324 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Brighton is to have a new museum-building, 

 which is much needed. The Corporation are about 

 to borrow ^"23,000 for this purpose, and a new 

 public library. 



A useful article appears in the January 

 American " Geologist," with bibliography and 

 portrait of the late Professor J. D. Dana, on his 

 life's work from the geologist's point of view. 



Messrs. Taylor Brothers, of Leeds, are 

 issuing a second edition of " The Collector's 

 Manual of British Land and Fresh-water Shells," 

 by Mr. Lionel E. Adams. This is satisfactory. 



A Glasgow correspondent points out that this 

 is the jubilee year of Lord Kelvin as Professor of 

 Natural Philosophy in the university of that city. 

 There are to be demonstrations in celebration next 

 June. 



We learn from " The Official Gazette " of 

 British North Borneo, of August 1st, 1895, recently 

 to hand, that no permit to travel for the collection 

 of orchids in Province Keppel and the District of 

 Kinabalu is to be issued u«ntil further orders. Any 

 person travelling or collecting orchids without a 

 permit is liable to a penalty of 500 dollars, or to 

 imprisonment under Proclamation vii. of 1890. 



The Croydon and Norwood Branch of the 

 Selborne Society is showing considerable activity. 

 There have been a winter series of fortnightly 

 lectures on various subjects, and there will be 

 excursions once a month to various places of 

 celebrity among naturalists. Mr. E. A. Martin, 

 69, Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, is the 

 Hon. Secretary. 



Messrs. Bailliere, Tindall and Cox are about 

 to issue Part 2, with eight coloured plates, at 

 £2 8s. net, of "Researches on Mimicry: on the 

 basis of a natural classification of the Papilionidse," 

 by Dr. E. Haase, who is the Director of the 

 Royal Siamese Museum, Bangkok. This work 

 has been done into English by Dr. C. M. Child, 

 and the edition is limited to 150 copies. 



Naturalists residing in the northern suburbs of 

 London may not all be aware that the district has 

 a society of its own. The North London Natural 

 History Society meets at the North-East London 

 Institute, close to Hackney Downs Station. Mr. 

 Lawrence J. Tremayne, of 51, Buckley Road, 

 Brondesbury, will give any information to those 

 who apply to him, as he is the hon. secretary. 

 The annual subscription is five shillings. 



Professor R. Meldola, F.R.S., read his 

 presidential address before the Entomological 

 Society of London on January 15th. He took for 

 his text the advantage of an association of 

 entomology and chemistry in the study of the 

 former subject. He followed with an exhaustive 

 " comparison between the methods of research 

 in vogue in the two great departments of science of 

 which these two subjects are respectively typical." 

 The address was of exceptional importance and 

 great scientific value. 



Mr. R. Welch, the celebrated photographer 

 of geological views in Ireland, has issued a second 

 supplement to his already lengthy catalogue. The 

 additional list contains many pictures of the 

 highest interest to naturalists generally, as well as 

 to geologists. 



We have received a copy of Mr. Ernest Swinhoe's 

 priced catalogue of exotic butterflies and moths. 

 It contains nearly 3,500 species which are guaran- 

 teed correctly named, as are the localities attached 

 to each specimen. The address is Avenue House, 

 Oxford, England. 



Among the increasing wonders of photography 

 are pictures of moving scenes, where people and 

 animals are shown on a screen by aid of a lantern. 

 One of the most astonishing we have seen is that 

 of a way-side railway station with the arrival of a 

 train and consequent bustle among officials and 

 passengers. 



The application of the new photography is 

 developing rapidly. We have seen some remark- 

 ably good examples depicting internal bony 

 structures of various animals. That it has a great 

 future most people believe, but it is amusing to 

 hear some remarks upon its possibilities. These 

 remind one of the time when it was considered 

 correct to say that " electricity is in its infancy." 



We have received the new or thirteenth edition 

 of Messrs. W. Watson and Sons' illustrated cata- 

 logue of microscopes, objectives and accessory 

 apparatus. It has been much expanded, over a 

 hundred pages having been added. We observe 

 on page 72 that the new parachromatic objectives 

 are as low in price as those of any Continental 

 makers, whilst the apertures are larger. This 

 catalogue will be found most useful to students. 



Some time since, by the courtesy of Mr. Fred. 

 H. Evans, we had the pleasure of inspecting some 

 beautifully executed drawings in colours of British 

 fungi by Mr. Edwin Wheeler, of Clifton, near 

 Bristol. We understand these and others by the same 

 artist, to the number of nearly three thousand, have 

 been presented to the British Museum, and will be 

 added to the Department of Botany, in Cromwell 

 Road. Should a portion of these be publicly 

 exhibited they cannot fail to command universal 

 admiration. 



At the request of several correspondents, Mr. 

 John T. Carrington has prepared a label list of 

 the varieties of the British banded land-shells 

 included in the group Pentataenia. These are 

 Helix pomatia, H. aspersa, H. nemoralis and H. 

 hortetisis. He has added the band formula for 

 the two latter species, with instructions for 

 its use. The list is in the hands of the printers, 

 and will be blank on one side of each page. 

 Copies, price one penny each, may be obtained, 

 when ready, at the office of Science-Gossip, and 

 will be useful also in exchanging these shells. 



Remembering the rough-and-ready way in 

 which electrical conducting wires are fixed up in 

 the United States, it is not surprising com- 

 plaint comes that trees through which wires 

 with high-tension currents are made to pass, 

 soon dwindle and die. This occurs especially 

 after a wet period, for the damp leaves act as 

 conductors through the branches and stem to the 

 earth. One would have thought the waste would 

 have rendered the loss sufficient to have made it 

 worth while to keep the wires clear of tree- 

 branches, so that the insulation would not be 

 fretted off. 



