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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Professor E. B. Frost, of Dartmouth College, 

 has been appointed Professor of Astrophysics at 

 the Yerkes Observatory. 



As successor to the late Edward Wilson, Mr. 

 Herbert Bolton, Assistant Keeper at the Man- 

 chester Museum, has been appointed Curator of 

 the Bristol Museum. 



In the "Journal of Conchology " for July is 

 an admirable article by Mr. Lionel E. Adams, B.A., 

 on the pairing of Limax maximus L. It shows 

 acute observation on the part of the author, and 

 it is illustrated by a plate of great interest. 



It is stated that a carrier pigeon, belonging to 

 the Rev. J. W. McKenzie, of Whitwick in Leicester- 

 shire, has taken a homing flight from the Shetland 

 Isles, a distance of 513 miles from Whitwick, in 

 ten hours and twenty-five minutes, being an average 

 speed of 1,453 yards per minute. This, if authentic, 

 is some guide when considering the flight of birds 

 during migration. 



In Britain several animals occur in very restricted 

 localities, which are commonly distributed on the 

 continent of Europe. For instance, Mr. E. A. 

 Newberry draws attention to the discovery of a 

 single specimen each at Lakenheath and at Hendon 

 of the beetle Harpalus picipetmis, hitherto considered 

 exclusively a coast species in this country. It is 

 by no means so restricted on the Continent, occur- 

 ring in localities far from the sea. Helix pomatia, 

 the large edible snail, is confined to certain chalk 

 hills in Britain, but is common in vineyards on other 

 soils in France, far away from chalk or limestone. 



Canon Rawnsley states that the water is now 

 entirely withdrawn from the Fall of Foyers, and 

 that foul smells pervade a considerable area of 

 Loch Ness. All the fir-trees within about 200 

 yards of the factory are dead. There were people 

 who smiled at the Duke of Westminster's forecast 

 of this in 1895, as an exaggeration. It behoves 

 those who value the scenery of our country to 

 watch some other places in Wales and elsewhere, 

 in view of like events occurring through the present 

 scramble for cheap water-power. 



The Annual Index to Periodicals, compiled by 

 Miss E. Hetherington, of the " Review of Reviews " 

 staff, is announced to appear this month. It should 

 be useful to our readers, or their societies' libraries. 

 Its price is ten shillings. The July number of the 

 "Review of Reviews" is an excellent one, and 

 contains a series of engravings of some of the late 

 Edward Burnc-Jones' pictures. 



The vast importance of one's eyesight is such 

 that we notice with satisfaction the Spectacle 

 Makers' Company, one of the ancient London 

 Guilds, is moving for a qualification in those who 

 retail aids to sight. This is not before the necessity 

 has arisen, knowing we may now buy glasses at 

 any sort of small optician's shop, or at a chemist's, 

 and even in a stationer's. We recently saw a pair 

 sold in one of the latter shops, for sixpence-half- 

 penny, by a girl of sixteen. Who knows what harm 

 may be done to the purchaser's sight ? 



Science is beginning to tell with the better 

 education of the prospector for minerals. In the 

 days gone past he was usually a man with much 

 experience, but little scientific knowledge, who was 

 content to deal with the ores of gold, silver, copper 

 and the like. Such men passed the rarer metals 

 with no more than a look of curiosity. 



Recently, however, this better education has 

 detected a valuable though small deposit, in a 

 very restricted locality in the Lusitanian corner of 

 Europe, of the scarce metal vanadium, one of the 

 best alloys known for strengthening steel, etc. 



At present the pure oxide of vanadium is worth 

 135 shillings a pound, and the pure metal sells at 

 eight shillings for every twenty grains weight. It 

 has hitherto been chiefly utilized for transforming 

 aniline dyes into an intense black to be used for 

 indelible ink, and also for colouring glass. 



Mr. Upcott Gill is shortly to publish a new 

 book on "British Dragonflies," by a specialist, Mr. 

 W.J. Lucas, B.A. It will be beautifully illustrated 

 in colours. Specimen plates and circular may be 

 had on application to Mr. Gill, 170, Strand, W.C. 



In a review of Mr. Laver's "Animals of Essex,' 

 in " Nature," of July 14th, it is complained that 

 the author had not followed the nomenclature in 

 the new list of British Animals by Mr. Oldfield 

 Thomas. The reviewer goes on to say : " It may 

 be uncongenial, but the sooner amateur naturalists 

 take to following the lead of their professional 

 brethren the better it will be for all parties. The 

 change is bound to come, and it may as well be 

 accepted gracefully." 



In reading these opinions, given with the 

 authority whence they come, no doubt many of 

 our readers will feel a sense of intense satisfaction 

 in learning that the nomenclature of at least one 

 group of British animals has been settled once and 

 for all. Is this the fact, however? We heard in 

 the past the same thing on the production of 

 certain lists in other departments. " This list will 

 finally settle the matter," was said of several 

 important groups of plants and animals, whose 

 nomenclature is now in a worse state of confusion 

 than ever. 



That amateur naturalists do not object to the 

 change as indicated in " Nature" is proved by the 

 frequent, one may almost say continual, attempts 

 they are making in following the nomenclature of 

 the respective departments of their study. Take, 

 for instance, an English lepidopterologist of mature 

 years. He will tell us that some of our species have 

 had their names changed, both specific and generic, 

 at least four times in his memory. Neither is there 

 any prospect of the end arriving. The botanists 

 are in equal tribulation. 



For the amateur there is some excuse. There is 

 none for the professional naturalists, that is, those 

 who are paid for their work, that they should not 

 by this time have definitely settled the scientific 

 names for at least the limited number of animals 

 and plants occurring in these islands. By doing 

 so, far more good would be done than by the 

 multiplication of " species." The amateur will be 

 ready enough to gracefully and gladly accept any 

 list of names that is final. What he objects to is 

 the constant re-learning of names for some common 

 creatures known by sight to everybody. It is that 

 which disgusts and drives the amateur's interest 

 from his subject of study. 





