50 Nature protected 
auricula, Gnaphalium Leontopodium 
(Edelweiss). The last mentioned plant 
is protected in all provinces where it 
occurs. In 1902, the Minister of Edu- 
cation was enabled by Parliament to 
promote the care of natural monu- 
ments. He requested from the philo- 
sophical faculty of the university of 
Vienna a report on the value of these 
endeavours. The reports treat of the 
protection of natural objects of geo- 
graphical, geological, botanical, zoo- 
logical, and aesthetic interest. For the 
future, the state offices were to be 
charged with the registering of the 
natural monuments in their districts. 
These papers were not published, and 
no protective measures were taken. 
Some years ago, the corporation of 
Aussig, Bohemia, saved a characteristic 
rock of basalt, by closing a quarry. 
In the year 1906, the corporation of 
Vienna granted a sum of about two 
