SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



The United States '/.Government allows the 

 National Fish Commission annually £70,000. A 

 large proportion of this sum is spent in scientific 

 investigation of life histories of marine and fresh- 

 water animals. 



At the congress at Stockholm recently, Professor 

 Virchow lectured on " Ancient Patagonian Skulls," 

 imputing their similarity to the skull of the gorilla, 

 not to a lower grade of development, but to 

 degeneracy. 



The Annual Fungus Gathering in connection 

 with the South London Entomological and Natural 

 History Society is fixed for Saturday, October 

 13th, in the woods between Esher and Oxshott, 

 Surrey, under the leadership of Messrs. E. Step 

 and C. A. Briggs. 



Messrs. Bliss, Sands and Foster have in the 

 press a new volume of nature studies by Edward 

 Step, author of "By Sea-shore, Wood and Moor- 

 land," etc. It will deal in a popular way with 

 many branches of natural history, and will have 

 the suggestive title " By Vocal Woods and Waters." 



Mr. J. Nisbet, head of the Imperial School of 

 Forestry, and author of " Studies in Forestry," 

 etc., has arranged to contribute a series of short 

 articles on " Birds in relation to Trees " to the 

 science department of the "Yorkshire Weekly 

 Post," which is under the editorship of Mr. G. M. 

 Murdoch. 



The Livet Furnace, for burning town refuse and 

 supplying electric energy, which is under trial at 

 Halifax, is stated to evaporate three pounds of 

 water for every pound of refuse consumed. There 

 is no disagreeable odour, and the escaping gases 

 are purified of dust before being liberated. 



The essential oils which were prized by the 

 ancients have been found by Chamberland, Meunier 

 and others to kill bacteria. The most active 

 essences are those of cinnamon, lavender, marjoram, 

 cloves, geranium, vervain and tuberose. The 

 vapours of these essences will, it is said, destroy 

 the germs of cholera in an hour. 



We understand that the first part of the long- 

 promised monograph of the "Land and Freshwater 

 Mollusca of the British Isles," by J. W. Taylor, 

 F.L.S., is now in the press and will be shortly 

 issued. The first part is to be introductory. The 

 price is to be five shillings per part, and subscrip- 

 tions should be sent to Taylor Brothers, Sovereign 

 Street, Leeds. 



The Swiney lectures on Geology, under the 

 direction of the trustees of the British Museum, 

 will take place this year at the Lecture Theatre of 

 the South Kensington Museum. The reason of 

 their removal from the Natural History Museum 

 is owing to want of room. Professor H. Alleyne 

 Nicholson, M.D., F.G.S., will deliver a course of 

 twelve lectures on "The Making of the Earth's 

 Crust." They are held on Mondays, Wednesdays 

 and Fridays at 3 o'clock, and commence on 

 October 1st. 



The Lambeth Field Club and Scientific Society 

 intend to hold their Annual Exhibition on Monday 

 evening, October 8th, in the Parochial Hall, 

 Kennington Park Road, London, S.E., beginning 

 at eight o'clock. Tickets for admission, including 

 a lecture and light refreshments, may be obtained 

 from the Hon. Sec, Mr. C. H. Dedman, i, Cavour 

 Street, Kennington Park Road. 



Butterflies in 1894. — Mr. J. A. Wheldon, 

 of Liverpool, writes : " I have noticed a great 

 scarcity of common butterflies this season, as 

 compared with last year, In 1893 the common 

 white and Venessa atalanta almost swarmed here, 

 and the small tortoiseshell was very abundant. 

 This year I have not seen one Red Admiral, and the 

 whites and small tortoiseshell are not as plentiful 

 by at least one-fourth. I must leave your entomo- 

 logical readers to suggest a reason. Last year's 

 swarms must have left descendants, but where are 

 they?" 



The trustees of the Lindley Library have put 

 forth an appeal to the fellows of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society and others on behalf of this 

 institution — the only purely horticultural library in 

 this country which is open to the public. Many 

 years have elapsed since the Horticultural Society, 

 being then in financial straits, was compelled to 

 dispose of its library, which has been described as 

 the richest of the kind ever brought together. 

 Subsequently it was determined to do something 

 towards repairing this loss by purchasing the 

 library of that eminent botanist, the late Dr. 

 Lindley, a part of the surplus funds derived from 

 the International Horticultural Exhibition of 1866 

 having been very appropriately assigned to that 

 purpose. The Lindley Library, though its 

 existence does not appear to be very well known 

 among botanists, is said to be still lending valuable 

 assistance to students ; but, suffering from insuffi- 

 ciency of funds, is unable to pay a librarian or to 

 print its manuscript catalogue. 



Cats and Looking-Glasses. — Mr. J. R. Holt, of 

 Harrington Street, Dublin, writes: "The late Dr. 

 Romanes, in his 'Animal Intelligence' (page 416), 

 gives two stories of cats, who on being shown 

 their own reflections in looking-glasses, convinced 

 themselves that the reflection was an illusion. In 

 the case of a very intelligent cat of mine he went, 

 I think, a step beyond this, viz., he satisfied 

 himself that it was in some way his own image. 

 Even if my deduction is wrong, the first part of 

 his proceedings was so singularly like those in 

 Dr. Romanes' accounts, that it seems as though it 

 was a uniform law of cat nature to act in this way, 

 and so far it may not be altogether uninteresting. 

 I put the cat on a table, in front of a small toilet- 

 ■ mirror. After looking at his reflection for a short 

 while, he went behind the glass ; then he returned 

 to his seat in front, and again watched it attentively. 

 After a few moments, he rapidly dashed behind it. 

 He again returned to his seat in front of the glass, 

 and, while retaining his seat and keeping his eyes 

 fixed on the image, he struck about behind the 

 glass with his paw in different directions. His 

 next action was, I fancy, suggested by seeing the 

 image apparently strike with its paw also. Keep- 

 ing his seat, and retaining his eye fixed on the 

 image, he proceeded to (if I may use the word) 

 posture in front of the glass. He raised his paws 

 alternately, licked them, touched the glass, moved 

 his head, etc. I have tried to simply describe the 

 facts, and as far as possible, avoid drawing con- 

 clusions." 



