§4 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The next Congress of the French Society for 

 the Advancement of Science will be held at Saint 

 Etienne, from August 5th to 12th next. 



A Bill to repeal the law providing for the 

 payment of a bounty on the heads of English 

 sparrows was defeated in the Michigan Legisla- 

 ture on April 16th. 



The Wart's Travelling Scholars' Fund, of Cam- 

 bridge University, has made a grant of ^300 to 

 Dr. Haddon, for an anthropological expedition to 

 the Torres Straits. 



The death occurred in April of Dr. V. Lemoine, 

 a member of the Council of the Zoological Society 

 of France, who was well-known for his studies of 

 the fossil fauna of Cernay. 



The June number of the " Geographical Journal " 

 gives a valuable physical map of the North Polar 

 regions, by Mr. J. G. Bartholomew ; it includes 

 Dr. Nansen's and all other recent discoveries. 



A general index to the seven volumes of 

 the defunct " Insect Life," 1888-95, has just been 

 published in a limited edition by the Division of 

 Entomology, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington. 



In the " Irish Naturalist " for July, Mr. G. P. 

 Farren records the collecting of Helix arbustorum in 

 the neighbourhood of Multyfarnham, co. West- 

 meath. It has not been obtained from that part of 

 Ireland previously. 



Among other subjects treated at the meeting of 

 the French Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, we observe the disappearance of the 

 freshwater crayfish in France, and its causes ; also 

 their replacement by the American Cambarus. 



At the meeting of the Zoological Society of 

 France, held June 22nd, the Secretary announced 

 that the Society had received the complete 

 collection of the publications of the " Challenger " 

 expedition given by the English Government. 



We have to announce the death of Mr. Daniel 

 Muller, a distinguished entomologist and excellent 

 collector. He was born in Alsace, but settled in 

 Barcelona early in life. He devoted himself chiefly 

 to the study of the Coleoptera of Catalonia, of 

 which he leaves a very fine collection. 



Messrs. Jones and Evans, booksellers, 77, 

 Queen Street, Cheapside, E.C., have sent us their 

 special catalogue of " Choice Books," many of 

 which are also very scarce. We often visit this 

 shop on account of the pleasing editions Mr. 

 Evans somehow has a knack of acquiring. 



"Science" for June 25th has an important 

 article on " The Influence of Environment upon the 

 Biological Processes of the various Members of the 

 Colon Group of Bacilli," by Dr. Adelaide Ward 

 Peckham. It is an account of the results obtained 

 from experiments and researches made by Dr. J. S. 

 Billings and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, who were 

 assisted by a grant from the Bache Fund of the 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



The Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club, 

 which is affiliated with the Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union, has so rapidly increased its membership 

 that the society has had to remove to larger 

 premises, at 72, Prospect Street, Hull. The club 

 will hold an exhibition early next winter. The 

 Hon. Sees, are Messrs. F. W. Fierke and T. 

 Sheppard. 



The Commission which, under the direction of 

 Professor Koch, was appointed to investigate the 

 origin of the plague bacillus in India, has issued its 

 report. It states that the plague bacillus remains 

 undeveloped in oxygen and has a very brief vitality 

 outside the human body. Only isolated cases of 

 the plague were observed by the Commission among 

 people living out of doors, while among those who 

 remained in houses, the epidemic was rife. The 

 system of innoculation applied by Prof. Haffkine 

 snowed great protective results. 



We understand that a new scientific series, 

 entitled "The Progressive Science Series," will be 

 published during the autumn by Messrs. Bliss, 

 Sands and Co. ; Mr. Beddard, F.R.S., will be 

 the editor. Among the authors and volumes in 

 preparation are: Professor Cope on "Vertebrate 

 Palaeontology"; Dr. Geikie on " Earth Structure"; 

 Dr. St. George Mivart on the " Groundwork of 

 Science " ; and Prof. Bonney on " Volcanoes." The 

 character and scope of these volumes will be 

 " progressive " as opposed to a series whose object 

 was merely historical and expository. 



It will be remembered that we printed in these 

 pages (vol. iii., p. 85) a short account of the pros- 

 pects of the success of the Andree Balloon Expedi- 

 tion to the North Pole. We observe that Herr 

 Andree ascended with his balloon on Sunday 

 afternoon, July nth, at 2.30 o'clock. The balloon, 

 named " The Eagle," travelled in a north-north- 

 easterly direction from its starting-point on Dane's 

 Island, at a speed of about twenty-two miles per 

 hour. The distance from Dane's Island to the 

 North Pole is about 617 miles, and the journey 

 from the Pole to the nearest known land beyond is 

 quite as far. He is accompanied by Drs. Strind- 

 berg and Fraendbel. 



An Antarctic Conference was held in the 

 rooms of the Royal Geographical Society in 

 London, on July 4th. The object was to bring the 

 subject of Antarctic Exploration before the Austra- 

 lasian premiers visiting London in connection 

 with the Jubilee. Among the speakers in favour 

 of the proposal for further exploration in those 

 regions were the Duke of Argyll, Sir Joseph 

 Hooker, Professor Riicker, Lord Lothian, and 

 several of the premiers. The President of the 

 Royal Geographical Society said that Society was 

 prepared to contribute ^5,000 to further the work, 

 if each Australian Colony would do the same. 



Among the many deputations bearing Jubilee 

 congratulations which have been presented to Her 

 Majesty the Queen, was one, on July 15th, from the 

 Royal Society, consisting of Lord Lister, the 

 President ; Sir John Evans, the Treasurer ; Pro- 

 fessor Michael Foster and Professor Riicker, 

 Secretaries ; Professor Rt. Bellamy Clifton, Sir 

 William Huggins and Mr. W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 

 Vice-Presidents'; Sir Joseph Hooker, Lord Kelvin 

 and Sir George Stokes, Bart., Past-Presidents; and 

 Mr. W. F. Harrison, Assistant Secretary. The 

 President, Treasurer and Professor R. Bellamy 

 Clifton had the honour of kissing Her Majesty's 

 hand. 



