1898] NEWS 211 



histoiy museum is being established at the Vatican. Geological and minera- 

 logical collections are already displayed in a large gallery. 



It is stated that Captain Otto Sverdrup intends to take the From northwards 

 ujj Smith's Sound, and then to make sledge expeditions over the northern part 

 of Greenland. £1111 (20,000 kroner) has been voted by the Norwegian 

 Storthing for the purpose of making such alterations in the Fram as will give 

 more room for scientific work and render her more seaworthy. 



A TEMPORARY post of observation erected on the peninsula of Rase Tarfa, 

 opposite Massowah, by the Austro-Hungarian warship "Pola," engaged on a 

 scientific exploration in the Red Sea, under the direction of Dr Franz Steindach- 

 ner, was suddenly attacked by Bedouins on January 11. The attack was repulsed 

 without loss by the personnel of the post, aided by the Turkish camp guard. 

 Tlie station was then broken up. 



L'Anthropologie informs us that Coimt H. de la Vaulx has returned to Paris 

 from Patagonia with valuable anthropological and ethnographic collections made 

 throughout the whole of that vast country, and comprising both ancient and 

 modern specimens. Aniong other things may be mentioned more than a hundred 

 human skulls and skeletons. These collections have been offered to the French 

 Government, and will be studied by the officers of the Museum of Anthropology. 



At the recent meeting of the American Society of Naturalists, there was 

 founded a new Society for Plant Morphology and Physiology. Abstracts of the 

 paj^ers read are given in Science for January 28. The officers for the ensuing 

 year are : — President, W. G. Farlow ; vice-presidents, J. M. Macfarlane and G. 

 F. Atkinson ; secretary-treasurer, W. F. Ganong. The next meeting of this 

 Society will be held in December 1898, in conjunction with the American Society 

 of Naturalists and the Affiliated Societies. 



Among the sums given by the Swedish Government in aid of scientific re- 

 search, we note the folloAving : — To Dr C. A. Westerlund, to aid the publication 

 of his work, "Synopsis molluscorum extramarium regionis palaearcticae," 700 

 kronor ; Mr N. 0. G. Nordenskjuld of Upsala, to aid in the publication of the 

 scientific results of the Swedish expedition to Magellan Straits of 1895-97, 1000 

 kronor ; to Baron A. E. Nordenskiold in I'eturn for 30 copies of his work, 

 " Periplus," described by us in our last number, 4500 kronor. 



At the annual meeting of the Geological Society of London on February 18th, 

 Mr William Whitaker succeeded Dr Henry Hicks as president, and Mr VV. W. 

 AVatts succeeded Mr Marr as secretary. The following awards were made : — The 

 Wollaston Medal to Prof. Ferdinand Zirkel, and the Fund to Mr E. J. Garwood ; 

 the Murchison Medal to Mr T. F. Jamieson, and the Fund to Miss Jane Donald ; 

 the Lyell Medal to Prof. W. Waagen, and the Fund divided between Messrs H. 

 Woods and W. H. Shrubsole ; and the Barlow-Jameson Fund to Mr E. Greenly. 

 At the annual meeting of the Geologists' Association on February 4th, Mr J. J. 

 H. Teall succeeded Mr E. T. Newton as president. 



A sciextific congress is to be held at Buenos-Aires on April 10-20 of this 

 year, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Socii'te Scientifi- 

 (pie Argentine. Among the sections are those of Biology, Anthropology, and 

 Geology, including Mineralogy and Palaeontology. Subscriptions, 5 pesos (about 

 £1), and announcement of one's wish to attend, should be sent to the President 

 of the Committee of organisation at Cevallos, 269, Buenos-Aires. We have given 

 some account of the vast riches of the La Plata Museum in the jiages of Natural 

 Science, and we can add from personal experience the assurance that any of our 

 European colleagues who attend the meeting will meet with a hearty welcome. 



