62 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Notice is given of a proclamation by the 

 Premier of Tasmania, protecting the white-capped 

 albatross for five years from date thereof. 



It may be some comfort to those who are liable 

 to be bitten by a viper to know that M. C. Phisalix 

 contributed to a recent number of " Comptes 

 Rendus " the results of some experiments, showing 

 that the venom of hornets acts, when injected into 

 the veins, as an antidote against that of the vipers. 



One of the sensations of the month is the report 

 that an immense meteorite, said to be as big as 

 St. Paul's Cathedral, has fallen in South Africa. 

 If this turns out to be really the case, even that 

 brought from Greenland by Lieut. Peary pales 

 before the newest British visitor. It is lucky there 

 was plenty of room where it fell. 



The last number received of the "Journal of 

 the Essex Technical Laboratories " contains the 

 Report, by Mr. T. S. Dymond, upon the remarkable 

 saltwater flood of November last in Essex, when 

 fifty thousand acres around the coast were sub- 

 merged. He makes some practical suggestions for 

 eliminating the salt left upon the soil. We imagine 

 that it will not take long for the rainwater to carry 

 off the greater portion ; which is also his view. 



The Geological Society has, we understand, 

 moved to secure the retention of the Museum of 

 Practical Geology in the Jermyn Street building. 

 This is satisfactory, and we hope the museum will 

 remain in its old quarters. A contemporary 

 devoted to the interests of professional science 

 argues for its removal to South Kensington. Its 

 reasons are hardly sufficient to convince those who 

 think otherwise. If it is indeed a question of 

 space, the duplicates might be sent westward and 

 form the basis of a reference collection on the 

 excellent lines suggested by " Natural Science." 



It is to be hoped that the hitch which has arisen 

 relative to the new Science and Art buildings at 

 South Kensington will be shortly overcome. The 

 Royal Society has used its powerful influence to 

 secure the proper provision of suitable buildings 

 for the Science Section, in the form of a memorial 

 to the Prime Minister fully explaining the position. 

 We may therefore hope, with further considera- 

 tion, the Treasury may see its way to revise its 

 present unsatisfactory apportionment of the large 

 grant for the new accommodation between the 

 sisters Science and Art. 



It is remarkable that there are still people in 

 this country anxious to starve science for the 

 benefit of art. That the effect of modern art 

 teaching and the exhibition of articles of vertu 

 is rapidly improving the social condition of the 

 people is evident to thinking persons. Every 

 effort should therefore be made for its encourage- 

 ment. When we consider, however, what science 

 has done during the last half century for the pros- 

 perity, comfort, health and wealth of the nation, 

 the time has passed for trivial arguments against 

 the expenditure of a few hundreds of thousands of 

 pounds of the public money for its benefit. 



This year the months of January and June have 

 been closely alike on certain days in temperature; 

 not more than half a degree difference having 

 occurred between them. 



I\Ir. Alexander Somerville, of Glasgow, 

 desires us to say that the price fourpence covers the 

 postage and carrier- tube for his "County and Vice- 

 County Divisions of the British Islands." In our 

 notice of the sheet, we mentioned that the postage 

 was three-halfpence. 



The first photographs of occultations were made 

 by Professor G. P. Bond more than forty years 

 since, when several plates were taken just before 

 the occultation of a Virginis (Spica) with a view 

 of photographically determining the position of 

 the moon. 



The Irish Field Club Union has issued a beauti- 

 fully-illustrated programme of its excursion to 

 Kenraare, and the annual conference to be held 

 there, from July 7th to 13th. The plan seems to 

 be well organized, the expenses to and from 

 Dublin, including hotel, drives, etc., for the period, 

 being about five pounds. The party is limited to 

 one hundred persons. 



Kexm.are is situated in one of the most interest- 

 ing parts of Britain, lying between the Lakes of 

 Killarney and the long estuary from the Atlantic 

 up the Kenmare River. The region contains the 

 home of the arbutus, the Irish-spurge, great-butter- 

 wort, and some curiously strayed but well-estab- 

 lished American plants, such as the pipe-wort and 

 blue-eyed grass of Canada. 



Among the animals, too, of the Kenmare district 

 are many of interest, not only on account of their 

 association with the fauna of the Spanish peninsula, 

 but also from their deviations from the usual types 

 on account of the great mildness of the climate. 

 Among these are a black or greyish mottled slug 

 {Geoiualacus maculosus) found only in one other place 

 in the world, and that in Portugal; another is the 

 Killarney snail, Liinmua involuta. The lepidoptera 

 of the district are apt to vary strangely, probably 

 from climatic influences. 



Writing of American plants having a foothold 

 in Ireland reminds us that when last over in 

 Canada, our friends Professor Saunders, F.R.S., 

 and Mr. James Fletcher, F.L.S., drew our attention 

 to the fact that migration of plants and of animals 

 is almost invariably from east to west. The very 

 limited number of plants of western origin settled 

 in Eastern America only proves the rule. 



This tendency to migrate from east to west, 

 equally applies to American wildings settled in 

 Europe. In comparison with the long and varied 

 list of European plants which get a firm hold on 

 the western continent, we have very few established 

 here ; even the terrible swan-weed of our canals is 

 said to be dying out. On the other hand oxeye- 

 daisies and the blue flowers of wild chicory make 

 the Eastern American landscape brilliant with 

 colour. 



It is curious, too, to watch the annnal progress 

 of the oxeye-daisies by the side of the Grand 

 Trunk Line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 

 through the great forest region north of the lakes. 

 Each season the plants get further westward, 

 maintaining themselves on the earth thrown up 

 from ditches by the side of the line. When they 

 do reach the prairies, we wonder v.'hat will happen ? 

 Something will have to disappear to make room 

 for them. 



