252 



NATURE 



[January i6, 1896 



unexplored fields of the Antarctic, and already a considerable 

 proportion of the sum required to enable them to do so has been 

 promised. All who are interested in the advancement of Ant- 

 arctic researches are invited to send subscriptions to the Chair- 

 man of the Executive Committee, Royal London Yacht Club, 

 2 Savile Row, London, W. 



!!^ Members of the engineering profession, who believe in the 

 progress of industries through science, will be interested to learn 

 that, according to Science, a movement is in progress, in the 

 United States, having for its object the development of a system 

 of mechanical engineering "experiment stations," on much the 

 same basis as the existing agricultural experiment stations. It 

 is anticipated that the outcome will be the organisation of such 

 stations in all the agricultural and mechanical colleges of the 

 country in which the agricultural experiment stations have been 

 successfully organised and operated. The purpose of the move- 

 ment is to secure the promotion of engineering research, and of 

 the development of the scientific facts and principles which are 

 of most value to the mechanical arts and to the profession of 

 engineering. The headquarters of the central office, to which all 

 will report, is thought likely to be the Bureau of Steam Engineer- 

 ing of the Navy Department ; that being the largest, most im- 

 portant, and most generally suitable of the Government Bureaux 

 to take cognisance of such work as is contemplated. A Depart- 

 ment of Mechanical Arts was proposed years ago, probably earlier 

 than the Department of Agriculture ; but the importance of the 

 former has not been as promptly or as fully recognised as that 

 of the latter, and nothing has yet been done in that direction. 

 Should such a department be founded, it will naturally become 

 the centre of the work of mechanical engineering experiment 

 stations. 



A Bill " to establish the University of the United States," was 

 recently introduced simultaneously in the United States Senate 

 and House of Representatives. It provides for the representation 

 at all times of twelve other institutions of the United States in 

 the educational control of the National University. A National 

 University Committee of one hundred has been formed, embracing 

 the Chief Justices of the United States, ten ex-United States 

 senators, certain ex-United States ministers and governors 

 especially interested, the presidents of a number of colleges and 

 universities, the State superintendents of thirty-seven of the 

 States, and the heads of leading national organisations, scientific 

 and patriotic, together with the chiefs of the Government 

 bureaus at Washington. The measure provides for that higher 

 instruction only which follows the work of graduate institutions, 

 and for the induction of students of post-graduate rank into the 

 many fields of original work in research and investigation. The 

 business affairs are to be managed by a board of sixteen regents, 

 with the President of the United States at its head, six members 

 being such ex officio, and the remaining nine to be appointed by 

 the President with the consent of the Senate. The educational 

 officers are to be managed by a university council, composed of 

 the regents, acting jointly with twelve eminent educationists 

 representing as many leading institutions of as many States, 

 holding office, like the Regents, for six years, and appointed on 

 the principle that each of the States may in time have representa- 

 tion. The University is authorised to establish such cooperative 

 relations with other institutions as shall be deemed advantageous 

 to the public interests. Neither partisan nor sectarian 

 preferences are to be allowed in any form. Admission is to 

 depend on competency only. The Bill provides for only a 

 few thousand dollars in each of the years 1897 and 1898, to 

 enable the regents to organise, and for the necessary preliminary 

 work. 



NO. 1368, VOL. 53] 



It is stated that the New York Pasteur Institute has pur- 

 chased a farm of about two hundred acres near Tuxedo Park, to 

 be used as an experiment station. 



The storm that visited New York on December 26-27 was 

 attended by the most violent wind ever recorded there. A wind 

 velocity of eighty miles an hour was noted. 



Mr. John Donnell Smith is again in Nicaragua in pur- 

 suance of his botanical explorations, which have already been 

 so fertile in additions to the Central American flora. 



We regret to notice the deaths of Prof. Teichmann, formerly 

 Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Cracow ; and of Mr. 

 Hugh Miller, Geologist on the Geological Survey of Scotland, 

 and author of several geological memoirs. 



The vacancy in the Curatorship of the South African 

 Museum, Capetown, caused by the retirement of Mr. Roland 

 Trimen, F.R.S., has been filled by the appointment to that 

 office of Mr. William L-. Sclater, Assistant Master of Eton 

 College, and Curator of Eton College Museum. Previously to 

 his present appointment at Eton, Mr. Sclater was for several 

 years Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



M. R. Schlechter is intending shortly to start on a two 

 years botanical exploration of the South and East of Africa. 

 His programme includes a prolonged stay in Namal.and, the 

 Transvaal, Coud-Bockeveld, Limpopo, and Matabeleland as far 

 as the Zambesi. Subscriptions for his collections will be 

 received by Prof. Schumann, Botanical Museum, Griinewald- 

 strasse, Berlin. They will be at the rate of 35 marks the 

 hundred. 



Mr. George W. Vanderbilt is establishing, on his estate 

 at Biltmore, in North Carolina, a scientific collection of dried 

 plants in connection with an arboretum and scientifically 

 managed forest. As a nucleus he has recently purchased, as 

 we learn from the Botanical Gazette, Dr. Chapman's herbarium 

 of Southern American plants, which formed the foundation for 

 his " Flora of the Southern States." 



The Fishery Board for Scotland has been reconstituted in 

 accordance with the Sea Fisheries Regulation (Scotland) Act of 

 last Session. Mr. A. Sutherland is reappointed chairman, Mr. 

 R. W. Cochran Patrick is appointed deputy-chairman, Mr. 

 Donald Crawford legal member, and Dr. John Murray scientific 

 member. The other members are Mr. T. R. Welch, Dr. W. R. 

 Duguid, and Mr. A. Jameson. 



A Reuter telegram from Stockholm states that, at the 

 instance of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, notice has been 

 sent to the Governments of Russia, Denmark, Great Britain, 

 and the United States, of S. A. Andree's projected balloon 

 voyage to the North Pole, and co-operation asked for on behalf 

 of the expedition. Furthermore, the authorities in the countries 

 surrounding the Polar circle will be invited to distribute some 

 thousands of leaflets, containing illustrations of the balloon, and 

 asking for information as to the time at which the balloon is 

 seen, and the direction of the wind at the moment. 



According to a Reuter telegram from Teheran, there have 

 been two severe earthquakes in Khalkhal, north of Miana. The 

 first occurred during the night of January 2. It was not felt 

 outside the district, but completely destroyed the large village of 

 Zanjabad and partially destroyed several other villages. Three 

 hundred persons lost their lives. The second shock occurred 

 early on the morning of the 5th inst. , and was very severe, 

 being felt more than a hundred miles away. The small town 



