436 NATURAL SCIENCE. dec. 



5,000 dollars to Harvard College, to found a medical scholarship, to be called the 

 C. B. Porter Scholarship. The Spring Garden Institute, of Philadelphia, has 

 received a gift of 100,000 dollars from the heirs of Samuel Jeanes, himself a great 

 benefactor during his lifetime. Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, has received 

 from Messrs. M. H. and F. T. White, of Cincinnati and New York, 25,000 dollars as 

 a memorial of their father, John T. White. The Royal College of Physicians of 

 London has received ^3,000 from Dr. H. Weber, to found a triennial prize for 

 research on the prevention and cure of tuberculosis. Mrs. Mary Putnam Bull has 

 given to the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences ten thousand dollars in 

 memory of C. E. and J. D. Putnam. This sum will ensure the continued publi- 

 cation of the valuable Proceedings of the Academy. 



Some of the work done this year at the Marine Laboratory of the U.S. Fish 

 Commission at Wood's Holl is summarised in Science for October 25 by Professor 

 J. I. Peck. H. V. Wilson has studied the sponges from the Gulf of California and 

 the Galapagos Islands, collected by Agassiz on the "Albatross." W. Patten has 

 investigated some abnormal developments of Limulus embryos, which are expected 

 to throw light on the physiology of embryonic growth. L. Murbach has had the luck 

 ■to obtain the eggs of the medusa Gonionemus in various stages of development, while 

 'G. Lefevre has made interesting observations on the fixation of the tailed larva of 

 Perophora. Important work on nervous systems, and specially on ganglion cells, has 

 been conducted by I. Van Gieson, I. Strauss, J. E. Peabody, and others. T. H. 

 Montgomery has studied the histology of nemertines and the development of their 

 proboscis. Professor Peck himself has found out what the youngest fish-fry feed on. 

 He concludes with some remarks, which specially appeal to us, on the relations 

 of the Laboratory to educational bodies. The work of the young students, he says, 

 " seems more important each year than it did the year before." Since no definite 

 instruction is given at the Laboratory, such students should be furnished in advance 

 with " definite ideas of what forms to select for work, how to proceed, and what to 

 read." "An advantage of the presence of students who are doing work of a more 

 general character is the custom of regular towing, and of constantly bringing into 

 the Laboratory fresh supplies of living material of many kinds. . . . This keeps 

 all the men engaged in special research in association with general phenomena 

 of the most attractive kinds." The collection of material by teachers for class 

 demonstration has also greatly benefited " biological work in all of the twenty 

 universities, colleges, and secondary schools represented here this season." 



Mr. Andrew Carnegie has, at a cost of ^200,000, built a free library, with 

 museum, art galleries, and four branch libraries, at Pittsburg, U.S.A. 



The Owen Memorial Committee has decided that the statue to Owen,, to be 

 placed in the British Museum (Natural History), shall be in bronze. 



The changes at the British Museum (Natural History) on the retirement of the 

 Keeper of Zoology, Dr. A. Giinther, are as follows : — Professor Sir W. Flower 

 assumes the office of Keeper of Zoology in addition to his post as Director, without 

 addition of salary ; Dr. Bowdler Sharpe becomes Assistant-Keeper of Vertebrata, 

 his department consisting of Messrs. Thomas, Boulenger, and Grant ; Mr. Edgar A. 

 Smith, Assistant-Keeper of Invertebrata, associated with Professor Jeffrey Bell, 

 Mr. Pocock, and Mr. Kirkpatrick ; Dr. A. G. Butler, the head of the Entomological 

 Department, with his juniors, Messrs. Waterhouse, Kirby, Gahan, Heron, Austen, 

 Hampson, and a new Assistant appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr. Pocock becomes 

 a first-class Assistant. Changes have also been begun in the galleries. For 

 instance, the larger fishes will be slung up to the roof, so as not to cumber the 

 valuable floor-space, and a more definite arrangement will be made of fishes ; 

 similar alterations are contemplated in the reptile gallery, where seventeen crocodiles 

 have for many years enjoyed palatial quarters on the floor. The public gallery 



