Septemher 7, 1.S8;>.1 



SCIENCE. 



U\ 



ami the Sahara, have thi- same origin and mechanical 

 action as the lornailoe* of tlie United States and all 

 water-spouts. They are vertical spiral movements, 

 moving horizonlally and nearly in a straight line. 



— The operations of France in the region of Annam 

 have naturally e.xciled great interest in the geography 

 and ethnography, statistics and commerce, of Ann.am. 

 A crowd of puhlieations of all sorts are constantly 

 appearing. References of the briefest sort to some 

 of the more notable may be of interest to those who 

 Ignore the politic.-il side of the question. J. Gaultier 

 publishes for Mallard-Cressin a chart of the region 

 on the scale of 1 : S.iO.OOo. This is stated to be on the 

 largest scale of any of the maps of this region, and iis 

 perfect as the state of knowledge will admit. .\n- 

 olher map by Ilenii Mager, though smaller, is very 

 carefully executed, and includes a plan of the fortress 

 of Hanoi. The oriental studies of the author have 

 enabled him to unify and correct the nomenclature 

 in a satisfactory maiiuor. Itomaiiet du Caillaud has 

 published a long memoir on the protectorate of France 

 over Annam, and the relations between the latter state 

 and China, in tlie quarterly bulletin of the Soci(5t(S de 

 gdographio. 



— The enterprise of Johns Hopkins university is 

 shown by the publication of one of its circulars in mid- 

 summer, tilled with scientific notes in mathematics, 

 jihysics, biology, and philology. They are all abstracts 

 of papers read l)efore the different active associations 

 in the university, and in most cases will probably be 

 published in full elsewhere. The circular also re- 

 prints, from the Uoyal society's proceedings, the ab- 

 stract of Dr. Martin's Croonian lecture; and, from the 

 London Timeit, an account of the eclipse observations 

 of May (i, to which Dr. Hastings appends a brief note, 

 pointing out one mistake made by the writer. A list 

 of mathematical models belonging to the university, 

 and of works in the Assyrian and other oriental lan- 

 guages found in the I'eabody institute, are also given. 



— The following appointments to fellowships in 

 science in .Johns Ilopkins university are publisiied : 

 In malheniatics, G. Hissing and K. \V. Davis of l!al- 

 tlinore, and A. L.Daniels of Kendallville, Iinl. ; in 

 jihysics, Gustav A. Liebig, jun., of Baltimore, ami 

 Charles A. Perkins of Ware, Mass.; In chemistry. D 

 T. Day of Baltimore, .J. K. Duggan of Maepn, Ga., 

 and E. II. JO-iser of Allentown. Penn. ; in biology, 

 W. H. Howell and L. T. Stevens of Baltimore. 



— Miiller's record of the literature of pollination 

 anil dissemination for 1880-81 has recently appeared 

 in .lust's J ahreitbiTichI , containing abstracts of one 

 Iinndreil and forty-nlni! papers, with many useful 

 items, both critical and su|iplementary, by the able 

 reviewer. Though these records are very useful 

 when they reach us, their value would be much 

 increased if it wi're possible to present lln-m to the 

 public more promptly afti-r their preparation. As 

 it is, they are usually two or three years in appearing. 



— Nature states that the Diiteb government have 

 decided not to grant the sum of thirty thousand 

 guilders, which Baron Xordenskiold claims as the 

 discoverer of the north-east pa.s3age. The decision is 

 founded on the motive which led the States-general, 



in 1.506, to offer this award ; viz., to find a passage 

 of cfimFneroia/ value to the nation. Baron Nordeu- 

 skiiild having, however, discovered wliat may be 

 termed a purely scienti^tic one, the award, it is argued, 

 has not been earned. .\s several reasons have been 

 advanced for this claim made by the gallant Swedish 

 explorer, we do not think we err, says Xature, when 

 we assert that it was bis intention to have e.xpendeil 

 the sum in the interest of science; viz., on an ex- 

 pedition to the arctic regions. 



— George Mantoux has just edited a volume con- 

 taining the letters and journals of La Pdrouse, on 

 his celebrated and unfortunate voyage around the 

 world; preceded by a memoir of that officer, who was 

 last heard from at Botany Bay, and, with his entire 

 party, was wrecked on one of the South .Sea Lslauds, 

 where the survivors were munlered by the natives. 

 It forms one of the BHiUnthrque d'acetUures el de 

 tvii/it'jex issued by Dreyfous of Paris. 



— .\ Yokohama paper states that .Mr. John Milne, 

 whose researches on earthquakes, .as explained by 

 him to the British association at Southampton, have 

 excited great interest in scientific circles, and who 

 has since returned to his duties in Japan, has applied 

 to the Japanese authorities to establish an observa- 

 tory, in order that he may be able to thoroughly 

 investigate underground phenomena. He has sent 

 the authorities a long treatise upon the eartli((uakes 

 of Japan. 



— The London daily newx says that the Darwin 

 memorial fund has risen to .i"3,:Ji)0. Among the most 

 interesting of the sums that the treasurer has re- 

 ceived is a cheque for .t!U.4, collected in Finland. 



— The next number of the .lournal of the Cincin- 

 nati society of natural history will contain an illu.s- 

 trated paper by Professor Mickleborough, upon a 

 specimen found by Mr. D. A. McCord of Oxford, O., 

 which has been creating much interest among the 

 jialeontologists of Cincinnati and vicinity. It is a 

 small slab of limestone showing on one side the shell 

 of an Asaphus, and on the other the legs of the animal. 

 Fortunately, the rock was split in such a way as to 

 show both the legs and their cast. The characters of 

 the ambulatory appendages of the triloblte are finely 

 shown, and confirm in a remarkable manner the dis- 

 coveries of Ml'. Walcolt, who several years since 

 established beyond a doubt the existence of legs in 

 specimens of Calymene. 



— The bodies of Professor Palmer, and his com- 

 panions Capt Gill and Lieut. Carrington, assassi- 

 nated by the Bedouin, have been discovered by Capl. 

 Warren, and transported to Ku'.;land, where it is 

 anticipated they will find a resting-place in St. Paul's 

 cathedral. 



— Mr. Charles Depe'rais read a paper before V Inxti- 

 lut(^ royal d' encotirariement de .Vn/ijcx, Ajiril ."», in 

 which he advocated the embalming of liodies by 

 boiling them in a solution of chloride of calcium, 

 ami then in a solution of sulphate of soda. 



— The government of Ontario has published for 

 the Entomological society of that province a general 

 index to the thirteen annual reports up<m injurious 

 insects which the society has made to the commis- 



