304 NATURAL SCIENCE [May 



This is evidently a matter of theory and will be difficult to 

 prove, but we await Professor Eriksson's further publications with 

 great interest. The whole subject, as he himself states, is of great 

 practical importance. 



The New Academy of Sciences at Washington 



The following have been elected officers of the Washington 

 Academy of Sciences : — President, J. E, Eastman ; secretary, 

 Gr. K. Gilbert ; treasurer, Bernard E. Green ; managers — Alexander 

 Graham Bell, Frank Baker, F. W. Clarke, C. Hart Merriam, H. S. 

 Pritchett, George M. Sternberg, Charles D. Walcott, Lester F. Ward, 

 and Caroll D. Wright. The seven vice-presidents will be nominated 

 by the seven affiliated societies — Anthropological, Biological, 

 Chemical, National Geographic, Geological, Entomological, and 

 Philosophical. The Act of Incorporation of the Academy states 

 that its object is the promotion of science with power : — («) To 

 acquire, hold and convey real estate and other property and to 

 establish general and special funds ; {h) to hold meetings ; (c) to 

 publish and distribute documents ; {d) to conduct lectures ; (e) to 

 conduct, endow, or assist investigation in any department of science ; 

 (/) to acquire and maintain a library ; {g) and, in general, to 

 transact any business pertinent to an academy of sciences. 



The South Kensington Museum 



In connection with the proposed action of the Government at South 

 Kensington Museum, the following little extract from the report of 

 proceedings in Parliament on March 29th may interest and possibly 

 amuse our readers : — 



" Mr H. Lewis moved to reduce the amount proposed to be ex- 

 pended at South Kensington by £100,000, in order to draw the 

 attention of the Government to the fact that in Wales there was no 

 provision for museum purposes such as existed in England, Ireland, 

 and Scotland. What he asked was that in Wales they should have 

 a storehouse for their national art treasures. 



" Mr Labouchere suggested that the Imperial Institute should 

 be purchased and used as the new museum for science and art 

 treasures. The Colonies had declined to subscribe to it, and as 

 it was principally used as a species of music-hall, he thought it 

 might be bought cheaply. 



" Mr Akers-Douglas said he sympathised with the desire of the 

 Welsh people to have a proper museum, but it was a matter that he 

 could not enter into upon this Bill. As to the Imperial Institute, 

 he understood that the owners were not willing to sell, and it was 

 not the intention of the Government to ask for compulsory powers 

 of purchase." 



