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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



On November 4th the Geological Association of 

 London ordinary meeting will be a morning dress 

 conversazione, held at 8 p.m., in the Library of 

 University College, Gower Street, W.C. 



We ha,ve already referred to a proposed work on 

 British dragonflies, by Mr. W. J. Lucas, He is 

 anxious to obtain lists of localities of well 

 authenticated species. His address is 278, King's 

 Road, Kingston-on-Thames. 



Sir Archibald Geikie has recently been speak- 

 ing his mind on science in education in an address 

 at Mason College, Birmingham. After reviewing 

 the condition of science taught in the middle ages 

 and even within this century, he pointed out the 

 present altered views on certain sciences. 



Sir Archibald warned the assembled students 

 that though a training in science was admirable and 

 necessary at the present time, science alone "failed 

 to supply those humanizing influences which the 

 older learning could so well supply." Had he in 

 view some persons whose saturation with science, 

 to the exclusion of human nature, makes them, in 

 their writings at least, such unenviable people ? 



Professor Virchow's address in the second 

 Huxley Lecture, at the opening of the Charing Cross 

 Hospital Medical School on October 3rd, was of 

 exceptional importance. He took for his subject 

 " The Recent Advances in Science and their Bear- 

 ing on Medicine and Surgery." Speaking in 

 excellent English, he gave a masterly review of 

 the influence of scientific biological research upon 

 modern treatment of wounds and disease. 



Another remarkable address was that given by 

 Sir James Crichton Browne, F.R.S., at the open- 

 ing of the present session of the Pharmaceutical 

 Society of Great Britain. Its subject has caused 

 some grave comment, as he spoke largely on 

 poisons and the readiness and safety from detec- 

 tion with which some of them maybe administered 

 by criminally disposed persons. 



The report of the Committee appointed by the 

 Treasury to consider the establishment of a 

 National Physical Laboratory has been issued. 

 It recommends that such an institution should 

 be instituted for standardizing and verifying 

 instruments, for testing materials, and the deter- 

 mination of physical constants. It suggests the 

 extension of Kew Observatory for this purpose, 

 and that the Royal Society should have the control 

 •of the institution. 



We have received from Mr. G. W. Kirkaldy, 

 F.E.S. a reprint of a short article by him on 

 " Water-bugs as an Article of Human Food." It 

 is stated that they make a good fillip to the appe- 

 tite when eaten after the manner of caviare. In 

 the form of cakes the ova and perfect insects of 

 Notonecta and Corixa and their allies, are now being 

 introduced into this country by the ton, as food 

 for insectivorous birds, game, fish, etc. It is an 

 interesting paper. 



The death is announced of Mr. William Borrer, 

 of Cowfold, Sussex, aged 84 years. He was one of 

 the oldest Fellows of the Linnean Society and a 

 well-known naturalist. 



Mr. Edward North Buxton, whose name is 

 well known in connection with Epping Forest as 

 one of its most active verderers, has handsomely pre- 

 sented an additional twenty-eight acres of woodland 

 adjoining and overlooking the valley of the River 

 Lea. The Lord Mayor in Council, on behalf of 

 the City of London, has gratefully accepted this 

 public gift. 



We regret to hear of the death of Mrs. Stainton, 

 widow of the late H. T. Stainton, F.R.S., who, a 

 generation ago, did so much to encourage the study 

 of lepidopterology in this country. His well-known 

 "Manual of British Butterflies and Moths" was 

 by far the best work on its subject published in 

 England. It still has a considerable sale, though 

 modern changes in nomenclature have largely 

 reduced its usefulness. 



Mr. Thomas Bolas, F.C.S., F.I.C., has con- 

 sented to give demonstrations of the adaptability 

 of glass blowing and working for amateurs, in 

 the " Photogram " Reading Room, on Thursdays, 

 November 10th, 17th and 24th, from 3 to 5 o'clock 

 and 7 to 9. Tickets of admission are forwarded free 

 on application, with stamped addressed envelope, 

 by Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd., 6, Farringdon Avenue, 

 London, E.C. 



We greatly regret to see that the present 

 conductors of "Natural Science" are unable to 

 continue the issue of that journal after next 

 month. We trust, however, some arrangement 

 may be made so as to avoid its stoppage. We 

 hear, also, that the same fate is in store for an 

 even more pretentious contemporary devoted to 

 the more abstruse departments of science. There 

 appears to be something wrong about some 

 modern scientific publications ; either the editors 

 do not cater for their readers palatable mental 

 pabula, or else the scientific world is lacking in the 

 support which ought to be as readily given as it is 

 to most other professional journals. 



The London "Daily Mail" of October 13th, 

 gravely announces in its largest head-lines, a " New 

 Centipede in England. Curious Entomological 

 Discovery at Colchester." The scientific culture 

 which dictated those words is not less entertaining 

 than that of Mr. Punch's railway porter, who, 

 when discussing dog tickets, classed hedgehogs as 

 " hinsecs." The writer to the "Mail" gives an 

 account of the discovery of a specimen of Scutigera 

 coleoptrata, a south European centipede, which, like 

 others of the same species that have occurred in 

 these islands, was probably introduced accidentally. 

 It would have been safer for the writer to have 

 supplied the title as well as the article. 



A Paper was read before the British Association 

 at Bristol, by R. D. Oldham, in which he described 

 ■ the great Indian earthquake of June 12th, 1S97. 

 The shock was noticeable over an area thou- 

 sands of square miles in extent. Many bridges 

 were overthrown or otherwise seriously affected, 

 whilst railways suffered considerably by the con- 

 tortions of the rails forming the permanent way. 

 Great earth fissures appeared, and from numerous 

 vents sand and water were forced to a height of 

 three to five feet above the ground. Huge land- 

 slips occurred in the Khasia Hills, and in the 

 Himalayas north of Lower Assam. 



