March 23, 1905] 



NA rURE 



491 



On Friday last, Marrh 17, the worlds of science and art 

 combined to do honour to a man who has rendered to both 

 services of the utmost value and of a nature that time 

 cannot diminish -for so long as the human throat is cap- 

 able of emitting musical sounds, and so long as throats are 

 liable to disease, the great invention of Manuel Garcia 

 will hold its place among vocalists and laryngologists. 

 The celebration of Scflor Garcia's centenary was lield in 

 tin- hall of the Koyal Medical and Chirurgical Society, 

 ll.uiovcr Square, under the direction of Sir Felix Semon, 

 ( li.iirman of the Garcia committee. Seilor Garcia sat 

 alone on a dais, while in front of him were r-ankcd the 

 representatives of Uings, governments, universities, scicn- 

 lilie societies, and his old pupils who had feathered lo do 

 him honour. Sir l'"elix Scnion announced that that morn- 

 iiij,' the King had invited Seizor Garcia to Buckingham 

 r.ilace, and with his own hands invested him with the 

 insignia of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and 

 h.iil expressed a desire to be represented at the banquet in 

 llii- evening by his Lord-in-Waiting, Lord Suflield. '\\v 

 Marquis de Villalobar then delivered a 1 ungratulatory 

 message from the King of Spain, and added, " In the 

 name of His Majesty and your motherland, I invest you 

 with the Royal Order of Alfonso XH. as a reward of your 

 merits and the services you have rendered to mankind. I 

 <lesire also to make public the sentiments of my beloved 

 Sovereign and of his Government to King F.dward VH. for 

 the distinction he has conferred upon our compatriot, and 

 lln' hearty gratefulness of .Spain to all who have come 

 lirre to-day to honour Don Manuel (iarcia." Other tributes 

 followed thick and fast during a crowded hour. Prof. 

 I'riinkel presented on behalf of the German Emperor the 

 great gold medal (jf science. .Sir .Archibald Geikie, Mr. 

 I'rancis Darwin, and Prof. Halliburton, representing the 

 Koyal Society, presented an address, recalling the fact 

 that their Proceedings for March 22, 1855, contained the 

 epoch-making pa|)er in which Seiior Garcia laid the found- 

 ations of the experimental study of the voire. The Koyal 

 Prussian Academy of Sciences, the University of Konigs- 

 berg, the Victoria University, the Medical Faculty of 

 Heidelberg, the Koyal Academy of Music, and the Koyal 

 College of Music sent distinguished representatives, who in 

 rapid succession laid before the maestro illuminated 

 addresses in rich profusion, until the table in front of 

 him was heaped. We have not space to give the long list 

 of public institutions and societies, laryngological and other, 

 which brought tribute; but every quarter of the globe was 

 represented, and during the proceedings a constant stream 

 of telegrams poured in. After the addresses a portrait ol 

 Senor Garcia, painted by Mr. Sargent, K.A., and sub- 

 scribed for by friends and admirers in all parts of the 

 world, was unveiled and presented to him by Sir Felix 

 Semon. The proceedings were concluded by a remarkably 

 eloquent speech by Seiior Garcia. In the evening Sertor 

 (now Don) Garcia was entertained at .1 b.inqiiet held in 

 his honour at the Hotel Cecil. 



\Vf. learn from the Times that further papers have been 

 published by the Government of India in respect to the 

 late .Mr. J. N. Tata's offer of an endowment in the shape 

 of properties valued at 2oo,ooo(. for the creation of an 

 institute of Indian research at Bangalore. Certain con- 

 ditions in respect to Government assistance were attached 

 to the offer, which was first made six years ago, and these 

 have been the subject of prolonged discussion and corre- 

 spondence between the Government, Mr. Tata during his 

 NO. 1847, VOL. 71] 



lifetime, and his representatives. The papers now pub- 

 lished show that the dilTicullies in the way of a settleiiwnt 

 have been removed. Guarantees have been offered by the re- 

 presentatives of the donor to s.'cure the full income estim- 

 ated from the endowment properties, and thc^ m.inagcmeiit 

 of the latter is vested in a board the chairman of which is 

 to be an oflicer selected by the Bombay (iovcrnmcnt. In 

 additiim to making a grant of ^i lakhs of rupees (if),fif)()/.) 

 towards the conslruition of the necessary buildings and 

 provision of scienlific apparatus, the Government will make 

 an annual grant lo the institute of halt the loc.d assets up 

 to a limit of ij lakhs of rupees, provided tli.it the institute 

 is conducted on lines approved generally by the Govern- 

 ment. The scheme will provide for the reference of certain 

 ciuestions to the .advisory lommittee of the Roy.-il Society, 

 rir to such other scientific authority as may be .-ippointc'd 

 for the purpose. The Governor-fleneral in Council dis- 

 avows any desire to be intimately associated wilh the 

 actual administration of the institute, or to claim a deter- 

 mining voice in the settlement of the lines of research lo 

 be followed or the methods of instrtiction to be employed. 

 The Government will exercise no more th.ui that degree 

 of influence and control which is justified by the gr.uit-iii- 

 .ild that has been promised. 



Proi-. Emu. Warhuhc, of Berlin, has been appoini'd 

 president of the National Physical Laboratory at Chariot - 

 lenburg, and his place in the university is lo be taken by 

 Prof. Paul Drude, of Giessen. 



TitR magnificent collection of birds' eggs possessiMl by the 

 British (Natural History) Museum has beiMi l.irgi-ly aug- 

 mented by the gift of the splendid series brought together 

 bv Mr. W. Riiddifie Saunders, of High Bank, Tonbridge. 

 This collection comprises close on ten lhous;md specimens 

 of the eggs of Pakfarctic species, logetl 

 hundred and sixty-five nests. 



We regret to record ilie dcitli .u ilw .-ige 

 of Mr. Jeremiah Slade, one of the: f<iunder' 

 logists' Association. Mr. Slade had for mai 

 a teacher of geology, mineralogy, /oology 

 the Working Men's Colli'ge, the Birkbi 

 the City of London Colli-ge. He wa: 

 scopist and member of the Quekett Mil 



The anniversary dinner of the Cheni 

 held on Wednesday, March 20- 



Tin: sixth International Congress of Applied Chemistry 

 will br held at Komi' next year, probably during the week 

 fiillowing Easter. 



Till-; French Socii'-ti'- d'lCni (lur.igement |)oiii- Tiiidustrie 

 nationale has awarded the Lavoisier medal lo M. 116roult 

 in recognition of his electrometalhirgical researches. In 

 recommending the award the committi 

 in connection with the manufacture of 

 preparation of steel in the electric furn.ne. 



Official statistics show that the production of natural 

 gas in the United States in 1903 was greater than in .any 

 previous year. The production had a value of 7,143,000/., 

 or 16 per cent, more than that of 1902. Four States, 

 Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio, furnished 

 together 04 per cent, of the supply of gas. The total 

 volume of the gas at atmospheric pressure was 6757 million 

 cubic metres, representing in healing value 12.129,468 tons 

 of bituminous coal. 



r wilh one 



e of seventy-six 



rs of the Gco- 



any years been 



and botany at 



k Institution, and 



an ardent micro- 



oscopical Club. 



al Siiiii-lv will be 



refers 

 lb, 



work 



Reutrr's Agency has received somi 

 lion which went (o British New Guini 



details of an expcdi- 

 .'i in September, 1903, 



