Septkmbek 14, 1SS3.] 



SCIENCE. 



385 



paper on p. 250. It should have been stated as fol- 

 lows: Imperial yard + 3.37027 inches == metre des 

 arcliioes. 



— Matthew Arnold's ingenious argument for the 

 survival of literature, from its relation to conduct, 

 encounters an objection in the apparent effect of sci- 

 entific pursuits ujion the character of his country- 

 men. When one affirmed of Clerk ifaxwell, that 

 "he was free from every taint of the world, the flesh, 

 and the devil," it seemed no exaggeration to those 

 who knew him. Darwin, lialfour, Sir Uowan Hamil- 

 ton, and H. J. S. Smith, each in his turn was scarce- 

 ly less endeared by his genial virtues than admired 

 for his lofty powers. None of these was so largely 

 identified with the world, its business temptations, 

 its social allurements, as William Spottiswoode, the 

 late president of the Koyal Society; and none left the 

 memory of a purer life, a heart more " full of exer- 

 cised humanity." 



In his funeral sermon, referring to the text, " The 

 world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he 

 that doeth the will of the Lord abideth forever," the 

 Dean of Westminster Abbey said, "Apart from gen- 

 eral considerations of life ami death, the words have 

 special reference to that last one of our own time ac- 

 counted worthy to rest with the illustrious dead within 

 these walls. ... To his great talents and his pro- 

 found knowledge were united such graces of charac- 

 ter as the most modest unselfishness and the most 

 spotless integrity. He was ever anxious, earnestly 

 and justly, to place before his fellow-men such knowl- 

 edge as would conduce to their welfare; and so well 

 did he do this work among his countrymen, that it 

 might be doubted whether his philanthropy did not 

 predominate over his love of science." 



— JI. Pasteur has proved that the burial of diseased 

 animals does not destroy the germs of disease, or 

 obviate the chance of infection to any animals who 

 may afterwards feed on the ground above where the 

 body of the diseased animal was buried. M. Aime 

 Girard proposes to destroy the germs in the dead 

 bodies of diseased animals by treating the carcasses 

 with cold concentrated sulphuric acid. The destruc- 

 tion of the germs is proved to be complete. Experi- 

 ments made at St. Gobain show that three hundred 

 and twenty-one kilograms at 00° proof, dissolved in 

 ten days nine sheep, weighing two hundred and 

 four kilograms. The resulting liquid, mixed with four 

 hundred and forty kilograms of coproliles from Ar- 

 dennes, produced nine hundred and forty kilograms 

 of superphosphate of lime, containing thirty-six per 

 cent of nitrogen. Thus, by a simple process, most 

 dangerous bodies are destroyed, and a valuable fer- 

 tilizer obtained. 



— Nature announces that the Lords of the com- 

 mittee of council on education, of England, have, 

 by a recent hiinute, decided to withdraw the prizes 

 hitherto given to candidates in the science examina- 

 tions who obtain a first class in the elementary stage 

 of the various suV)jects of science, substituting cer- 

 tificates of merit, and retaining only the prizes given 

 in the advanced stage. The money hitherto devoted 

 to prizes will be employed in providing thirty-six 



national scholarships, — twelve each year, — which 

 will be offered in competition to students of the in- 

 dustrial classes, and awarded at the annual examina- 

 tions of the department. The National scholarship 

 will be tenable, at the option of the holder, either at 

 the Normal school of science. South Kensington, or 

 at the Koyal college of science, Dublin, during the 

 course for the associateship, — about three years. 

 The scholar will receive thirty shillings a week during 

 the session of nearly nine months in the year, second- 

 class railway fare to and from London or Dublin, and 

 free a<lmission to the lectures and laboratories. This 

 is a most important step in advance. 



— The Rev. Father Emile Fortune Stanislas Joseph 

 Pelitot, well known for his valuable contributions to 

 American linguistics and his extended journeys over 

 the Hudson Bay territory, has received a medal from 

 the Royal geograpliical society. He is the first French- 

 man thus honored since Francis Gamier. He has 

 now retired from mission-work, and will devote him- 

 self to study for some years. 



— The Delaland-Guerineau prize has for the second 

 time been bestowed by the French academy upon 

 M. Savorgnan de Brazza, of Congo notoriety. The 

 military medal for 'exceptional services' has been 

 given to the sergeant Malamine, a native of Senegal, 

 for his defence of Brazzaville against all comers dup- 

 ing the absence of his superior. 



— The last number of the bulletin of Nuttal club 

 contains part of Burrows' list of birds from the 

 lower Uruguay, which is sufficiently full to be of 

 value. The critical list of birds in vicinity of Col- 

 orado Springs is of great interest. Mr. Allen's val- 

 uable list of minor ornithological publications should 

 also be mentioned. 



— Mr. E. H. Miller states, in the American agricul- 

 turist, that wherever the ornamental shrub commonly 

 called Deutzia scabra grows near grape-vines, the 

 rose-bugs prefer the flowers of the Deutzia, and thus 

 the grapes are protected. Grape-growers may there- 

 fore cultivate a charming shrub with a double pur- 

 pose. 



— Rev. W. W. Meech recommends, in the American 

 avricuttnrist, judicious salting to prevent the blight 

 which troubles quinces, and burning affected part-s 

 to overcome the ravages of the fungus Koestelia au- 

 rantiaca. 



— The sixth annual report on the birds of Ger- 

 many in the Journal fur oniithologie contains many 

 interesting notes on migrations and breeding-dates. 



— At a lecture recently given at Mauch Chunk, 

 Ponn., by Mr. Charles A. Ashburner, geologist in 

 charge of the anthracite surveys in that state, the 

 lecturer made some general statements in regard to 

 the amount of coal which has been mi^ed, and which 

 still remains in the region, which we copy from the 

 Mininr/ herald of Shenandoah. "The total amount 

 of coal produced from the anthracite fields up to Jan. 

 1, 18S3, was ."iOll.I^!,*!."} tons. It is bard to realize 

 this amount. To place it in a popular form, it w.as 

 stated that it would form a solid compact wall of coal 

 (25 cubic feet= 2,240 pounds = 1 ton) 100 feet wide 

 and 100 feet high for a distance of 241 miles, or it 



