684 Proceedings of Scientific Societies. [August, 
sufficiently to form a type of its own. No ornaments were dis- 
covered. 
'— Mr. Charles Darwin’s work entitled “The Formation of 
vegetable Mold through the action of Worms, with Observations 
on their Habits,” and the life and letters of the late Sir Charles 
Lyell, Bart., edited by his sister-in-law, Mrs. Lyell, are announced 
by Mr. Murray. 
_ — It was probably before Carlyle mollified his views concern- 
ing evolution and science, owing possibly to the influence of his 
friend, Professor Tyndall, that he paid his respects to the theory in 
the following terms: “I have no patience whatever with these 
Gorilla Damnifications of Humanity! ” 
— The Italian government is about to send out a deep-sea €x- 
pedition to explore the Mediterranean, Prof. Giglioli, the eminent 
zoologist of Florence, having charge of the biological part of the 
work. 
— The translations of Nageli and Schwendener’s Treatise on 
the Microscope is approaching completion. It will be issued by 
Sonnenschein & Allen, of London. 
— English science has met with a great loss in the untimely 
death of Professor George Rolleston, F. R. S., of Oxford Univer- 
versity, who died at his home June 16th, at. the comparatively 
early age of 51 years. Professor Rolleston was, to those who 
knew him, a most genial, attractive and cultivated man, aside from 
his thorough scientific spirit and training. He was the author, 
besides of a number of anatomical and anthropological papers and 
memoirs, of a comparative anatomy for students, entitled, me orms 
of Animal Life.” Professor Rolleston first introduced, if we ms- 
take not, the plan of giving detailed accounts, with excellent illus- 
trations, of typical forms of animal life. The death of Professor 
Rolleston will be deeply mourned by those American scientists 
who were fortunate enough to have met him at his museum an 
also at his pleasant English home. 
— Another English naturalist, Mr. John Blackwall, died May 
II, at the great age of ninety-two. He was the author of a beau 
tifully illustrated folio work on British spiders, and of a number 
of zoological papers. 
——:0: 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Davenport Acapemy or Naturat Scrences.—Annual piay ee 
Our report of the annual meeting of this flourishing society e ae 
been delayed for want of space. We give extracts from Presiden 
Pratt’s report as to the part taken by the Society in American 
archeology, especially as related to the mound-builders. he 
The mound-buildérs were very numerous throughout be 
Mississippi valley, They dwelt mostly, if not exclusively, 
