a second 

 shaft must be sunk before the coal can be worked. There is 

 a second shaft which is over 600 feet deep, but it is calculated that 

 at least two years must elapse from the time the plant has been 

 secured before this shaft can be completed. Meanwhile the present 

 shaft must be sunk more than 500 feet deeper to reach other 

 seams proved in the original boring. From a geological point of 

 view the prospect is encouraging. 



