NoveMBER 12, 1896] 
NATURE 
43 
that the dangers of acetylene are not such as to outweigh its ad- 
vantages as an illuminant. They add that by simple precautions, 
such as the slow transference of the compressed gas from vessel 
to vessel, and the careful cooling of the vessels in which the gas 
is being compressed, the dangers which they have explained 
may be easily avoided. 
The comfort afforded by these concluding remarks is some- 
what abated by the fact that the explosion at M. Pictet’s factory 
was subsequent to the publication of MM. Berthelot and Vieille’s 
memoir. There is no occasion for panic, but the matter evi- 
dently demands the most careful attention from the authorities in 
this as well as in other countries. A. SMITHELLS. 
THE PRINCETON SESQUICENTENNIAL. 
‘THE celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary 
of the founding of Princeton University, held October 
20-22, was doubtless, in some respects, the most brilliant and 
impressive academic event in all American history. Certainly 
no other celebration can be compared with it than the Harvard 
Quarter Millennial of 1888. Most of the leading universities, 
and many of the smaller universities of America, sent their 
president ; Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Chicago, Johns Hop- 
kins, Pennsylvania, and Toronto were thus represented. Of 
the great universities in the United States, Yale alone sent a 
> delegate other than the President, who is now abroad. 
The visiting delegates from Europe delivered a series of 
lectures the week before the anniversary exercises. Prof. 
Edward Dowden, of Dublin, gave six lectures on ‘* The French 
Revolution and English Literature”; Prof. Felix Klein, of 
Gottingen, gave four lectures on ‘‘ The Mathematical Theory 
of the Top”; Prof. J. J. Thomson, of Cambridge, four on 
“‘The Discharge of Electricity in Gases” ; Prof. Andrew Seth, 
of Edinburgh, gave two on ‘‘ Theism”; and single lectures 
were delivered by Prof. Carl Brugmann, of Leipzig, on ‘‘ The 
Nature and Origin of the Noun Genders in the Indogermanic 
Languages”; and Prof. A. A. W. Hubrecht, of Utrecht, on 
‘The Descent of the Primates.” Among other foreign dele- 
gates were Prof. Henri Moissan, of Paris, Demetrius Botassi, 
of Athens, and Goldwin Smith, late of Oxford. 
Among the proceedings was the unveiling of a table in 
Nassau Hall, commemorative of the change of name of the 
University from that of the ‘‘ College of New Jersey,” which 
has always been its official designation, to ‘‘ Princeton Univer- 
sity,”’ which has already long been its popular designation. 
Gifts, amounting to 1,350,000 dollars, have been contributed 
in honour of the Sesquicentennial, and to mark the change in 
the Institution’s title. 
The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon the 
following delegates, among others :—Wilhelm D6rpfeld, First 
Secretary of the German Archeological Institute, Athens, 
Greece; A. A. W. Hubrecht, Professor of Zoology in. the 
University of Utrecht; Felix Klein, Professor of Mathematics 
in the University of Gottingen; Henri Moissan, Professor of 
Chemistry in the University of Paris, and Member of the 
French Academy of Sciences; Edward Baynall Poulton, 
Hope Professor of Zoology in the University of Oxford ; 
Joseph John Thomson, Cavendish Professor of Physics 
in the University of Cambridge; J. Willard Gibbs, Pro- 
fessor of Mathematical Physics in Yale University, New 
Haven, Ct.; Daniel Coit Gilman, President of the Johns 
Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. ; George Lincoln Goodale, 
Fisher Professor of Natural History, and Director of the 
Botanical Garden in Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. ; 
George William Ilill, Member of the National Academy of 
Sciences, Foreign Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society, 
West Nyack, N.Y. ; William James, Professor of Psychology 
in Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; S. P. Langley, 
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. ; 
Joseph LeConte, Professor of Geology and Natural History in 
the University of California, and President of the American 
Geological Society, Berkeley, California; John W. Mallet, 
Professor of Chemistry in the University of Virginia, Char- 
lottesville, Virginia; Silas Weir Mitchell, Philadelphia, Pa. ; 
Simon Newcomb, Nautical Almanac, Navy Department, 
Washington, D.C. ; William Peterson, Principal ‘of McGill 
University, and Professor of Classics, Montreal, Canada ; Ira 
Remsen, Professor of Chemistry, and Director of the Chemical 
NO. I41I, VOL. 55| 
Laboratory in the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. ; 
Henry A. Rowland, Professor of Physics, and Director of the 
Physical Laboratory in the Johns Hopkins University. The 
degree was also conferred upon Lord Kelvin and Prof. Otto 
Struve 77 absentia. 
One of the most pleasing and hopeful features of the 
Princeton celebration was the note of peace and good will to all 
mankind, which such international gatherings powerfully pro- 
mote. The first sentiment which called out applause was the 
hope expressed by President Patton in his opening sermon, that 
the peace and harmony now happily existing between the two 
great English-speaking nations might henceforth nevermore be 
broken ; and when in the afternoon of the same day Prof. 
Thomson, of Cambridge, at the reception of delegates, said 
that he was glad the revolutionary war had resulted in inde- 
pendence of the United States, as he considered that the best 
solution of the question, and that England, as well as America, 
now rejoiced in this outcome of the struggle, the applause was 
unstinted. Wn. H. HALe. 
THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE GATTY 
MARINE LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF 
ST. ANDREWS. 
THE formal opening of the Gatty Marine Laboratory, the 
general arrangement of which has been already described 
in NATuRE, took place on Friday, October 30, by Lord 
Reay, a former Rector of the University, in the presence of 
the Principal and Professors, the representatives of various 
scientific societies, universities, and colleges, and a distinguished 
company. In his address Lord Reay paid a tribute to Dr. Gatty 
for his discriminating generosity. He observed that in countries 
such as France money was more readily forthcoming for science. 
He spoke in warm praise of the labours of the late Lord Dal- 
housie in the cause of the fisheries, and pointed out how im- 
portant scientific knowledge was in regard to fisheries legislation. 
Moreover, that whatever revelations science has in store for us 
cannot be evaded. He was inclined to think that a few central 
institutions thoroughly well equipped, were better than many 
incomplete and inefficient schools. The work in the Gatty 
Marine Laboratory would be of a purely scientific character, but 
it would be of the utmost value to all who were interested in the 
prosperity of our fisheries. A glance at the papers published 
since the opening of the old Laboratory in 1884, showed how 
essential their contents were for those who wish to protect our 
fisheries, and who often attempt it in the wrong way. He drew 
attention to the unique position of the University in regard to 
the study of marine biology. 
Prof. Sir William Flower then followed, and he traced the 
growth of the study of marine animals during the last fifty years. 
In former days the zoologist had to depend on the rock-pools, 
or specimens stranded by storms, or had to work on board 
ship. Especially he pointed out the development of aquaria 
from their simplest form to the present great tanks. He then 
adverted to the growth of zoological stations over the world, 
and considered that St. Andrews, by its work, had come to be 
a centre for the study of problems connected with the fisheries. 
Its laboratory was the first that was fairly established in the 
3ritish Isles; and while he knew that Edinburgh was often 
called the Athens of the North, he would now say that St. 
Andrews had many claims to be called the Naples of the North. 
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts then presented the following 
gentlemen for the degree of LL.D. :—Prof. Sir William 
Flower, K.C.B., F.R.S_ ; Rev. Dr. Henry B. Tristram, F.R.S. ; 
Prof. Michael Foster, Sec.R.S.; and Prof. Gustave Gilson, 
Louvain. 
Dr. C. H. Gatty then expressed his gratification at the interest 
taken in the new Laboratory, and handed to Lord Reay a silver 
key wherewith to open the door. ett 
Prof. McIntosh, on behalf of the University and the scientific 
workers, conveyed their thanks to Dr. Gatty for his munificent 
gift. 
Thereafter the Laboratory was inspected by the company. In 
addition to the living animals in the tanks, the walls of the lobby 
were hung with coloured drawings of marine animals—enlarged 
to various degrees, and many beautifully and softly painted—all 
by the late Mrs. Giinther. These drawings consisted almost 
entirely of cepresentations of living forms from St. Andrews 
