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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



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SCIENCE GOSSIP 





" The Journal of Coxchology" issues a portrait 

 of the late Charles Ashford, the well-known collector 

 of shells. There is also an obituary notice, with 

 an account of some of his life's work. 



The golden eagle still breeds in Western Mayo, 

 Donegal, Galway and Kerr}- : white-tailed eagles 

 occur in Mayo and co. Kerry, and peregrine 

 falcons breed in most of the same counties. 



The forty-third meeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation for Advancement of Science will be held 

 this year at Brooklyn, N.Y., from August 15th to 

 24th. A varied and attractive list of papers and 

 excursions have been arranged. 



The pearl fishery in the north of Ireland has 

 been fairly successful this season, several varying 

 in value from ^10 to ^"20 having been found, 

 besides many smaller, in the river Strule, which is 

 considered the best water in Ulster for these objects. 



Professor Haffkixe's system of anti-cholera 

 innoculation is, according to the " British Medical 

 Journal,' gaining such favour in Calcutta and other 

 parts of India that the Corporation of Madras have 

 invited the Professor to introduce his system into 

 that city. 



In his exhaustive address to the Museums 

 Association at their Meeting held in Dublin, 

 Professor V. Ball, gave an excellent historical 

 sketch of the various museums of that city, with 

 particulars of their present scope. The museums 

 of Dublin are among the finest in the kingdom. 



The recently issued " Proceedings of the Liverpool 

 Naturalists' Field Club," for the year 1893, contains 

 an address by the president, Mr. G. H. Morton, on 

 " Museums — Past, Present and Future.'' The full 

 particulars of the present Liverpool museums are 

 of value. There is much interest in this address. 



We can hardly blame Miss Brocklehurst for 

 withdrawing her handsome offer to build a museum 

 in the public park at Macclesfield. The plans 

 having been prepared by a leading architect, under 

 advice of well-known scientific experts in museum 

 requirements, were rejected by the local surveyor — 

 hence the withdrawal. 



We learn from " Nature " that the Jackson- 

 Harmsworth Polar Expedition which recently left 

 for the arctic regions will co-operate in observation 

 of the aurora upon the concerted plan which is 

 in use by a large number of observers in various 

 parts of the earth, and by the other expeditions 

 now exploring those high latitudes. 



We have received' the last issue of " The 

 Scientific Roll and Magazine of Systematized 

 Notes," conducted by Alexander Ramsay, It 

 deals with "Climate: Baric Condition," (No. 5). 

 Mr. Ramsay invites authors and others to assist in 

 compiling the " Scientific Roll " by sending to 

 him lists of titles of papers and other works on the 

 subjects treated. 



Professor C. V. Riley has been succeeded in 

 his post of chief entomologist of the department of 

 agriculture at Washington by Mr. Leland O. 

 Howard, who has been for the past fourteen years 

 his confidential assistant. The appointment was 

 made on Dr. Riley's recommendation and not, as so 

 often unfortunately happens in the States, as a 

 piece of political jobbery. 



The admirably produced " Proceedings of the 

 Malacological Society of London " have reached 

 No. 3. These Proceedings are edited by Mr. H. B. 

 Woodward for the Publication Committee of the 

 Society. There are several important papers in 

 No. 3 which are illustrated by four plates. One 

 important paper is by Mr. Edgar A. Smith, upon 

 "Land Shells of Western Australia." 



In the July number of the "Irish Naturalist," 

 Mr. R. Lloyd Praeger commences a review of the 

 Irish Field Clubs. It appears they are unfortunately 

 few in number ; though their increase indicates a 

 spread of the taste for natural science in 

 Ireland. Considering the facilities for the study of 

 nature and its interesting features in that country, 

 this development is quite what might be expected. 



The Geologists' Association of London has 

 issued an elaborate and most useful circular giving 

 full particulars of the "long excursion to the 

 county of Shropshire " extending from July 30th, 

 to August 4th next, the directors being Professor 

 Lapworth, F.R.S., and Mr. W. W. Watts. Tickets 

 and details may be obtained from Mr. Thomas 

 Leighton, Honorary Secretary for Excursions, Lin- 

 disfarne, St. Julian's Road, West Norwood, S.E. 



The scientific results of Mr. W. Martin Conway's 

 expedition to the Karakoram-Himalayas will be 

 published early in October by Mr. T. Fisher Unwin. 

 Among the special articles contributed are : " The 

 Eastern Hindu Kush," by Lieut.-Colonel A. G. 

 Durand, C.B. ; "List of Measured Altitudes," by 

 W. M. Conway; " Notes on Rock Specimens," by 

 Professor T. G. Bonney and Miss C. A. Raisin ; 

 "Plants, " by W. T. Thiselton Dyer, F.R.S., and 

 W. Bottins: Hemsley, F.R.S. ; " Butterflies," by 

 W. F. Kirby; and "Moths," by Dr. A. G^. 

 Butler. 



Photography for the Naturalist. — I was 

 glad to see Mr. Step's article on this subject in 

 Science-Gossip, page 109. His ideas are just those 

 of the Committee of the Belfast Naturalists' Field 

 Club. We have used slides very largely at our six 

 or seven winter meetings for the past ten or twelve 

 years. Over ten years ago I saw a set of 130 

 general biological lantern-slides used by one of 

 our past presidents, Mr. Wm. Gray, M.R.I. A., for 

 one lecture, and almost all of these were done by 

 himself and some five or six of us in the club. He 

 had also hundreds of special local geological slides 

 and Irish antiquarian views. We find these of 

 great service annually, and they are being added to 

 constantly. I have thirty-five to forty fine Si- x 6| 

 negatives of wild birds'-nests, and north of Ireland 

 gulls' breeding-places, etc. These also come in 

 handy and are lent often to other Irish Field Clubs. 

 Lately I have commenced to take views of rock- 

 pools on the coast, and got some most interesting 

 views of Echinus Uvidns at Bundoran, in shallow 

 pools perfectly pitted by them and surrounded by 

 other interesting matter — corallines, sea-weeds, 

 and young Balanus. — R, Welch, 49, Lonsdale Street, 

 Belfast; Jul) yd. 1894. 



