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��partiDBnIs o( study, und every portico of llie south- ern PociGc. Bight catalogues of the niiiseum were pablished between WH and 1881, severml of then containing zoological and geographical monographs as well. The Joumat, which commenced in 1871, contained not only papers on the museum and Its contents, but was open to the discussion of any scien- tific subject connected with the Soutb-Sea Islands. Its most important feature was formed by the papers, bjr speclaUstSionsectlousof the collections sent borne for the museum. Fourteen parts were published in all, the most remarkable being on the flshes, which contained 140 plates and 312 illustrations. Tbrougb financial reveraes, this princely merchant died poor; and no purchaser was found for his muBeum, which will probably be broken up,
— According to the Ajik, the celebrated collection of birds' eggs belonging to Ur. Baldamua of Coburg, Germany, is now offered for sale. A printed cata- logue of the collection haa been prepared ; anil it appears that the collection, which is especially rich in the nests and eggs of European birds, numbers nearly two thousand species and some ten thousand specimens. II would be a valuable accession to any museum in this country.
— The electric ligbt has found a novel use recently in the attempt to apply It for the prevention of such explosions as have lately taken place in London. Au arc-light of fifty Carcels was employed on one of the police-lwats of the Thames to light the Speaker's terrace or the Westminster bridge. It was found that the movements of individuals on the land, or of boats on the river, could readily be followed. As the police-boats are too smalt to allow of the use of dynamo-eleeUic machines, recourse was had to prl mory batteries, a chloride-of- silver battery of ibe form Invented by Skrivanow being used, which did not occupy more than a cable foot of space.
— The governor of Indiana has appointed Maurice Thompson of Crawtordsviiie to be stale geologisi, in place of Professor John Collelt, whose term expires April 26. Mr. Thompson is known only as a writer upon out-door recreations and popular science. The reason tor not re-appointing Mr. Colletl Is not gl^en, and, if be was to be supplanted by another, it should have been by a thoroughly competent person.
— The manageis of the Indiana institution (or the deaf and dumb at Indianapolis have procured cases for a museum of considerable extent. They have a very good room in their building for this purpose. The idea of object- teaching in natural science to deaf-mutes Is a good one, and will undoubtedly he followed by good results.
— In the programme of prizes for award, presented at the recent annual meeting of the AcadSmie des sciences, was included a prize of four thousand pounds, left by Bryant in 18411, and still unawarded, to be given toanyonewho "shall find an elHcacious remedy for Asiatic cholera, or shall discover the causes of this terrible scourge." To secure Ibis prize, it will be necessary, 1, to And a means of curing Asiatic choiem In the immense majority of cases; 2, or to indicate
��[Vol, v., Na 114.
with absolute certainty the chii^cs oF Asiatic rholera, so that by their suppression the epidemic shall cease; 3, or to discover a certain prophylactic as infallible, for instance, as is vaccination for small-pox.
— Dr. and Mrs. Asa Gray and Dr. W. G. Farlow visited the city of Mexico on their way (o southern California. They were tendered a reception by the Historical society of southern California at Los Angeles, March 16, where Dr. Gray, though suffering from a severe cold contracted at New Orleans, made a few pleasant remarks, and was followed by an address on fungi affecting fruit-trees, by Professor Farlow. The party visited San Diego, where, unfor- tunately, unpleasant weather prevailed: they Intend visiting other points o( botanical Interest.
— Pasteur's system of vaccination for anthrax has been tried with triumphant success by the Indian government, acting on the advice of Mr. J, Mills, the inspector of cattle-disease for Madras. According to the official papers, ponies, donkeys, cows, bullocks, buffaloes, sheep, and guinea-pigs have all been pro- tected by vaccination from the consequences of Inoc- ulation with virus which proved fatal to unvacclnated animals. A vaccinated pony and a buffalo were sent to a village where there was an epidemic of anthrax; and though they were herded with diseased cattle, and grazed uti the same pastures, they escaped the disease. In Burmah the elephants have been vacci- nated with equal success. .\t first the ' vaccine ' was imported from France; but the uncertainly of obtain- ing it pure and efficacious from any one but Pasteur himself has Induced the Indian government to fit up a laboratory for the manufacture and dispensing of the fluid in Bengal; and. if that is successful, other laboratories will be founded in other centres. Mr. J. H. B. Hallen was sent, some lime ago, to study In Pasteur's laboratory; and the report recommends that all veterinary surgeons should go through such a courve of inatrucllon.
— The Parts industrial exhibition tor 1885 vrill be held from July to November In the galleries of the Palais de rindustrie. It has been decided to form three foreign sections, — one tor England, anoUitir for Belgium, and a third for Italy. — in order that the processes adopted by the French workmen nay be fairly compared with those of the countriet named.
— .Some inquiries having beon made of us concern- ing the accuracy of the times of the occurrence of the solar eclipse of March 10 tor some of the prin- cipal cities of the United States, published in Science last Christmas, we would say that it was not designed to furnish accurate predictions for the use of astron- omers, who are in the habit themselves of perform- ing such calculations specially for their respective points of observation, but simply to give near ap- proximations for the use of the public at lonje; the times of ending being given with a little less tlegrec of exactness than those of beginning, which laCl«r, as far as heard from, agreed with observation within the minute, and the whole believed to have answered ail practical ends.
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