Jan. 13, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



45 



and osteology of this species, in comparison with the 

 corresponding characters of other species of the group. 

 The secretary stated that four species of Otaria had been 

 received in the Gardens, but that the largest of the group, 

 Otaria stelleri, was still a desideratum. Mr. G. A. Bou- 

 lenger read the description of a new genus of lizards of 

 the family Teiidse, founded on a specimen presented to 

 the British Museum by Mr. H. N. Ridley, who had ob- 

 tained it in the forest of Iguarassee. Pernambuco. The 

 author proposed to name this lizard Stenolepis ridkvi. 

 A communication from the Rev. H. S. Gorham, entitled 

 a "Revision of the Japanese Species of Endomychidse," 

 was read. In this paper three new genera and thirteen 

 new species were characterised and described. Addi- 

 tional observations were made upon the species pre- 

 viously known to inhabit Japan. The new species were 

 obtained by Mr. George Lewis on his last journey to the 

 islands in 1880-81. Mr. G. A. Boulenger gave an account 

 of the fishes of the Persian Gulf, obtained by Surg. -Major 

 A. S. G. Jayakar at Muscat, east coast of Arabia, and 

 which had been presented by him to the British Museum. 

 The collection contained specimens of 172 species, many 

 of which were unrepresented in the national collection, 

 and fifteen of which were apparently new to science. 

 Mr. H. Druce read a paper containing descriptions of some 

 new species of Lepidoptcra Hcterocera from Tropical 

 Africa. 



BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE. 

 A LECTURE on " Invisible Stars " was delivered on Mondaj' 

 evening, December isth, by Sir Robert S. Ball, Astro- 

 nomer Royal for Ireland. He remarked that, although 

 the title of his lecture might seem a little paradoxical, it 

 was a fact that the normal condition of the stars was 

 properly represented by the term invisible, for it was 

 only for a comparatively srnall portion of their existence 

 that they were visible. There were multitudes of stars 

 which were now in the invisible stage of their existence. 

 How did we know of these ? Sometimes by their 

 obscuring the brighter stars, the star Algol — known as 

 the demon star — for instance, being periodically eclipsed 

 by a body moving round it. Evidence of the existence 

 of other invisible stars was afforded by the perturbations 

 which their presence caused in what would otherwise 

 be the regular motions of visible bodies. There were 

 multitudes of other invisible stars which had been 

 discovered by means of photography. There were 

 waves of light which came either too quickly or too slowly 

 to aifect our sense of light. The former, however, 

 bad a marvellous effect on the sensitised photographic 

 plate. 



A general photographic survey had been arranged 

 among astronomers, and it- was hoped that in a few years 

 it would have covered the whole surface of the heavens. 

 The first object was to complete the inventory work — the 

 mapping out of the heavens — which the astronomer re- 

 garded as so important. But there was a very grand result 

 to be expected from this investigation. It was known that 

 our sun and all its planets were moving on a mighty 

 voyage together through space. Just as the mariner, by 

 observing the bearings of the different lights on shore, and 

 by watching them change their apparent positions and 

 open out in front of him, could ascertain his position and 

 shape his course into harbour, so, by the aid of photo- 

 graphy, we could see the groups of stars towards which 

 we were approaching open out, and could judge of the 

 direction and the speed of our mighty celestial voyage. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 At the meeting held on December 7, 1887, Dr. David 

 Sharp, President, in the chair, Mr. Waterhouse exhibited a 

 series of diagrams of the wings of insects, and read "Notes 

 of observations on the homologies of the veins" — a subject 

 to which he had given especial attention for some time 

 past. Mr. Gervase F. Mathew, R.N., communicated a 

 paper entitled " Life-histories of Rhopalocera from the 

 Australian Region" The paper was accompanied by 

 elaborate coloured drawings of the perfect insects, their 

 larvae and pupae. Mr. Frederic Merrifield read a " Report 

 of Progress in Pedigree Moth-breeding, with observations 

 on incidental points." He also exhibited a large number 

 of specimens of Seknia illustraria, showing the results of 

 the experiments he had been making. 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



Warwick. — The Speaker, in distributing the School Board 

 prizes, remarked on the recent progress of education. At 

 the same time he did not consider that our position as 

 regards technical education was satisfactory, if compared with 

 that of Continental nations. 



Civil and Mechanical Engi.\'eers Society. — In his 

 opening address, the President, Mr. R. E. Middleton, re- 

 marked that students of engineering now had much better 

 opportunities of learning the science and technique of their 

 profession than formerly. Instead of there being only one 

 engineering school, there are now in England ten principal 

 engineering laboratories, while in London alone there are six 

 well-known schools. 



Pforzheim. — The methods of production of jewellery 

 work at. Pforzheim, in Baden, areivery similar to those in the 

 United States, except that the German has the advantage of 

 being provided with a very excellent technical school, or 

 Gewerbe schule, in which children intended for employment in 

 the jewellery shops receive a thorough theoretical training long 

 before they see the inside of a factory. Instruction here is 

 practically free, the manufacturers paying about 8s. a year 

 for the pupils whom they intend to employ. 



Burnley.— Sir James Fergusson, M.P. (Chairman of the 

 Factory Commission), in distributing the prizes to the suc- 

 cessful students at the Mechanics' Institute, said, something 

 more was required than the instruction given at present in 

 our schools to furnish the means for those engaged in indus- 

 trial employment to improve their position. Commercial and 

 industrial education should be systematised, and that was 

 now recognised as an incumbent duty upon the Legislature. 

 Whereas foreign nations, and especially Germany, were doing 

 so much to instruct their people thoroughly in technical, com- 

 mercial, and industrial education, we had as yet done almost 

 nothing, and had left private organisation and enterpris- 

 ing individuals to provide for that which the State had left 

 undone. 



Mechanical Drawing in Horology. — An important out- 

 come of technical classes for watchmaking is the attention 

 now devoted to mechanical drawing, an art formerly all but 

 unknown to the rank and file of watchmakers. Yet, owing 

 to the very minute size of the actual parts, it is impossible 

 for the young craftsman to gain a knowledge of the prin- 

 ciples on which watches are constructed so readily as by 

 setting out escapements and other parts to an enlarged scale 

 on paper. Most of the drawings shown at the exhibition at 

 the People's Palace possessed some features of excellence, 

 and one or two of the executants exhibited special ability in 

 this direction. The plans and elevations were particularly 

 neat and useful. — Horological Jotirnal. 



Cambridge. — The Non-Collegiate Students' Board an- 

 nounce that an exhibition of £^'^1 los. a year, granted by the 

 Worshipful Company of Clothworkers for the encouragement 



