January-21, 1897] 
THE University of Catana has been presented with the Island 
of Cyclops, off the coast of Sicily, by Signor Gravina. The 
island is only a kilometre in circumference, but its configuration 
is peculiar, and the centre is about one hundred metres above sea- 
level. It is proposed to construct upon the island a laboratory 
for investigations in zoology and pisciculture. 
THE scientific expedition organised by the German Govern- 
ment to study the economic and industrial conditions and possi- 
bilities in the Far East will probably start from Bremen on 
January 27, on board the North German Lloyd steamer 
Sachsen. The nature and scope of the investigations to be 
undertaken have been discussed and settled at a recent meeting 
at the Ministry of the Interior. 
Ar the twenty-fourth annual dinner of the Old Students of 
the Royal School of Mines, to take place on Tuesday, January 
26, at 7 p.m., at the Criterion, the chairman will be Dr. T. K. 
Rose. Profs. Judd, Perry, Riicker, Tilden, Howes, Farmer, 
Roberts-Austen, and Le Neve Foster have promised to be 
present ; and amongst other guests may be mentioned Sir G. 
G. Stokes, Bart., Sir Frederick Abel, Bart., Mr. Windsor 
Richards ( President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers), 
and Dr. Hicks (President of the Geological Society). 
ON the 28th inst. Prof. James A. Ewing will commence, at 
the Society of Arts, a course of six Howard Lectures on ‘‘ The 
Mechanical Production of Cold.’”” The Howard Lectures were 
founded on a bequest by Thomas Howard, in 1872, who left a 
sum of money for a prize to the author of a treatise on ‘* Motive 
Power or its Applications.” The lectures are given at inter- 
vals, as the accumulations of the fund permit, and are afterwards 
published in book form. Courses have been delivered by Sir 
William Anderson, on ‘‘The Conversion of Heat into Useful 
Work,” and by Prof. Unwin, on ‘‘ The Development and Trans- 
mission of Power.” 
Tue Franklin Institute of Philadelphia announces the award 
of the following John Scott Legacy Medals and Premiums :— 
William S. Burroughs, of St. Louis, for his calculating machine ; 
Emile Berliner, of Washington, for his gramophone ;- Edward 
Brown, of Philadelphia, for improvements in pyrometers ; Dr. 
W. C. Rontgen, for his investigation of a new kind of rays ; Dr. 
Elisha Gray, for his telautograph ; Pedro G. Salom and Henry 
G. Morris, of Philadelphia, for their automobile vehicle. The 
Elliott-Cresson Medal has been awarded to Hamilton Y. 
Castner, of Oldbury, for his electrolytic process for caustic 
and bleach. 
THE International Exposition to be held at Brussels this year 
will comprise a Science Section divided into seven classes, viz. 
mathematics and astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology and 
geography, biology, anthropology and bibliography. Various 
advantages are offered to exhibitors, among them being space 
free of charge, and reduction of rates for the transport of the 
exhibits. In connection with this Exposition, the Belgium 
Government olfers prizes, amounting in the aggregate to twenty 
thousand francs, for the best solutions of a number of scientific 
problems, a list of which can be obtained from M. Van Overloop, 
17 rue de la Presse, Bruxelles. Objects and memoirs in- 
tended for competition or exhibition should be sent in before the 
middle of April. 
WE regret to record the death of Dr. F. J. Mouat, formerly 
Professor of Chemistry and Materia Medica, at Calcutta, and 
Chemical Examiner to the Government of India. He was a 
Fellow of a number of British learned Societies, and member 
of the Senate of Calcutta University. We also have to 
announce the deaths of Dr. W. Deecke, of Muhlhausen, one 
of the foremost authorities upon ancient Etruria and the 
NO. 1421, VOL. 55| 
NATURE 
| Dr. Theodore G. Wormley, 
277 
Etruscans; General Francis A. Walker, President of the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Prof. W. H. Pancoast, 
President. of the Medico-Chirurgical College in Philadelphia : 
Professor of Chemistry and 
Toxicology in the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. F. Buka, 
Professor of Geometry in the Technical High School at 
Charlottenburg ; and Dr. Josef von Gerlach, Professor of 
Anatomy in the University of Erlangen. 
FOLLOWING the example of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 
the Society of Civil Engineers of France has built itself a mag- 
nificent house, which was opened with great ceremony, on January 
14, by the President of the French Republic. A large number 
of guests were present at the soirée, including representatives of 
the various French technical societies. The only English society 
represented was the Iron and Steel Institute, who sent Prof. 
Roberts-Austen. The new building, which is situated in the 
Rue Blanche, Paris, was designed by M. F. Delmas, and was 
erected in 262 days. It comprises in the basement engine- 
rooms and store-rooms, on the ground floor the meeting-room, 
on the first floor reception-rooms for the members, on the second 
floor the secretary’s offices and the council-room, and on the 
third floor the library. Access to the various floors is obtained 
by means of an electric lift. The meeting-room contains seats 
for 500 persons, and the floor is so arranged that it may be 
horizontal for receptions, or inclined so as to convert the room 
into an amphitheatre for the meetings. The floor weighs thirty 
tons, and its transformation from a horizontal to an inclined posi- 
tion is effected with great rapidity by means of hydraulic 
machinery. 
IN commemoration of Jenner’s discovery of the benefits of 
vaccination, a special meeting of the Russian National Health 
Society was held at St. Petersburg a few days ago, a large and 
distinguished company being present. A report of the meeting, 
and a description of the exhibition held in connection with it, 
appears in the current number of the Brzt7sh Medical Journal. 
The opening speech was made by the Grand Duke Paul, the 
Honorary President of the Society ; and addresses in praise of 
Jenner and his work were delivered by Dr. Kudrin, the acting 
President ; Prof. Lukianoff, the Director of the Imperial 
(Oldenburg) Institute of Experimental Medicine; and Dr. 
Kormillo. The results were announced of the competition for 
the prizes, which, it will be remembered, the Russian National 
Health Society offered for the best work on vaccination. 
Thirty-two essays were received, in various languages. The 
Society’s gold medal and 1000 roubles, which had been 
originally offered, was not awarded. A gold medal was given 
to Dr. Layer, of Bordeaux, for his essay in French, ‘A la 
mémoire d’Edouard Jenner” ; a gold medal to Dr. Miller, the 
Chief Physician to the Moscow Foundling Hospital ; a small 
gold medal to Dr. Glagolef; and silver medals to Dr. Delobel, 
and M. Kazet, veterinary surgeon. 
A SPECIAL telegram to the Dazly Chronicle announces that 
Mr. Fitzgerald and Zurbriggen, the Swiss guide, began to climb 
Mount Aconcagua, in the Andes, on Christmas Day. Ata height 
of 21,000 feet, Gussfeldt’s card, dated March 1883, was found in 
a tin box. The explorers had to descend to the valley for 
three days, but a second attempt was begun on December 30, 
and an altitude of 22,500 feet was reached on January 2. A 
third attempt toget to the top of Aconcagua was commenced a 
week later. The avéfe between the peaks, at a height of 
23,000 feet, was reached on January 14. Mr. Fitzgerald then 
had to turn back, but Zurbriggen reached the summit, which is 
over 24,000 feet high. This is the greatest altitude yet attained by 
mountaineers. The following item of climbing history is abridged 
from an article in the Chronicle :—‘‘ The serious business began 
with De Saussure, and has been going on ever since. He wa 
