view on Monday, December 16, at 8 p.m., and on and after Tuesday, December 17, it will be open to visitors on presentation of card. The Exhibition will consist of pictures by the late Mr. O. G. Rejlander, and a selection from over 200 of his famous figure and genre studies will be shown. The pictures will be on view for about six weeks. ON November 21 the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, celebrated the hundredth anniversary of its first occupation of its present hall. The banquet was a great success. The following were the toasts :-"The language of Science and Philosophy is universal, but adopts various dialectic forms to diffuse knowledge," proposed by Prof. John W. Mallet, representative from the Royal Society of London; "Our kindred Societies in every clime," proposed by Prof. Joseph Lovering, President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; "All research into the Book of Nature has not discovered an erratum," proposed by Sir Daniel Wilson, President of the University of Toronto; "The successful pursuit of Science expunges error-it never antagonizes truth," proposed by the Hon. Lyon G. Tyler, President of William and Mary College; "Mental Analysis is the efficient solvent of many difficulties in Science and Philosophy," proposed by the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Shields, Princeton College; and "The labours and achievements of great teachers in Science and Philosophy live after them-these are their monuments," proposed by the Right Rev. Dr. John J. Keane, President of the Catholic University of America. DR. PAX, of Breslau, has been appointed Curator of the Botanic Garden in Berlin; Mr. D. G. Fairchild, Assistant in the section of Vegetable Pathology in the United States Department of Agriculture; Dr. H. Dingler, Professor of Botany in the Forest Academy of Aschaffenburg; Dr. F. Noll, Professor of Botany in the University of Bonn; and Dr. N. Wille, of Stockholm, Lecturer on Botany at the Royal Agricultural Institution at Aas, near Christiania. PROF. BORNMULLER, Director of the Botanic Garden at Belgrade, has started on a twelve months' botanical tour through Asia Minor. Beginning at Amasia, he will travel through the country between the courses of the Kisil-Irmak and Euphrates, southward to the completely unexplored mountains of Ak-dagh. The Botanical Gazette says that this country has only once been explored, thirty-five years ago, by the Russian botanist Wiedemann. According to the same authority, Prof. Bornmüller is a young and very successful explorer, with a great deal of experience, especially from his long journey in 1886, through Dalmatia, Monte Negro, Greece, Turkey, East Bulgaria, and Asia Minor. His original collection will be transferred to Weimar, where it will be carefully gone through by Prof. Hausknecht. THE "mountain laure!," or Kalmia, and the Indian corn, are suggested in American papers as national flowers for the United States. IN the December number of the Kew Bulletin Mr. Thiselton Dyer explains that for some years, when it has been necessary to find space in the Palm House at Kew for the development of new and interesting species of palms, he has not hesitated to transfer to the Temperate House plants which he thought would probably endure a lower temperature. The experiment has been most successful, many of the plants luxuriating in the change. Anxious to obtain further information as to cool cultivation of tropical and sub-tropical plants, Mr. Dyer lately applied for leave to send Mr. Watson, assistant curator at Kew, to the south of France to report on what he might be able to observe. Permission was given; and Mr. Dyer's statement is followed by a series of valuable and interesting notes in which Mr. Watson sums up the results of his mission. His journey took place the latter part of October. He had a fortnight at his disp and during that time he visited as many gardens as possible be tween Hyères and Ment one. One of the most interesting ofte gardens visited was a branch establishment, at Hyères, of Société d'Acclimatation, Paris. Here a good deal of exper mental gardening is practised, plaats of all kinds being plan and tested as to their hardiness, &c. Mr. Watson says th while he was inspecting these gardens the idea was suggeste "that a well-managed botanical station, devoted chiefly to e perimental testing, proving, and breeding operations among plants, would, if established in some such favoured locality Hyères, be capable of much valuable work." THE following are the lecture arrangements at the R Institution, so far as they relate to science, befire Easter -| Prof. A. W. Rücker, six Christmas lectures to juveniles an electricity; Prof. G. J. Romanes, ten lectures on the po Darwinian period; Mr. Frederick Niecks, four lectures on 3. early developments of the forms of instrumental music (w musical illustrations); Prof. Flower, three lectures on t natural history of the horse and of its extinct and existing allies · the Right Hon. Lord Rayleigh, seven lectures on electricity a magnetism. The Friday evening meetings will begin on Januar 24, when a discourse will be given by Prof. Dewar on the scientific work of Joule. Succeeding discourses will prota's be given by Sir Frederick Abel, Mr. Henry B. Wheatley, Pr. J. A. Fleming, Mr. Shelford Bidwell, Prof. C. Hubert !! Parry, Mr. Francis Gotch, Prof. T. E. Thorpe, Prof. G. F Fitzgerald, the Right Hon. Lord Rayleigh, and other gentleme... MESSRS. MACMILLAN AND CO. will shortly publish the firs part of Prof. Eimer's work on "Organic Evolution as the Result of the Inheritance of Acquired Characters according to the Laws of Organic Growth," translated by J. T. Cunningham M.A., F.R.S. E., late Fellow of University College, Oxford. MESSRS. BLACKWOOD AND SONS have just published "T Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms," a tra lation of "Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Constructio," by John Napier, of Merchiston. The work was published in 1619, but is so rare as to be very little known, being only once re printed in 1620, and never translated. The present translation is by William Rae Macdonald, who also contributes notes and a catalogue of Napier's works. SLIGHT shocks of earthquake, lasting from five to ten seconds, were felt on Sunday, at Taranto, Foggia, Chieti, Montesaraceno, Agnone, Ancona, and Urbino. At Torremiletc, in the province of Foggia, a strong shock is said to have been felt; and a slight shock, followed by a somewhat stronger one, o curred at Naples soon after 6 a.m. On Monday there were seismic disturbances in Dalmatia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina According to a telegram, through Reuter's Agency, from Vienna, a somewhat severe shock was felt on Monday, at 6.30 a.m., Knin, Dernis, Sebenico, Trau, Scardona, and Spalato, the direction of the movement being from north-east to south-west A violent shock, lasting five seconds, occurred at 6.40 at Serajevo, being felt three minutes later at Novi and Krupa also. AT the ordinary meeting of the Council of the Sanitary Assur ance Association, on Monday last, arrangements were completed for a series of lectures during January and February 1890, in the theatre of the College of State Medicine, Great Russell Street. The series will include the following :-Mr. H. Rutherfurd, barrister-at-law, on "House Sanitation from a Hous holder's Point of View," Sir Joseph Fayrer, F.R.S., in the chair; Prof. T. Roger Smith, on "Household Warming an Ventilation," Sir Douglas Galton, F.R.S., in the chair; Mr. Mark H. Judge, on "The Sanitary Registration of Buildings Bill," Lord Henry Bruce, M. P., in the chair. The object of Aociation being to promote good sanitary arrangements in i hopes of all classes of the community, both men and -en are invited to these lectures. Discussion is invited. it "Fauna of British India," of which we noticed the first of fishes last week, is making steady progress. Mr. tre Oates will produce the first volume of the birds of zing the present month. The work will be principally anded on the great Hume Collection in the British Museum, ad the author of the "Hand-book of the Birds of British mah," may be trusted to give a thoroughly good account of buds of India. Side by side with his three volumes on ian ornithology, Mr. Oates will also publish a new edition Mr. A. O. Hume's "Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds," which Pas long been out of print. For this purpose Mr. Hume has trated to Mr. Oates the whole of the material collected by *m for a second edition, and there is no doubt that the work ill be warmly welcomed by naturalists. Portraits of some of e leading men who have contributed to the history of Indian cathology will be given in this new edition, and will form an te ting feature of the work. M. FRANCIS NICHOLSON, a well-known Manchester ornithois, is a out to issue an English translation of Sunderall's "Tentamen, with a memoir and portrait. This work will be welcome at the present time, when increased attention is being paid to the classification of birds. Ms. SELBOHM will, we understand, propound his system of angement of the class Aves in the January number of the Ibis, ad the memoir will doubtless be a valuable one, as the author known to have devoted close study to the subject during the get two years. Ms. A. F. GOODWIN, who was with Sir William McGregor his recea exploration of Mount Owen Stanley, is about to art on lecturing tour in America. He was successful in ing several interesting photographs of the country visited by The Expedition, and he paid especial attention to the habits of he Tards of l'aradise and the Bower-birds. He has some emarkable sketches of the playing grounds of some of the latter, ally of Amthornis sulalaris, of Sharpe, which rivals in darative faculty the Gardener Bower-bird (Amblyornis te of North-Western New Guinea. the second in Protection Island, in Puget Sound; the third at THE American Agricultural Department has been making careful inquiry as to the food of crows; and the result, as set forth in a Report by Mr. Walter B. Barrows, is likely to surprise those who have always contended that these birds do very much more good than harm. It is not disputed that they destroy in. jurious insects, that they are enemies of mice and other rodents, and that they are occasionally valuable as scavengers; but these services are slight in comparison with the mischief for which they are responsible. The injury done by them to In lian corn, wheat, rye, oats, and other cereals is enormous. According to one observer, the crow eats corn "from ten minutes after planting until the blades are three inches high;" and more than a score of other observers testify that he not only pulls up the young plants, but digs up the newly sown seed. His depredations extend to potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, pea-nuts, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries; and he widely dis tributes certain poisonous plants, the seeds of which are improved rather than impaired by passage through his digestive organs. As if all this were not enough, it is shown that the crow eats beneficial insects, and that he makes himself a most formidable nuisance by destroying the eggs and young both of domesticated fowls and wild birds. Two new seismoscopes, made by Brassart Brothers, of Rome, in the Rivista Scientifico Industriale of October 15. They are of and adopted at the Italian meteorological stations, are described a very simple nature, the one consisting merely of an iron rod, about 5 inches long, leaning slightly against an adjustable screw support near its middle, and with its lower pointed end in a cup. When a shock or tremor occurs, the rod falls away from its support and is caught by a fixed metallic ring making electric contact and ringing a bell. In the other instrument, the ring is connected with a hinged lever arrangement, which stops the mechanism of a timepiece, showing when the shock occurred. POOF. GIARD has recently discovered a micro-organism which THE National Association for the Promotion of Technica' pes the power of conferring luminosity or phosphorescence existing facilities for technical and scientific instruction in Engand Secondary Education has issued an excellent Report on the pon different crustaceans. This microbe was found in the es of Talitrus, and is easily cultivated in appropriate media. It won kills Taurus. M Lot SAT, member of the New York Historical Society, resented the French Academy of Inscriptions with a sum proveng 1000 francs per annum; his intention being that a ze of 3000 franes shall be offered every three years for the est primed work concerning the history, gecgraphy, archæology, graphy, linguistics, and numismatics of North America. The first prize will be granted in 1892, and the Academy has ied that the works submitted for consideration shall not elate to matters referring to an earlier date than 1776. The mpetition will be open to the author of any work on the best published after July 1, 1889, in any of the following anguages: Latin, French, English, Spanish, and Italian. wo copies must be sent to the Secretary of the French Institute before December 31, 1891. In the Pacific Coast region there are now four flourishing nies of introduced pheasants. Dr. C. Hart Meriam, who lets to the subject in his last Report to the American Agrieral Department, says that the most northerly of these comes is at the south end of Vancouver Island, near Victoria; land and Wales As Mr. Acland and Mr. Llewellyn Smith explain in a prefatory note, the Report is not intended so much for experts as for those who wish to obtain, without consulting many Blue-books and other official documents, some trustworthy information as to what is being done. The facts have been arranged with the utmost care, and the work ought to be of considerable service in helping to show "what are the gaps in our educational system that must be filled, and how great is the need for the re-organization and improvement of existing agencies." THE Annual Report of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, published in vol. ii., 4th series, of the Proceedings, shows a marked improvement in the financial condition of the Society, the membership being only one less than at the corresponding period last year. The volume contains many papers and abstracts of papers of varying interest. There is a long paper on "Hymenoptera Orientalis" by Mr. Cameron, giving descriptions of the various species, their habits and localities, and references to the literature of the subject. Dr. A. Hodgkin. son communicates an interesting paper on the "Physical Cause of Colour in Natural and Artificial Bodies," recording experi ments which tend to show whether the colour is produced by a structure of thin plates, or one of fine lines. There are two papers on leaves from the cutting of the Ship Canal, one giving a general description, and the other, by Dr. Schunck, F. R.S. showing that the green colouring-matter, which has proved to be so permanent, is due to a modified form of chlorophyll; spectroscopic examination of the colouring-matter showed it to be identical with that produced by the action of dilute hydrochloric acid on ordinary chlorophyll. THE Middlesex Natural History and Science Society has issued a volume containing its Transactions during the session 1888-89. The volume opens with an interesting Presidential address by Prof. Flower, on the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, and some recent additions thereto. Mr. E. M. Nelson has an illustrated paper on diatom structure; and Mr. J. A. Brown contributes a paper, also illustrated, on working sites and inhabited land surfaces of the Paleolithic period in the Thames Valley. THE fourth volume of "Blackie's Modern Cyclopædia" has been issued. It begins with the word "fire" and ends with "Ilorin." The work, as we have said on former occasions, is admirably edited by Dr. C. Annandale. The articles are necessarily brief; but, so far as we have been able to test them, they are clear and accurate. There is no falling off in the present volume. MESSRS. WARD, LOCK, AND Co., have added to their "Minerva Library of Famous Books" a reprint of Dr. A. R. Wallace's fascinating "Narrative of Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro." A biographical sketch of the author is contributed by Mr. G. T. Bettany, the editor of the series; and the volume includes a portrait of Dr. Wallace, a map, and full-page illustrations. HAZELL'S Annual for 1890-the fifth issue-has been published. It is edited by Mr. E. D. Price. An immense quantity of information, alphabetically arranged, has been packed into this useful volume. Many articles which the editor describes as "new and important " have been inserted in the present issue. A SCIENCE CLUB has been formed among the students of the University of St. Andrews for the purpose of developing the interest already taken in scientific pursuits. Prof. W. C. McIntosh, F.R.S., has been elected Hon. President for the session 1889-90. ANOTHER important paper by M. Henri Moissan upon the perfected mode of preparation and upon the density of fluorine, is contributed to the current number of the Comptes rendus. Since the appearance of his paper of two years ago, M. Moissan has employed an electrolysis apparatus of much larger size, and has added to it an accessory apparatus by means of which the gas may be obtained quite free from vapour of hydrofluoric acid, which, as described in NATURE last week, is the cause of the destructive action upon platinum. The platinum U-tube of the new apparatus has a capacity of 160 c.c., and contains during the electrolysis 100 c. c. of hydrofluoric acid. The exit tube at the positive side, from which the fluorine is liberated, is continued into a small platinum spiral condenser immersed in a bath of methyl chloride at 50° C., where all but the last trace of hydrofluoric acid is retained. From this the gas is led through two platinum tubes filled with fragments of sodium fluoride, a salt which combines with hydrofluoric acid with great energy, forming hydrogen sodium fluoride. By these means the fluorine is obtained perfectly pure, and is quite invisible in dry air, no trace of fuming being apparent, as is the case before purification. In order to determine the density of the gas, a couple of ingeniously constructed platinum flasks have been employed. Each of these flasks is closed by a cylindrical stopper also of platinum; to the side of the neck a side tube is attached on a level with the centre of the stopper. Through the stoppe aperture is bored in such a manner that, when the stopper rotated into a certain position, connection is established her we the interior of the flask and the side tube. A vertical tabe un passes through the stopper and penetrates to near the bot of the flask; this tube is also closed at its upper by means of a platinum stopper. The stoppers are polished and adjusted with great care. Each flask weighs 2' 70 grams and has a capacity of about 100 c.c. In the dez determinations the two flasks were counterpoised on the s pans of the balance. One of them was then filled with pure nitrogen gas, which was subsequently displaced by the fluorine, the electrolysis apparatus being connected wi upper end of the vertical tube of the density flask by mean flexible platinum tubing. The fluorine was allowed to through the apparatus for five minutes after cold silicon readily ignited by the gas issuing from the side exit tube. stopper of the flask was then rotated through half a revolut. so as to completely shut off the exit tube, and the stopper of vertical tube replaced. The flask was again weighed against other flask containing air, and the difference of weight t The amount of residual nitrogen was estimated by opening stopper of the vertical tube under water, when the flu instantly decomposed an equivalent of water, liberating oxyg and forming hydrofluoric acid. The mixture of oxygen an residual nitrogen was then collected, and the oxygen absorber pyrogallic acid and potash. Three determinations yieldeí, the density of fluorine compared with that of hydrogen, 1821 18:26, and 18:33. These values appear to indicate that number 19, usually taken as representing the atomic weight fluorine, is slightly too high, and this view is confirmed by " low numbers obtained in former determinations of the density phosphorus trifluoride. THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during past week include a Malayan Bear (Ursus malayanusz fiz Malacca, a Gold Pheasant (Thaumalea picta 9 ) from Chi presented by Captain Bason; a Common Squirrel S vulgaris), British, presented by Mr. W. Aubrey Chandler Mexican Deer (Cariacus mexicanus &) from Peru, a Gr breasted Parrakeet (Bolborhynchus monachus) from Mit Video, deposited; an American Bison (Bison americans born in the Gardens. (1) The General Catalogue description of this nebula is follows!!! Bright; very large, irregular figure. According to Tempel, this is a variable nebula, and its spectrum, whic has not yet been recorded, will therefore have a special interest Continued observations may, very probably, give a clue to the origin of the variability. (2) Duner classes this with stars of Group II., but states that the spectrum is only feebly developed. Further observa are necessary before it can be placed in position on the "sture curve." As I have previously pointed out, the "feebly exooped" stars of the group are probably either early or late es, as the bands would be weak in either case. If it be an ly star, the bands in the blue will be most strongly devesi; while, if it be a late star of the group, the bands in the to will be strongest. In the latter case, lines would probably L be seen. honkoly classes this with stars of the solar type. As in stars of this class which have appeared in these columns, pations are required to decide whether the star belongs to III, or to Group V. (For criteria, see p. 20.) This is a star of Group IV., of which observations of ta relative intensities of the hydrogen and metallic lines are med, so that the star may be arranged in a line of temperaare with others. The is a star of Group VI., which Dunér describes as sing a spectrum consisting of three zones, band 2 being probao present. Particular attention should be given to the ensity of the band 6 as compared with the others. Other dary bands should also be looked for, as they are seen in eter stars of lower magnitude, and it is important that we wald know whether their presence is dependent solely upon brightness of the star, or really indicates a difference in the tition of the star itself. (For notation of bands, see p. 112.) The maximum of this variable will occur on December 27. The post is 315 days, and the magnitude varies from < 13'5 2 Cuatrum to 8'6 at maximum. The spectrum has not yet been rondel. -Some of the comets of which ephemerides have recently pered in NATUKE may possibly be bright enough for specToscopic examination. It is not likely that, at their present rihelion distances, their temperatures will be very high, so petus for comparison spectra may be confined to those alie for low-temperature comets. The probable sequence Jutta as a comet leaves aphelion is as follows:-(1) The rm of a planetary nebula, as in the comets of 1866-67, Erved by Dr. Huggins. This consists of a single line in the 2 of the chief nebula line near X 500. (2) The low. ratare spectrum of carbon, consisting chiefly of three angs near A 483, 519, and 561. (3) The high-temperature scum of carbon, consisting mainly of flutings near A 564, 317 and a group of five flutings extending from 468 to 44 The must convenient comparison to begin with will be lame of a spirit-lamp, which will give the hot carbon VIL If this does not show coincidences with the cometand a comparison with the bright fluting in the spectrum tang magnesium should be made. This will determine Je presence or absence of the chief nebula line. If neither w concidences, the positions of the bands relatively to the 2 carton flutings may roughly indicate the presence or absence of carboɑ. As the two less refrangible flutings of cool Gero all very near to two of hot carbon, the best criterion for Carbon is the fluting at A 483, which is about one-third of The dance from the flating commencing at 474 towards that riencing near 517. Any variation of the form of the least refrangible cometary band from the corresponding carbon fluting shall be noted, as this varies with the temperature (see Roy. Pot Proc., vol. xlv. p. 168). A. FOWLER. PHOTOMETRIC INTENSITY OF CORONAL LIGHT.-The observations made by Prof. Thorpe during the solar eclipse of 1886 dhi Trans., vol. clxxx., p. 363, 1889) show that the diminuin intensity of coronal light at different distances from the limb does not vary according to the law of inverse squares. The following measurements make this apparent : CORONA OF JANUARY 1, 1889.-Prof. Tacchini, in the Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei (p. 472), gives a note on the corona as shown in a positive copy, on glass, of one of Mr. Barnard's negatives taken during this eclipse. The corona extends, according to Prof. Tacchini, from+64° to - 68° on the west limb of the sun, and from +53° to -68° on the east limb, these being about the limits of the zone of the maximum frequency of protuberances derived from his own observations. Two of the protuberances on the photograph were observed at Rome and at Palermo. MINOR PLANET (12), VICTORIA.-Dr. Gill has issued the ephemeris of this planet for the opposition of 1889, computed from elements which have been corrected from the observations of 1888. Observatories co-operating in the meridian observations of Victoria should compare their results with this ephemeris, employing 8" So for the solar parallax. Dr. Auwers has undertaken the discussion of the meridian. observations, so the detailed results should be forwarded to him as soon as possible. The brightness of the comet =0.81 (December 12) and 0:57 (December 31), that at discovery being taken as unity. Comptes rendus, No. 23 (December 2, 1889), contains observations of this comet extending from November 20 to November 27. It is noted that the comet is very feeble and diffuse. PERIODIC COMETS.-Several short period comets return to the sun in 1890, and their ephemerides will be furnished as soon as issued. The perihelion passage of Brorsen's comet will occur about February 25, Denning's comet may be expected to return to perihelion in May, and D'Arrest's comet about the third week in September. The orbit of Barnard's comet has not yet been sufficiently defined to enable the date of perihelion passage to be stated. THE ECLIPSE PARTIES.-The following telegram relating to the eclipse parties has been received :--"Loanda, December 7. -The United States corvette Pensacola, Captain Arthur R. Yates, with the Solar Eclipse Expedition on board, arrived at St. Paul de Loanda to-day. The voyage down was very smooth, with delightful sailing. The astronomers were at work on the instruments all the way, and are all ready for the eclipse. The time is now so short that it is inadvisable to attempt to take the party and all their instruments inland, so the Expedition will locate at Cape Ledo immediately, and send one or two branch parties inland, with such instruments as are not bulky or heavy, and can quickly be set up and adjusted. The European eclipse observers are beginning to arrive here. Mr. Taylor, of the Royal Astronomical Society, London, has already arrived with a small outfit of apparatus. None of the French or German astronomers are yet here. Cape Ledo turns out to be in every way the most favourable point for locating the American Expedition. Not only are the meteorological conditions likely to be better, but the party can live for the most part on the Pensacola, as she will lie at a safe anchorage near the shore. The health. of the members of the party is thus insured. The eclipse is several seconds longer there than at Muxima, and chances for clear afternoon skies appear to be rather better. If nothing is heard from the Expedition for the next few days, it may either be taken that the Eclipse Station is finally located at CapeLedo, or that the semi-cannibal Quissamas have cleared out the whole Expedition." RECENT INDIAN SURVEYS. THE "Statement exhibiting the Moral and Material Progress and Condition of India," recently issued, devotes, as usual, a section to the survey work of the past year, of. which the following is a summary. The work of the Survey of India is divided under five heads, namely:-(1) Trigonometrical Survey, (2) Topographical Survey, (3) Cadastral Survey, (4) Special Surveys and Explorations, (5) Map Production. Trigonometrical.-Out of twenty-six survey parties employed during the year, only one was engaged on trigonometrical work. It carried secondary triangulation for 370 miles along the Coromandel coast as far as the Tanjore District; the work is intended as a basis for marine survey operations. Some triangulation in extension of the great Indian triangles had to be undertaken in Baluchistan as a basis for topographical maps there. Topographical.-The number of parties engaged in this work was reduced from eight to six, and 15,673 square miles of topographical survey were accomplished, which included 934 square miles of survey in the Southern Mahratta country, the same party doing a quantity of detached forest survey in the valuable teak forests of Kanara; 1085 square miles of topographical work in Guzerat, besides 285 square miles of detailed forest survey in the jungles of Thana and Nasik. Parties 15 and 16 continued the Baluchistan survey, accomplishing in all 11,977 square miles. The cold and snow in winter, as well as the difficulty in getting supplies, were extremely trying to the parties. 977 square miles were surveyed in the Himalayan districts of Kangra, Simla, and the native States pertaining to those districts; 4535 square miles of triangulation and 1284 square miles of topographical survey in the Madura district and the States of Travancore and Cochin of South India. The cost of the Himalayan work and of the Baluchistan surveys was considerably cheaper per square mile than in the previous year. Forest Surveys. Two half-parties of the Topographical Survey did fresh work, as above stated, in Bombay. Ground was broken in the forests near Hoskungabad of the Central Provinces; but in the first year, on account of climatic difficulties and the ruggedness of the country, the out-turn of work was small. 343 square miles of forest survey were effected in the forests of the Prome and Thayetmyo districts of Lower Burmah. In Gorakpur of the North-West Provinces, and in Orissa, surveys of certain forest reserves were made by cadastral parties working in the neighbourhood. The whole area of forest surveys accomplished by all these parties during the year was 893 square miles. Geodetic.-Telegraphic longitude operations were resumed, and seven arcs of longitude were measured between trigonometrical stations in Southern India. The season's observations tend strongly to confirm previous evidence that on the coast of India there is a perceptible deviation of the plum-line towards the ocean. Tidal and Levelling Operations.-The recording of tidal curves by self-registering tide-gauges, their reduction, and the publication of tide-tables, were continued at eighteen stations, of which seven are permanent, and eleven are temporary for five years. The registrations of tides were satisfactory, and there were few failures. So far as predictions of high water were concerned, 98 per cent. of the entries in the tables were correct within 8 inches of actual heights at open coast stations, and 69 per cent. at riverain stations, while as to time of high water, 56 and 71 per cent. respectively of the entries were correct within fifteen minutes. Levelling operations were prosecuted from Madras to Vizagapatam, at False Point, to connect the Marine Survey beach marks with the main line of level, and from Chinsurah to Nuddea, along the right bank of the Hooghly. There were 597 miles of double levelling accomplished. In Upper Burmah, survey parties or surveyors accompanied the columns which marched through the northern Shan States, the southern Shan States, and the columns that operated in the Yaw country, the Chindwan Valley, and the Mogoung district. Triangulation was carried over 23,274 square miles, and 20,780 square miles of hitherto unknown country were mapped on a scale of four miles to the inch, of which 7605 belonged to the Shan States. North-east from Mandalay, the survey was carried as far as the Kanlow ferry, on the Salween River, a place on the old caravan road between Burmah and China. large scale map was made of the Ruby Mines tract, showing the sites of all ruby workings. Surveyors accompanied an exploring expedition from the Assam Valley, across the Patkoi ranges, into the Hukong Valley of Upper Burmah, and surveyed two practical passes through the Patkoi hills. A good map of the Black Mountain country was prepared on observations and surveys taken by officers deputed with the Hazara field force. The hill country of Western Nepal has been observed and A mapped, and a compilation of recent observations by exy! in Tibet and Bhutan will shortly be published. Marine Survey.-The survey-vessel Investigater an! boat parties were employed on marine surveys thro the open season, the staff being employed in the char during the monsoon months. The Investigator accomplis 4630 miles, and the boat parties 1542 miles of sound Among the results of the year's work were soundings rour approaches to Madras, whereby it was shown that there 1700 fathoms of water on a spot hitherto marked on the as "5 fathoms doubtful." Surveys were made round Laccadive and the Andaman Islands, at the Palk Straits Western Coral Banks, on the Malabar coast, near Cann and Tellicherry, and off Parbandar. Interesting marine c isms, some of them quite new, were brought up by the traw especially from a depth of 250 fathoms off the Andamans observations for temperature have enabled the survey to con a temperature curve which is fairly constant for all parts of seas. Geological Survey.-Among the investigations by the logical Survey during the year 1888 may be mentioned examination of the auriferous rocks known as the Dr. rocks, bands of which occur in the gneiss mountains, tes the edge of the Deccan trap in the meridian of Kal. across the upper basins of the Kistna, Tangabhadra, l'es. and Cauvery Rivers. At many places in the e tans Dharwar rock, the geological officers discovered tra extensive gold workings, the existence of which was b known to the present inhabitants. The investigators c that in many places, especially in the Kolar and Maski bas gold will be found in quantities that will repay working workers of past centuries used to crush the ore in sancer hollows in the solid, tough, trappoid rocks, with rounded gra crushers, weighing about a ton each. The supposed dra sources in the Anantapur district of Madras were examinal. with only negative results. The coal-field of Singareni, IE Nizam's dominions, was examined; it was estimated 17,000,000 tons of coal were available in the field. geologists reported that the cost of raising coal into waggor the pit's mouth ought not eventually to exceed 2 rupees Further examinations were made of the coal-bearing rock Western Chota Nagpore and of Rajmehal; the later source cannot be thoroughly tested until bore holes are down. The seams of coal at Kohst, in Baluchistan, were f to contain 1 to 2 feet of good coal at times; coal from sp workings is now chiefly used in locomotives; but the best pla permanent workings has not yet been settled. The per sources at Khatun, in Baluchistan, and in the Rawal fin trict of the Punjab, were visited by officers of the Survey;" Khatun oil is too thick to flow down a pipe for forty milesto railway, where it has made excellent fuel. The Cashmer coal-field, in the upper valley of the Chenab, was a examined. The report of the Cadastral Surveys and Settlements is des of scientific interest. UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL OXFORD. In the course of the term which has just com an end, Mr. J. B. Farmer, B. A., has been elected to a Feli ship at Magdalen, after an examination in botany—a subjes which no Fellowship has been allotted for many years; the Burdett-Coutts Scholarship in Geology has been awarded Mr. F. Pullinger, Corpus. Mr. Hatchett Jackson will continue to act as Deputy Profes of Comparative Anatomy for the next two terms at least. The recently founded Readership in Geography seems to have proved a success this term, as Mr Mackinder had a class fifty in regular attendance. SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. Royal Society, November 21.-"On the Tubercles on 12 Roots of Leguminous Plants, with special reference to the and the Bean.' By H. Marshall Ward, M. A., F.R.S., FL. late Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, Professor of Bota |
