SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



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Emile Blanchard. — One of the earliest names 

 we remember in connection with our studies in 

 zoology was that of the French entomologist, Emile 

 Blanchard. He commenced the work of a pro- 

 fessional naturalist as an attendant in the Paris 

 Museum, but he rose through terrible affliction to lie 

 the most esteemed member of the scientific staff. He 

 was stricken with total blindness at the age of fifty, 

 and later by total deafness. In his lonely life that 

 followed how severe must have been the repining ! 

 He was a member of the French Academy of 

 Sciences. In 1844 Blanchard was appointed Pro- 

 fessor of Entomology to the Paris Museum. Much 

 of his entomological work was occupied with the 

 Coleoptera. He died on February nth last, at the 

 age of eighty-four years. 



J. F. Hodges. — We learn from the " Irish 

 Naturalist " that one of the prominent Belfast men 

 of science has passed away at the age of eighty-four 

 years. Professor Hodges was educated for the 

 medical profession in Dublin and Glasgow, and took 

 the degree of M.D. in the University of Giessen. 

 He was under Baron von Liebig as a student of 

 agricultural chemistry. On his return to Ireland Mr. 

 Hodges was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the 

 old Belfast College, and later to the Professorships of 

 Agricultural Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence in 

 Queen's College, Belfast, both of which Chairs 

 he held up to the time of his death. He was for 

 many years Government Analyst ; he also held the 

 appointment of Public Analyst for the City of Belfast 

 and five adjoining counties. Professor Hodges wrote 

 chiefly on agricultural chemistry, his books being 

 well known. 



Edward Joseph Lowe. — Well known fir the 

 handsome books on ferns and flowering plants. Dr. 

 E. J. Lowe, F.R.S., died on March 10th, at Shire- 

 newton Hall, near Chepstow. Dr. Lowe was a re- 

 markable man, of strong character, and one who 

 devoted much attention to scientific matters. His 

 last book on the hybridisation of ferns showed how 

 painstaking was his work. In addition to his botanical 

 investigations Dr. Lowe was an eminent meteorologist, 

 having begun his records of climatology so long ago 

 as 1840. He published several works on this science, 

 one being "The Climate of Nottinghamshire." He 

 also issued Barometrical Tallies in 1S57, "Weather 

 Prognostics," and " The Natural Phenomena of the 

 Seasons," the latter referring to unusual conditions 

 of various seasons during about sixteen hundred 

 years. He also wrote on luminous meteors for the 

 British Association. In collaboration with Professor 

 Edward Forbes, he was one of the writers of their 

 " British Mollusca." He was a F.R.S. and an 

 original and life member of the Meteorological 

 Society. Dr. Lowe was born in November, 1825, at 

 Nottingham. His conservatories at Shirenewton 

 Hall almost aspired to the rank of biological labora- 

 tories, as his arrangements were conducted with every 

 reference to scientific requirements, every detail being 

 recorded with utmost care. 



George James Symons. — The science of meteoro- 

 logy in this country is not so well equipped with 

 workers that it can afford to lose one of the most 

 systematic in Europe. Born in Pimlico on August 6th, 

 1S38, Mr. Symons died on March 10th last, from the 

 effects of a stroke of paralysis, which he suffered 

 about a month previously. From his youth upwards 

 lie took an acute interest in clouds and weather 

 results, and eventually became the recognised leader 

 of meteorological science in Britain. When a young 

 man Symons got an appointment in the Meteoro- 

 logical Department of the Board of Trade, which he- 

 held for several years under the late Admiral FitzRoy. 

 He then began to systematically collect rainfall 

 statistics, which occupied most of his attention to the 

 end of his life. This undertaking grew to be one 

 of great magnitude, his later records dealing with 

 nearly 3,500 stations. Considering the economic 

 value of these records, it is surprising they did not 

 receive greater public recognition. As it is. how ever, 

 they have proved to lie of immense use to sanitarians 

 and'engineers when dealing with town water-supply 

 in this country; and he frequently appeared as techni- 

 cal witness or adviser on the subject before Parlia- 

 mentary Committees and elsewhere. In 1866 he 

 published " Symons's Monthly Meteorological Maga- 

 zine." That periodical has continued ever since 

 in the form of a small monthly octavo, the series 

 containing a mass of valuable information. Mr. 

 Symons received much honour in the world of science. 

 Pie was a Fellow of the Royal Society; of the Royal 

 Meteorological Society from 1S56. and served on its 

 Council from 1S63, was its president in 1880. and 

 was again elected President for the Jubilee of the 

 Society this year. The latter Society owed much of 

 its present prosperity to his energy and common- 

 sense advice at its Council meetings. lie was also 

 an active member of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, and a member for several 

 years of the Council of the Royal Botanic Society of 

 London, and held similar office in the Sanitary 

 Institute. I le was a Medallist of the Society of Arts, 

 having been awarded the Albert Medal in 1897. We 

 hear with pleasure that his great work i- to lie con- 

 tinued — we understand, under the guidance of his 

 colleague, Mr. II. Sowerby YVallis. On the various 

 occasions when we have met Mr. Symons, we have 

 always left him with a sensation of pleasure, and of 

 having Learned something from his conversation. 



Climate of South Essex.— After my recent 

 illness I stayed for a time at Brighton; but. not 

 making the progress desired, my doctor suggested a 

 sojourn at Southend-on-Sea, which possesses one of 

 the driest and most equable winter climates within 

 easy reach of London. In the Shrubbery on the 

 cliffs facing, with southerly aspect, the estuary of the 

 Thames, the winter heliotrope, or scented coltsfoot 

 {Petasites fragrans), flowered profusely throughout 

 January. There is there a vigorous myrtle bush of 

 some six feet in diameter, bearing fruit. Some of 

 the Japanese euonymus bushes also bear fruit. This 

 is uncommon in England. — John T. Carringtqn. 



