618 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 21. 



receiving government concessions, in spite of the 

 adverse report made by the Academy of sciences last 

 year. 



— The Entomological society of London, the sec- 

 ond of its name, held its fiftieth anniversary last 

 month; and, in his presidential address upon the 

 occasion, Mr. J. W. Dunning suggested that Pro-, 

 fessor Westwood of Oxford he made titular life- 

 president of the society. " An original member, 

 he has never failed us. During the crucial period 

 of our childhood, he was the motive power, the life 

 and soul, of the society. For fourteen consecutive 

 years he was secretary, and for part of that time he 

 was curator also. The council has seldom been 

 complete without him, and during six years he 

 was our president. Whilst he resided in or near 

 London, he rarely missed one of our meetings. Even 

 Oxford cannot keep him away from us ; and there is 

 not a single year, from first to last, that he has not 

 been a contributor to our transactions." This pro- 

 posal was carried by acclamation. 



— The unusual competition for the last 'Walker 

 prize ' of the Boston society of natural history induces 

 the society to offer the same subject for next year's 

 competition; viz., 'Original unpublished investiga- 

 tions on the life-history of any animal or plant.' 

 While the partial treatment of the subject is per- 

 mitted, preference will be given, other things being 

 equal, to memoirs which embrace the whole life-his- 

 tory of an animal or plant from the early embryo- 

 logical stages to the adult form. 



The society also offers, through the generosity of a 

 member, for next year, a special first prize of from 

 $60 to $100, and a second prize of $50, on the follow- 

 subject: "A study of the venation of the hind- wings 

 of Coleoptera, with illustrations of all the families of 

 Le Conte's and Horn's classification." Essays in 

 competition for both prizes must be sent to the secre- 

 tary of the society before April 1. 



— Over four hundred members of the British asso- 

 ciation have already pledged themselves to attend 

 the meeting at Montreal in August, 1884. It is be- 

 lieved that all the permanent officers of the organiza- 

 tion will be present. 



— We learn that a series of fifteen original letters 

 of Alexander von Humboldt to his intimate friend 

 Wegener, bearing the dates 1788-90, is for sale in 

 Germany. They have been made use of for the biog- 

 raphy of Humboldt by Bruhns ; and extracts have 

 been more than once published, — most recently, in 

 the Berlin journal Gegenwart, nos. 30 and 32, of 1882, 

 — but they have never appeared in full. Any insti- 

 tution or private person desiring to acquire them 

 should apply to Dr. Q. A. Saalfeld, Hobsminden, 

 Germany. 



— In the weekly summary 1 1075, line 20, instead 

 of ' acid,' read ' pentaclilor- and hexachlor-com- 

 pounds.' 



In the 'Weather in March,' p. 388, for 'Falls- 

 town, Ind.,' read 'Fallstown, Md.' 



RECENT BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS. 



American apiculturist, The. Ajoui-nal devoted to seientifio 

 and practical bee-keeping. Edited by S. M. Loclve. Vol. i., 

 nos. 1-2. Salem, Mass., Locke, May-June, 1833. 48 p. 8°. 



Anderson, J. Scotland in pagan times : the iron age. 

 The Rhind lectures in archaeology for 1881. Edinburgh, Doug 

 las, 1883. 332 p. 8°. 



Basset, J. Anthony. Latitude and longitude, and longitude 

 and titue, embracing a comprehensive discussion, with over one 

 hundred illustrative questions and problems. Syracuse, N.Y., 

 Sardeen, 1883. 60 p. 16°. 



Blackburn, T. True and false issues between Christianity 

 and science. London, Skeffinglon, 1883. 12°. 



Box, T. A practical treatise on the strength of materials, in- 

 cluding their elasticity and resistance to impact. London, Spons, 

 1883. 530 p. 8°. 



Briart( Alphonse. Principes elementaires de paldontologie. 

 Avec 227 hgures. Mons, Baudry. 12°. 



Buck, J. H. W. A graphic table for facilitating the com- 

 putation of the weights of wrought iron and steel girders, etc., for 

 Parliament and other estimates. London, ZocAfoood, 1883. Large 

 sheet. 



Cotterill (I^ishop of Edinburgh). Does science aid faith in 

 regard to creation. London, Hodder, 1883. 226 p. 8°. 



Dessoliera, H. De Phabitation dans les pays chauds. Con- 

 tribution a I'art de I'acclimatation. (Alger) J. Baudry* 

 illustr. 8°. 



Dresler, E. F. Flora von Lowenberg in Schleswig; nach 

 dem natiirlichen system bearbeitet. Lowenberg, Kofiler, 1883. 

 162 p. 12°. 



Eclectic complete geography. The. Cine, and N.Y., Van 

 Antwerp, Bragg, cfc Co., 1883. (New two-book series.) 114 p., 

 illustr. 4°. 



Haeckel, Ernst. A visit to Ceylon. Translated by Clara 

 Bell. Boston, Cassino, 1883. 8-F337 p. 16°. 



Hoffnian, Carl. Botanischer l)ilder-atlas nacb De Can- 

 dolle's natiiriichera pflanzensystem. 1 lief. Stuttgart, Thiene- 

 mann, 1883. 84-6 p., 6 colored lith. 4°. 



Klein, E. Elements of histology. London, Cassell, 1883. 

 364 p., 181 illustr. 12°. 



MayTiard, C. J. Manual of taxidermy; a complete guide in 

 collecting and preserving birds and mammals. Boston, Vassino, 

 1883. 16-1-111 p., illustr. 16°. 



Mohnike, O. Blicke auf das pflanzen- und thierleben in den 

 niederlandischen Malaienliindern. Miinster, Asckendorff, 1883. 

 44-694 p., illustr. 8°. 



Philanthropist {pseudon). Physiological cruelty; or, 

 fact and fancy. An inquiry into the vivisection question. Lon- 

 don, Finsley, 1883. 8°. 



Reis, P. Die periodiscbe wiederkehr von wassernotb und 

 wasserraangel im zusamracnhang mit den sonnenflecken, deu 

 Dordlichtern und dem erdmagnetismus. Leipzig, Quandt t& 

 Bandet, 1883. 8-1-124 p., illustr. 8°. 



Renaele, A. Untersucbungen uber die versteinerungsfiih- 

 renden diluvialgesehiebe des norddeutschen flacblandes mit 

 besonderer beriicksichtigung der Mark Brandenburg. 1 lief. 

 Berlin, Springer, 1883. 152 p., illustr. 4°. 



Roche, T. C. How to make photographs: a manual for 

 amateurs. Edited by H. T. Anthonv. "New York, Anthony, 

 1883. 91 p. 12°. 



Sherrerd, J. M. Iron analysis record; with a complete 

 table of atomic weights, their elements and symbols, with the old 

 and new system. Troy, Young, 1883 12°. 



Souchon, Abel. Trait6 d'asti-onoroie pratique, coraprepant 

 I'e.xposition du calcul des eph^ra^rides astronomiques et nau- 

 tiques. (JatUhier- Vittars. 8°' 



Step, Edsvard. Plant-life: popular papers on the phenomena 

 of botany. N.Y. ,//««, 1883. 12-*-218 p., illustr. 16°. 



Taber, G. L. The iisherics of the Adriatic, and the fish there- 

 of. London, Quaritch, 1883. illustr. 8°. , 



Tayler, I. The alphabet : an account of the origin and de- 

 velopment of letters. 2 vols. London, Paiii, 1883. 752 p. 8°. 



Thiersch, H. \V. J., und Thiersch, A. Die physiog. 

 noraie des mondes. Versuch eine deutuiig derselben im an- 

 schluBS an die arbeiten von Miidler, Nasrayth und Carpenter. 

 Augsburg, ft-eyss, 1883. 44-43 p., 4 lith. 4°. 



