January i6, 19 13] 



NATURE 



545 



M'ar Office to take charge of medical affairs, and 

 Dr. A. de C. Sowerby was zoologist, our country- 

 men being thus largely represented on the scientific 

 staff. The expedition crossed the Yellow River, 

 went into winter quarters at Yen-an Fu, and 

 thence the route lay roughly westward. But at 

 Lan-chou, Hazrat .411, while engaged In survey- 

 ing, was murdered in circumstances which were 

 never fully ascertained, and the popular excite- 

 ment thus aroused necessitated the return of the 

 party. It is much to be regretted that, in spite 

 of every kind of pressure on the Chinese Foreign 

 Office, no reparation has been made for this 

 atrocious murder of a British subject. 



.4 A'EPF INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL 

 INSTITUTE. 



T N the year 191 1 an account was given in this 

 ^ journal (vol. Ixxxviii, p. 82) of a conference of 

 scientific men in Brussels to discuss the general 

 theories of radiation. This meeting, which was 

 of unusual interest and importance, was due to 

 the initiative of Mr. Ernest Solvay, of Brussels.. 

 At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Solvay 

 offered to donate a sum of money to assist scientific 

 research in the domain of physics and chemistry. 

 After consultation with Prof. Lorentz, of Leyden, 

 the president of the meeting, Mr. Solvay agreed 



Colossal Kuddlia, at Ta-fu-ssii, Shensi. From " Through Shen-Ka 



In addition to the account of the journey which 

 was thus tragically interrupted, a careful itinerary 

 and a good map are provided. Mr. Clark and 

 Dr. Sowerby contribute reports on the results. 

 Most of the collections, except the insects 

 which Captain Douglas has presented to the 

 British Museum, have gone to the United States 

 National Museum. Some interesting mammals, 

 including a new three-toed jerboa (Diptis soiverbyi) 

 and a polecat ( Vormela negans), were found ; but 

 the record in other departments is rather dis- 

 appointing. On the whole, considering the disaster 

 which brought the expedition to a close, much 

 useful work was done, and Ihe splendid series 

 of photographs makes the work of permanent 

 value to science. 



NO. 2255, VOL. 90] 



to found an International Physical Institute for a 

 limited period of thirty years, to have its head- 

 quarters at Brussels. The resources of the in- 

 stitute were provided by the generous donation of 

 a capital sum of one million francs. Part of the 

 proceeds is to be devoted to the foundation of 

 scholarships for the promotion of scientific re- 

 search in Belgium, part to defray the expenses of 

 international meetings to discuss scientific prob- 

 lems of interest, and the residue to be awarded 

 in the form of grants to scientific investigators 

 to assist them in their researches. 



For the first year, which terminates on May i, 

 1913, a sum of about 17,500 francs is available 

 for the latter purpose. It is the intention of the 

 committee each year to give grants for special lines 



