1896. NEWS OF UNIVERSITIES, ETC. 283 



into Geology, Palaeontology, Chemistry, Hydrography, and Mineral Resources. 

 During the year ending June 30, 1895, twenty-six field parties were sent out by the 

 Survey. Considerable fresh information concerning the Devonian and Silurian 

 rocks has been obtained by a party investigating the coal regions of West Virginia 

 and Maryland, while it has been found that the Pottsville coal series of Pennsylvania 

 is increased by the addition of lower beds as it passes southwards into West Virginia. 

 The iron-bearing formations in the Lake Superior region have been traced over an 

 obscure area by the help of the magnetic needle. The director himself journeyed 

 through the mining fields of the western States, and increased the local interest in 

 the Survey. A collection of 80,000 specimens of Coal-measure plants was recently 

 presented to the National Museum by Mr. R. D. Lacoe. It contains nearly two- 

 thirds of the original specimens described and figured from the Carboniferous ilora 

 of the United States, and is now being arranged by Mr. David White. This museum, 

 says Science, has also obtained a number of fossils from the Peace Creek phosphate 

 deposit, including numerous remains of the mammoth, showing it to have had a large 

 average size in Florida, others of Bison latifrons, indicating that it was about 9 inches 

 taller than Bisoji americanus, and two molars probably belonging to Aiichenia minimus. 

 Another skeleton of a huge extinct bison has lately been found in W. Kansas. 



The Field Columbian Museum of Chicago is sending a scientific expedition, 

 under the leadership of Professor Daniel G. Elliot, into South Central Africa, in 

 order to collect rare birds and mammals. Fort Salisbury will be the headquarters 

 of the expedition, which from June to December next intends to explore 

 Mashonaland and the country lying to the north and west thereof. 



The following are some of the lectures to be given at the Royal Institution after 

 Easter: — Professor James Sully, three lectures on Child-Study and Education; 

 Mr. C. Vernon Boys, three lectures on Ripples in Air and on Water ; Professor 

 T. G. Bonney, two lectures on the Building and Sculpture of Western Europe, 

 beginning April 16; Dr. Robert Munro, two lectures on Lake Dwellings, beginning 

 May 28. The Friday evening meetings will be resumed on April 17, when a 

 discourse will be given by Mr. G. Lippmann on Colour Photography. 



The following is the list of sectional presidents for this year's meeting of the 

 British Association, to be held at Liverpool, September 16-23, under the presidency 

 of Sir Joseph Lister, the new President of the Royal Society. A, mathematics and 

 physics. Professor J. J. Thomson; B, chemistry. Dr. Ludwig Mond ; C, geology, 

 Mr. John Edward Marr ; D, zoology. Professor E. B. Poulton ; E, geography, 

 Major Leonard Darwin ; F, economics, the Rt. Hon. Leonard Courtney, M.P. ; G, 

 mechanical science, Sir Charles Douglas Fox; H, anthropology, Mr. Arthur Evans; 

 I, physiology and pathology, Dr. Walter Holbrook Gaskell ; K, botany, Dr. D. H. 

 Scott. The evening discourses will be given by Professor Flinders Petrie, and, 

 probably, by Sir Andrew Noble ; the lecture to working men by Professor Fleming. 



At the anniversary meeting of the Geological Society, held on February 21, 

 Dr. Henry Hicks was selected president for the current year, in succession to 

 Dr. Henry Woodward. The subject of the retiring president's address was " The 

 Life-History of the Crustacea in later Palaeozoic and Neozoic Times." 



The Natural History Society of New Brunswick has the excellent habit of con- 

 ducting each year a lengthy visit to some locality for the purpose of botanical 

 geological, and zoological investigation. In July of last year the neighbourhood of 

 the Lepreau Basin was thus visited. The basin is a land-locked sheet of water, 

 closed in from the sea by a gravel beach and low cliffs of sandstone. At low tide 

 there are extensive sand-flats on the basin, which are traversed by interrupted 

 creeks and ponds, affording a refuge to the marine animals which the rising tide 

 brings into the basin. Unfortunately, the zoological results were mostly negative ; 



