84 



NA TURE 



[Mav 28, 1908 



d^voue I'illustre Institut tie France constituent des 

 liens a la fois parmi les plus puissants et les plus 

 durables qui unissent les nations dans le maintien de 

 la paix et de la cordialite. Comme representants de 

 ces differentes branches de culture intellectuelle en 

 Angleterre, nous sommes heureux et fiers d'etre en 

 rapports intinies avec I'lnstitut de France, depuis si 

 longtemps I'un des grands foyers de lumiere du 

 monde entier. 



Nous nous rejouissons a la pensi^-e que les senti- 

 ments de sympathie et de fraternite qui se sont main- 

 tenus depuis plusieurs siecles entre les litterateurs, 

 les savants et les artistes de la France et de la 

 Grande Bretagne s'etendent et se fortifient journelle- 

 ment entre nos deux nations, et nous sommes 

 persuades que votre visite ne peut manquer de 

 stiniuler puissamment le progres de cette alliance 

 pacifique et bienfaisante. 



Nous vous prions, Monsieur le President, de 

 vouloir bien nous permettre d'ajouter I'expression 

 de notre ferme espoir que votre occupation du poste 

 elev^ dont vous remplissez les fonctions avec tant de 

 lustre et de distinction continuera longtemps hi etre 

 heureuse et prospere ; et nous esperons qu'il vous 

 sera agreable de recevoir I'assurance que la nation 

 Britannique est unanime dans ses sentiments 

 d 'admiration et d'amitie pour la nation Frangaise. 



Nous avons I'honneur d'etre avec !e plus profond 

 respect, 



Monsieur le President, 



Vos tres ob^issanls serviteurs. 



The Address, which uas beautifully illuminated, had 

 been approved by the President and officers of the 

 Royal Society and the President of the Royal Academy. 

 The organisation of the deputation and the correspon- 

 dence connected with it were undertaken by the British 

 Science Guild. 



iVOT£5. 



The local secretaries for the Dublin meeting of the 

 British Association desire to direct the attention of officers 

 of the association and members who intend to be present 

 to the urgent necessity of filling up and returning forth- 

 with the post-card sent out with the invitation circular. 

 Many have already done so, but the work of the hospitality 

 subcommittee, which has to be completed months before- 

 hand, and, as everyone knows, is of a delicate and difficult 

 nature, is now at a standstill owing to the fact that in- 

 formation has not been received from a large number of 

 the chief members of the association as to whether they 

 will be accompanied by lady members of their families or 

 not. This information is asked for on the card referred 

 to, which is the only source at the command of the local 

 committee. 



.\ STATUE of Licbig is to be erected in Darmstadt, where 

 he was born in 1803. The corporation of Darmstadt has 

 contributed 150;. towards the expenses. 



The death is announced of Dr. R. Chalmers, of the 

 Canadian Geological Survey, at the age of seventy-four 

 years. Dr. Chalmers, says Science, joined the survey 

 .^bout twenty-three years ago, and conducted work in 

 Pli-istocene geology, especially in his native province of 

 New Brunswick. 



.•\t the anniversary meeting ol the Linnean Society on 

 Monday the King of .Sweden was elected an honorary 

 member of the society. Dr. Dul^infield H. Scott, F.R.S., 

 was elected president in succession to Prof. ^^^ A. Herd- 

 man, F.R.S., and Dr. Otto Stapf, F.R.S., was chosen 



NO. 2013, VOL. 78] 



to fill the office of botanical secretary thus vacated by 

 Dr. Scott. The gold medal of the society was presented 

 to the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, F.R.S. 



\ Reuter message states that an International .Associa- 

 tion for Cancer Research was inaugurated in Berlin on 

 May 23 to promote the investigation of cancer and the care 

 of cancer patients, the collection and publication of inter- 

 national cancer statistics, and the establishment of an 

 international centre of information on all matters concern- 

 ing cancer research. The association proposes to publish 

 an international technical organ, and to organise inter- 

 national cancer conferences. So far, thirteen States, in- 

 cluding all the great Powers except treat Britain, have 

 joined the association, the seat of which will be at Berlin. 



The inauguration of the International Institute of Agri- , 

 culture took place in Rome on May 23 in the presence of 

 the King of Italy, who formally opened the new building 

 for the use of the permanent delegates. The Times corre- 

 spondent reports that the Italian Government was repre- 

 sented by seven ministers and the chief State officers. 

 Thirty foreign delegates, including Sir Thomas Eliot, re- 

 presenting Great Britain, attended, and were entertained 

 at dinner by the King. The new building is the gift of 

 the King of Italy, who also has endowed the institute 

 with an income of 12,000!. a year, bringing the total 

 annual income up to 40,000!. The international character 

 of the institute is assured by the fact that it is receiving 

 the support of every nation, and nearly all have appointed 

 delegates. It was only in June, 1905, that the conference 

 assembled in Rome at the invitation of the King of Italy 

 to consider the project, and the excellent progress which 

 has been made already augurs well for the permanent 

 success of the institute. 



The Royal medals and other awards given annually by 

 the Royal Geographical Society for the encouragement of 

 geographical science and discovery were distributed at the 

 anniversary meeting of the society on Monday. The 

 founder's medal was presented to Lieut. Boyd Alexander, 

 for his African explorations and careful trigonometrical 

 survey of the region between the Benue and Lake Chad. 

 Lieut. Boyd Alexander devoted a considerable time to the 

 exploration of Lake Chad, and added materially to our 

 knowledge of that constantly shifting lake. A careful 

 study was made of the hydrography of the various river 

 systems, the Niger, the Congo, and the Nil6, through 

 which the expedition passed. Detailed maps were made 

 of the more unknown parts of the region, such as the 

 Bamingi, Kibali, and the Yei rivers. Much information was 

 gathered concerning the physical features of the region 

 passed through ; careful studies were made of several of 

 the types of natives, and important additions were made 

 to our knowledge of the natural history of the e.xtensive 

 region. The patron's medal was awarded to H.S.H. the 

 Prince of Monaco, for his work in oceanography, .\mong 

 the notable additions to scientific knowledge made on board 

 "^he Princess Alice are : — (i) the results of using the deep- 

 iea traps invented by the Prince, which threw a new light 

 on the life on the floor of the deepest parts of the ocean ; 

 y'2) successive seasons' exploration on the coast of Spits- 

 bergen and in the adjacent seas ; and (3) studies of the 

 ;onditions of the upper air 'oy means of meteorological 

 kites in mid-.^tlantic. Other awards were as. follows : — 

 Murchison award to Colonel Delme-Radcliffe, for his work 

 when as resident in the Nile province of Uganda he 

 napped the whole province, and for the work which he 

 did afterwards when in charge of the English section of 



