3 86 



NATURE 



{Feb. 19, 18 So 



engineers and an escort of natives, will advance southward from 

 the Wargla, and, after passing the summer at the Jebel 

 Ahaggar, will proceed by the Houssa to Sokoto, and ascending 

 the Nige'r to Timbuctu, will return by way of Senegal. The 

 Anthropological Society of Paris has availed itself of the per- 

 mission granted it of sending out observers competent to under- 

 take the ethnological study of the races with which the expedi- 

 tions will come in contact, and has entrusted to Dr. Guyard the 

 superintendence of the scientific staff which will accompany the 

 Government explorers. 



Prof. Waldhauer, of Dorpat, has visited the northern 

 boundaries of Courland, near the Riff of Domesnaes, in the Gulf 

 of Riga, with a view of studying the condition of the small 

 remnant of people living there, who are the sole representatives 

 of the ancient races of Courland and Livonia. These persons, 

 about 2,400 in number, occupy a limited area of about a verst in 

 width between Mellesdla and Lyserort, and are separated from 

 the Letts in the interior by a tract of morasses. They exhibit 

 great national pride, deny their affinity with the Esthonians, are 

 ignorant of the term Livonian, and call themselves "randalist," 

 inhabitants of coast-lands, or " kalamied," fishermen. They are 

 hardy sailors and skilful pilots. Several families occupy one 

 long hut in common, and their villages resemble those of the 

 Esthonians. They are u-ually fair-skinned, with chestnut or 

 dark-brown hair ; the beard, which is generally very abundant 

 in middle life is seldom seen in young men before the age of 

 twenty-five. Prof. Waldhauer has seen no instance of a red 

 beard am.ng them. 



The Chilian Government has just published in English, 

 Spanish, and French, a "Synopsis Statistical and Geographical 

 or Chili," treating of the condition of the country from January, 

 1S78, to September, 1S79. Among other useful matter it con- 

 tains a short historical sketch, besides notes on its geographical 

 position and physical aspect, its industrial zones, geological 

 constitution, ethnography, and medical geography. 



In the new number of the Belgian Geographical Society's 

 Bulletin, M. A. J. Wauters opportunely furnishes an article on 

 Karema, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, where M. 

 Cambier has just commenced the establishment of the first 

 Belgian "Station hospitaliere et scientifiqne " in East Central 

 Africa. 



The Cape Argus publishes the results of the recent attempt to 

 relieve the Trek Boers from the West Coast. After Mr. Pal- 

 grave returned to Capetown with the information that they had 

 temporarily settled in what is called the Kaoko Veldt, Mr. 

 Ilaybittle, by dint of hard travelling and the assistance of 

 traders whom he met, succeeded in reaching the Boers in 

 twenty-one days from Walfisch Bay. Pie describes the spot 

 where he found them as a long limestone ridge about a day's 

 journey from end to end, and about two days' journey south of 

 the River Cunene, the nearest point on the coast being Point 

 Rock, a distance of thirteen days' journey. In this ridge there 

 are a number of depressions, in some of which springs are 

 found, whence arises the name of Six Fountains. The country 

 is almost devoid of population. 



The original paper in last Heft of the fourteenth volume of 

 the Berlin Geographical Society's Zeitschrift is on the region 

 around Koseer on the Red Sea, by Dr. Klunzinger. This 

 number contains the usual annual bibliographical list of publica- 

 tions in all departments of geography, the most exhaustive and 

 carefully arranged list of the kind to be found anywhere. In the 

 Verhandlungen for November and January are important papers 

 on the Marquesas Islands, by Baron von Schleinitz; on the 

 Cordillera Passes, by Baron von Theilmann ; on a journey on the 

 Ural in the summer of 1879, by Dr. Arzuni; on agriculture in 

 Japan, and on the geological survey of that country, by Dr. E. 

 Naumann ; and on the question whether the Andes are sinking, 

 by Herr W. Reiss. Herr Reiss, after a careful review of what 

 we know as to the condition of the coasts of Central and Sonth 

 America, where, while in one or two places a sinking seems 

 apparent, a general rising is mostly proved, comes to the con- 

 clu ion that the South American Continent, including the Andes, 

 is increasing and not diminishing in elevation. 



The well-known traveller, Herr Ernst von Ilesse-Wartegg, 

 who has been staying in London for some time, delivered an 

 interesting lecture on Thursday last, to the members of the 

 German Athenaeum, in Mortimer Street. The subject of the lec- 

 ture was the social life of the Prairie Indians of North America, 



and was illustrated by numerous photographs and ethnological 

 objects. 



The German Palestine Society has recently published part 3 

 of the second volume of its Proceedings. It contains a treatise 

 on the Sulphur of the Jordan Valley, by Dr. Fraas (Stuttgart) ; 

 a communication respecting the discovery of some valuable 

 coins near Jerusalem, by Dr. Erman (Berlin) ; Notes on a 

 Journey to Moab in 1872, by Rev. Klein (Kaiserslautern) ; an 

 alphabetical list of all the localities in the Pachalik of Jerusa- 

 lem, by Dr. Socin (Tubingen) ; an article on the ruins of 

 Askalon, by Lie. Guthe (Leipzig), and various financial and 

 administrative reports. The Society's last general meeting was 

 held at Treves in September last. The efforts of the Society 

 are now directed towards establishing a fund for scientific 

 exploring expeditions to Palestine. 



At the last meeting of the Berlin Anthropological Society the 

 latest news received from Prof. Bastian and Dr. Finsch were 

 communicated by the president. Dr. Bastian stayed at Batavia 

 until October last, and then left that place ; he does not men- 

 tion where he intended to proceed to next, but seems to have 

 started on a prolonged tour, as he has sent all his collections 

 and the scientific results of his investigations to Berlin. Dr. 

 Finsch writes from the Marshall Islands, and says that inter- 

 course with the natives of that group of islands is very difficult 

 and expensive. He has collected over 300 ethnological objects, 

 most of which, however, date from the places he visited 

 before arriving in the Marshall group. 



The German Admiralty intends to publish a work on the 

 scientific voyage round the world, made by the German corvette 

 Gaulle during the years 1874 to 1S76. The work w ill be divided 

 into three parts. Tart I. will contain a short description of the 

 origin of the expedition, its objects and a general account of the 

 voyage. The second part will be devoted to the deep-sea 

 measurements, the meteorological and magnetical observations. 

 Part III. will treat of the marine fauna and flora. The total 

 cost of the work is estimated at 60,000 marks (3,000/.), for 

 which the Admiralty will apply to the Federal Council. 



No. III. for 1879, of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal, contains a valuable resume' of the survey work accom- 

 plished during the Afghan campaign by the surveying officers 

 attached to the various columns. 



At the meeting of the Geographical Society on Monday next 

 an account by Mr. Hore, of the London Missionary Society's 

 station at Ujiji, of his recent exploration of the Lukuga outlet of 

 Lake Tanganyika, will be read, as well as a paper by Dr. Emil 

 Holub, on the Marutse-Mabunda Empire in South Central 

 Africa. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — The Rev. J. C. Saunders, of Downing College, 

 is announced to lecture this term on "Chemistry, Physiology, 

 and Botany," and Messrs. Saunders and Hicks are the examiners 

 in the coming "Special" B.A. examinations in natural science 

 for an ordinary degreee, taking in geology and the other subjects 

 mentioned. 



Natural science scholarships are offered this year at Clare 

 College (60/.), Caius (40/. or 60/.), King's (the Vintner of 90/.), 

 Christ's, Emmanuel, and Sidney Sussex, St. John's (50/. for 

 three years), Trinity and Downing (40/. to 70/.) In most 

 colleges preference will be given to students under twenty by 

 calling them Minor Scholars ; exhibitioners, in general, may be 

 of any age. 



At present botany and vegetable physiology appear to be 

 getting more and more at a discount in Cambridge, notwithstand- 

 ing the able teaching of Dr. Vines. He has had to close his 

 laboratory, the room being otherwise required ; and Pr. Hicks, 

 (Sidney), sustains the burden of teaching botany during the term 

 in both elementary and advanced lectures, in addition to the 

 joint demonstratur>hip in chemistry. Several lectureships in 

 botany are vacant in London. 



An amended series of regulations has been issued and will 

 probably be carried, in regard to the Cambridge Natural 

 Sciences Tripos. Twelve months' notice is to be given of the 

 branches of science in which the practical examination is to be 

 held. The cla-s li<t in the first part of the examination is to be 

 quite distinct from that issued after the second part. In the 



