June 8, 1899] 
NATURE 
RSS 
THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, MAY 1900. 
E have received the following circular from the 
U.S. Naval Observatory, Georgetown Heights, 
Washington, D.C., dated May 17. 
In anticipation of the total eclipse of the sun May 28, 1900, 
the United States Navy Department has arranged with the 
Secretary of the Treasury to have admitted free of duty the 
instruments of foreign astronomers who may come to this 
country to observe the eclipse. 
To this end astronomers abroad who contemplate an expedi- 
tion to the United States are invited to notify the Superintendent 
of the Naval Observatory of the probable date of their arrival, 
with the name of the port at which they propose to disembark. 
The Navy Department will forward to the consuls of the 
different countries to which these observers belong, stationed at 
the ports in the United States at which the gentlemen shall 
arrive, a letter stating their purpose in travelling, which letter 
will be countersigned by the consul and presented to the 
collector at the port as a proof of their identity. Upon this the 
collector will extend all proper facilities for the speedy delivery 
of the instruments in question, free of duty and charges. 
The Superintendent of the Observatory will be glad to hear 
from each of the proposed expeditions, in order that he may 
render such assistance as lies in his power. The path of totality 
extends through a thickly settled portion of the country, in- 
cluding some principal cities. Facilities for transportation are 
excellent, but it is recommended that instruments be securely 
packed and marked “ delicate instruments—handle with care.” 
The climate at that season is warm. The chances for clear 
weather are good. 
Full information regarding routes of travel to proposed points, 
and other particulars, can best be obtained through consuls. 
Through the regular diplomatic channels notice should be con- 
veyed to the local authorities of the city or town selected asa 
post of observation. 
This Observatory will issue a pamphlet of instructions, con- 
taining large scale maps showing path of totality. 
C. H. Davis, 
Captain, U.S.N., Superintendent. 
NOTES. 
THREE Fellows of the Royal Society have had honours con- 
ferred upon them on the occasion of her Majesty’s eightieth 
birthday. Prof. J. S. Burdon Sanderson, Regius professor of 
medicine in the University of Oxford, has had the dignity of a 
baronetcy conferred upon him ; and physiology is also honoured 
in the person of Prof. Michael Foster, joint-secretary of the 
Royal Society, and president-elect of the British Association, 
who has been appointed to be K.C.B. The promotions from 
C.B. to K.C.B. include Mr. W. H. Preece, who recently retired 
from his position as engineer-in-chief of the General Post Office. 
Ar the annual meeting of the Royal Society for the election 
of Fellows, the fifteen candidates nominated by the Council were 
elected into the Society. The names and qualifications of these 
candidates were given in NATURE of May II (p. 31). 
THE five vacancies in the list of Foreign Members of the 
Royal Society have been filled by the election of the following : 
Prof. Ludwig Boltzmann, of the University of Vienna; Prof. 
Anton Dohrn, late Director of the Zoological Station, Naples ; 
Prof. Emil Fischer, of the University of Berlin ; Dr. Neumayer, 
of Hamburg; and Dr. Treub, Director of the Botanical 
Gardens, Buitenzorg. 
Tue Académie Royale des sciences de Turin announces 
that the Vallauri prize of 30,000 lire (41200) will be awarded for 
the most important and celebrated work in the realm of physical 
science—using this term in a wide sense—published between 
January I of this year and December 31, 1902. The prize will 
be awarded without consideration of nationality, and no 
members of the Academy can participate in the competition. 
NO. 3545, VOL. 60] 
No account will be taken of works in manuscript. The presi- 
dent of the Academy is Prof. Guiseppe Carle, the secretary of 
the section of physical sciences is Prof. A. Naccari. 
THE anniversary meeting of the Royal Geographical Society 
was held on Monday, and the medals awarded by the Council 
of the Society, as announced in our issue of May II, were 
presented. The meeting was also made the occasion for the 
American Ambassador to present Sir John Murray with the 
gold medal awarded to him by the Geographical Society of 
New York, The medal contains the following inscription :— 
“Cullum Geographical Medal. Awarded to Sir John Murray, 
K.C.B., naturalist, deep sea explorer, oceanographer, editor of 
Challenger Reports, 1899.” 
Ir is reported that the Bakan transport has left the Neva on 
her voyage to Spitsbergen. She has a crew of ninety men and 
eight officers, including Captain Ergomysheff, who is in com- 
mand. 
EFFORTS are being made in New York to form an American 
Physical Society similar to the Physical Society of London 
and the Deutsche physikalische Gesellschaft. 
Ir is announced in Sezence that Prof. F. L. O. Wadsworth 
has been appointed by the managers of the Western Pennsyl- 
vania University to succeed Prof. J. E. Keeler as director of the 
Allegheny Observatory. Dr. J. L. Wortman, of the American 
Museum of Natural History, has resigned his position in the 
museum in order to take charge of the new collections of 
vertebrate fossils in the Carnegie Museum at Pittsburg. 
Tue Rome correspondent of the British Medical Journal 
states that since the beginning of May, Prof. Koch and his 
assistants have installed themselves at the Municipal Hospital 
of ,Grosseto, where they are continuing their researches on 
malaria. Grosseto is a town situated in the line between 
Genoa and Rome, and is surrounded by an extensive plain, 
which in olden times was the Lacus Prelius of Cicero. This 
lake gradually became a morass and caused malaria. By 
skilful drainage and other means, the Italian Government has 
converted nearly the whole of this morass into valuable pastur- 
age, and has thus lessened greatly the malaria. It is said 
that Prof. Koch intends to go to South Africa to continue his 
studies there when he leaves Grosseto. 
A REUTER telegram from Stockholm, dated June 6, says that 
the Anthropological and Geographical Society in Stockholm 
has received the following telegram from Herr Vathne, a 
shipowner at Mandal :—‘‘ Captain Hueland, of the steamship 
Vaagen, who arrived there on Monday morning, reports tha 
when off Kola Fjord, Iceland, in 65° 34’ north lat., 21° 28’ 
west long., on May 14 he found a drifting buoy marked 
‘No. 7.’ Inside the buoy was a capsule, marked ‘ Andrée’s 
Polar Expedition,’ containing a slip of paper, on which was 
written the following :—‘ Drifting buoy, No. 7. This buoy 
was thrown out from Andrée’s balloon on July 11, 1897 
10.55 p.m., Greenwich mean time, 82° north lat., 25° east 
We are at an altitude of 600 metres ; all well. Andrée, 
Strindberg, Fraenckel.’” Herr Andrée made his ascent from 
Danes Island on July 11, 1897, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, 
so that when the buoy was thrown out the explorer had only 
travelled seven hours and fifty-five minutes. 
long. 
A CONFERENCE of representatives of Sea Fishery Boards with 
officials of the Board of Trade took place at Westminster on 
Tuesday, under the presidency of Mr. Ritchie, In his remarks 
