168 



Scientific Intelligence. 



Spontaneous Generation. — This subject Las occupied the attention of 

 the French Academy for some time, and various communications have been 

 read on the subject. The experiment of M. Pasteur on this subject are 

 conclusive. He has shown bj a series of admirable and carefully exe- 

 cuted experiments, that no organisms appeared in solutions, unless the 

 germs were introduced from without. M. Fiourens states, that he con- 

 siders M. Pasteur's experiment as decisive ; and that there is no such 

 thing as spontaneous generation. Germs and sporules are so abundant 

 in the atmosphere everywhere, that there is no excluding them from fluids 

 exposed to the air. M. Pasteur shows that even the mercury trough was 

 the receptacle of a multitude of germs, and that these entered the tubes 

 during manipulation. The experiments, therefore, required the utmost 

 caution in order to be free from all sources of fallacy. 



Call to participate in presenting a Tesfirnonial to the distinguished ^ 

 Botanist, Dr Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius of Munich. — In March 

 of the coming year 1864, Dr von Martius will reach the fiftieth anniversary 

 of his graduation in medicine. During his labours as a teacher for so 

 many years, he has gained the highest esteem of his numerous colleagues, 

 friends, and pupils, and has rendered the greatest services to science. All 

 who have been privileged to live with him, or who at times' only may have 

 been inspired by his presence, will seize with pleasure an opportunity like 

 the present, to give expression to their feelings of esteem, friendship, and 

 gratitude. The recognition, from his contemporaries, which may fall to 

 the lot of the man of action is in truth his highest reward, and there is 

 much bitterness in life which only thus is sweetened and sunk in forget- 

 fulness. Here, arriving at an epoch in his life, we see a man who is 

 honourably known not only in his own country, but far beyond its limits ; 

 who, indeed, enjoys in foreign countries a reputation such as falls to the 

 lot of few in his department of science. He has earned this reputation 

 by his unexampled activity ; and his works, which may serve as models 

 alike of profound investigation and of beautiful delineation, are so numer- 

 ous, and several are so magnificent in their plan, that they cannot but 

 excite the greatest wonder. It is true that any mark of recognition in 

 such a case is only an imperfect expression of the feelings which suggest 

 it. To express these, and, as far as possible, to embody them in an appro- 

 priate form, the undersigned have deemed it most suitable to commemo- 

 rate this jubilee occasion by presenting Dr von Martius on the day of 

 honour (the 30th of March) with a medal struck in gold. In order to pro- 

 cure for this end the necessary and not inconsiderable means, co-opera- 

 tion from all quarters is necessary. Considering the great number of 

 friends, and the multitude of his former pupils, now for the most part in 

 the position of medical practitioners or apothecaries, v/e hope we do not 

 deceive ourselves in reckoning upon numerous contributors. We beg 

 that every contributor should give at least two thalers cons., and hope 

 that such a contribution may make it possible to prepare for every con- 

 tributor a copy of the medal in bronze which will be accompanied by a list 

 of the contributors. — Erlangen, November 1863. (Signed) Dr Ludw. 

 Radlkofer, U.-Professor, Munich ; Dr Aug. Scheisk, U.-Professor, 

 Wiirzburg ; Dr Adalb. Schnizlein, U.-Professor, Erlangen. 



Geographiccd Discovery inNeiv Zecdand. — Dr James Hector,the Govern- 

 ment geologist now engaged in the;^survey of New Zealand, has discovered 

 a navigable river flowing into Martin's Bay, on the west coast, near Milford 

 Haven. This river descended and entered a lake ten or twelve miles 

 long, and from one to two miles broad. Passing through this lake, he 

 found another river falling into it at the eastern end. This river he also 

 entered and ascended for a considerable distance. He then left his vessel, 



