August 8, 1907] 



NA rURE 



571 



A PARTY of observers, consisung of Dr. T. A. Jaggar, 

 jun., head of the department of geology, Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology; Dr. H. S. Eakle, University of 

 California ; Prof. H. V. Gummery, professor of mathe- 

 matics, Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, who will have 

 charge of the magnetic observations; Dr. \"an Dyke, who 

 will study the botany and entomology of the islands ; and 

 Prof. F. T. Colby, who will investigate the natural history 

 of the region, recently sailed from Seattle, Washington, 

 to study the geological formation of the Aleutian group of 

 islands and other scientific features of the archipelago. 

 The investigcTtors will, according to the Scienlific .-liHcnrnn, 

 pay particular attention to Perry Island, which suddenly 

 rose from the sea more than a year ago. The party will 

 begin working wcstvvard from Attu Island, and will devote 

 several mcnths to their researches. 



Dr. Charcot has furnished the Geographical Journal 

 with further particulars of the plans for his new .Antarctic 

 expedition. The choice of the same field of exploration 

 as on the former expedition was made, after due consider- 

 ation of the plans of other expeditions now being organised 

 or projected, for the following reasons : — (i1 the import- 

 ance of gaining further knowledge of the almost unknown 

 Alexander I. Land ; (2) the possibility of the existence in 

 that region of an ice-barrier similar to that of Ross, over 

 the surface of which an advance could be made : (3) the 

 advantages of continuing the scientific work begun by the 

 former expedition, and utilising the experience gained bv 

 it : (4) the support to be expected from the Argentine 

 Republic in view of the excellent relations entered upon 

 on the former occasion. The building of a special ship 

 will, it is hoped, soon be begun. While large enough to 

 permit the carrying out of scientific work under suitable 

 conditions, the vessel will be small enough to enable it 

 to navigate in safety along the coasts and to seek shelter 

 in small coves. In addition to ordinary sledges, it is pro- 

 posed to take motor-sledges for possible use on the surface 

 of an ire barrier. Wandel Island is to be the final base of 

 operations, and from this the coast of Alexander I. Land 

 will be explored as far as possible, also the unknown 

 area, scientific work being at the same time carried on 

 at the base. During the second summer an attempt will 

 be made to navigate westward as far as possible in the 

 direction of King Edward VII. Land. 



Information is given in the August number of the 

 Geographical Journal respecting a new scientific expedition 

 to the extreme south of South America which is being 

 organised by Mr. Carl Skottsberg, one of the members of 

 the recent Swedish Antarctic Expedition. The expedition, 

 which will leave Gottenberg next month, will consist of 

 Messrs. Skottsberg, P. Ouesnel, and T. Halle. It will not 

 sail in a ship of its own, but will make use of the ordinary 

 mail steamers and coasting vessels for transport to the 

 scene of operations, and will be equipped for botanical, 

 geological, zoological, and meteorological w-ork. Proceed- 

 ing via Buenos Aires and Montevideo to the Falklands, the 

 leader and Mr. Halle will there spend the summer of 1007-8 

 for the purpose of continuing the researches begun bv the 

 Swedish Antarctic Expedition, Quesnel meanwhile going 

 to Punta Arenas, where he hopes to make an excursion 

 to the Cerro Payne region. On re-uniting at Punta 

 .Arenas, the party will, if time permits, make an expedition 

 to the northwards along the Cordillera and lound Otway 

 and Skyring waters, before winter sets in. This will be 

 spent in the rainy region of the western channels, and in 

 the spring an attempt will be made to reach Lago Fagnano, 

 the party then moving its headquarters to the region of 

 NO. I 97 I, VOL. 76 J 



Beagle channel. It is proposed to conclude the summer's 

 work with a trip to Tekeenika Bay, returning to Swedea 

 in April or May, igog. 



Mr. Charles Hawkslev has commemorated the 

 centenary of the birth of his late father by offering the 

 sum of looo/. to the council of the Institution of 

 Mechanical Engineers for the foundation of a scholarship 

 or premium. The ofTcr has been accepted by the institu- 

 tion, and the terms on which the gift is to be held are- 

 under consideration. 



Two sums, each of 250!., have been received by the- 

 Institution of Mechanical Engineers from the Metropolitan 

 Water Board and the chairman of the Court of Arbitra- 

 tion (under the Metropolitan Water .Act, 1902), which the 

 donors desire to be used for some engineering purpose 

 connected with the institution. The council have invested 

 the amount — 500Z. — in a trustee security, the income fronr 

 which they have decided, after consultation with Sir Edward 

 Fry, shall be offered biennially for a paper submitted in 

 accordance with prescribed conditions. It has been further 

 decided that the prize shall be known as the " Water 

 Arbitration Prize," and shall be offered for a paper on an 

 engineering subject to be announced by the council one 

 year before the time for sending in the papers. The prize,, 

 which will have a value of approximatelv 30!., will take 

 any form which the council may from time to time decide 

 upon, and will be accompanied by a certificate bearing 

 the seal of the institution. If, in the opinion of the 

 council, no paper of sufficient merit be received in reply 

 to any particular offer of the prize, the aiTiount available 

 for that award will be added to the capital of the fund.. 

 The conditions for the first award, to be made in 1908, 

 are that : — (i) The award will be made to the author of 

 the selected paper dealing with the filtration and purifi- 

 cation of water for public supplv. (2) Members, associate 

 members, associates, and graduates of the institution may 

 compete. (3) Papers must be sent in to the secretary of 

 the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and must reach 

 him not later than January 3, 1908. (4) Each paper must 

 be clearly written, or typewritten, on one side only of 

 foolscap paper, with a margin, and must be accompaniecl 

 by an outline or synopsis of its contents of not more than 

 six hundred words; any illustrations submitted with the 

 paper must be properly drawn to scale. (5) Papers sub- 

 mitted for competition will become the property of the 

 institution, and, at the discretion of the council, may be 

 either read and discussed at a general meeting or printed 

 in the Proceedings without having been so read and dis- 

 cussed. Each paper must consist of original matter 

 written by the competitor himself, and the council will 

 require a written statement to that effect. Any paper not 

 accepted for printing in the Proceedings will be returned 

 to the author. No paper which has been previously pubr 

 lished will be accepted for competition. 



A special committee, with JI. V. V. Podvysotsk, director 

 of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, as president,. 

 has been appointed by the Medical Council of the Russian 

 Ministry of the Interior to study the question of establish- 

 ing a committee for the investigation of cancer. 



According to the Lancet, the late Prof. Grancher, of 

 Paris, has left to the society founded by himself, the object 

 of which is the protection of children from tuberculosis, a 

 sum sufficient to provide an annual income of 20,000 francs. 

 Dr. Roux, director of the Pasteur Institute, has accepted 

 the position of president of the society. 



