1898] NEWS 287 



Prof. C. E. Beecher, of Yale University Museum, has made for his class-use 

 a series of enlarged models showing the development (embryology) of a typical 

 member of the class Brachiopoda, and the structural peculiarities of ten of the 

 most important genera. Under arrangement with Prof. Beecher Messrs Ward of 

 Rochester, New York, have issued these models at the price of $60, or in an oak 

 case, $70. The form taken as the type is Cistella neapolitana, but the price 

 places these models beyond the reach of most teachers. 



Prizes of 600 francs are offered by the Belgian Academy for international 

 competition. Among the subjects are : — Original Research on Digestion in Car- 

 nivorous Plants ; Original Research on the Structure and Development of a 

 Platode with a view of determining whether there are any phylogenetic relations 

 between Plathelminthes and Enterocoela ; do the Schizophyta possess a nucleus ; 

 if so, what is its structure and its mode of division ? Further information may 

 be obtained from the Secretary to the Academy at Brussels. 



Sir William McGregor is returning from the governorship of British New 

 Guinea after ten years' continuous service in Australia's Equatorial Dependency, 

 during which he has done splendid service as administrator, organiser, and 

 explorer. Our contemporary The Echo reminds us that Sir William began life as 

 house surgeon to the Royal Infirmary at Glasgow, and was first sent by the 

 Government to the Seychelles. From there he was promoted to the Mauritius, 

 and afterwards to Fiji. We agree with The Echo in thinking it will be difficult 

 to replace Sir William McGregor. 



The Geologists' Association will visit Bridport and Weymouth for their Easter 

 Excursion, April 7 to 12, under the guidance of the Rev. Prof. J. F. Blake ; 

 they will go to Aldeburgh, Suffolk, for Whitsuntide, under Messrs Whitaker, 

 Harmer and Ridley. The Long Excursion will be to Birmingham, Nuneaton, 

 Dudley, Lickey, and Cannock, under the leadership of Professor Lapworth, 

 Messrs W. W. W^atts, W. J. Harrison, and W. W. King. If the Lapworth-Watts 

 Excursion is anything approaching the famous excursion to Shropshire of a few 

 years ago, then indeed will the Association have cause to be proud. 



The Seventh Meeting of the Australasian Association for the advancement of 

 Science, held at Sydney early in January, was a great success judging from the 

 reports in the Sydney Dnily Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald, which papers 

 have been sent to us by Prof. Liversidge. There are over 600 members of the 

 Association ; the sister Colonies were well represented, and there was a large 

 attendance of visitors. A popular lecture was delivered by Prof. Baldwin 

 Spencer, on " The Centre of Australia " ; while Sir James Hector discoursed on 

 " Antarctica." The 1900 meeting will be held at Melbourne, under the Pre- 

 sidency of Mr R. L. J. Ellery, the Astronomer. 



The expected has happened. The collection of fossils made by Mr W. F. E. 

 Gurley is now for sale. It will be remembered that when Mr Gurley was State 

 Geologist of Illinois, he utilised the official publications of his department for the 

 description (in conjunction with the late Mr S. A. Miller) of an extraordinary 

 number of new species, the types of which were in his own private collection. 

 We pointed out at the time that he thus greatly increased the commercial value 

 of the collection at no cost whatever to its owner. We have every reason to be- 

 lieve that Mr W. F. E. Gurley is an honourable man, and we have no doubt that 

 before parting with -his collection he will present these type-specimens to the 

 State of Illinois. 



Arctic explorers are springing up on all sides. Another attempt on the Pole 

 is to be made by Captain Bernier, who appears to be a native of Quebec. He 

 intends to go by ship to the point north of Siberia where the Fram crossed 80° E. 

 Here he will take to the ice with eight men, fifty dogs and fifty reindeer, sledges, 



