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munication with the perforations in the teeth. Further still, a special instinct leading the snake to make use of this wonderful weapon of offence, and suitable nerves to regulate its complicated action,

Now, unless all these numerous variations-and they might fairly be multiplied by subdivision-had in the first instance appeared simultaneously in one individual, and unless all had been duly connected, the whole apparatus would have been useless, and there would have been nothing of which natural selection could avail itself. Useful intermediate forms there can be none. A rifle is a more formidable weapon than a lance or dart, but of what use would be a thing half-way between the two? The venom-discharging apparatus has in it no part which could possibly be dispensed with.

To give one more instance. The tongue of the woodpecker is moved forwards in a singular way; not simply, as usual, by a muscle and sinew in front of the base of the tongue, but by a sinew terminating in a loop, through which passes another sinew from behind the tongue which, doubling through the loop, is attached to the base of the tongue. By this means, when the muscle is contracted, the tongue is drawn forward with a double velocity, which is to this bird specially useful. Now, it is impossible for any ingenuity to devise an action intermediate between this and the usual simple pull in respect of utility or complexity. But there is much more here than "a particular variation." The first woodpecker that possessed this structure must have had it in complete order, for otherwise the tongue would not move at all. In that woodpecker it must have commenced to exist in a rudimentary form before birth, in a germ possessing novel powers.

And here I must ask, How is it that anyone questions the Duke of Argyll's statement that "all organs do actually pass through rudimentary stages in which actual use is impossible"? Is it not precisely this which is implied in the Darwinian statement that

from the variable constitution of the ovum probably arises the varying structure of the organism developed from it"? What was afterwards developed was at first rudimentary, and useless. This is equally true of the whole organism-say of the serpent, or of the bird-and of the entirely novel and complicated apparatus found in them.

To call the apparatus in either serpent or bird "a particular variation" would be to give up the whole case for Darwinism. A wonderful combination of many particular variations has to be accounted for; and, so far as I can see, Darwinism utterly fails to account for it. There are thousands of cases presenting the same difficulty.

There are simpler cases of specific change, in which the con. currence, the simultaneous appearance, of many slight and par ticular variations is not indispensable, but only their succession in due order in the course of many generations. Here, there is some room for the theory. Thus perhaps, possibly, we might get a giraffe. But I prefer a theory which, if true at all, accounts as readily for the most complicated apparatus as for the simplest forms of living things. R. COURTENAY.

Hotel Faraglioni, Capri, January 31.

PROBABLY many readers of the recent discussion on the transmission of acquired characters will regret that a more definite conclusion has not been arrived at. This is probably due to the fact that the premises now in our possession do not admit of a definite answer yet being given. Those who assume that there is no evidence in favour of the transmission of acquired characters are mostly, I presume, supporters of "the continuity of the germ-plasm" theory of Weismann. Almost everyone admits that individuals inay and do acquire certain characters due to change in environment, use, disuse, &c.; but while many maintain that these characters are transmitted to offspring, others deny that such is the case, or think that the evidence is insufficient. In supporting "the continuity of the germ-plasm" theory it is impossible to suppose that the germ-plasm is continued from one generation to another like a portion of entailed property. For each individual gives off thousands of ova or spermatozoa as the case may be, only a very few of which go to produce new individuals; therefore there is a dissipation of "germ-plasm,"-that is to say, in the germinal cells of mammals of to-day there cannot be any of the identical "gernplasm" which existed in their remote invertebrate ancestors ages ago. For all this dissipation there must be some construc tive process, otherwise the germ-plasm would come to an end.

From whence is derived this constructive material? Clearly from the exterior, for a fertilized ovum obtains material from without to admit of growth and elaboration. The constructive material, then, which the "germ-plasm" obtains-to admit of its liberal dissemination each generation-is derived from the external world, via the organism with which it is incorporated, or indeed of which it forms a part. Secing, then, that the organism-from which this germinal matter is derived-can acquire characters-that is, undergo certain definite changes in response to altered conditions-then it seems reasonable to suppose that that part of it which ultimately finds its way to the germ-cells, is also modified during its transmission, and will therefore have more or less effect upon the forthcoming generation. But how much variation is due to the above cause, and how much to the almost infinitely various possible combinations of the two unlike germinal elements, it is impossible to say.

J. COWPEK.

Easy Lecture Experiment in Electric Resonance. AN experiment, exhibited by me in its early stages at the Royal Institution a year ago, and since shown here in various forms, on the overflow of one Leyden jar by the impulses accumulated from a similar jar discharging in its neighbourhood, is so simple an illustration of electric resonance, and so easily repeated by anyone, that I write to describe it.

Two similar Leyden jars are joined up to similar fairly large loops of wire, one of the circuits having a spark-gap with knots included, the other being completely metallic, but of an adjust able length.

The jar of this latter circuit has also a strip of tinfoil pasted over its lip so as to provide an overflow path complete with the exception of an air-chink, c. It is important that this overflow path be practically devoid of self-induction. A jar already perforated could be well utilized for the purpose. Then if the two circuits face each other at a reasonable distance. and if the slider, s, is properly adjusted, every discharge of A causes B to overflow. A slight shift of the slider puts them out of tune.

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Instead of thus adjusting by variable self-induction, my assist ant, Mr. Robinson, has made a slight modification by using a condenser of variable capacity, consisting of two glass tubes coated with tinfoil, one sliding into the other, and joined by a flexible loop of wire; an easy overflow from one coat to the other being likewise provided. On making this loop face the discharging circuit of an ordinary Voss machine with customary small jars in situ, bright sparks at the overflow gap occur when ever the common machine sparks are taken, provided the sliding condenser be adjusted to the right capacity by trial.

There is little or no advantage in using long primary sparks; the vibrations are steadier and more definite with short ones It is needless to point out that the 2 jars constitute respectively a Hertz oscillator and receiver, but fair precision of timing is more needed with these large capacities than with mere spheres impulses to accumulate. Hence actual resonance as distinguished or discs, because the radiation lasts longer and there are more from the effect of a violent solitary wave is better markedi. Moreover, the sparks are bright enough to be easily seen by a large audience. OLIVER J. LODGE.

University College, Liverpool.

African Monkeys in the West Indies. WITH reference to the note in NATURE of February 13 (p. 349), on the occurrence of an Old-World monkey in Barbados I may point out that the same West African monkey (Cizet thecus callitrichus) has also been introduced and is now found wild in St. Kitts (cf. Sclater, P.Z.S., 1866, p. 79). I likewise

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I HAD not intended to take any further part in this correspondence; but the interesting suggestion which has now been made upon the subject by Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell (NATURE, Feb. 13, p. 344) induces me to withdraw the sentences that he quotes from my previous letters, to the effect that it seems impossible to imagine any way in which galls can be attributed to natural selection acting on the plants directly. In my own consideration of the matter this seemed "obvious," and therefore my motive in taking up the difficulty as presented by Mr. Mivart was that of "asking whether anybody else had a better explanation to uffer" than the one which my letter suggested-viz. “that natural selection may operate on the plants indirectly through The insects," by always selecting those insects the character of whose secretions is such as will best cause the plants to grow The particular kind of morphological abnormality which the larvæ require. Mr. Cockerell, however, has now furnished what seems to me an extremely plausible hypothesis, showing that there is a way in which it is quite conceivable that the growth of galls may be an actual benefit to the plants, and therefore that natural selection may act directly on the plants themselves in evolving these sometimes highly specialized structures for the e of their parasites. Mr. Cockerell informs me in a private communication that he has been verifying this hypothesis by obervations in detail; but whether or not he will be able to e tablish it, I think at any rate he has done good service in thus ggesting another possibility.

On the other hand, I cannot see that Mr. Ainslie Hollis has helped us at all (NATURE, January 23, p. 272). For he merely enunciates the truism that trees which were not endowed with suficient developmental vigour" adequately to resist the attacks of gall-making insects "would doubtless have long ago succumbed in a struggle for existence." And this truism he pears to suppose furnishes an explanation of how "natural selection, operating in the ordinary manner," has produced galls for the exclusive benefit of the insects. But it is obvious that the more detrimental the growth of galls has proved to trees, the less reason there must have been for natural selection, operating in the ordinary manner," to have developed these ea highly specialized structures for the benefit of parasites. London, February 13. GEORGE J. ROMANES.

The Supposed Earthquakes at Chelmsford on

January 7.

NATURE for January 16 (p. 256) reprints from the Essex County Chronicle a short account of two supposed earthquakehicks felt at and near Chelmsford on January 7, at 12.30 and 115 p.m. Being engaged in the study of British earthquakes, I made inquiries in the district referred to, and the result of these to show that the shocks were almost certainly due to the firing of unusually heavy guns at Woolwich. It may be worth while tu tate the evidence for this conclusion somewhat fully, as it will be difficult to obtain it in after years.

I applied to the authorities at Woolwich and Shoeburyness 2- to the nature of the firing on January 7. At the latter place, the only practice was from 9-inch and 10-inch guns, the maximum charge used was 70 pounds of powder, and therefore not Cpable of producing the shocks felt at Chelmsford. At Wool wich, however, the 110-ton gun, "the heaviest in H. M. service,"

was fired at the times mentioned.

11 Form of the Disturbed Area. -The only accounts I have as ve received are from the following places: Great Warley (zar Komford), Brentwood, Epping, Ingatestone, on the road between Ongar and Fyfield, Roxwell, Chelmsford, Chignall St. James, and Chipping Hill (Witham); which are respectively at about 6, 12, 14, 16, 16, 21, 24, 24, and 32 miles distance for Woolwich. Referring to a map of Essex, it will be seen hat these places all lie close to a line drawn from Woolwich in worth easterly direction; with the exception of Epping, the rection of which is about north by east from Woolwich. According to the Time: weather report of January 8, southerly and

south-westerly breezes prevailed very generally throughout the kingdom on the previous day.

(3) Nature of the Shock.-In four cases, the shock was in the first instance attributed to the firing of heavy guns. If there was any vibration of the earth, it must have been very slight, and the following descriptions seem to leave little doubt that the rattling of windows noticed was due to an air-wave.

Great Warley-The shock "broke a pane of glass 4 feet x 2 feet on my job."

Brentwood-"The shocks commenced as a low rumble, increasing till the doors shook and rattled, as though the rumbling was followed by a bang or explosion."

Between Ongar and Fyfield (the observer driving)—"The ground felt as if it were sinking," and there was "a rumbling noise something like guns in the distance."

Roxwell-The sound "exactly resembled the report of the big guns at Shoebury, but was far louder than we usually hear them."

Chelmsford (the observer walking)-There was "a noise as of a very heavy weight being rolled across the floor of the room of the house to the south of him, which he was passing."

Chignall St. James-" The shock was extremely slight, but there was a most pronounced concussion in the air which made a sound on the windows as if a person had thumped the centre of the window frame with the soft part of his hand. There was no tremulous motion felt."

Witham-The observer "heard a strange rumbling sound which seemed to slightly deafen him, but he felt no vibration of the earth."

That the disturbances recorded had only one origin is, I think, evident, (1) from the decrease in intensity (roughly speaking) as the distance from Woolwich increases, and (2) from there being no considerable gap between the places of observation. Records from the immediate neighbourhood of Woolwich could hardly be expected, as there they would naturally be attributed to their proper source.

I am indebted to the editor of the Essex County Chronicle for inserting a letter asking for observations on the shocks, and to several gentlemen for the courtesy and kindness with which they replied to this letter and to other inquiries that I made in the surrounding district. CHARLES DAVISON. 38 Charlotte Road, Birmingham, February 13.

Shining Night-Clouds.

IN July last, on a fine night, about 8 p.m. (two hours after sunset), I noticed a fleecy cloud lit up by a yellowish light, directly over the back of a range of hills due west from this place. As it did not move, it struck my attention, and I observed that what little wind there was carried the few floating clouds north-east to south-west. I continued to watch the cloud, which covered say 4° or 5°, until 11 p.m., and concluded that as in that direction lay the Puracé volcano, about 40 miles away, the light and cloud probably came from it. But I made inquiries by telegraph, and found that no eruption had taken place in the Purace, which has been quiet now for many years. I regret, seeing now that the subject is interesting, that I did not observe more carefully. I may add that in the direction of the cloud no prairie or forest fire could have occurred to account for it. ROBERT B. WHITE. Agrado (lat. 2° 20' N.), Department of Tolima, U.S. of Colombia, S. A., December 22, 1889.

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(NATURE, xli. pp. 11, 42). I desire, in the first place, to point out the bearing of the singular minimum of the viscosity of hot iron (loc. cit., p. 34) on the interpretation given of Maxwell's theory of viscosity (Phil. Mag. (5), xxvi. pp. 183, 397, 1888; xxvii. p. 155, 1889). When iron passes through Barrett's temperature of recalescence, its molecular condition is for an instant almost chaotic. This has now been abundantly proved (cf. John Hopkinson, Phil. Trans., London, clxxx. p. 443, 1889, where the literature may be found; cf. Osmond, below). The number of unstable configurations, or, more clearly, the number of configurations made unstable because they are built up of disintegrating molecules, is therefore at a maximum. It follows that the viscosity of the metal must pass through a minimum. Physically considered, the case is entirely analogous to that of a glass-hard steel rod suddenly exposed to 300°. If all the molecules passed from Osmond's B state to his a state together, the iron or steel would necessarily be liquid. This extreme possibility is, however, at variance with the well-known principles of chemical kinetics. The ratio of stable to unstable configurations cannot at any instant be zero. Hence the minimum viscosity in question, however relatively low, may yet be large in value as compared with the liquid state.

(2) My second point has reference to the function of carbon in steel. It is not to be understood that we ignore the importance of the changes of carburation produced by tempering steel. To explain the varied physical phenomena which accompany temper, it is sufficient to recognize some special instability in the tempered metal. This is given by the carbide configuration, and the physical explanations in question may be made without specifying its nature further. Hence the permissibility of the purely physical considerations.

On the other hand, it is indeed surprising that, on the part of engineers and chemists, the important subject of temper has been but inadequately dealt with, as Prof. Austen justly remarks. Sir Frederick Bramwell (cf. NATURE, Xxxviii. p. 440), in his inaugural address at Bath, in 1888, dwelt at some length on the subject of temper. The question is again touched upon by Mr. Anderson at the Newcastle meeting of the British Association. Neither of these gentlemen, however, really shows forth the gist of the matter. Indeed, even in Ostwald's massive "Lehrbuch der Allgemeinen Chemie" (Leipzig, W. Engelmann, 1887), full of examples as it is, bearing on all points of chemical physics, the frequent and exceptionally important case of tempered steel is altogether absent. And yet the chemical interpretation to be given to the phenomena of temper seems to be closely at hand. Dr. Strouhal and I (Wied. Ann, xi. p. 390, 1880; Bulletin U.S. Geol. Survey, No. 14, chap. ii, 1885) showed that, by the process of hardening, the electrical resistance of steel may be increased by more than three times its value for the soft metal. If the hard rod is now softened, the resistance again decreases by an amount depending on the temperature to which the hard metal is exposed and on the time of such exposure, in a way which, throughout the whole research, is beautifully sharp and characteristic. Eventually, the relatively low resistance of soft steel is again reached. Now suppose the carbon molecule of steel to be dissolved in the metal, forming an alloy of Matthiessen's Class II. Seeing that the quantity of carbon contained is not large, the electrical resistance of hard steel is at once an expression of its chemical composition, structurally unknown though it be. Hence in the electrical diagram of the phenomena of temper constructed by Dr. Strouhal and myself, the time variations of resistance of hard steel at any given temperature may be interpreted as a case of Wilhelmy's (Pogg. Ann., lxxxi., pp. 413, 499, 1850) rate of chemical reaction (Reactionsgeschwindigkeit), and expressed in accordance with his well-known exponential law. This indeed is the character

of the observed time curves. Hence also the full diagram of the phenomena of temper, considered both in their variation with time and with temperature, is available for the elucidation of most points relative to the effect of temperature on rate of chemical reaction.1

(3) A further remark may be made relative to Osmond': (Annales des Mines, July-August, 1888, pp. 6-7; M»m, d° l'Artillerie de la Marine, Paris, 1888, p. 4) iron of the and the B type. The assertion that mere strain partly changes a into Biron is in conformity with the vise s behaviour of the metal. For it appears that the effect of any mechanical strain as well as of temper, is marked decrease of the viscosity of the metal. Osmond's theory, however, appears to explain too much. Since most met..is can be similarly hardened by straining, it would follow that there should be a and B varieties in all these cars even though a molecular change corresponding to Gores phenomenon in iron has only in a few instances been observed (iron, nickel, platinum-iridium alloy). I believe, however, that there is reason to be urged even in favour of this extreme view. The ion theory of metallic conductivity is fast gaining ground.

J. J. Thomson states it in his well-known book ("Applications of Dynamics," p. 296). Giese (W Ann., xxxvii. p. 576, 1889) has outlined an ion theory of electric conduction, uniformly applicable to metais, electrolytes, and gases. It seems to me, if a preliminari hypothesis be made relative to the evolution of a magne field out of an electric field; if advantage be taken of the spiral distribution of points which frequently results from the symmetrical interpenetration of two congruent Bravals systems; if, finally, in metals, the function performed y a bodily transfer of ions can also be performed by an exchange of the charges of charged atoms (Giese, in directly Helmholtz), that the possibility of an ion theor of magnetism may be suspected. Quite apart from the influence of a field, the conditions of exceptionally doe approach favourable to the transfer of charges from atom to atom, are given by the distribution of the heat agitation in the metal.

(4) I will close this note by some remarks on the charge of the character of diffusion when occurring in sols Studying the coloured oxide coats on iron, Dr. Stroubar and 1 (Bull. U.S.G.S., No. 27, p. 51, 1886) po inted out that the outer surface of the film is oxidized as highly 2 possible in air; and that the inner surface of the file. continually in contact with iron, is reduced as far a possible. This distribution of the degree of oxidation along the normal to the layer, is equivalent to a force virtue of which oxide is moved through the layer, from t external surface to its internal surface. The formation of an oxide coat is thus a case of diffusion. Conformalus with this view, the film, during its formation, behaves like an electrolyte, as was pointed out by Franz, Gauga, and Jenkin, and more recently by Bidwell and by S. Thompson.

We then adverted to the crucial difference be tween diffusion in solids and diffusion in liquids, IT asmuch as in the former case (solids) diffusion de monstrably ceases after a certain small thickness is p meated. The limit thickness of the film is reached asymptotically, through infinite time. It has a detine value for each temperature, increasing as temperaint increases. In the light of other evidence since gaires, this explanation is substantiated. The formation of the

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An ulterior consideration presents itself here relative an EXÉID" the theory of Arrhenius (ied. Ann., iv 16 904, 1878) to merzi ductivity. Arrhenius and Ostwald find in the maximum of electrolyse, i ductivity a measure of rate of reaction. I must pass over this pentasil since it is without immediate bearing on the text.

2 I have spent much time in endeavouring to throw light on thus oss and will indicate the results later. My methods were (1) to find the

mechanical strain on the carburation of steel; 2) tu find the effe₫ on the rate of solution: () to find the hydro-electric effect of watch D€ 3 A good account of the relations of the Bravais and the Sohove given by H. A. Miers, in NATURE, xxxix. p. 277

oxide coat is a case of solid diffusion, and as such it
hears the same relation to the diffusion of liquids, that
the viscosity of solids bears to the viscosity of liquids.
The two phases (solid, liquid) of each phenomenon are
to be correlated in ways essentially alike. The available
-tress, as compared with the available instability at a
en temperature, determines the time character of the
result.
CARL BARUS.

Physical Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey,
Washington, D.C.

CHRISTOFORUS HENRICUS DIEDERICUS BUYS BALLOT.

DUYS BALLOT was born on October 10, 1817, at Kloetinge in Zealand; was a student in arts and the natural sciences at the University of Utrecht, where he first became Lector of Physics and Chemistry in 1844, and then successively Professor of Mathematics in 1847, and of Experimental Physics in 1870, which latter chair he ceased to hold in November 1887 on completing his fortieth year as Professor. He was appointed Director of The Royal Meteorological Institute of the Netherlands in 14, and held this position with great ability and distincon till his death on Monday, the 3rd of the present month.

His first contribution to science was a paper on a Memical subject in 1842, this being a science of which he was Lector at the time; but soon thereafter he turned attention to meteorology, which he emphatically made he business of his life. The following are among the carlier of his papers on the subject, and they are, it will seen, very significant of his future work:-"On the nfluence of the Rotation of the Sun on the Temperature of our Atmosphere," in 1846; "On the Importance in Meteorology of Deviations from the Mean States of the Atmosphere," in 1850; "Results of the Observations of 150 and 1850 in different places in Holland," in 1851; nd "On Synchronous Representations of Weather ihenomena," in 1854.

In these early times of meteorology, when instruments ad modes of observing still greatly needed the guiding and of science towards the founding of international meteorology, Dr. Buys Ballot was wisely led to attempt De construction of no general isobaric and isothermal aps in investigating storms and other weather phenomena, but contented himself in investigating weather disturbances by representing them over the surface of Europe by means of deviations from the means, or averages, of the places represented. In this mode of working he made several of his more important contributions to meteorogy, and out of it developed the system of storm warnings Se issued for Holland. In this connection his barometric and thermometric means for a very large number of places over Europe will long be a standard work. Of these contriations, unquestionably the most important is that known BUYS BALLOT'S LAW OF THE WINDS, which states the etion between the direction of the wind and the distrition of atmospheric pressure at the time the wind is ving. This relation was further developed by Dr. han in 1869, in his paper on the mean pressure of the mosphere and prevailing winds of the globe, in which was shown that the prevailing winds of all climates are mply the result of the distribution of pressure.

one of the most exhaustive discussions of the influence of the moon on weather was made by Dr. Ballot. The ussion covered a period of about a century, and he owed that the longer the period the closer do the cases for or against any such influence approach equality. Subquent to Maury, Dr. Ballot was one of the earlier and st energetic and successful workers in maritime meteorology, and his meteorological charts of the routes of

Dutch ships over the great oceans is a standard work. Dr. Ballot also took an active and efficient part in the Meteorological Conferences and Congresses held at intervals from 1872 to 1888, which have brought about a greater uniformity in meteorological observations and discussions than previously existed. He was chosen, by the first Congress, President of the Permanent Committee. Among his last works was the proposal of a method of developing and representing the variability of the weather and climates by the values of the deviations of the daily observations from the averages, irrespective of sign.

The great merits of his indefatigable services to science, but more particularly to meteorology, were recognized by his being made LL.D. of Edinburgh University, Knight of the Order of the Netherland Lion, Commander of the Order of Franz Joseph of Austria, and of St. James of the Sword of Portugal, and Knight of second class of the Prussian Order of the Crown. But above all, his ever readiness in every degree to oblige, the genial sunshine of his face, and his lovableness, make his death to be felt by many of us as a sharp personal bereavement.

NOTES.

ON Tuesday evening the Cambridge University Natural Science Club and the Master of Downing (Dr. Alex. Hill) gave a conversazione at Downing Lodge, at which 260 guests, including many distinguished residents and non-residents, were present. The several scientific professors were very liberal in lending the treasures from their museums, and as this is the first entertainment of the kind which has been given in Cambridge, many objects of great historic interest, such as Babbage's

calculating machine, Cavendish's apparatus, &c., were exhibited.

Artificial silk was spun, quartz filaments drawn, smokeless gunpowder and other scientific novelties shown. One of the most interesting exhibits was a series of Egyptian heads unwrapped from their mummy cloths, and artfully "restored" by Prof. Macalister. A very attractive feature of the entertainment was an address by Dr. Lauder Brunton, who had much that was interesting to say about his recent experiences in India. Mr. Gardiner illustrated the dispersion of seeds by the aid of the limelight and boxes of seeds of various kinds suspended from the ceiling.

THE annual general meeting of the Geological Society of London will be held to-morrow (Friday) at 3 o'clock, and the Fellows and their friends will dine together at the Criterion Restaurant at 7.30 p.m.

BEFORE the next ordinary meeting of the Royal Microscopical Society, it will have moved its quarters from the rooms hitherto occcupied by it in King's College, which are now required for the purposes of the College, to 20 Hanover Square. The ordinary meetings will in future be held on the third instead of the second Wednesday in the month, and the annual meeting in January instead of February. The Quekett Microscopical Club has also transferred its place of meeting to 20 Hanover

Square since the commencement of the year.

WE regret to have to record the death of Sir Robert Kane, F.R.S. He died after a short illness on Sunday, the 16th inst., at his residence in Dublin.

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being removed. The Canadians are justly proud of the University of Toronto, and will no doubt provide for it even more splendid buildings than those which are now in ruins.

SIGNOR SELLA's views of the Caucasus have been on exhibition in the Royal Geographical Society's map-room since Friday last, and will continue to be exhibited till the close of the month.

WE print elsewhere Prof. David P. Todd's record of work done by the U.S. Scientific Expedition to West Africa, 1889, of which he was director. This is one of several bulletins printed on board the U.S.S. Pensacola.

IN the engineering notes from North-West India, of Engineering of the 14th inst., we find a most interesting account of the testing of the Chenab Bridge, near Mooltan. This bridge consists partly of seventeen spans of 200 feet, which are of mild steel throughout. These trusses are of the Whipple-Murphy type, with raking heel posts; the ties are at an angle of 45°, and consequently the depth is a tenth of the span. In previous girders of this type, made in iron, the deflection under full loads was usually less than o'0004 of the span, while here 1 inch, equal to o'0006, obtains throughout, and in each case the observed permanent set is less than inch in the whole thirtyfour girders in the viaduct. Engineering observes that "there is thus no question of bad workmanship either in the pieces sent out from home or in the erection at site, and it is very clear that steel structures, especially when so light as these spans, which only weigh, with corrugated floor and all bearing and expansion gear, 220 tons each, are necessarily more sensitive than those of iron."

THE new number of the Internationales Archiv für Ethnographie (Band ii. Heft vi.) opens with a valuable paper, by Prof. G. Schlegel, of Leyden, on Siamese and Chinese-Siamese coins. This contribution is illustrated by a coloured plate. Of the other papers, the most important is an account of the Nanga of the Fiji Islands, by Mr. Adolph B. Joske, Fiji. These remarkable stone inclosures, now ruined, were first brought to the notice of anthropologists by the Rev. Lorimer Fison, of the Australasian Wesleyan Mission. Three of them have been visited by Mr. Joske, and he is thus enabled to give the plan of an inclosure drawn from his own measurements. His paper has been edited by Baron Anatole von Hügel, who adds instructive notes. In another paper, Prof. Giglioli gives an interesting account of a remarkable stone axe and stone chisel in use among the Chamacocos of South-East Bolivia.

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WE are glad to observe that in the Ceylon estimates for the current year provision is made for an increased vote of Rs. 10,000 for archæological purposes. Sir Arthur Gordon, in explaining the vote, said, "It is proposed to make some systematic examination of the interesting remains at Sigiri, and to coma modest scale, before the rapidly disappearing monuments of the past have altogether perished, a species of archæological survey resembling that carried on in India. Such an examination should be completed in about three years, and the vote is proposed to cover the salary and travelling expenses, for 1890, of the officer selected for the purpose."

A LARGE and rich collection of specimens of amber, illustrating all the varieties found in the amber district of North Germany, has lately been sent to the New York School of Mines by one of its earliest graduates, Mr. H. A. Demelli, now a resident of Berlin. At a recent meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences, this collection was examined with great interest by the members, and Dr. Newberry, the President, read an instructive paper on amber. After the reading of the paper, Dr. N. L. Britton spoke of the occasional occurrence of amber in New Jersey, in connection with the lignites so abundant in

the Cretaceous and Eocene beds; and Mr. George F. K exhibited several specimens of American amber, one of -from Mexico-excited much admiration. Mr. Kunz saul ** during the last fifteen or twenty years travellers had occasi ally brought specimens of a very remarkable amber from locality in Southern Mexico. The only thing known about s amber is that it is taken to the coast by natives, who report it occurs in the interior so plentifully, and in such large pue that they use it for making fires. It is of a rich, deep go yellow, and, when viewed in different positions, it exhibe remarkably green fluorescence, like that of certain petroler It is perfectly transparent, and, according to Mr. Kuni, c more beautiful than the famous so-called opalescent of amber found at Catania, Sicily.

A FRESH illustration of the way in which foreign plants av become "weeds" under new and favourable conditions afforded by Melilotus alba in the Western States of Amer. L It was introduced a few years ago as a garden-plant, and ' spread so rapidly in the rich bottom-lands along the Mi River that, according to Garden and Forest, it is fast drive. out the sunflower and other native weeds. It is comm called "Bokhara clover."

AT the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the R Horticultural Society, on February 11, Dr. Oliver and Prof. S presented an interim report on the investigations undertakro them respecting the effects of London fogs on plants under in Specimens of orchids affected by fog had been received fr Messrs. Veitch and Son, Chelsea; and of tomato plants the superintendent of the Royal Horticultural Society's gartre at Chiswick. On the suggestion of the chairman. it was da that the chemical constituents of London fog should be vestigated, and that the exciting causes of the injury to pr should be traced. In order that the work might be carried under advantageous circumstances, it was resolved that app tion should be made to the Government Grant Committee of Royal Society for pecuniary aid.

Ar the same meeting of the Royal Horticultural Soci Scientific Committee, Mr. McLachlan drew attention to advent in sugar-cane at St. Vincent, where in some localities 20 25 per cent. of the crop would be lost this year. Acconting Mr. Herbert Smith, who had examined the canes, a beeted the family Scolytidæ, and the larva of a moth, were concrme! It is probable that the beetles enter the canes only by the holes of the moths, and that the moth is a widely spread spect already known to attack sugar-cane in other countries.

IN the January number of the American Naturalis R. E. C. Stearns begins what promises to be an interest?series of papers on the effects of musical sounds on animals h first paper deals with "dogs and music." From his fros Prof. George Davidson, of California, he has received the lowing instance :-"A small black-and-tan named Bo belonging to Mr. A. B. Corson, of North Fifth Street, Pa delphia, will, on hearing Shall we meet beyond the rive sung, throw her head back and set up a most dismal howl, v* ́ the tears will run down her cheeks. If the tune is plar. solemnly on an organ and no word spoken, the same thing occur; but if any of the words are spoken, with not the slig musical intonation, she will run to the speaker, and beg plead in her own way, and do everything but speak, to have stopped."

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