and legal opinions, that they have a right to have them gratuitously. I have never been able to understand on what grounds that theory rests; and my belief is, that if you would assimilate scientific knowledge to medical and legal knowledge in that respect, you could always get, for a proper remuneration, the very best scientific opinion that the country is able to furnish. You cannot expect that you should be able to make upon a man, every moment of whose time is occupied, a demand involving his time for hours or days of research, if you are not prepared to behave to him as you would to a lawyer in a similar case." There is no reason to suppose that, though these observations reflect with severity upon the Patent Commissioners' proposal, Lord Salisbury had that case in view when he made them. He was no doubt giving the result of his wide experience as a statesman and departmental chief, and it is a comfort to know that in the present Cabinet there is at least one man competent to assign its true value to scientific work, and bold enough to insist that that value shall be given. It will be perceived that Lord Salisbury hints that the departments are not, and cannot be expected to be, supplied with "the best scientific opinion," because it is not properly paid for. He therefore urges liberality to men of science, as we have always done, strictly on the ground of public policy. An instance in point recently came to our knowledge where a department asked one of our most eminent physicists for an opinion on a meteorological question, but the correspondence was abruptly closed on his venturing to inquire what would be his remuneration for preparing a laborious and difficult report.

Foreign nations are now teaching us that it is time short-sighted parsimony like this came to an end, and that the sooner men in authority are "prepared," as the Patent Commissioners phrase it, to pay handsomely for the most fruitful work of which man is capable, the better for the country.

It must not be overlooked that at the time this preposterous proposal was made by the Patent Commissioners two of their own number were the recipients of 5,000l. or 6,000l. a year, paid out of the Patent fees, for which they rendered, and could render, for want of the requisite knowledge, absolutely no service to the Patent system, and that the surplus income of the office was about 90,000l. per annum.

The following is a copy of the correspondence referred to by Col. Strange in his remarks during the discussion, as having taken place on the subject of appointing unpaid ommissioners of Patents :

(Copy of the Memorial.)

To the Right Hon. the Lord Romilly, Master of the Rolls. My Lord,-The great use of patents is to make known the inventions, processes, and secrets of others. It is therefore highly important that the mass of information accumulated at the Patent Office should be made available, so as to make known as far as possible all inventions and modes of manufacture for the benefit of the country. The advantage of so doing would be immense, and would help to keep the manufactures of this country in advance of others. Action in this direction on the part of the authorities has been prayed for in every memorial that has been presented.

One of the first memorials was presented by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, with Mr. Robert Stephenson as president at its head. This was presented in 1853 to the Right Honourable Frederick Lord Chelmsford, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, the Right Honourable Sir John Romilly, Master of the Rolls, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, her Majesty's AttorneyGeneral, and Sir Hugh McCalmont Cairns, her Majesty's Solicitor-General; and prayed for greater facilities being given to persons making inquiries in any branch of knowledge at the Patent Office.

The second memorial in 1862 was presented to the Right Honourable Sir John Romilly. It prayed amongst other things for " a building as an office for patents, including in it a complete library, a commodious reading-room, and suitable offices

for a proper staff of clerks and others to prepare well-digested and numerous abstracts and abridgments of inventions and processes, made public either by the specifications of patents or otherwise, and whether English or foreign.'

A third memorial was presented to Sir John Romilly in 1864. It prayed not only that the efficiency of the office should be increased, but called the attention of the Commissioners to recent reductions in the staff and its disorganised state; which staff was "utterly inadequate to satisfy the requirements of persons seeking information among the very numerous works contained there." The memorialists went on to state that "" they had entertained the hope that, so far from a reduction being made, there would have been an increase ordered to such an extent as would have enabled the abridgments of the specifications in the various branches of art (which abridgments were commenced about seven years ago) to be pushed vigorously forward, so as to complete the abstracting of the whole of the original specifications, and to keep up those abstracts from year to year as new matter is furnished. Your memorialists feel it is hardly possible complete and intelligent system of abstracts; and they venture to overrate the advantages to be derived by the public from a to urge upon the consideration of the Commissioners the necessity of at once providing a sufficient number of qualified persons (to be under the entire control of the scientific officer appointed by the Commissioners to superintend the specifications) to assist that officer in preparing such abstracts, and also to collect and epitomise scientific information generally.'

""

The president and members of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers addressed a memorial in 1864 to the Right Honourable Lord Westbury, then Lord Chancellor, bringing under his lordsioned to manufacturers, inventors, and others, by the want of a ship's notice the fact that very great loss and delay are occacomplete classification and the prompt indexing of all inventions, systematic arrangement as is needed is quite within the compass whether patented or not, foreign as well as English. Such a of an efficient staff of officers possessed of technical knowledge, and could be at once proceeded with; the state of inventions could then be ascertained, and the common case of several persons patenting the same thing would be avoided."

In 1864 a Select Committee of the House of Commons inquired at great length into the working of the Patent Office; and reported, in accordance with the general tenor of the evidence, that much more was required to be done at the Patent Office to render it efficient; that more attendants were required, and "that the want of increased accommodation was so much felt as graphs 3 and 4 of report; answers 10 to 13, 18 to 21, 658 to to prejudice the due administration of the Patent-law" (para662, 667, 817, 863, 1038, and 1039 of evidence).

We merely allude to the opinions expressed by the Select Committee of the House of Commons, scientific men, manufacturers, engineers, and inventors, as the various memorials and other documents are in the possession of the Commissioners of Patents; but we would further mention that the various Commissioners of Patents have from the year 1858 reported from time to time to the Lords of the Treasury that great improvements were wanted, and a good building urgently required for the purposes of the Patent Office.

In conclusion we beg to state that it is our decided opinion, and that of many of those who have signed various memorials, that it would conduce greatly to the progress of manufactures and the advancement of commerce, if the large stock of knowledge of inventions and processes, both patented and open, stored at the Patent Office, were made available to the manufacturers and the public generally; and this your petitioners believe would best be compassed if her Majesty were graciously pleased to appoint that "other person as Commissioner of Patents," as contemplated by the Patent-law Amendment Act of 1852, and if the staff at the Patent Office were augmented by the addition of a sufficient number of persons, possessed of good technical knowledge, and well able to abstract all specifications as they came in daily, so that they might at once be entered into an efficient Subject-matter Index, which would give a true indication of what was in the specifications. In addition to this of course the large number of specifications already at the office would require to be abstracted and entered in a similar manner in a new edition of subject-matter indexes, that would really indicate what was contained in each specification, which the present indexes do not. Further, we beg to urge that similar subject-matter indexes be formed of all inventions and processes comprised in the very numerous indexes and tables of contents of the scientific books contained in the excellent scientific and technical library

of the Patent Office, so that any person using due diligence might easily learn with tolerable certainty whether an invention were new or old, which is not now the case.

We beg to append a sample page of such two subject-matter indexes as we would submit are urgently required. It is almost superfluous to mention that there are now several hundred thousands of pounds accumulated surplus, and an annual surplus of about sixty thousand pounds, contributed by the very class of persons who would benefit by such improved indexes.

L. L. DILLWYN, M.P.

RICHARD BAGGALLAY, M.P.
CHARLES FOX, Mem. Inst. C.E.

CHARLES HUTTON GREGORY, President Inst. C.E.
EDWARD WOODS, Mem. Inst. C.E.

C. WILLIAM SIEMENS, Mem. Inst. C.E., F.R.S. ROBERT MALLET, Mem. Inst. C.E., F.R.S. FREDERICK J. BRAMWELL, Mem. Inst. C.E. Council. EDWARD A. COWPER, Mem. Inst. C.E.

20th March, 1868.

(Copy of Reply of the Master of the Rolls to Mr. Dillwyn.) Rolls, 31st March, 1868.

Sir, I transmitted to the Lord Chancellor the memorial presented to me on the 20th March instant by yourself and the

gentlemen who accompanied you, relative to the present state of the Patent Office, together with my views on the subject; and

we have since considered the matter in consultation together.

The result of this is that we are prepared to recommend to her Majesty's Government that three gentlemen should be appointed to act as Commissioners of Patents together with the Lord Chancellor and the Master of the Rolls for the time being -one to represent mechanical science, another to represent chemical science, and a third to represent the subjects more usually and more especially comprised in the term "Natural Philosophy." We should propose that the gentlemen to be recommended to her Majesty for this purpose should be, as regards the first, from gentlemen to be nominated by the Society of Mechanical Engineers; as regards the second, from gentlemen to be nominated by the Chemical Society; and as regards the third, from gentlemen to be nominated by the Council of the Royal Society. But we are not prepared to recommend that any salary should be attached to the services of these gentlemen. We trust and believe that gentlemen fully competent for the purpose may be found who have sufficient leisure, and who, from their love of science and their desire to disseminate more widely the discoveries made in these branches of science, would be willing to give their services without remuneration, and to superintend the general management of the Patent Office, to see that the indexes and abstracts of the specifications are made accurate and complete, and to redress the other defects complained of in your memorial, acting in all these respects in conjunction with the Lord Chancellor and the Master of the Rolls, to whom they would refer whenever the occasion might re quire it.

I think it, however, desirable to repeat that, on fully considering the subject, both the Lord Chancellor and myself have arrived at the same conclusion, that it would be inexpedient to create either one or more salaried officers for this purpose; and to say that we should both, if applied to, recommend her Majesty's Government not to accede to that part of the views of the gentlemen who composed the deputation, which had relation to the creation of paid officers. ROMILLY.

L. L. Dillwyn, Esq., M.P.

FRANCIS KIERNAN, F.R.S.

WE have to record the death, on Dec. 31st last, of

Mr. Francis Kiernan, whose discoveries in connection with the structure of and circulation through the liver, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, and separately in a work entitled "Anatomical Researches on the Structure of the Liver," are so well known to all physiologists and histologists.

Mr. Kiernan was born in Ireland on October 2nd, 1800. His father was a member of the medical profession, who came to this country during his son's younger days. The son was educated at the Roman Catholic College at Ware, in Hertfordshire, and received his medical training at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where, as a student, he gave

signs of marked ability, devoting all his energies to the study of anatomy. In 1825 he obtained the membership of the College of Surgeons, and the Fellowship in 1843. In 1834 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, subsequently receiving the Copley Medal

in the establishment of the University of London, of Mr. Kiernan was amongst those most actively engaged the Senate of which institution, on its incorporation in 1837, he became a member, and subsequently a frequent examiner in his special subjects. He was never married. In 1865 he was seized with a paralytic stroke, from the effects of which he never fully recovered.

The investigations of Mr. Kiernan on the liver, together with those of Mr. Bowman on the kidney, will be always looked back to by biologists as the first-fruits of the introduction to natural science of the microscope in its modern form. Unlike many such productions, however, they have both fully stood the test of time.

THE RECENT THAW

THE thaw of January 1, 1875, happened almost simulhaving been observed in both cities, it is possible to come taneously in Paris and London, and the phenomenon to a definite conclusion concerning many similar occur

rences.

The exact hour of the change in Paris may be stated to have been nine o'clock in the evening. If we suppose it was four o'clock in London, we see that five hours were a sufficient space of time for the gale to run the distance between both cities-about 300 miles.

Telegraphic warnings had been sent from London to the Paris Observatory, but were of little practical use, for want of proper means to disseminate the intelligence: otherwise, many inconveniences which were experienced by the Parisians, surprised by the falling of sleety snow,

would have been avoided.

This remarkable occurrence may be referred to as affording strong evidence in favour of extending and popularising in both countries the use of weather telegrams. But I think it may be useful to try to draw from these circumstances some other conclusions.

In January 1871 I inquired of M. Buys Ballot, now the president of the Utrecht Meteorological Office, if he could tell me how to foresee if winds were likely to take a favourable told by the learned meteorologist to look at the upper course for ballooning from Lille to besieged Paris. I was clouds, as any real change must of necessity take place in the upper strata of the atmosphere, and descend gradually to the earth.

Unfortunately these upper clouds were for days and days running from the south, and the opportunity of trying an ascent was lost. Before the sudden thaw of the 24th of December, as well as before the 1st of January, I saw other clouds taking distinctly the same northern course. It seemed to me that the motion of the upper strata was communicated gradually to the air in closer proximity to the earth, and that the meteorological revolution of the 1st of January was preceded by a great change produced in higher regions through some unknown

cause.

My conclusion seems to me to be supported by the fact that the air was obscured by vapours before the thaw actually took place. The sun lost apparently almost all his warming power, as the difference between minima and maxima read at the Observatory of Paris at the end of the cold periods amounted to a very few centesimal degrees-three or four only; clear air and hot sun being, if the theory is supported by facts, an evidence that cold weather is to last for a long period. It seems that the upper current is produced by cold and dry air coming from the north and pushed southwards.

It would be interesting to submit the theory to the test

of systematic ascents, in order to inquire into the condition of the upper winds, and to measure their deflection or velocity, or their dimensions either in vertical or in horizontal directions.

Some of the readers of NATURE may possibly feel inclined to help me in working out these suggestions practically, or at least to ascertain if they are justified by facts as far as can be ascertained without travelling in the air. W. DE FONVIELLE

EARTHQUAKES IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

A CORRESPONDENCE from Manila, dated Oct. 17-18, gives the following notice of earthquakes occurring there and in the neighbourhood on Oct. 16, which may be of interest to some readers of NATURE :Manila.

10.12 A.M.-Hard shock; duration about 1 min.; general direction from E.-W., but moving from S.E.N.W. to N.E.-S.W.

10.15 A.M.-E. 25° N.-W. 25° S.; duration 5 sec.; rotation from E.-N.

10.20 A.M. till 10.15 P.M.-Thirty-seven other light shocks, i.e. in the whole thirty-nine shocks in twelve hours,

The interval of these shocks became at last greater and greater in the following order :—

observations of the Transit of Venus at that station. The atmospheric conditions were favourable for the observations; 150 measures of cusps and limbs and 60 photographs were obtained. A totally unexpected appearance was presented at the internal contact. The disc of the planet became visible as an entire circle some minutes before contact, and from then to the complete establishment no definite or sudden phase was observed. There was no black drop after the internal contact. Twenty out of sixty photographs came out blurred. Valuable results, however, were obtained. The first external contact occurred at 3h. 7m., and the first internal contact at two minutes later than the British Nautical Almanack stated. The revelation of the complete circle of the planet occurred before the actual internal contact, owing to the effulgence of the corona, the sun illuminating the whole surface of Venus before the complete immersion."

In connection with the news from Honolulu, an article in the Times of Tuesday says :-"The most remarkable part about it is that the observers evidently regarded as an 'unexpected appearance' a phenomenon similar to one observed and recorded in the former transits of 1761 and 1769. In the observations of Chappe d'Auteroche in the latter year, recorded by Cassini, a drawing is actually given of the horns of Venus visible beyond the edge of the sun, and it seems probable from the text that the planet was actually seen on the sun's chromosphere at the moment of egress."

Indeed, this phenomenon need not have caused any surprise if the conditions had been previously clearly understood. In reference to this point, some statements from the Daily News Thebes correspondent (Dec. 9) are worth quoting. In speaking of the commencement of the phenomenon the correspondent says Venus " appeared anything but a promising subject for the purpose at first. She seemed literally to dance about the face of the sun, and her limb was jagged like a saw. They both appeared elliptical in an almost extraordinary degree, owing of course to refraction, and they did not lose it entirely till they were at least 7° from the horizon. Gradually the limbs of both got more and more defined, till Venus looked like a small black pea resting on a luminous disc. The sun, however, still remained somewhat troublesome, particularly to the photographers, and it was not till just before internal contact that he was really steady. The atmosphere of Venus was distinctly seen at certain periods. It showed as a pale white circle round part of her edge, and was totally different to the brilliant sunlight. The general remark was that it reminded us of moonlight. This caused a certain difficulty in estimating the true time of contacts, and perhaps any small discrepancy in observation may be accounted for by this phenoThere is one curious coincidence to note, and that is, that no one seemed to have observed the black drop which has been so much talked about; a faint haze was seen, and a few jets of black springing out from each side of the point of contact, but nothing more. Neither in the photographs did it show, which perhaps might have been expected. Certainly, the weather could not have been more favourable just at the critical time, though, curiously enough, immediately after, a haze came on, which would seriously have affected the results. Need I say that we are all thankful the observation has passed off so well, and if only the other stations to which expeditions have been sent are equally fortunate, the sun's distance ought to be definitely settled. I fully expect that the appearance of the faint line will give rise to a long It will be very

menon.

66

New York, Dec. 31.-Intelligence has been received here from Honolulu, dated the 12th inst., respecting the

curious to note what other stations saw. At all events one thing is certain, and that is that our atmosphere must have been very clear, and also that of Venus; clouds in the planet must have intercepted the sunlight, and have prevented the formation of the luminous ring, or rather partial ring. At one time the whole planet, when

it had half passed over the limb of the sun, was visible, remi nding one of the dark part of the new moon on a clear night. I may say that the whole appearance of internal contact was quite unexpected, and the absence of the black drop puzzled every observer. External contact was observed, I hear, almost simultaneously by all observers, a point of the utm ost importance when the degree of ellipticity of the planet has been determined from measurements of her diameter."

NOTES

THE Germans, we are glad to see, have finally decided to send out a second expedition to the east coast of Greenland. It is to consist of two steam-vessels, of 300 tons burden, each manned by thirty men; one to explore Greenland, while the other advances to the north pole. The estimated cost is about 50,000l. sterling, and the expedition is to leave in June 1875 or June 1876, according as the money can be got together. There

is no hint that the German Government is to lend assistance, though we hope it will do something, after such a good example has been set by our own Government. It would be a splendid and healthy outlet for national rivalry to have these two expeditions start this year, each doing its best to win the Arctic campaign, and striving to be the first to unfurl its particular national flag over the long-fought-for goal. At all events, during the next two or three years we ought to hear of some fine conquests having been made in the far north. The preparations for our own expedition are steadily progressing. Commander Markham, R.N., arrived on Tuesday at Portsmouth.

ONE of the principal articles in this month's Geographical Magazine is on Lieut. Cameron's recent discoveries in the Tanganyika region. The writer justly rates Lieut. Cameron's work as of the highest importance, and we earnestly hope that the appeal of the Royal Geographical Society for subscriptions to enable Cameron to complete his work will be liberally responded to. Already 1,494/. have been subscribed, including 500%. from the Geographical Society; but of this, 544. will be swallowed up by expenses already incurred, so that there is really only 950l. available. This, "it is confidently hoped, will be largely increased as soon as the people of England are fully aware of the necessities of their young countryman in the heart of Africa, and of the glorious work that he is bravely attempting to do, alone and single-handed."

DR. ALLCHIN will give the course of lectures on Comparative Anatomy and Zoology this session at University College, London, pending the appointment of a successor to the late Prof. Grant. The introductory lecture will be delivered to-day, at 4 P.M.

66

MR. BOWDLER SHARP, of the British Mus eum, delivered a lecture on The Birds of our Globe," on Tuesday, January 5, in the private music-room at Mr. N. Holmes's residence, Primrose Hill. The lecturer, commencing with the "Accipitres," or birds of prey, gave a concise description of the various families and genera of birds, terminating, according to modern classification, with the "Struthiones," illustrating at the same time the different groups by an elaborate series of paintings specially prepared for the occasion by Herr Keulemans, the well-known ornithological artist.

We have received a foretaste of the forthcoming new edition of the "Encyclopædia Britannica," in the shape of a separate reprint of Mr. A. R. Wallace's carefully written article on "Acclimatisation." After an examination of a considerable number of instances, Mr. Wallace concludes: "On the whole, we seem justified in concluding that, under favourable conditions, and with a proper adaptation of means to the end in view, men may become acclimatised with at least as much certainty and

rapidity (counting by generations rather than by years) as any of the lower animals."

THE great hurricane which swept over Hong Kong on the 22nd and 23rd of September last, and to which we referred at length last week, appears, from official reports, to have caused considerable damage in the Government Gardens. Mr. Ford, the superintendent, reports that the largest trees suffered the most severely, several of the oldest and largest being entirely destroyed. Many other trees, although not destroyed, were severely damaged, having nearly the whole of their branches broken off, while many which were thus damaged, but which had not their roots broken or strained, will, in course of time, produce fresh branches and foliage. A considerable number of smaller trees and shrubs were entirely destroyed, having been broken off close to the ground, while others were blown over and a great portion of their roots so much exposed to air and light as to threaten their ultimate destruction. Operations were at once commenced for the preservation of as many of the trees and shrubs as there was any prospect of saving, and the greater part of them were replanted and protected by supports. The flower-pots containing plants in various parts of the gardens were broken in great numbers, and the plants for the most part much disfigured. In the nurseries, likewise, the plants in pots were thrown out, but no serious damage was effected. With regard to trees in different parts of the town, which come under the Forest Department of Hong Kong, Mr. Ford says: "I have observed that in nearly all cases where trees were blown down in the typhoon of September 1871, and those trees were again set upright and have continued to grow up to the late typhoon, they have again fallen, and in several cases are this time entirely destroyed; thus proving, as a general rule, that when once a tree suffers so severely as to cause its prostration, little reliance can be placed on that tree ever afterwards continuing or becoming a sound and healthy one. In the Surveyor-General's Report to the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong on the damage caused by this hurricane, it is regretted that no record remains of the pressure of the wind, owing to the meteorological station connected with the Government Hospital being swept away by its force. It is further said, however: "That the island was not many miles distant from the focus of the cyclone is proved not only by the intensity of the wind, but by a feature known to exist only within such a focus, namely, the abrupt intervals of calm during the height of the gale. These lulls were instantaneous, often lasting as long as four or five minutes; and, alternating with the most violent gusts, equally sudden, the conjoint action of the two became, as it were, that of a battering ram."

MANY experiments have been tried in France to test the effects of cold on railway axles. Many engineers suppose that accidents to wheels do not result from any diminution of tenacity of the metal, but merely from its losing all its elasticity owing to the frost hardening the surface of the earth. A fact which can be adduced as a strong argument in favour of that theory was observed by the inhabitants of Montmartre during the last period of frost. The passing of the trains which run so frequently through the Batignolles tunnel at a distance of half a mile was heard by them day and night, which is never the case in ordinary circumstances. As soon as the thaw set in the trains ceased to be heard; the earth having resumed its former elasticity, the sounds were dissipated as before. It has been observed by French railway engineers that thaws are apt to lead to the breaking of axles and chains. The elasticity being only partially

recovered, many shocks affect the trains when running at a fast rate, and are apt to lead to catastrophes.

MR. W. PHILLIPS, of Shrewsbury, proposes to publish, under the title of "Elvellacei Britannici," dried specimens of the larger

ascomycetous fungi. To persons forming collections of our indigenous fungi, Mr. Phillips's fasciculi will be useful, since similar collections have hitherto principally comprised only the Hymenomycetes. Mr. Phillips will be assisted by various wellknown mycologists, and he proposes to issue a very limited number of copies at twelve shillings each fasciculus of fifty species.

M. Amédée Guillemin has published through Hachette a very interesting work on Comets, profusely illustrated. All the modern theories are discussed, fron Descartes to Schiaparelli, a number of traditions and stories connected with comets being also introduced.

WE omitted to mention in last week's notice of the anniversary meeting of the French Academy the speech delivered by M. Dumas on De la Rive. It is a part of the duty of the perpetual secretaries to deliver such éloges at each anniversary m eeting. That duty has been performed by each perpetual secretary from Fontenelle to our days, and the collection of these éloges is an important part of the Academical publications. M. Bertrand is at present engaged in preparing the éloge of M. Elie de Beaumont, which will be delivered in 1876.

A COMMISSION, nominated by the Geographical Society of Paris, and composed of Admiral Fluriot de Langle, MM. Delesse, Charles Grad, H. Farry, and Jules Girard, has just published some instructions to navigators to aid in their study of the physical geography of the sea. These instructions, which the Society sends gratuitously to everyone who is willing to turn to account, in the interest of science, his stay on board ship, point out, in a style sufficiently precise and elementary to come within the comprehension of all, the principal points on which observations should be made, and the best methods to be adopted for collecting useful particulars.

AT St. Peter's College, Cambridge, on April 6, there will be an examination for a Natural Science Scholarship. The subjects of examination will be botany, chemistry and chemical physics, geology, and comparative anatomy and physiology. No candidate will be examined in more than two of the above mentioned subjects. Applications to become candidates must be made on or before March 29 to the Rev. J. Porter, tutor of the College, who will give all necessary information.

By the death of Prof. William Macdonald, of St. Andrew's University, the chair known as that of "Civil and Natural History" becomes vacant. Dr. Macdonald held it for twentyfour years. The post has from the first been practically a sinecure, and almost seems to have been instituted for the sake of the professor. We wonder if the Senate of St. Andrew's will allow their University to be befooled by the appointment of a successor to Dr. Macdonald in this unique chair of "Civil and Natural History."

WE are glad to see that it is intended to form a society at Watford, having for its object the investigation of the meteorology, geology, botany, and zoology (including entomology, ornithology, &c.) of the neighbourhood, and the dissemination amongst its members of information on natural history and microscopical science. The evening meetings of the society will be held (by permission) in the rooms of the Watford Public Library, and during the summer months field meetings will also be held. It is proposed that the annual subscription be ten shillings, without entrance fee. The names of ladies and gentlemen willing to join the society will be received by Dr. Bre:t, Watford House, by Mr. Arthur Cottam, St. John's Road, Watford, and by Mr. John Hopkinson, jun., Holly Bank, Watford. It is hoped that a sufficient number of names will be received within the next few days to warrant a meeting being called to found the society in the course of the present month.

THE Institution of Civil Engineers seems to be one of the most prosperous of our scientific societies. On its books on Nov. 30, 1874, were 2,130 members; its income for the past year was upwards of 10,000l., and its investments amount to nearly 33,000l.

A RARE phenomenon, says the Malta Times, occurred in the forenoon of Monday, the 21st ult. During a strong wind from the south-west, which had prevailed for two days previously, the sea suddenly rose several feet and flooded the moles and roads surrounding the harbours, causing four or five steamers, moored between the Custom House and Calcara Rise, to snap their stern hawsers like packthreads, and carrying away boats that were hauled ashore in the French and other creeks. The sea then receded as suddenly as it rose, leaving portions of the bottom of the harbour exposed, upon which men and boys might be seen collecting fish and other marine animals that had been left aground by the retiring water. Shortly afterwards the sea resumed its ordinary level. Similar phenomena have been noticed occasionally during the course of many years.

M. W. DE FONVIELLE has published a small volume, "Le Métre International définitif," giving an account of the determination of the metre and the negotiations relating to it from 1789 to 1874.

THE Daily News of Monday has a letter from its correspon. dent on board the Challenger, giving a few details in addition to those contained in the recent Times' letter. From Hong Kong the ship was to return to Manila and other places, as far as New Guinea, then make for Yokohama, Japan.

THERE was a slight shock of earthquake at Malta on Friday last, at I P. M.

THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week include two Razor-billed Curassows (Mitua tuberosa) and a Varrell's Curassow (Crax carunculata) from South America, presented by Mrs. A. E. Nash; seven Golden Agoutis (Dasyprocta aguti), from Guiana; five Guira Cuckoos (Guira piririgua) from Parà; an Ani (Crotophaga ani), two Orinoco Geese (Chenalopex jubata), two Red-tailed Guans (Ortalida ruficanda), a Spotted Cavy (Ca'ogenys paça), and a Collared Peccary (Docotyles tajacu), all from South America, purchased.

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY *

(Extracted from the President's Address at the Anniversary Meeting.)

Committee of Papers.--The strength of the Society being represented by its publications, the Committee of Papers is the one whose functions are unquestionably the highest and most onerous, as they are the most closely scrutinised by the Fellows and the public.

Every member of the Council is included in this committee, which meets after almost every Council meeting, and no part of its duties is at present performed by a sub-committee. It appears to me to be very doubtful whether this arrangement, even if the best, can last, owing to the greatly increased number of papers now communicated and their augmenting bulk, and to the value of their contents being less easily estimated as the subjects of scientific research become more specialised. As it is, in the majority of cases but few of the members present can judge of the merits of many of the papers; and it is not easy after a protracted Council meeting, and one occupied with promiscuous business, to fix the attention of a large committee upon subjects with which but few members present may be familiar. It is true that the committee is aided in all cases by the written opinions of careful and impartial referees, and by the special attainments of our secretaries, and that it is most desirable that the sometimes divergent opinions of these should be weighed by * Continued from p. 178.