1877.] Scientific News. 319 
themselves to the emancipation of the negroes in their own country and 
thus destroy the last vestiges of slavery. 
The Geographical Society, which has just been established under the 
presidency of General Liagre, perpetual secretary of the Academy of 
Brussels, is progressing finely. 
The Belgian government has ordered the issue of a new edition of 
Dumont’s Geological Maps. The House has appropriated 9700 francs 
for the purpose of collecting the necessary materials for a map ona 
large scale, +49,,, the entire cost of which will be 1,300,000 francs; it 
is to be completed in fifteen years. The House has made an additional 
appropriation of 10,000 francs for the publication of the manuscripts 
left by Dumont, which will be printed the coming year. 
A still more important movement for the advancement of science has 
just taken place in the creation of the Annals of Natural History of 
the Museum of Brussels. These Annals will be published in large 
quarto volumes containing many plates in quarto or folio, according to 
the ‘subjects, and are especially intended to inform the learned public 
of the scientific wealth of the galleries of the museum. The first vol- 
ume will be devoted to the description of the rich collections of the 
fossil remains of the cetaceans and other sea mammals, gathered at 
Antwerp during the work on the fortifications. This volume, of which 
eighteen plates folio are already finished, will be written by the learned 
zoologist, J. van Beneden. The second volume will be prepared by Dr. 
de Koninck, one of the most learned paleontologists in Europe, and will 
embrace the Carboniferous fossils of Belgium, forming a series of 1000 
to 1200 species, all of which will be described and figured within three 
or four years, provided the health and vigor of the distinguished savant 
does not fail him. 
The third volume, by Dr. H. Nyst, will treat of the Tertiary fossils 
of Belgium, beginning with the most recent ones, as the Crag. of Antwerp. 
Several plates for this volume are already finished. Other volumes of 
no less importance are in a state of preparation and will occupy their 
proper places in the series. These publications will be prepared at the 
expense of the government and under the direction of M. E. Dupont, 
director of the museum, their authors, however, being entirely independ- 
ent as to their opinions and work. In closing his letter Dr. de Koninck 
remarks with commendable pride: “On glancing at the preceding 
you will be satisfied that our country, after remaining almost stationary, 
for a period of twenty years, has taken a decidedly fresh start in scien- 
tific matters, aided and favored by our government, our Chambers, and 
especially by our king. Let it be well understood that besides all this 
We possess not only the Academy, but also a certain number of scientific 
Societies, namely, the Royal Society of Sciences, Liége; the Entomo- 
logical and Malacological societies, of Brussels; the Society of Science, 
of Hainault ; the Association of Engineers, of Liége, and many other 
