nugatory through the action of our county magistrates, who have refused to present the requisite petition to the Home Office. They must have been aware that their action doomed innumerable young birds to death by starvation, since the cliff-climbers collect the eggs until July (a perfectly legitimate industry, by the way, carried on by hard-working men, and producing valuable food), and thus render it impossible for the majority of the birds to get their young reared by the 1st of August.

And, in consequence, whenever during August I go on the share under the great cliffs where the birds breed, my ears are filled with the melancholy "piping" of the starving helpless young, dying slowly on the ledges, whose parents have been shot-for sport, or threepence. G. W. LAMPLUGH. Bridlington Quay.

Locusts.

WITH reference to the flight of locusts which passed over the steam-ships Golconda and Clyde in the Red Sea about November 15 last, it would be interesting to ascertain to what species they belong. The past year, 1889-90, has been marked in India by the invasion of locusts belonging to the species Acridium peregrinum, which, starting, it is believed, about the end of the hot weather (May or June), from the sand-hills of Western Kajputana, have, during the past six months, spread in vast numbers over the whole of Sind, Rajputana, the Punjab, NorthWest Provinces, and Oudh, besides penetrating sporadically into Guzerat, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Khandesh, and parts of Central India, a stray flight even appearing in the Kistna district of the Madras Presidency.

This insect, which is supposed to be the locust of the Bible, and which is undoubtedly the one that periodically invades Algeria from the Sahara, though it is altogether distinct from the locust Stauronotus maroccanus, of which so much has been

heard in Algeria during the past two years, is likely to be the species which was observed in the Red Sea. To ascertain the point, however, with certainty, it is essential that specimens, which I am told fell upon the deck of the ship Clyde in considerable numbers, should be examined and determined entomologically, and my object therefore in addressing you is to endeavour to obtain some of the specimens for comparison with those which have invaded India.

It is worthy of notice that in 1869 when Rajputana suffered considerably from locusts, vast swarms were also observed by ships passing through the Red Sea, and it would therefore be interesting to learn to what extent 1869 and 1889 were years of

locust invasion in the intervening countries of Arabia, Persia, and Biluchistan. It is much to be regretted that in 1869 neither the locusts found in Rajputana nor in the Red Sea appear to have heen preserved or determined, and their identity therefore cannot le definitely established. E. C. COTES.

Indian Museum, Calcutta, February 28.

taining scrolls of photographic paper. These cylinders were made to revolve slowly by a very simple connection with a clock, so as to give the paper a progressive movement behind the index of the instrument, the place of which was registered by the representation of its own image.

In 1846, Mr. Charles Brooke and Sir Francis Ronalds each brought forward a method for the registration of magnetic and meteorological instruments by means of photography. The methods are those now in use, the former at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the latter at the Observatories of the Meteorological Office.

Although these instruments were not shown, they were fully illustrated by photographs and drawings. A number of the barograms and thermograms were exhibited by the Astronomer-Royal and the Meteorological Council, showing the passage of storm centres, and sudden changes of temperature and humidity. A set of baro grams from various parts of the world was exhibited by the Meteorological Council, showing the barometric oscillation due to the Krakatao eruption, August 1883. The thermogram at Kew on May 8, 1871, showed a fall of about 20 of temperature during a thunderstorm at 4 p.m.

Mr. Symons exhibited a photographic scale showing the intensity of sunlight during the solar eclipse of July 18, 1860; and the Kew Committee showed the chemical photometer devised by Sir H. Roscoe in 1863. Mr. J. B. Jordan exhibited his experimental instrument for recording the intensity of daylight, and also the three patterns of his sunshine recorder. Similar instruments designed by Dr. Maurer, of Zürich, and Prof. McLeod, were also shown. Prof. Pickering sent a photograph of his Pole-star recorder, in use at the Harvard College Observatory, U.S.A., for registering the cloudiness during the night. This instrument consists of a telescopic objective attached to a photographic camera and directed to the Pole-star; the camera is provided with very sensitive plates which are inserted in the evening, and a shutter, worked by an alarm clock, is closed before dawn. If the sky be clear during the night, the plate, after development, shows a semicircle traced by the revolution of the star around the North Pole, but if clouds have passed across the star, the trace is broken.

The photo-nephograph designed by Captain Abney for the registration of the velocity and direction of motion of clouds was exhibited by the Meteorological Council, as well as a model showing the manner in which the pair of photo-nephographs are mounted for use at the Kew Observatory. One of the instruments is placed on the

EXHIBITION.

ΤΗ HE eleventh Annual Exhibition of the Royal Meteorological Society was held at the Institution of Civil Engineers on March 18 and three following days. Each Annual Exhibition is devoted to some special branch of meteorology, which is illustrated by specimens of all known instruments (or drawings and descriptions of the same) that have been employed in its investigation. This year's Exhibition was illustrative of the application of photography to meteorology. Photographic meteorological instruments are not numerous, and those used for recording the indications of the barometer, thermometer, and electrometer are very costly and delicate, and are only made to order. The number of instruments in the Exhibition was consequently less than in previous years, but this deficiency was fully made up by the large and highly interesting collection of photographs of meteorological phenomena.

The earliest application of photography for the continuous registration of the barometer, &c., was made by Mr. T. B. Jordan, of Falmouth, in 1838. His plan was to furnish each instrument with one or more cylinders con

800 yards; the observers at each end are in telephonic communication. Both cameras being oriented with reference to the same point of the horizon, the distant observer is instructed as to the direction and elevation of his instrument. The chief observer controls the exposure, both cameras being exposed simultaneously; another pair of plates are exposed after an interval of one minute. A slide rule designed by General R. Strachey for obtaining the height and distance of clouds from the pictures yielded by the cloud cameras was also exhibited, as well as photographs of an experimental apparatus designed. by Mr. G. M. Whipple for the same purpose.

The Exhibition included a large and interesting collection of photographs of clouds. Padre F. Denza sent a set of 80 cloud photographs which had been taken during the past twelve months at the Specula Vaticana, Rome. M. Paul Garnier exhibited a magnificent set of 17 large photographs of clouds taken at his observatory, Boulogne-sur-Seine, Paris. These are the best photographs of clouds that have been seen in this country, and they were consequently very much admired. M. Garnier has not yet explained the method he adopts for obtaining such beautiful pictures. Dr. Riggen

bach, of Basle, showed some photographs of cirrus clouds taken by reflection from the surface of the Lake of Sarnen. In this case the surface of the water acts like a polarizing mirror, and extinguishes the sky light. Photographs of clouds were also exhibited by Mr. Clayden, Dr. Drewitt, Dr. Green, Mr. Gwilliam, Mr. Harrison, Mr. McKean, Messrs. Norman May and Co., Mr. H. C. Russell, and Mr. Symons. Mr. H. P. Curtis, of Boston, U.S.A., sent a valuable and highly interesting collection of photographs, showing the devastation caused by the tornadoes at Rochester, Minnesota, on August 21, 1883, and at Grinnell, Iowa, on June 17, 1884. After seeing these photographs, some idea can be formed of the immense destruction wrought by these terrible scourges, which so frequently visit various parts of the United States. Mr. Curtis also exhibited three photographs of the tornado cloud; two of these were taken at Jamestown, Dakota, on June 6, 1887, when the cloud funnel was 12 miles to the north; the third, which was taken in New Hampshire, during the storm on June 22, 1888, shows the spiral-shaped funnel trailing at a considerable altitude in the air.

Many interesting photographs illustrating meteorological phenomena were exhibited. These included floods, snow-drifts, hoar-frost, frozen waterfalls, &c. A large number of photographs of flashes of lightning taken during the last twelve months were also shown, as well as some photographs of electric sparks, taken by Mr. Clayden and Mr. Bidwell, which explain the formation of dark images of lightning-flashes.

Mr. Clayden exhibited a very interesting and instructive working model, showing the connection between the monsoons and the currents of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Mr. Dines showed a model of the whirling machine used by him at Hersham for testing anemometers and for experiments on wind-pressure; he also exhibited a remarkable curve showing the normal component of the wind-pressure upon a sloping surface 1 foot square, the normal pressure being taken as 100, and the pressure at various angles of inclination being expressed proportionately. Mr. Munro sent two instruments which he has recently constructed in conjunction with Mr. Dines. The first is for showing the velocity of the wind. The shaft of an anemometer is connected with the shaft of the instrument, and in turning works a small centrifugal pump, thus raising the level of the mercury in the long cistern. The deflection of the pendulum from the vertical position is proportional to the rate of turning, and thus gives a uniform scale. The second instrument is for showing the pressure of the wind from a velocity anemometer. The arrangement is the same as in the preceding instrument, but the fall of the float in the small circular cistern is proportional to the square of the velocity and therefore to the wind-pressure, thus giving a scale of pressure with the divisions at uniform distances.

Mr. Hicks exhibited Draper's self-recording metallic thermometer; a mercurial minimum thermometer with lens front; and a radial scale thermometer. Mr. Long showed Trotter's compensating thermometer for taking temperatures at any distance; and Mr. Denton exhibited his clinical thermometer case with new spring-catch. WILLIAM MARRIOTT.

THE ORIGIN AND COMPOSITION OF THE FLORA OF THE KEeling islANDS.

AT T intervals I have contributed to NATURE the results of the more recent investigations of insular floras, more especially in relation to the dispersal of plants by ocean currents, birds, and winds; and now, through the courtesy of the author and Captain Petrie, Honorary Secretary of the Victoria Institute, I am able to furnish

a commentative summary of a lecture by Dr. H. B. Guppy, on the flora of the Keeling Islands.

It is hardly necessary to mention that Darwin visite: these islands in 1836, except in connection with the fac that Dr. Guppy's visit was in a measure an outcome of that event. In 1878, Mr. H. O. Forbes spent some time there, and extended our knowledge of the flora. Primarily, no doubt, the coral-reef question took Dr. Guppy to the scene of Darwin's early labours, though he was probably not less interested in the flora, having been stimulated by practical botanizing in the Solomon Islands a few year previously; and a stay of nearly ten weeks enabled him to elucidate many points that were either obscure or conjectural.

Mr. John Murray, of the Challenger Expedition, found funds for Dr. Guppy's mission, and he presented to the Kew Herbarium the collections made of dried plants and drifted seeds and fruits; and there, such of them as were not already familiar to Dr. Guppy, and of which the mate rial was sufficient, were named, and a set incorporated

For the sake of brevity it will be better to describe what Dr. Guppy has accomplished, rather than follow him through his account of it.

Specimens were taken of all the different species of plants found in a wild state in the islands; notes made of the conditions under which they occurred, of ther relative frequency, of their chances of propagation, and of their natural enemies, besides other particulars. addition to seeds, or fruits containing the seeds, of the plants actually established on the islands, many other were picked up on the beach, where they had been de posited by the waves. Whilst most of these were in various stages of decay, others were actually germinat ing, and the question arose, Why had they not succeeded in obtaining a footing? As we shall presently learn, this question was easily answered.

Another point on which we had little trustworthy in formation was the length of time various seeds of essen. tially littoral and insular plants would bear immersion, or, rather, flotation, in sea-water without losing their vitality. With the exception of a few isolated instances of seeds having germinated after having been carried across the Atlantic to the western coast of Europe, very little was known, because the majority of the seeds or perimented with by botanists at home did not belong t this class of widely-spread plants. Dr. Guppy institited experiments on the spot, and although his time was too short to determine the extreme limits of endurance of the various seeds, he was able to prove that certain kinds germinated freely after being thirty, forty, or fifty days in sea-water. Again, he observed that some seeds that de not readily float, or only for quite short periods, are conveyed hither and thither in a variety of ways-such as in the cavities of pumice-stone, and in the crevices of driftwood.

From all available evidence, it is almost absolutely certain that there were no permanent inhabitants of the Keeling Islands till about the end of the first quarter of the present century; and from the most trustworthy ac counts the islands were covered with vegetation, the coco-nut largely preponderating in the arboreous ele ment. Indeed, as the outer part was almost entirely coco-nut, it seemed, as Darwin says, at first glance to compose the whole wood. But there is evidence that there were large "forests" in the interior of the islands. consisting mainly of the iron-wood, Cordia subcordata The largest island is said to be only about five miles long: and the group is between 600 and 700 miles from the nearest land, excluding the small Christmas Island.

Already at the time of Darwin's visit in 1836, the islands were in the possession of Captain Ross, the

"The Dispersal of Plants, as illustrated by the Flora of the Keeing Cocos Islands." A Paper read at a meeting of the Victoria Institute (a Monday, February 3, 1890, by Dr. H. B. Guppy.

grandfather of the present proprietor, and coco-nut planting was progressing. Since then most of the available ground has been cleared of other vegetation and planted with coco-nut trees, so that the wild vegetation is nearly limited to an external fringe, and this often broken. In North Keeling, about fourteen miles distant from the main group, which was not visited either by Darwin or Forbes, there was still sufficient of the original vegetation left for Dr. Guppy to form an idea of what it was generally before it was cleared away for cultivation. Darwin's investigations had the effect of arousing the interest of Captain Ross in the natural history of the group, and this interest has been inherited by his descendants, who have greatly aided subsequent travellers by their hospitality and by their knowledge of local phenomena. Darwin collected or noted about a score of different species of wild plants, and this number has now been doubled by Forbes and Guppy.

This brings us to the results of Guppy's own investigations, the most interesting and important being those relating to the capabilities of certain plants, notably the coco-nut, to establish themselves on coral islands, as some writers of repute have strongly contested the possibility of it, and there can be little doubt that the coco-nut and other plants having large seeds obtain a footing only under exceptional circumstances, such as being buried by the sands washed over them in heavy gales.

Foreign coco-nuts are frequently cast ashore on the Keeling Islands, where they sometimes germinate, but the crabs invariably destroy the sprouting nut. Suppose, however, a period when crabs were less numerous, and the chances are not so very remote of some of the growing nuts escaping them. Again, Mr. Forbes cites an instance in which the crabs may even facilitate the establishment of the coco-nut, for he observed that the crabs sometimes burrow so near the surface that the nuts Occasionally break through and find favourable conditions for growth. Should they escape the crabs in their earliest infancy, they are safe. Many other plants are now prevented by the crabs from establishing themselves on the Keeling Islands. Dr. Guppy says:

"I have been informed by the proprietor that sometimes when a large amount of vegetable drift has been stranded on the beach, a line of sprouting plants may be shortly observed just above the usual high-tide mark; but the tender shoots are soon eaten by the crabs, and in a little time every plant is gone. Many of the seeds that germinate on the beach are beans, varying in size from those of Entada scandens downward. They form onethird of the vegetable drift."

Indeed, the crabs are so numerous that Mr. Ross has failed in many attempts to raise plants of some of these things in his garden. One flourishing Entada scandens and a sickly Calophyllum Inophyllum were all the reward of much trouble in this direction. The huge square fruits of Barringtonia speciosa are often thrown up, and the seed germinates, but very few escape the crabs. This tree had not established itself in North Keeling, though in August 1888, Dr. Guppy observed two seedlings about eighteen inches high, and they owed their preservation, it was supposed, to the circumstance of the fruits having been concealed when the seeds germinated by the bed of fine drift pumice that had been deposited on the shores of the lagoon after the Krakatão eruption.

Particulars are given of the incipient germination and early destruction of Carapa, Nipa, Cycas, and other seeds. Of course, the clearing of the original vegetation and subsequent cultivation, and the incidental or intentional introduction of various birds and animals, and the migration of the myriads of sea-birds that formerly inhabited the islands must all be taken into consideration. Yet no species of plant ever known to grow wild there has become quite extinct, an evidence of their tenacity of life under unfavourable conditions.

Dr. Guppy's additions to the Keeling flora include the following plants, which he regards as having formed part of the original vegetation, judging from the conditions under which he found them: Calophyllum Inophyllum, Thespesia populnea, Triumfetta subpalmata, Suriana maritima, Canavalia obtusifolia, Terminalia Catappa, Barringtonia speciosa, Sesuvium Portulacastrum, Ipomea grandiflora, I. biloba (1. pes-capra), Premna obtusifolia, and Hernandia peltata. Their general distribution fully justifies this deduction.

The experiments on the vitality of seeds after forty to fifty days in sea-water were necessarily of a limited character, but they established the fact that the following germinated: Cordia subcordata, Hernandia peltata, Guettarda speciosa, Thespesia populnea, Scævola Kanigii, Morinda citrifolia, and Tournefortia argentea. Every seed of the last named germinated after forty days', and half of the seeds of Morinda after fifty-three days' immersion. Dr. Guppy calculates that a surface current of only one knot an hour would convey drift a distance of 1000 to 1200 miles during these periods. From the fact that almost all the drift is thrown up on the eastern and southern coasts, it is assumed that the bulk of it comes from the Malay Archipelago, and perhaps some from the north-west coast of Australia. This is borne out by the general distribution of the established Keeling plants, as well as by the other seeds and fruits that are stranded there.

Among the latter may be mentioned Pangium edule, Heritiera littoralis, Erythrina indica, Mucuna spp., Dioclea reflexa, Casalpinia Bonducella, Cerbera Odollam, Quercus spp., and Caryota.

Carpophagous pigeons have played no recognizable part in the flora of the Keeling Islands. In his forthcoming book Dr. Guppy will doubtless give all the details of his observations in a more connected and systematic form.

W. BOTTING HEMSLEY.

NOTES.

TO-DAY the honorary freedom and livery of the Turners Company are to be conferred on Sir John Fowler, K.C.M.G., and Sir Benjamin Baker, K. C. M.G., "in recognition of their distinction and eminence as engineers, earned by many great works at home and abroad, especially the design and construction of the Forth Bridge, one of the greatest triumphs of British engineering in the Victorian age."

SIR JOHN KIRK, F.R.S., AND SIR WILLIAM TURNER, F.R.S., Professor of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, have been elected members of the Athenæum Club, under the rule which provides for the annual election of a certain number of persons of distinguished eminence in science, literature, or the arts, or for public services.

MR. T. KIRKE ROSE, Associate of the Royal School of Mines, has obtained the appointment of Assistant Assayer at the Royal Mint, by competition among selected candidates. It is a post of some importance, and the salary rises from £350 to £450, with an official residence in the Mint. After an unusually brilliant career at the Royal School of Mines, Mr. Rose was engaged as metallurgist and assayer to the Colorado Gold and Silver Extraction Company in Denver. It is to be hoped that he will afford valuable assistance to Prof. Roberts-Austen in preserving the standard fineness of our coinage with the remarkable degree of accuracy that generations of assay masters have

attained.

SIR HENRY ROSCOE has introduced into the House of

Commons a Technical Education Bill, which is intended to clear up any doubt as to the legality of the provision of technical

and momal instruction in public elementary schools, The lowing we the provisions of the measure : (1) The managers of any publy, elementary school may provide technical or manual trattmetom for the scholars in that school, either on the school pivita off any other place approved by the inspector, and anyodance by the scholars of the school at such instruction shall be deemed to be attendance at the public elementary assal pal. The conditions on which Parlamentary grants shall De stady on and of rechu cal or manual instruction in public eleMystery avoids, shall be those contamol in the Minutes of the Cory Acaba. INavicellch, and of the Scence and Art Department The express on "technical in

Mr. Trueman Wood spoke of the new application of electricity to the photographic art in fixing for study natural phenomena. The chairman, in giving the thanks of the meeting to Lord Rayleigh, referred to some photographs taken in less than the 100,000th part of a second under the name of a "photographic untruth." Captain Abney dealt with the untruth of form, which photography gave when judged by light and shade, a | subject which could only be explained by series of drawings on the black-board and shadows cast upon the sheet.

THE Royal Microscopical Society has received from Dr. E. Abbe, of Jena, one of the new apochromatic 14th microscope of ectives recently produced at Zeiss's optical works, Jena, ander Dr. Abbe's superintendence. The aperture is the highes hitherto attained, being 15 N A., whereas the highest point previously reached by Dr. Cess was 14 N.A.. so that the clear gain of aperture is 20 per cent. The advantage of this increase is shown by the pericace of the images strained in phim microSANS TALIced or the dev teate a the tabs Dr. Henn Via Hera Trex d the Banque, Antwerp, SecTIS A VER VT Vere calibret the las meeting a the 32 Vespa NCET 1 is peeing announced that Dr Chumpen FRS.. ad consented to under Microscop

Society of Australia have forwarded to the Baron a draft for £100 towards the expenses of obtaining some information regarding the fauna and flora of Kina Balu and its neighbourhood. Baron de Lissa has placed himself in communication with the Governor on the subject, and is endeavouring to secure the services of a well-known geologist and naturalist who is residing at Sandakan.

THE following science lectures will be delivered at the Royal Victoria Hall :-April 1, an hour with the telescope, by J. D. McClure; April 15, the colours of a soap bubble, by John Cox.

IT is pleasant to turn over the pages of the handsome new edition of Darwin's famous "Voyage of a Naturalist" (Murray). The text is well printed, and no one can fail to enjoy the admirable illustrations contributed by Mr. R. T. Pritchett. In a prefatory note Mr. Murray explains that most of the views given in the work are from sketches made on the spot by Mr. Pritchett, with Mr. Darwin's book by his hand.

In a few days the first part of a new work on the theory of determinants, by Dr. Muir, of Glasgow, will be published by Messrs. Macmillan and Co. It presents the subject in the historical order of its development, beginning with the brilliant but unfruitful conceptions of Leibnitz in 1693, and carrying the record forward to 1841, the year of the appearance of Cayley's first paper.

MR. H. A. MIERS, of the Natural History Museum, is engaged upon a text-book of mineralogy, which will be published by Messrs. Macmillan and Co.

LAST week (p. 478) we noted that at the meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, on February 28, Dr. John Berry Haycraft had communicated the results of some recent investigations on voluntary muscular contraction. Dr. Haycraft's observations are interesting both to physiologists and to physicists. Where a muscle is stimulated by an electrical shock, all the fibres of the nerve receive the same stimulus, and all the fibres of the muscle to which the nerve passes contract together, and in the same way. This is not the case when a muscle contracts on receiving a natural nerve stimulation, starting either as a result of volition or of reflex action. The central nervous system seems unable to affect all the fibres of a muscle, through the numerous nerve fibres passing to it, in such a manner that they all shall contract exactly in the same way. The reason for supposing this to be the case is the fact, observed by the author, that fascicular movements are always present within a muscle during a voluntary or a reflex contraction, so that tracings taken from different parts of the same muscle invariably differ from each other. The experiments were conducted both upon the human masseter and the gastrocnemius muscle of the frog. These fascicular movements occurring within it will prevent any muscle from pulling with perfect steadiness on any lever or other registering apparatus, and the tracings taken by means of such apparatus will show oscillatory waves, often very rhythmical in their appearance. Many observers have concluded from an examination of these tracings that they indicate that the central nervous system discharges impulses into the muscle at a rate corresponding with that of the oscillations observed. Thus some observers find 20, others 10 oscillations per second in the muscle curve, and they consider that the nervous system discharges into the muscle at these rates. The author finds that the fascicular movements just described as occurring within the muscle itself account fully for the oscillations seen, the irregular aperiodic movements of the muscle compounding themselves with the period of oscillation proper to the registering apparatus itself, for by varying the instruments used, the resultant curves may be varied at will, slow oscillations appearing when using

instruments of slow period, quick oscillations when using instruments of quick period. The author suggests that these fascicular movements probably account for the production of the muscle sound, which Helmholtz long ago pointed out was chiefly

an

ear-resonance sound. This, of course, could readily be evoked by any slow aperiodic movement, and the fascicular movements within the muscle must at any rate assist in producing it. These fascicular movements may, perhaps, account for the results obtained by Lovén, with the capillary electrometer, for it is more probable that he was registering the period of his own instrument than that the muscles were twitching at the slow rate of 8 times per second. If these conclusions are correct, there remains little to be said in support of the theory generally accepted that the nervous system normally discharges nerve impulses into the muscles like shots quickly fired from a revolver. It may be that this is the case, but the subject requires more extended investigation before any definite

conclusions can be arrived at.

THE St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences has issued the Report for 1889, which was read at the annual meeting on The Report contains a valuable analysis of the January 12. scientific work done by the members during the year. In mathematics, Prof. Tchebysheff's applications of simple fractions to the investigation of the approximate value of the square root, and M. Ishmenetsky's work on the integration of symmetrical differential equations, are especially worthy of note. In astronomy, we notice O. A. Backlund's researches on the influence of temperature upon refraction. In physics, M. Khwolson made an attempt at a mathematical investigation of the extremely complicated laws of dispersion of light in milk-coloured glasses. The exploration of earth magnetism has made marked progress, both as regards the theory of diurnal variations and the measurement of magnetical elements in Caucasia and Siberia. Besides theoretical work in meteorology, the Central Physical Observatory has extended its system of weather-forecasts. Much interesting work has been accomplished in geology, Baron Toll having brought out the first volume of the geological part of the work of the expedition to the New Siberia Islands. In the botanical department the chief event was the publication of two parts of Prof. Maximowicz's description of the plants brought from Central Asia by Przewalsky, as well as the flora of Western China, as represented in the valuable collections brought by M. Potanin. Highly interesting work was done in zoology by Prof. Famintzyn.

WHEN the sun sets in the sea, a curious appearance, as of a bluish-green flame, is sometimes observed. This has been thought to be due to the light passing through the crests of waves. But Prof. Sohncke (Met. Zeits.) considers this view disproved by such an observation as that recently made by Prof. Lange at a watering-place on the Baltic. Shortly before sunset, the disk was divided in two by a thin strip of cloud; and just as the upper part disappeared under the cloud, the blue flame was observed. Thus the cause appears to be in the air, not in the It is a case of atmospheric refraction. And as a planet, seen near the horizon with a good telescope, appears drawn out into a spectrum, with the more refracted blue-violet end higher than the red, so the last visible part of the sun furnishes the blue-violet end of a spectrum. But it would be interesting, Herr Sohncke remarks, to determine more precisely the conditions of this not very frequent phenomenon. Perhaps it requires merely great transparency of air, as only in this case would the last ray be able to give a spectrum sufficiently intense in its blue region.

sea.

THE Report of the Meteorological Council for the year ending March 31, 1889, has been published, and describes the work of the Office under three heads. (1) Ocean Meteorology. The