20 



SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



THE NEW F.R.S. 



We understand that the usual fifteen can- 

 didates selected by the Council of the Royal 

 Society for election for the year 1900 are as 

 follows : — George James Burch, M.A., Lecturer 

 at University Extension College, Reading ; Che- 

 mistry and Physics. T. W. Edgworth David, 

 B.A., F.G.S., Professor of Geology in University 

 of Sydney, N.S.W. ; Geology. John Bretland 

 Farmer, M.A., F.L.S., Professor of Botany, Royal 

 College of Science, London ; Botany. Leonard 

 Hill, M.B., Lecturer London Hospital Medical 

 College; Physiology. John Horne, F.G.S., 

 F.R.S.E., Staff of Geological Survey of Scot- 

 land ; Geology. Joseph Jackson Lister, M.A., 

 F.Z.S., Demonstrator, Comparative Anatomy, Uni- 

 versity of Cambridge ; Zoology. James Gordon 

 MacGregor, D.Sc.~ M.A., Professor of Physics, 

 Halifax', N.S. ; Physics. Patrick Manson, C.M.G., 

 M.D., F.R.C.P., LL.D. ; Parasitology and Tropical 

 Medicine. Thomas Mtjir, LL.D., M.A., F.R.S.E., 

 Superintendent-General Education, Cape Colony; 

 Mathematics. Arthur Alcock Rambaut, M.A., 

 Sc.D., Radcliffe Observer ; Astronomy. William 

 James Sell, M.A., Demonstrator of Chemistry, 

 University of Cambridge ; Chemistry. W. Bald- 

 win Spencer, B.A., M.A., Professor of Biology, 

 Melbourne University ; Zoology and Comparative 

 Anatomy. James Walker, D.Sc, Ph.D., Professor 

 of Chemistry, University College, Dundee ; Che- 

 mistry. Philip Watts, Director, War-Shipbuild- 

 ing Department, Armstrong, Whitworth & .Co. ; 

 Naval Architecture. Charles Thomson Rees 

 Wilson, M.A., B.Sc, Investigations on Atmo- 

 spheric Electricity ; Physics. 



Editorial. — Dr. Bryan's article on " Desmids " 

 unavoidably stands over until next month. Mr. 

 Read's Chemical Department will also commence 

 in the next number. 



A National Repository for Science and 

 Art. — The remarkable paper read on May 16th 

 by Professor Flinders Petrie before the Society of 

 Arts on this subject has created considerable dis- 

 cussion. We hope to refer to the subject on a 

 future occasion. 



Protection of Rare Birds. — We are informed 

 that the British Ornithologists' Union has passed a 

 stringent resolution forbidding the members from 

 directly, or indirectly, destroying in Britain the 

 nests, eggs, young or parent birds of chough, 

 golden oriole, hoopoe, osprey, kite, white-tailed 

 eagle, honey buzzard, common buzzard, bittern, and 

 ruff. We are glad the Union has taken this course, 

 as it is a sufficient example to others, and an answer 

 to those who accuse naturalists of exterminating 

 rare animals. 



Scientific Glass-blowing. — Some time since 

 we referred to the advantage of an amateur worker, 

 requiring special designs of scientific glass ap- 

 paratus, being able to make his own. For this 

 purpose the Camera Construction Company, of 38 

 Eagle Street, London. W.C., have designed a com- 

 plete outfit necessary for glass-blowing, and at a 

 price within the reach of most students. As there 

 are also full instructions for practising the art, this 

 forms a good opportunity for commencing new aiid 

 interesting home experiments in art-glass work. 



CONDUCTED BY WILFRED MARK WEBB, F.L.S. 



Note. — When this column was inaugurated it was 

 hoped that our readers would send in contributions 

 from month to month rather than that it should 

 simply consist of a series of editorial notes. As 

 this may not have been made quite clear, the pre- 

 sent opportunity is taken of saying that the Editor 

 would be glad to receive notes upon all subjects 

 connected with molluscs, and that they may be 

 sent to the office of Science-Gossip. It often 

 happens that notes upon apparently common inci- 

 dents bring forth interesting discussions. — Ed. 

 S.-G. 



Duration of Life in Helix Pomatia. — In the 

 current number of the "Essex Naturalist " Mr. Benja- 

 min Cole gives some interesting data with regard 

 to the longevity of our largest snail. He says that 

 on June 3rd, 1894, when in company with Professor 

 Meldola, he found two living specimens of the 

 mollusc in question at Newlands Corner, near Goms- 

 hall, Surrey. The snails were quite full grown, 

 but there was no evidence forthcoming of their age 

 when taken. They were subsequently kept as pets, 

 and when active were fed exclusively upon garden 

 lettuce. They hybernated every year, closing up 

 the mouth of the shell with the secreted epiphragm, 

 and remaining shut in from October to about the 

 end of March or the beginning of April. One of 

 the specimens was accidentally killed at the end of 

 two years, but its companion was still alive when 

 Mr. Cole wrote his note, and apparently quite 

 healthy, judging from its weight — being then still 

 enjoying its winter sleep. Presuming therefore 

 that this Helix pomatia was two years old when 

 found, it is now at least seven and a half years old, 

 and Mr. Cole hopes that it will live much longer. 

 This is an interesting fact, confirming Miss Armit- 

 age's views on this subject, given at page 323 of 

 the last volume of Science-Gossip. 



Varietal Names. — "Nature," some weeks ago, 

 pointed out in a few words how open to criticism 

 are those who persist in using " varietal " names for 

 what are mere variations. " Variety-mongers" — as 

 Mr. B. B. Woodward, I think it was, long ago dubbed 

 the collectors in question — must feel the comparison 

 very odious which " Nature " draws between a " bird 

 man " who rationally talks of " sports " and the 

 " shell man " who records a white form of a snail 

 under the title of Helix marmorata var. alba now 

 A dozen years or more ago the writer expressed 

 himself strongly in these pages and elsewhere, as 

 did also some others, with regard to what is really 

 a variety. The crusade may have done some good, 

 but " varieties " still flourish. The importance of 

 recording " variations " has been advanced as a 

 reason for recording them all by name ; but perhaps 

 some of our readers could try to bring forward 

 some real convincing reason for the process, which 

 fails to impress the general biologist as necessary. 

 — Wilfred Mark Webb. 



