SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



283 



Dr. P. Q. Keegan gives notes in the " Naturalist " 

 for January, upon "The Chemical Analysis of 

 Certain Rosaceas," with the object of investigating 

 " the connection between the vivid and powerful pig- 

 ments exhibited by the floral organs, leaves, etc." 

 It is a valuable contribution to such investigations. 



The Sixth International Geographical Congress 

 will be held in London from 26th July to 3rd 

 August next. There will be an exhibition in 

 connection, of everything applying to the science 

 of geography. It is expected that the meetings 

 will be held at the Imperial Institute. The 

 Secretaries may be addressed at 1, Saville Row, 

 London, W. 



Dr. G. M. Dawson, F.R.S., son of Sir William 

 Dawson, has been appointed Director of the 

 Geological Survey of Canada, in succession to 

 Dr. A. R. C. Selwyn, who retires on superannuation. 

 The appointment of Dr. Dawson is in every way 

 a good one, for his previous experience in the 

 Survey is such as to have made his reputation. 

 Though only in his forty-sixth year he has inves- 

 tigated immense regions in the Dominion. 



"The International Journal of Microscopy and 

 Natural Science," for January, is a varied number. 

 One of the most important communications is 

 Mr. J. Sydney Turner's address at the Fiftieth 

 Annual Meeting of the South Eastern Branch of 

 the British Medical Association, held June 13th, 

 1894. Entitled " From Dust to Dust," it is a 

 philosophical enquiry into the origin of life and a 

 history of its cycle, as applied to human beings. 



The province of Ontario is to have a great 

 reservation wherein the animals and plants fast 

 disappearing before the ruthless march of civiliza- 

 tion, will be preserved by the legislature. The 

 Algonquin National Park will consist of about a 

 million acres, or, 1,466 square miles of forest 

 country. No hunting, trapping or other destruc- 

 tion of animal life will in future be permitted in 

 this home of the moose, the beaver and many 

 other interesting beasts and fishes. Cannot 

 Manitoba follow suit, somewhere north-west of the 

 Lake Dauphin district ? 



Dr. Charles Brongniart, of the Paris Natural 

 History Museum, has recently published one of 

 the finest works on Fossil Insects which has hitherto 

 appeared. It is entitled " Recherches pour Servir 

 a l'Historie des Insects Fossiles de Temps 

 Primaires," 4to, 2 vols., one being an atlas of 

 thirty-seven plates, most of which are beautifully 

 coloured and produced with accuracy. A large 

 folding plate represents at natural size a restoration 

 0/ Meganeura Monyii, an old-time dragon-fly, which 

 exceeded two feet in expanse of the wings. The 

 fossil was found in carboniferous measures of 

 Commentry (Allier), France. This is not an ex- 

 pensive book in comparison with some others, 

 costing fr. 100 = ^4. Mr. Oliver Janson, 44, Great 

 Russell Street, London, is the agent for this work. 

 The text is, of course, in French. 



We regret to have to notice that the " British 

 Naturalist " is no longer to be published. We are 

 sorry, for every magazine of its kind helps to keep 

 up an interest in nature and does some good. We 

 shall be pleased to offer the hospitality of our pages 

 to its contributors. 



In future the "Journal of the Quekett Micro- 

 scopical Club" is to be issued half-yearly instead 

 of quarterly. This is a cause for regret, for it 

 generally includes some articles of value to micro- 

 scopists. The December number contains two 

 upon Rotifers, by Mr. George Weston, F.R.M.S. 



The Eighth Annual Report of the Liverpool 

 Marine Biology Committee and their Biological 

 Station at Port Erin is now issued. We find that 

 a useful little museum of local marine zoology of 

 the Isle of Man is being formed at the Aquarium, 

 which will be most useful to those who take one of 

 the tables at Port Erin for investigation and study. 

 Quite a number of additions to the marine fauna of 

 the Irish Sea are recorded. 



Although ten years have passed since George 

 Rainey, the well-known teacher of medical and 

 surgical sciences, of St. Thomas's Hospital, died 

 in his eighty-fourth year, the sketch of his life and 

 scientific work, by Mr. W. W. Wagstaffe, just 

 issued by Adland and Son, London, as a reprint, 

 with portrait, from vol. xxii. of that hospital's 

 report, will be welcomed by many of Rainey' s old 

 pupils and admirers. Among his numerous writings 

 were some dealing with vegetable and animal 

 structure. 



The last meeting of the Entomological Club of 

 London was held under the presidency of Mr. 

 George H. Verrall, of Newmarket, at the Holborn 

 Restaurant, London, on the 15th January. Up- 

 wards of forty members and visitors attended, who 

 were afterwards hospitably entertained, according 

 to Mr. Verrall's generous custom. This club is, we 

 believe, the oldest entomological society in the 

 world, and is strictly limited to a very small 

 membership. It possesses a fine old collection of 

 British insects of all orders, now in charge of 

 Dr. Lowne, of " blow-fly " celebrity. 



The Rev. W. K. Suart, M.A., read a carefully 

 prepared paper on " Researches in the theory of 

 In-breeding " before the meeting of the Cage 

 Bird Club, held at the Inns of Court Hotel, 

 London, on December 22nd. His conclusions are 

 that in-breeding is not contrary to nature, and that 

 with judgment in only selecting the strongest 

 offspring, artificial varieties of canary birds may 

 be developed to a much further extent than is 

 generally supposed. The members of the club, in 

 the discussion which followed, did not appear to 

 agree with the lecturer ; but we think his con- 

 clusions are largely founded on fact. 



Nicotine Poisoning. — Smokers, without doubt, 

 though few are ready to acknowledge the fact, are 

 more or less sufferers from mild but constant 

 poisoning by nicotine. Anything which reduces its 

 action, is of benefit to both the present and future 

 generations. We have had submitted for examina- 

 tion the " Biltor " cartridge filter, as adapted to 

 tobacco pipes and cigarettes. This simple arrange- 

 ment effectually filters all the nicotine held in 

 suspension in the tobacco smoke, which has to pass 

 through a porous cartridge. It is not possible for 

 this filter to fail, because when it becomes ineffective 

 the smoker cannot any longer use the pipe, until 

 the filter is replaced by a new one. These cartridges 

 are quite inexpensive and easily changed. 



