1899] NEWS 169 



The Regents of the University of the State of New York have decided to 

 divide the work in geology and palaeontology, which was for so many years in 

 charge of the late Professor James Hall, and in so doing have erected two 

 co-ordinate departments, one of palaeontology and stratigraphic geology and 

 the other of "pure geology," the latter to cover dynamic and physical geology, 

 the crystalline rocks, superficial geology, etc. Some of the changes are noted 

 in our list of appointments. 



Science announces that Dr. Thomas Egleston, emeritus professor of miner- 

 alogy and metallurgy in Columbia University, has presented the university 

 with his library and mineralogical collection, the latter containing about 5000 

 valuable specimens. 



We learn from the American Naturalist that the biological and cjeoloaical 

 departments of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have moved into new 

 and more spacious quarters in the Pierce building recently erected. 



The King of Sweden and Norway has given the Swedish Academy of 

 Sciences the sum of about two hundred guineas for continuing the investigation of 

 Swedish seas under the direction of Professor Pettersson. During the present 

 year it is intended to continue the soundings in the Baltic and Gulf of Bothnia, 

 and the continuous observations in the Skagerrak ; also to investigate the con- 

 ditions on the northernmost parts of the North Sea plateau, where is the 

 fishing-ground of the Swedish bank-fishers, and the conditions during the 

 months of October and November, after the close of the herring-fishery. 



The Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium proposes to ask the Belgian 

 government to enter into negotiations with foreign governments, with a view 

 to drawing up an International Pharmacopoeia. 



The awards of the Geological Society of London for the year 1899 will be 

 as follow : — Wollaston Medal, Charles Lapworth ; Wollaston Fund, J. B. 

 Harrison, of British Guiana ; Murchison Medal (this year awarded twice), 

 Benjamin N. Peach and John Home ; Murchison Fund, James Bennie ; Lyell 

 Medal, General C. A. M'Mahon ; Lyell Fund, divided between Frederick 

 Chapman and John Ward ; Bigsby Medal, T. W. Edgeworth David, of Sydney. 



The gold medal of the French Geographical Society has been awarded to 

 Mr. Gentil for his explorations in the neighbourhood of Lake Tchad. 



The Seventh International Geographical Congress is to meet in Berlin from 

 Thursday, September 28, to Wednesday, October 4, of this year. The sub- 

 scription for members is £1. All who wish to contribute papers are requested 

 to give notice before April 1, and to send their MS. by June 1 ; abstracts, if 

 desired, should not exceed 1500 words, and must be sent in before August 1. 

 Motions to be laid before the Congress should be sent in not later than June 1. 

 The languages admitted at the Congress are English, French, German, and 

 Italian. All correspondence is to be addressed to 90 Zimmerstrasse, Berlin, 

 S.W. 



The Committee of the International Geological Congress, 1900, which will 

 meet at Paris, has just issued, through the Minister of Commerce, Industry, etc., 

 the first circular. The Congress will take place from the 16th to the 28th 

 August 1900, after which will follow these excursions : — Tertiaries of the Paris 

 basin (2 days); the Boulonnais and Normandy (10 days) ; the central massift* 

 (10 days); the Ardennes (8 days); Picardy (6 days); Brittany (10 days); 

 Mayenne (8 days) ; the turonian of Touraine and the cenomanian of Mans 

 (6 days) ; Touraine (4 days) ; Morvan (10 days) ; coal-measures of Commentry 

 and of Decazeville (7 days) ; Mont Dore, chaine des Puysand Limagne (10 days) - r 

 Bharentes (8 days) ; Bordeaux basin (6 days) ; Tertiaries of the Rhone .and the 

 Casse-Alps (8 days) ; Dauphine and Mont Blanc (10 days) ; Hautes Alps (10 to 

 12 days); Monts Ventoux and de Lure (10 days); Basse-Provence (10 days); 



