however, that excellent oysters of fine quality and magnificent proportions, allied to Ostrea edulis, are exported from Spencer's Gulf in South Australia to the Victorian markets, and more especially to Ballarat. Some of these South Australian oysters are of such Brobdingnagian dimensions that it is customary to cut them in four pieces for sale at the oyster saloons, the quarters thus divided being severally allotted to separate shells of ordinary size and sold as single oysters.

Mr. Saville-Kent congratulates New Zealand upon her abundant stores of oysters of various kinds. The days for the systematic artificial cultivation of the oyster in that colony have not yet arrived, and if she carefully husbands her natural resources they may, he thinks, be long delayed.

THE TIBET EXPFDITION.

AT an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Geographical Society on October 14, General Pevtsoff made his report about the Tibet Expedition, of which he was the commander after the death of Przewalsky. Having crossed the main Tianshan ridge by the Bedel Pass, the Expedition went southwards, through an extremely narrow gorge of the Kara-teke ridge. In some places the gorge has only the width of 30 to 35 feet, while its walls are 700 feet high. The first Kashgarian village reached was Kalpyn, whence the travellers went to Yarkend. From Yarkend they moved on the great Khotan high-road into the northern spurs of the Kuen-lun. There they stayed for some forty days, at a height of 10,000 feet above the sea, at Tokhtahon, collecting many interesting plants and birds, while the geologist of the expedition, M. Bogdanovitch, made a long excursion into the region between the Yarkend-daria and the Tyznan Rivers. On September 13 they left the highlands, and after a three weeks' journey arrived at the Khotan oasis, the population of which (120,000) are skilful in the manufacture of carpets, felts, silks, and so on. From Khotan they went to Keria, and next to Niya, where they left their superfluous luggage, and whence they started to explore the Kuen-lun, in order to try to find a good pass to Tibet. The pass was found at the sources of the Tillan-hadji stream, not far from the Minjilinkhanum monastery. It proved to be quite available both for horses and camels. The winter was spent at Niya. On May 7, the work of exploration was resumed, and next week the Expedition reached the Kara-sai village. Followed by two men only, M. Roborovsky went up the Saryk-tuz Pass (discovered during the preceding autumn), and attained the sources of the Keriyadaria on the Tibet plateau. Its altitude proved to be there 16,500 feet, and its surface was an absolute desert. The want of food for the horses compelled M. Roborovsky soon to return to Kara-sai. He soon made a second attempt at further explora. tion, but, after having marched some 50 miles southwards on the plateau, he was again compelled to return. During the same time, M. Kozloff went across the border-ridge, following for some 100 miles the Bastan-tigrak River. He passed by Lake Dashi-kul and went up the river which flows into the lake from the east, through a wild desert, 14,000 feet above the sea. He also was soon compelled to return to Kara-sai. The next attempt was made by all three explorers together, accompanied by four Russians and a few natives. They went up the Aksu River, and soon were on a plateau, 15,000 feet high and almost quite devoid of vegetation. Terrible snow-storms were raging in the first days of July. The only mammals seen were two antelopes, and the only bird met with was a lark. Finding no food for the horses, the Expedition had nothing to do but to return to Kara-sai. Thence they started for Tchertchen, and at Atchan they were rejoined by M. Bogdanovitch, who had explored in the meantime the geological structure of the two passes of Saryktuz and Aksu. After a short stay at Mandalyk, where good grazing-grounds were found, and the horses recovered, the Expedition crossed again the Kuen-lun via the Muzluk Pass (15,500 feet high), and after having crossed it they divided into two parties, one of which, under M. Roborovsky, went south-east, and the other, under General Pevtsoff, moved southwards, up the little River Uluk-su, which is the source of the Tchertchen-daria. They soon came to an immense chalky mountain ridge, which rose to about 20,000 feet in the south, while a wide valley stretched south-westwards between that ridge and the Kuen-lun. The party stopped at the foot of this ridge, at a small lake, Yamil-kul. From some natives who were engaged in goldmining in a gorge of the ridge, they learned that its name is Akkatai, and that its summits are covered with perpetual snow. The

party did not proceed further, and from Yamil-kul they returned to Mandalyk, and thence began their journey to Lob-nor, which journey took no less than one month. From Lob-nor the Expedition went up the Yarkend-daria, visiting on the way the great settlement of Kurla (4000 inhabitants), the fort of Karashar (10,800 inhabitants in the fort and the oasis), and the town Uruntchi, situated at the foot of the Tian-shan, and residence of the Governor-General of West China. On their way to the Russian frontier the travellers visited also the oasis of Sa-tsan, peopled by Chinese, and crossed the Malas River as well as the desert Khatyn-ula. On January 15, 1891, they entered the Russian post of Zaisan.

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD.-The Rev. Andrew Clark, M. A., Fellow of Lincoln College, has been elected by Congregation a Curator of the Bodleian Library, in place of Prof. Max Müller, whose term of office had expired.

The Provost of Oriel College has been re-elected a Delegate of the University Museum.

Mr. F. Liddell, B. A. Christ Church, has been elected to a Fellowship at All Souls' College. Mr. Liddell, who is a son of the Dean of Christ Church, was placed in the first class by the examiners in the Final Classical Schools. Mr. A. H. Hardinge, M.A., formerly Fellow of All Souls' College, has been elected to a Fellowship under Statute 3, Clause 10, of the College Statutes.

There was no candidate for election to the Burdett-Coutts Scholarships. The scholarships are of the annual value of about 115, tenable for two years, for the promotion of the study of geology, and of natural science bearing on geology. This is the fifth occasion since the foundation of the scholarships that there has been either no candidate or no election.

In consequence of the requirements of the Civil Service Commissioners for the limited competition for assistantships in the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the Savilian Professor of Astronomy has offered a short course of lectures on Newton's "Principia." The study of Newton has been practically abolished from the requirements of the Oxford Mathematical Schools for some time past.

A studentship, provided out of the funds of the Newton Testimonial Fund, having been offered to the University by the Managing Committee of the British School at Athens, the Craven Committee will proceed to make the appointment in the course of the present term. The studentship is of the value of £50, and is tenable for one year. The holder will be required to reside at Athens for not less than three months during the ensuing winter and spring. Candidates should apply to the Secretary of the Board of Faculties, Clarendon Buildings.

CAMBRIDGE.-The first award of the Isaac Newton Studentship in Astronomy and Physical Optics has been made to

Ralph Allen Sampson, B. A., Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge.

Prof. Thomson, F. R.S., has been elected Chairman of Examiners for Part II. of the Mathematical Tripos.

The vacancy of the office of Superintendent of the Museum of Zoology will take place on January 1, 1892. The stipend is 200. Applications are to be sent to Prof. Newton before

November 19.

The State Medicine Syndicate report that this year there were 64 candidates for the Diploma in Public Health, of whom 45 were successful. They propose, on account of the large number of candidates, to hold a second examination in the first week of April 1892. The Syndicate have resolved to transfer to the University a sum of £150 from their accumulated funds.

SCIENTIFIC SERIALS.

American Journal of Mathematics, vol. xiv. No. 1 (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press).-This number, which contains an excellent likeness and autograph of Prof. Klein, opens with articles by Goursat, Sur une problème relatif à la déformation des surfaces," and by Appell, "Sur une expression nouvelle des fonctions elliptiques par le quotient de deux séries."-Major MacMahon, F.R, S., contributes a fourth memoir on a new

theory of symmetric functions. The author has extended the subject of these memoirs in a paper with the title "Memoir on symmetric functions of the roots of systems of equations" in the Philosophical Transactions, A. (1890).-The next paper, by C. P. Steinmetz, was read before the New York Mathematical Society, and is entitled "Multivalent and univalent involutory correspondences in a plane determined by a net of curves of nth order."―The following note, also read before the same Society, is on the algebraic proof of a certain series. It supplies a "temporary lack," which was regretted by the author, E. McClintock, in a memoir which will be found in vol. ii. p. 108. The same writer furnishes another addition to the memoir just referred to (vol. ii.), on independent definitions of the functions log x and e.-H. B. Newson writes on a pair of curves of the fourth degree, and their application in the theory of quadrics; and H. P. Manning finishes this instalment with a note on linear transformation, which was suggested by a method employed by Prof. Cayley, F.R.S., in vol. v. of the Amer. Journal.

species of Diptera, unnamed. He said they had been submitted to Mr. R. H. Meade, but were unknown to him, and are probably new to the British list.-Mr. R. Adkin exhibited two specimens of a supposed new species of Tortrix (Tortrix donelana, Carpenter), bred from larvæ found on pine-trees at Tuam. Mr. C. G. Barrett said he examined the specimens with great care, but he did not consider that they belonged to a new species. He was unable to distinguish them from Tortria viburnana.-M. A. Wailly exhibited preserved larvæ, in various stages, of Citheronia regalis, which he had bred from ova received from Iowa, United States. He said that the natives called this larva the Hickory Horned Devil, and that the specimens exhibited were the first that had been bred in this country. M. Wailly further exhibited three female specimens of Antheræa yama-mai bred from cocoons received from Japan; also a nest of cocoons of Bombyx radama, received from the west coast of Madagascar. Prof. J. B. Smith, of the United States, and Colonel Swinhoe took part in a discussion on the habits of the larvae of Citheronia regalis, and as to the period at which they dropped their spines prior to pupating. Dr. Sharp exends of the elytra of which bore a close resemblance to the section of a twig cut with a sharp knife. He said he had received the specimens from Mr. G. V. Hudson, of Wellington, New Zealand, who stated that they were found resting in large numbers on dead trunks and branches of Panax arborea in the forests.-Mr. G. C. Champion stated that the species of Forficulida, captured by Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N., in Tasmania, and exhibited by himself at the meeting of the Society in April last, was, he believed, referable to Anisolabis tasmanica, Bormans, described in the Comptes rendus of the Ent. Soc. Belgique, 1880.-The Rev. A. E. Eaton made some remarks on the synonymy of the Psychodida, and stated that, since August 1890, he had identified all of the British species in Mr. Verrall's list, except Sycorax silacea.-Mr. Gervase F. Mathew, R. N., communicated a paper entitled "The Effect of Change of Climate upon the emergence of certain species of Lepidoptera." A discussion followed, in which Mr. Stainton, F. R.S., Mr. Barrett, Dr. Sharp, F.R.S., and Mr. McLachlan, F. R. S., took part.

local floras. Mr. A. Fryer describes and figures a new English Potamogeton (or, rather, hybrid). Mr. T. H. Buffham describes and figures the hitherto unknown plurilocular sporanges in two sea-weeds, Asperococcus bullosus and Myriotrichia clavaformis. Mr. F. N. Williams contributes a synopsis of the primary characters in the species of Rheum.

THE last number received of the Botanical Magazine published at Tokyo, Japan (for June), contains an interesting article, illustrated, on a new Japanese Prasiola, P. japonica, by Dr. R. Yatabe, which, the author states, is collected in large quantities in the districts where it grows, and is sold as an article of food under different names in different localities. It is eaten either slightly broiled or with vinegar, the mode of preparation being very similar to that of the ordinary purple and green lavers. Other articles in the same number are on the reproduction of Laminaria japonica; on a recent problem in vegetable physiology (apparently the greatly discussed question of the direct absorption of nitrogen from the air by plants); and on the colours and scents of flowers; but as all these are unfortunately in Japanese, they are inaccessible to the English reader.

THE number of the Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano for October is chiefly occupied with the Proceedings of the Italian Botanical Society. The attention of Italian botanists is still directed to the interesting phenomena connected with the pollination of the Aroidea: Signor Caleri has a paper on the flowering of Arum Dioscoridis, and Prof. Arcangeli one on the fertilizers of Helicodiceros muscivorus. He is unable to discover any evidence that the latter plant is really carnivorous.-Signor Martelli discusses a vine-disease which has lately appeared in the neighbourhood of Florence, and which he identifies with the "black rot" of the American grape, caused by a Pyrenomycetous fungus, Physalospora Bidwelli.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES.
LONDON.

Entomological Society, October 7.-Dr. D. Sharp, F. R. S., Vice-President, in the chair. - The Chairman referred to the death, on September 14 last, of Mr. E. W. Janson, who had been a member of the Society since 1843, and who had formerly filled the offices of secretary and librarian respectively. -The Rev. Dr. Walker exhibited a long series of several species of Erebia, and of Argynnis pales, which he had recently captured near Roldal, in Norway.-Mr. W. L. Distant exhibited specimens of Danais chrysippus, with its two varietal forms, alcippus, Cram., and dorippus, Klug., all which he found together in the Pretoria district of the Transvaal. Mr. Jenner Weir and Colonel Swinhoe took part in the discussion which ensued as to these forms and their distribution.-The Rev. W. F. Johnson sent for exhibition specimens of Velia currens from stagnant water near Armagh ; also a specimen of Nabis limbatus, killed whilst holding on to its prey, a very hard species of Ichneumon. Mr. Saunders thought that, from the nature of the Ichneumon, the only chance the Nabis had of reaching its internal juices would be through the anal opening, as recorded by Mr. E. A. Butler in a similar case, in the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, October 1891.-Mr. F. P. Pascoe exhibited two British

Royal Microscopical Society, October 21.-Dr. R. Braithwaite, President, in the chair.-The President said that the pleasure with which he met the Fellows after the vacation was very sadly marred by the death of one of their Secretaries, Mr. John Mayall, Jun. The loss they had sustained was one which the Society could hardly hope to replace, because perhaps there was no living person who knew more about the microscope and its applications than their deceased friend Mr. Mayall. The difficulty in which they were placed had, however, for the present been met by the kindness of Dr. Dallinger, who had undertaken to fill up the vacant place until the end of the current session.-Mr. A. D. Michael proposed, and Mr. T. H. Powell seconded, that a special vote of thanks be given to Dr. Dallinger for his kindness in accepting the office of Secretary. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. -Mr. F. Chapman read his paper on the Foraminifera of the Gault.Sir Walter J. Sendall exhibited and described a new apparatus which he had devised for making accurate measurements with the camera lucida, the inherent faults of which were explained by drawings on the blackboard. Mr. E. M. Nelson said there could be no doubt that camera lucida measurements when made in the ordinary way as described were grossly incorrect, and that the apparatus that had been devised was most ingenious and thoroughly scientific in principle. He thought, however, that there was a much simpler method of obtaining measurements by projecting the image for a distance of 5 feet; the curve would with so large a radius be practically reduced to a straight line. The camera lucida and neutral tint reflector were only rough-and-ready means, and useful only for ready reference; where correctness was of importance, the eye-piece micrometer would best meet the requirements; the ruling of eye-piece micrometers was now done so perfectly that it was possible to arrive at measurements even as small as 1/500,000 of an inch with far greater accuracy than could be attained with any machine. Dr. W. H. Dallinger thought there could be no doubt of the value of the apparatus within certain limits, but it would require great care for use with high powers, partly on account of its weight if made in brass, as the specimen before them; perhaps it might be made in aluminium or some other light material. The discussion was continued by Messrs. A. D. Michael, C. Beck, and Sir Walter J. Sendall.-Mr. W. I.

Chadwick described the Leach lantern microscope as follows. The microscope can be applied to any oxy-hydrogen lantern. It is screwed on the front in place of the ordinary lantern objective, the size of flange required being 23 inches; when the lantern objective flange is larger than this, an adaptor must be provided; and when the draw-tube of the lantern is

ricketty," a rigid lengthening tube may be adapted. The lantern condenser should be about 4 inches or 4 inches in diameter, and of the triple form. The stage of the microscope is open at both sides, and at the top also, and serves for all classes of objects, whether ordinary microscopic slides or polariscope crystals, shown with either narrow angle rays or by the convergent system of lenses. The stage being so constructed, it is extremely accessible for the introduction of sub-condensers, with which the instrument is provided. The object-holder is quite a novel idea, the principal mechanism of it is placed under the stage (to be out of the way); two arms passing through slots in the bottom of the stage, actuated by a spring and manipulated by a milled head, serve to hold the objects flat against the inside surface of the front of the stage. The diaphragm, or compound wheel of diaphragms, is rotative on a pivot attached to the plate arm in such a manner that the whole may be raised out of the field altogether, and dropped into it again, in an instant; when the wheel is raised, a spring catch holds it in position. When in this position the whole field of the microscope can be utilized for showing objects up to 1 inches in diameter. When, as in using polarized light, it is desired not to be incominoded with the diaphragms, the detachable plate carrying the compound wheel can be instantly removed from the stage, and when again required it can be as quickly restored. The arms of the object-holder projecting through the bottom of the stage have sufficient lateral movement to admit any zoophyte trough or wooden frame or combination of wooden frames up to 1 inch in thickness. Thus the advantages of this arrangement are clearly manifest. The two sub-condensers with which the instrument is provided are found to give satisfaction with all objectives of from 24 to inch focus. When the light has been properly concentrated, high powers can be used. It should also be observed that when high powers are used the front lens of the objective is open to the view of the manipulator, a great convenience when inserting the object, by enabling it to be immediately adjusted within the area of the lens. When polarized light is to be used, the polarizing prism must be pushed into the rotating tube of the instrument by removing the concave lens at the back, and after inserting the prism this concave lens may be replaced in an instant. The rotating tube is an advantage over fixed tubes, as the polarizing prism can by this arrangement be placed in any desired azimuth which best suits the object. The convergent system of lenses for use with polarized light in transmitting rays through biaxial crystals was worked out by Mr. Leach. It gives powerful illuminations, and includes an angle of 170°. The front focussing arrangement was introduced by Mr. Leach in 1883. Before that time several supplementary lenses had to be kept in readiness for use, as different classes of crystals were placed in the polariscope. Mr. Leach discovered how these supplementary lenses might be dispensed with, and fitted up his system accordingly; and now all makers of first-class polariscopes attach to their instruments this great improvement. The concave field lens, with which the instrument is provided, is absolutely necessary when the polarizing prism is in use. With all powers it enlarges the field, and equalizes the distribution of illumination. The three objective adaptors with which the instrument is provided admit of any microscope power with the standard screw; they are made to slide in the front tube of the microscope, which is provided with a rack and pinion, and also with a fine screw movement. Thus, by having the various powers already screwed into the adaptors, one may be changed for another almost instantaneously. And into the front or tube portion of these adaptors the tube of the amplifier is made to slide. The amplifier which is provided is a Barlow lens, and being achromatic, it enhances the aplanatic qualities of the objective. It has been asserted "that high power cannot be used in the lantern microscope; that it is unable to exhibit fine detail upon the screen, and that no alum trough is required." No doubt this is all true so far as applied to inefficient instruments. But the Leach microscope does require an alum trough, because where great light is concentrated from the oxy-hydrogen luminant, great heat must, from the very nature of the means employed, be concentrated with it, and the alum trough is the only practical thing which can be used to absorb the heat rays.

President, in the chair.-The officers for the ensuing session Philosophical Society, October 26.-Prof. G. H. Darwin,

were elected as follows:-President: Prof. G. H. Darwin. Vice-Presidents: Prof. Hughes, Prof. Thomson, Mr. J. W. Clark. Treasurer: Mr. R. T. Glazebrook. Secretaries: Mr.

J. Larmor, Mr. S. F. Harmer, Mr. E. W. Hobson. New Members of Council: Mr. H. F. Newall, Mr. C. T. Heycock, Mr. A. E. H. Love.-The following communications were made to the Society:-On the absorption of energy by the secondary of a transformer, by Prof. Thomson.-On an experiment of Sir Humphry Davy's, by Mr. G. F. C. Searle. Two copper wires are passed up through holes about 5 centimetres apart in the bottom of a flat trough, their ends being level with the surface of the trough. Mercury is then poured into the trough to a depth of about 4 millimetres. On sending a powerful current through the mercury by means of the two wires the mercury in the immediate neighbourhood of the electrodes was elevated into a small cone 2 or 3 millimetres in height.-Some notes on Clark's cells, by Mr. R. T. Glazebrook and Mr. S. Skinner. In addition to the causes of variation indicated by Lord Rayleigh, the authors find that the state of amalgamation of the zinc pole may cause a fall in force if the zinc does not show a bright surface. This is worked out by means of a testing cell into which the faulty zincs are transplanted. The result is confirmed by Swinburne's experiments on zinc rods in zinc sulphate solution. To correct this fault previous amalgamation in the presence of dilute sulphuric acid is recommended, or immersion of the zinc in the paste. Dr. Hopkinson's method of testing cells by tapping was shown.-Illustrations of a method of measuring ionic velocities, by Mr. W. C. D. Whetham.-On gold-tin alloys, by Mr. A. P. Laurie.

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, November 2.-M. Duchartre in the chair. On aberration, by M. Mascart.-Note on Mont Blanc Observatory, by M. J. Janssen. This is a brief report of the attempt to reach the rock through the snow on the summit of Mont Blanc, in order to obtain a foundation for a proposed Observatory. In spite of circumstances which rendered the proposed building impossible, M. Janssen believed that an edifice of some kind resting on the snow would permit the necessary observations to be carried on, and had one constructed according to his ideas. No displacement of the erection occurred during the twenty days previous to M. Janssen's departure from the summit of the mountain. The construction of a similar but more important building is therefore contemplated for next year. Note by M. Armand Gautier, accompanying the presentation of his work on "Biological Chemistry."-On the Arago Laboratory, by M. de Lacaze-Duthiers.-Contribution to the natural history of the truffle: parallelism between the Terfaz or Kama (Terfezia, Tirmania) of Africa and Asia and the truffles of Europe, by M. A. Chatin. In the comparison the points considered are geographical distribution, climate, soil, nutritious plants, periods of ripening, depth in soil, and numerous other characteristics. An excursion in the Rocky Mountains, by M. Albert Gaudry. At the end of the recent Geological Congress at Washington a party was organized to visit the Rocky Mountains. An account is given of some of the objects of geological interest observed by the excursionists.-Note on the storm that visited Martinique on August 18, 1891 (an extract from the American Journal of Meteorology), by M. Faye.-Researches on butylene monobromides, by M. E. Reboul. There are three butylene monobromides known besides the isobutylene of Boutlerow. The author describes the preparation and properties of one of these, to which he assigns the constitution CH ̧— CH,-CBr CH. He proposes to term it ethyl-acetylene a-hydrobromide. -Observations of two new asteroids discovered at Nice Observatory on September 24 and October 8, 1891, by M. Charlois. Observations of position are given.-On the dimensions and form of the section of a stream (veine) of gas under limited counter-pressure during a limited delivery, by M. Parenty. On a model of a luminous fountain, by M. G. Trouvé.-On the direct combinations of metals with chlorine and bromine, by MM. Henri Gautier and Georges Charpy.

With the exception of aluminium, most of the metals are hardly attacked by dry chlorine and bromine at the ordinary tempera

ture.

Aluminium, however, is acted on very energetically by liquid chlorine and bromine, whilst magnesium particularly resists the action. The reactions are very slow when the dry halogens are used. When water is present the action becomes more rapid, hydrogen being generally liberated owing to its decomposition, but in some cases the water remains unaltered. -Contribution to the chemico-physical study of the function of the kidney, by M. C. Chabrié.-On the chronology of the eruptive rocks of Jersey, by M. A. de Lapparent.-New geological observations of the Island of Sardinia, by M. Charles de Stefani.-New considerations on the Vertebrate fauna of the Upper Miocene in the Isle of Samos, by M. Forsyth Major. The gravels of Montfort, by M. Ed. Piette.

BERLIN.

Physiological Society, October 16.-Prof. du Bois-Reymond, President, in the chair-Dr. Lüderitz gave an account of an investigation of the changes of blood-pressure in the left ventricle and right carotid which result from gradual compression of the aorta.-The President exhibited three very successful photographs of the posterior (retinal) surface of the eye.-Doctor Wertheim recorded the disappearance of the indirect image of an illuminated disk when the object itself, as seen directly, is suddenly darkened.-Dr. Lilienfeld gave an account of a chemical examination of blood-platelets, which showed that they consist of a compound of albumin and nuclein, whose behaviour speaks against their being preformed structures.

Physical Society, October 23.-Prof. du Bois-Reymond, President, in the chair.-The Society resolved to present to Prof. von Helmholtz, on November 2, in celebration of his seventieth birthday, an address prepared by Prof. von Bezold. -Messrs. Haensch described a modification which they had made in a spectrophotometer.-Dr. Rubens gave an account of a new method of determining dispersion and refraction in the ultra-violet rays, a method which, unlike that employed by Langley, yields more accurate results by very simple means. He has already made determinations with a series of glasses, with water and with carbon bisulphide. The curve of dispersion he finds to be, on the whole, the same as that obtained by Langley for rock-salt.-Prof. Preyer enunciated his hypothesis as to the genealogy of the chemical elements.

AMSTERDAM.

The

Royal Academy of Sciences, September 26.—Prof. van de Sande Bakhuysen in the chair.-Prof. Franchimont showed a little bottle filled with a new chemical compound, obtained and examined by Dr. C. A. Lobry de Bruyn. This hydroxylamine is a crystalline matter without colour and smell. It is prepared by the action of natrium-methylate on the methylalcoholic solution of the compound of hydroxylamine and HCl, and by distillating and fractionating the result in vacuo. specimen is pure to 996 per cent; it melts at 31°5, and distillates under a pressure of 35 mm. between 63°5 and 65°·5. -Mr. Behrens spoke of the microscopic structure of hard steel. If high microscopic powers are used, the network in hardened steel may be made visible on polished slices without etching or annealing. The dark sinuous lines answering to the bright ones shown by Sorby and Wedding on etched slices, it is proved that hardened steel contains hard granules bound up in a matrix of soft iron. Some varieties of grey iron from small castings may be hardened like steel, most of the graphite disappearing. After annealing the hardened metal at a red heat, the slices were dotted with blackish dust, which formed circles round the globules of the crystallites and little heaps in the midst of them. It is to be presumed that graphite has reappeared in the course of the annealing. Full details will speedily be given in the Recueil des travaux chimiques des Pays-Bas.

BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED.

Books. Pflanzenleben, Zweiter Band: A. K. von Marilaun (Leipzig, Bibliographisches Institut).-British Fungi: G. Massee (L. Reeve).-Studies in American History: M. S. Barnes and E. Barnes (Boston, Heath).-A Textbook of the Science of Brewing: E. R. Moritz and G. H. Morris (Spon).The Universal Atlas, Part 8 (Cassell).-Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada, Annual Report, vol. iv., 1838-89 (Montreal, Foster, Brown).-Daily Weather Charts to illustrate the Tracks of Two Cyclones in the Arabian Sea (Eyre and Spottiswoode).—Meteorological Charts of the

portion of the Indian Ocean adjacent to Cape Guardafui and Ras Hafún (Eyre and Spottiswoode).-Arithmetical Physics; Part 2a, Magnetism and Electricity; 3rd edition: C. J. Woodward (Simpkin).-A Graduated Course of Natural Science, Part 2: B. Loewy (Macmillan).-Delagoa Bay, its Natives and Natural History: R. Monteiro (Philip).-Observations made at the Hong Kong Observatory in the Year 1890: W. Doberck (Hong Kong).-Light, an Elementary Treatise: Sir H. T. Wood (Whittaker).-A First Book of Electricity and Magnetism: W. P. Maycock (Whittaker).The Alkali-Maker's Hand-book; 2nd edition: G. Lunge and F. Hurter (Whittaker). The Practical Telephone Hand-book: J. Poole (Whittaker),The Plant World: G. Massee (Whittaker).-T. Cooke and Sons' Catalogue of Astronomical and Scientific Instruments, 1891 (York).-A Text-book of Physiology, Part 4, 5th edition, revised: Prof. M. Foster (Macmillan).-Iconographia Flora Japonica, vol. i. Part 1: Dr. R. Yatabe (Tokyo, Maruya). Catalogue of the Michigan Mining School, Houghton, Michigan, 1890-91 (Houghton).-Manual for the Physiological Laboratory; 5th edition: Drs. Harris and Power (Baillière).-Die Entstehung der Landtiere. ein Biologischer Versuch: Dr. H. Simroth (Leipzig, Engelmann).—Revisi Generum Plantarum, Pars 1: Dr. O. Kuntze (Dulau).

PAMPHLETS.-Proposed Railway through Siberia: W. M. Cunningham (London).-Molecular Motion in the Radiometer, in Crookes' Tubes and in some other Phenomena: D. S. Troy (New York, Hodges).-Oysters and Oyster-Fisheries of Queensland (Brisbane).

SERIALS.-Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, No. 188, vol. xlvii., Part 4 (Longmans).-Morphologisches Jahrbuch, 17 Band, 4 Heft (Leipzig: Engelmann).- Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, No. 128 (Churchill).-Boletim da Commissão Geographia e Geologica do Estado de S. Paulo, Nos. 4-7 (S. Paulo).-Mittn. des Vereins für Erdkunde zu Halle a/S (Halle a/S)-Geological Magazine, November (K. Paul).-Jahrbuch der Meteorologischen Beobachtungen der Wetterwarte der Magdeburgischer Zeitung, Band ix. Jahrg. x., 1890 (Magdeburg).-Records of the Australia: Museum, vol. i. No. 8 (Sydney).—Journal of the Chemical Society, Novem ber (Gurney and Jackson).-Sitzungsbericht der k. Akademie der Wisser schaften Math. Naturw. Classe, xcix. Band, Abthg. 1. Heft 4-10; Abthg, 2a, Heft 4-10; Abthg. 2b, Heft 4-10; Abthg. 3, Heft 4-10 (Wien).

Results of Experiments at Rothamsted on the Question of the Fixation of Free Nitrogen. By Dr. J. H. Gilbert, F.R.S.

Fossil Birds in the British Museum. (Illustrated.)
Iron Carbonyl from Water Gas. By A. E. Tutton
Cape Guardafui and the Neighbouring Sea
Notes.

Our Astronomical Column:

Outburst of Dark Spots on Jupiter

Wolf's Periodic Comet ...

The Total Lunar Eclipse of November 15
The Elements of the Minor Planets

Some Experiments made with the View of ascertain-
ing the Rate of Propagation of Induced Magnetism
in Iron. By Fred. T. Trouton
Oysters at the Antipodes

The Tibet Expedition

University and Educational Intelligence Scientific Serials

Societies and Academies

Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received

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48

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1891.

SCOTCH FISHERIES.

The Ninth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland: being for the Year 1890. (Edinburgh: Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Neil and Co., 1891.)

THIS

HIS, like the three preceding Reports, is published in three parts: I. General Report; II. Report on Salmon Fisheries; III. Scientific Investigations.

The first part deals with such matters as the statistics relating to fish landed and cured, Crown brands, number of boats and men fishing, an account of the services rendered by the various vessels employed in marine police and fishery superintendence; and generally, reports on all business matters connected with this section of the Board's work. The Shetland herring fishing seems to have been particularly successful, and to have attracted the usual number of English and Irish boats, but the reports as to the number of Scotch boats employed in this and long-line fishing tend to show that there is a gradual decrease; that the fishing does not now seem to hold out such attractions to the rising generation as it once did; that probably over-competition is telling upon this as well as other industries.

We

The chief article in the second part is the annual report of Mr. Archibald Young, Inspector of Salmon Fisheries for Scotland. It contains an account of the fishings in the various rivers and lochs, with answers to queries from district boards and local fishing authorities. The question of the advisability of having a close-time for trout is only casually mentioned; and we cannot but think that the Board would do well if, with all the facilities at its command, it paid more careful attention to such matters as the life-history and habits of the salmon. Many points of great interest and usefulness have still to be settled: for instance, we see no attempt to distinguish between the different "runs" of fish in the various rivers, their spawning periods, and subsequent movements. are not told whether, in the case of the salmon hatcheries, any attention has been paid to the spawning of spring run fish-probably a point of great importance in early rivers. Might the Board not collect and publish much valuable information as to the best means of keeping up a steady supply of Salmonidæ, by looking at the question a little more with the interest of the naturalist and sportsman? A great deal of information is yet required as to late and early spawning, migratory movements of the young, rate of growth in the sea, food, &c. To carry out some of these inquiries might possibly require more legal power than the Board possesses, but that the Fishery Board is in a more favourable position than other fishery authorities will be generally admitted. These excellent reports as to the state of the salmon fishings should be used more as a means for improving that state than as the finished results of a year's inspection.

The third or scientific section of the Report is a volume of nearly 430 pages. The word scientific has, with the Fishery Board, a significance of its own: it

covers a multitude of subjects, but is on the whole a convenient title. Part III. is subdivided into four sections. In the first (A.), after detailed tabulated results of the work done by means of the cruiser Garland, &c., there are one or two papers deserving of special mention. A paper by Dr. Fullarton, " On the Suitability of Scottish Waters for Oyster Culture," is an exhaustive account of an expedition made by him to a great number of lochs on the west coast, and shows clearly that some of these lochs formerly produced an abundance of oysters, and have had, within recent years, an abundant fall of spat on their spawning beds. A table of temperatures and densities is also given, which is valuable, but would certainly have been much more so if the temperature readings had been given in the common Fahrenheit instead of the Centigrade scale. The next paper is by the Secretary for Scientific Investigations, Dr. T. Wemyss Fulton, on "The Capture and Destruction of Immature Sea Fish." The two most important parts of this paper deal with the vitality of trawled fish, and the numbers of immature fish taken by shrimpers. It is the first attempt ever made to collect accurate data as to the proportion of living and dead fish brought up in a trawl net worked upon a certain kind of bottom for a certain length of time. The information regarding the number of immature fish taken by shrimpers has been collected in the Solway Firth and on the Lancashire coast. The results cannot but be surprising to very many. Taking the Solway alone, Dr. Fulton's totals show that, in one year, a single boat captures over 110,000 immature plaice. It is gratifying to learn that in this district the fishermen are, for once, provident, and return to the sea all these little fishes, for the sum-total of all immature fish landed in the year, comes to about 3,653,000. Dr. Fulton finds that, owing to the short time the shrimp trawl remains at the bottom-a sandy bottom-none of the young fish die. This contradicts a statement very generally made by those who denounce the system of fishing with beam trawl, and also is exactly the reverse of the finding of MM. Giard and Roussin in their report on this subject to the French Minister of Marine-a report founded, however, not on experimental observation, as Dr. Fulton does not fail to point out. These observations further seem to show that very young fish caught in a shrimp trawl are much more tenacious of life than older fish taken in a large net of similar construction, and under similar conditions. This point, we think, is of some importance, and has not been sufficiently taken notice of. It bears on the question of size of mesh and destruction of small fish taken. "On

The biological section opens with a long paper, the Food of Fishes," by W. Ramsay Smith, B.Sc., and, following this, another paper by Dr. Wemyss Fulton, on "The Comparative Fecundity of Sea Fishes." In this paper the author first deals with the proportional weight of the ova compared to the rest of the body. This naturally leads him into the somewhat complicated subject of the proportion of eggs ripe at the spawning-time of certain fishes which do not shed their spawn en masse. He finds that in such cases it would often be an impossibility for the body of the fish to contain all the eggs it naturally produces in an enlarged and ripe condition. Taking