April 27, 1899] 



NATURE 



611 



in which the facts of the case were clearly set forth, were 

 printed in the last volume of Nature, which also con- 

 tains several articles bearing upon the question then at 

 issue (vol. Iviii. pp. 54, 155, 176, 294;. It is satisfactory 

 to know that the Government has been guided by the 

 unmistakable expression of opinion which their proposal 

 elicited, and has arranged for the erection of the new 

 science buildings on the land obtained for that purpose 

 on the west side of Exhibition Road. By the kindness 

 of Mr. Aston Webb, we are able to give a copy of his 

 first sketch of the building which it is proposed to erect 

 facing the Imperial Institute in Imperial Institute Road. 

 It will be seen that the building will provide science with 

 a worthy home, in which instruction and investigation 

 can be carried on under good conditions. We hope in a 

 future issue to give detailed plans of the chemical and 

 physical laboratories. The position of the astro-physical 

 laboratory has not yet been decided, but particulars will 

 be given as soon as they are available. 



NOTES. 

 It has been decided to give the name " Victoria and Albert 

 Museum " to the new building at South Kensington, the 

 foundation stone of which will be laid by the Queen on May 17. 



The Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers have made 

 the following awards for papers read and discussed before the 

 Institution during the past Session : — A George Stephenson 

 Medal and I'remium to Mr. R. A. Hadfield ; a Telford Medal 

 and Premium to Mr. J. T. Milton ; Watt Medals and Premiums 

 to Sir Albert J. Durston, K.C.B., and Mr. H. J. Oram; a 

 Crampton Prize to Mr. Francis Fox ; a Manby Premium to Sir 

 William Roberts-Austen, K.C.B. ; Telford Premiums to Messrs. 

 J. M. Dobson, W. G. Kirkaldy, and A. P. Head. The pre- 

 sentation of these awards, together with those for papers which 

 have not been subject to discussion, and will be announced later, 

 will take place at the inaugural meeting of next Session. 



The American National Academy of Sciences has awarded 

 the fifth Watson medal to Dr. David Gill, F.R.S., Astronomer 

 Royal at the Cape. 



The Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 

 have resolved that the centenary of the foundation'of the College 

 shall be celebrated on a suitable date between March 22 and 

 June 30, 1900. 



We regret to see the announcement of the death, at Paris, of 

 the distinguished chemist. Prof M. Charles Friedel, member of 

 the Paris Academy of Sciences. 



Mr. Rollo Appleyard, the ofiicial reporter of the Physical 

 Society of London, has had to resign his office owing to the 

 pressure of other work. 



The Sydney correspondent of the Times states that to-morrow 

 (April 28) Sir Frederick Darley, the Lieutenant-Governor, will 

 dedicate for public use the site of Captain Cook's landing on 

 Kumell Beach, in Botany Bay, on .April 28, 1770. 



An" excursion to Brittany has been arranged by the Geologists' 

 Association for the Whitsuntide holidays, May 17-24, the 

 directors being Dr. Charles Barrois and M. P. Lebesconte. 

 The places to be visited by the members include several of 

 special geological interest. 



The autumn Congress of the Sanitary Institute will be 

 opened at Suuthampton on August 29. The preliminar)' cir- 

 cular announces that the president of Section I. (Sanitary 

 Science and Preventive Medicine) will be Sir Joseph Ewart ; 

 of Section II. (Engineering and .\rchitecture), Mr. James 

 Lemon; and of Section III. (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), 

 Prof Percy J. Frankland, F.R.S. 

 NO. 1539, VOL. 59] 



It is announced that the Committee to which was entrustedi 

 the duty of deciding upon a suitable memorial to be erected by 

 the citizens of Philadelphia, in honour of the late Dr. Pepper,, 

 in recognition of his many services to the community, has recom- 

 mended the erection, at a cost of 10,000 dollars (2000/.), of a 

 statue, which it is proposed shall be placed upon the Plaza of 

 City Hall. 



The Danish Meteorological Institute has issued a Circular 

 proposing that all the Meteorological Institutes of Europe and' 

 America shall subscribe to the cost of daily telegraphic weather 

 reports from Iceland and the Faroes. The Great Northern 

 Telegraph Company has undertaken, as soon as fourteen In- 

 stitutes have notified their adhesion to the propo.=al, to lay a 

 telegraph cable to the Islands. The cost of the daily reports is 

 to be partly determined by the size of the various countries 

 subscribing for them. 



Under the direction of the Government of Belgium, Prof. 

 G. Gilson, Louvain University, is about to commence a series 

 of experiments on the currents of the North Sea. On Satur- 

 day, April 29, the first set of bottles will be set off from the 

 West Hindar light vessel, 2' 26' E. longitude, 51' 23' N. 

 latitude — i.e. about twenty miles north-west of Ostend. E^ch. 

 bottle contains a printed card, and it is hoped that any one who 

 picks up one of these bottles will take out the card and fill up 

 the blanks reserved for the place and date of finding, name and 

 place if found on the shore, latitude and longitude if on the sea, 

 or bearings, if any. Finders are not required to pay postage. 



The Morning Post states that a Committee of the St. Peters- 

 burg Astronomical Society, appointed to examine the question, 

 of the reform of the Russian Calendar, having applied to all the 

 Government Departments for their opinions on the question, 

 the Ministries of Communications, the Interior, Finance, and' 

 Foreign Affairs have replied in favour of the adoption of the 

 proposed reform at an early date. The Committee will proceed' 

 with its labours immediately, and will probably have concluded 

 them by the beginning of June. 



A PRIZE, founded by Baron Leon de Lenval of Nice, will be 

 awarded at the International Otological Congress to be held in 

 London from August 8 to 11. The prize is a sum of 300O' 

 francs, bearing the name of " The Lenval Prize,' and it will be 

 awarded to the author of the most marked advances in the 

 practical treatment of affections of hearing since the last 

 Congress, or to the inventor of any new apparatus which is 

 readily portable and improves considerably the hearing-power of 

 deaf persons. All persons desirous of competing for the prize 

 are requested to communicate with Mr. Cresswell Baber, 

 honorary .secretary general, 46 Brunswick Square, Brighton,, 

 stating the facts on which their claim is based. 



We learn from the Lancet that a Congress, having for its sub- 

 ject the prevention of tuberculosis, will be held in Berlin, under 

 the patronage of H.I.M. the Empress of Germany, from May 

 24 to May 27. The president is the Imperial Chancellor, 

 Count Hohenlohe-Schillingsftirst, and the vice-president is Dr.. 

 von Leyden. The objects of the conference are to make the 

 dangers of tuberculosis as a disease known among people in 

 general, and the best means for combating the disease. Besides 

 these subjects will be discussed the present range of knowledge 

 concerning tuberculosis and the various methods of prevention, 

 more especially the treatment of sanatoria. 



A WARD of the Royal Southern Hospital, Liverpool, to be 

 used in connection with the new school for the treatment of 

 tropical diseases, was opened by Lord Lister on Saturday. The 

 Lancet states that Major Ronald Ross, who has just been elected 

 to the post of lecturer in tropical medicine in the school, has 



