338 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Mr. W, F. de V. Kane. M.A., F.E.S., reports 

 the capture in County Cork of a moth rare in 

 Europe (Leucania tmipuncta, Haw.). This is the 

 second time it has been taken in Ireland. It is 

 an abundant species in America, where it is known 

 as the army-worm, and one of the worst enemies 

 of the cotton and other crops. 



The new number of the " Journal of the Marine 

 Biological Association of the United Kingdom" 

 contains several articles of importance, including 

 one upon a new British crab, by Mr. Walter 

 Garstang. This is Portmnmis nasutus, Latr., found 

 by the author at Drakes Island. It may be over- 

 looked as an abnormal young shore-crab [Carcinus 

 manas), which it somewhat resembles. 



In his report of February last, just issued by the 

 Director of the Marine Biological Association, Mr. 

 Allen reminds us that though the United States 

 Government allows the Commission of Fish and 

 Fisheries no less than ^'35,000 for annual salaries 

 alone, the total income of the Biological Association 

 of this country hardly reaches ;^2,ooo a year. 



We fear this will be so with the Marine Biological 

 Association until it gets into closer touch with 

 popular opinion in this country. At present, to 

 give a piscatorial proverb, it is rather "caviare to 

 the multitude," or, we should say, to that portion of 

 the multidude who have heard of its existence 



An important paper was read by Mr. A. B. 

 MacDowall before the Royal Meteorological 

 Society in London, on April 21st, upon " Sugges- 

 tions of Sunspot Influence on the Weather of 

 Western Europe." The author believes that there 

 is a tendency to greater heat in the summer half 

 year and to greater cold in the winter half year 

 near the phases of the minimum sunspots than 

 near the phases of maximum ; the contrast between 

 the cold and heat of the year thus tending to be 

 intensified about the time of minimum sunspots. 



The following are the Lecture arrangements 

 after Easter at the Royal Institution : — Dr. Tempest 

 Anderson, four lectures on " Volcanoes " (The 

 Tyndall Lectures) ; Dr. Ernest H. Starling, three 

 lectures on " The Heart and its Work " ; the Rev. 

 Canon Ainger, four lectures on " Some Leaders in 

 the Poetic Revival of 1 760-1 820 — Cowper, Burns, 

 Wordsworth, Scott " ; Professor Dewar, three 

 lectures on " Liquid Air as an Agent of Research " ; 

 the Rev. J. P. Mahaffy, three lectures on " The 

 Greek Theatre according to Recent Discoveries " ; 

 Mr. J. A. Fuller Maitland, four lectures on "Music 

 in England during the Reign of Queen Victoria " 

 (with musical illustrations). The Friday evening 

 meetings will be resumed on April 30th, when a 

 discourse will be given by Professor J. J. Thomson, 

 on "Cathode Rays "; succeeding discourses will 

 probably be given by "Anthony Hope," Professor 

 Harold Dixon, The Right Hon. Lord Kelvin, 

 Professor H. Moissan, Mr. W. H. Preece, Mr. 

 William Crookes, and other gentlemen. 



Geheimrath Wilhelm Dollen, formerly of 

 the Russian observatories of Dorpat and Pulkowa, 

 has passed away. 



Kites are being used at Blue Hill Observatory, 

 Massachusetts, for obtaining meteorological records 

 in the upper air. These kites have been flown at 

 an altitude of 8,740 feet above Blue Hill. They 

 are controlled by a steam winch and fine wire 

 cords. Several hundred successful " flights " have 

 been obtained, with much valuable data from 

 automatic instruments for taking the necessary 

 observations in humidity, changes of temperature, 

 and wind strength. 



America has lost one of its leading biologists in 

 Professor Edward Drinker Cope, who died on 

 April 1 2th last, aged 59. Few men of science have 

 left behind a more vivid impression of their 

 usefulness than has Professor Cope. He was a 

 man of wide experience as a palaeontologist and 

 authority on living vertebrata. As an original 

 thinker he was independent and bold, but always 

 commanded the respect of both disciples and 

 opponents. 



Why is the herbarium at the Folkestone Free 

 Museum practically inaccessible to the visitors ? 

 We recently desired to compare a specimen for 

 identification, but were informed we could not do 

 so without applying for permission to the Hon. 

 Curator of the department elsewhere. Keys of all 

 the other collections are left with the attending 

 curator of the museum. Is it that the Hon. Curator 

 of Botany is ashamed of the contents of the 

 herbarium, or are the plants too valuable for the 

 public gaze ? 



The Second Annual Congress of the South- 

 Eastern Union of Scientific Societies will be held 

 at Tunbridge Wells on Friday and Saturday, May 

 2ist and 22nd, under the Presidency of the Rev. 

 T. R. R. Stebbing, M.A., F.R.S. The Union now 

 comprises some thirty societies. On May 21st 

 the general meeting will be held at 3 p.m., and 

 a conversazione at 8 p.m. On Saturday 22nd, 

 business will be continued from 9.30 to 1.30, and at 

 3 p.m. there are to be excursions and a garden party. 



We have been favoured with an advance copy 

 of " Wild-Bird Protection and Nesting-Boxes," 

 by Mr. John R. B. Masefield, M.A,, a prettily 

 produced little book devoted to the encouragement 

 of the preservation of wild birds. It is illustrated 

 with some reproduced drawings and photographs. 

 The author is enthusiastic on his subject, and has 

 added much upon the growth of the protective 

 laws for birds and a list of County Council orders 

 for their application. It is published by Taylor 

 Bros, of Leeds, and costs five shillings. 



There is not any greater incentive for encourage- 

 ment to the student-collector of any branch of 

 natural history than a well-arranged and clearly- 

 printed label-list for the specimens kept for 

 reference. This has been provided by Mr. H. N. 

 Dixon, M.A., F.L.S., for the British mosses, as a 

 companion to the handbook of those plants which 

 we favourably noticed {ante p. 104) in September 

 last. The list is in two forms, one pamphlet- 

 shaped for exchanging and the other in slip form 

 for cutting up for labels. They are published by 

 Mr. V. T. Sumfield, of Eastbourne, and Messrs. 

 Wheldon and Co., 58, Great Queen Street, London ; 

 price sixpence each. Micro-botanists will find 

 them most useful. Accompanying these is an 

 alphabetical list of the Genera of British Mosses. 



