47 8 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



geodesy, including investigations on 

 the figure and constitution of the 

 earth and the variation of the accelera- 

 tion of gravity at its surface. Taking 

 up the work in these fields at the 

 stage of advancement attained in the 

 early part of the last century, mainly 

 through the labors of the distinguished 

 French investigators, among whom La- 

 grange, Laplace, Poisson and Fresnel 

 were preeminent, Stokes contributed a 

 large part of the decided progress 

 gained during the past sixty years. 

 He shares with Helmholtz the credit 

 for the important advances in hydro- 

 mechanics since the epoch of Lagrange; 

 he did more than any other writer to 

 extend the brilliant work of Fresnel; 

 and his additions to the theory of 

 geodesy are the most noteworthy 

 since the epoch of Laplace. 



His long and active career was 

 crowned with recognition such as falls 

 to few men of science. Universities 

 and learned societies of his own and 

 foreign countries conferred upon him 

 the highest marks of distinction; while 

 at the ' Stokes Jubilee,' celebrated 

 at Cambridge in the summer of 1899, 



the whole scientific world united in 

 presenting the heartiest tribute of ap- 

 preciation of his laborious and fruit- 

 ful life. 



* 



THE NEW YOKE ZOOLOGICAL 

 PARK 



The New York Zoological Park and 

 Society have made important progress 

 during the past year. We have already 

 called attention to the fact that the 

 New York Aquarium has been placed 

 under the charge of the Zoological So- 

 ciety. The city appropriates $45,000 

 for the maintenance of the aquarium, 

 while the society undertakes the scien- 

 tific control. The importance of the 

 aquarium as an educational institution 

 is borne witness to by the fact that the 

 average daily attendance is 5,000 per- 

 sons. The new director, Dr. C. H. 

 Townsend, has made a number of im- 

 provements in the aquarium. He has 

 planned a fish-hatching exhibit, which 

 will be in operation throughout the 

 year, and alterations that will greatly 

 improve the illumination and ventila- 

 tion. He also proposes to bring the 

 aquarium in closer touch with the 



Cage showing Bengal Tigers. 



