68 



NATURE 



[May 2 1, 1896 



The following are among recent appointments : — Dr. Olio 

 Fischer to be Kxtraordinary I'rofessor of Physiological Physics 

 at Leipzig ; Dr. Albert P. BnibaUer to be Assistant I'rofessor of 

 Hygiene in Jellerson College, Philadelphia: Dr. E. IJ. .Sangree 

 to be Professor of Pathology and Bacteriology in the \'anderbilt 

 University, Nashville, Tenn. 



The new buildings at Owen's .School for boys, Islington, 

 which were recently opened by the .Master o( the Brewers' 

 Company, include some new class-rooms for the teaching of 

 practical science. There is a good science lecture-room, as well 

 as physical and chemical laboratories, both well arranged and 

 equipped. A new art room has also been added. The Tirew'ers' 

 Company have provided the funds for building, and the London 

 Technical Lducation Board those for furnishing. 



The will of Mr. H. W. Massey, of Toronto, contains numerous 

 bequests to charities and educational institutions, .\mong the 

 latter arc 50,000 dols. to the American University at Washington, 

 for a building to bear his name ; 10,000 dols. to the Alma 

 Ladies' School at St. Thomas ; 100,000 dols, to the University 

 of Mount Allison at Sackville, N. B. : 50,000 dols. to the 

 Wesleyan Theological College at Montreal : 200,000 dols. to the 

 University of Victoria, Toronto ; 100,000 dols. to the Wesleyan 

 College of Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



We learn from the Lamet ihat Cdasgow University is to 

 receive under the will of the late Dr. John (Jrieve the sum of 

 j^Sooo, which is to be applied at the discretion of the court to 

 the foundation of a leclureshij), fellowship, or scholarship. 

 The present demand for teacliing in the subject of public health 

 is very inadequately met by the existing laboratory arrange- 

 ments, and the University Court has decided to equip a tem- 

 porary laboratory until more satisfactory permanent dis|50sitions 

 are possible. Some recent communications with possible bene- 

 factors of the University render it probable that a lectureship in 

 geology will shortly be instituted. 



As we reported in our issue of February 20 of this year, it 

 was decided by the County Council of Hampshire that the 

 Finance and Technical Education Committees .should meet 

 together and report to the next meeting of the Council their 

 opinion upon the manner in which the balance remaining after 

 the annual expenditure on technical education had been de- 

 frayed, should be dealt with. .\t the meeting of the Council 

 held on Monday, the llthinst., the joint Committees reported 

 that as an Education Bill had been introduced into Parliament 

 dealing with the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Duties, 

 they were of o]iinion that it would be undesirable to proceed 

 with their delil)eration.s. The report of the Technical Educa- 

 tion Committee showed that good work had been done in the 

 county during the past session. 



On Saturday, May 2, the new grounds of Columbia University 

 were dedicated, and the corner-stones of Physics Hall and 

 Schermerhorn Hall were laid. A large and distinguished com- 

 pany gathered to hcmour the events, among whom were the 

 Goveriior of the Stale and the Mayor of the City of New York. 

 Congratulations were sent by the President of the United 

 .Slates. The new grounds comprise about seventeen acres, com- 

 manding a fine view of the Hudson, and Very near to and in 

 sight of the tomb of General Grant. The site is that of the 

 Battle of Harlem, fought September 16, 1776. On this site a 

 group of buildings are now rising, which will jirovide admirably 

 for the University, giving it facilities unrivalled by any other in 

 America. Its endowment also places it in the front rank. The 

 University has productive proiierty in New York City valued at 

 twelve million dollars, besides large endowments of personal 

 property. Several of ihe new buildings are gifts— the library 

 from the President of the Univer.sity, .Selh Low, Schermerhorn 

 Hall from William C. Schermerhorn, and the Havemeyer build- 

 ing from the Havemeyer family. University Hall is to be built 

 by gifts from alumni of the University. 



The Johns Hopkins University is only twenty years old, yet 

 as regards excellence of work it ranks high among the leading 

 universities in the world. A little brochure containing an ac- 

 count of the constitution and growth of the University has been 

 published in commemoration of the recent twentieth anniversary. 

 The fact that contributions amounting to more than a million 

 of dollars have been received, is an indication that the founda- 

 tion is firmly established in the confidence of the public. 

 Nearly three thousand students have been instructed ; three 

 hundred of the graduates have been teachers in universities, 

 colleges, and high schools, and altogelher eight hundred persons 



NO. 1386, VOL. 54J 



who have been pupils of the University have been engaged in 

 teaching ; in fact, nearly every university and college in .\merica 

 numbers among its faculty a student of Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity. Since its opening, the University has encouraged the 

 publication of the results of advanced scientific research. 

 Several journals have been regularly maintained, and support 

 has been given to many separate works. Among the most 

 important serial publications are the Aiiwrkan Jotifiiat of 

 Matheiiialics, Atiterican Cheiiiic<xl Journal, American Journal of 

 Philology, Studies from the Biological Laboratory, Memoirs from 

 the Biological Laboratory, Journal of Experimental Medicine, 

 and \\iQ Johns Hopkins University Circulars. Many separate 

 ]iublicalions have also been issued under the auspices, or with 

 the aid, of the University, among the most noteworthy of these 

 being Prof. Rowland's " Photographs of the Normal Solar 

 .Spectrum,'' " The Oy.ster in Maryland " (a publication in popular 

 form of Prof. Brooks' investigation of the oyster and its relation 

 to interests of Maryland), " Embryology of Insects and Arach- 

 nids," by .'Vdam T. Bruce, "(ieologyand Physical Features of 

 .Maryland," by (;. H. Williams and W. B Clark, Bulletins and 

 Reports of various departments of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, 

 and a number of topographical and geological ma]5s. For the 

 study of the marine fauna of the Chesapeake region, including 

 the oyster, the Chesapeake Zoological Lalxiralory, or Marine 

 Station, was instituted in 1878, and a considerable sum of numey 

 annually appropriated for its maintenance. Further, the Uni- 

 versity annually nominates a scholar to occupy a table at Wood's 

 IIoll Biological Laboratory, for the jjrosecution of biological in- 

 vestigation. Thus in a variety of ways the Univer.sity has 

 fostered original research and sound insi ruction, and has there- 

 fore contributed to the welfare of Baltimore and the advancement 

 of science. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



American Meteorological Journal, April 1S96. — A speculation 

 in topographical climatology, by Prof. W. M. Davis. The 

 author refers to certain relations between existing topographic 

 features and climatic conditions, the study of which enable us to 

 infer the vanished climates of the past by means of their still- 

 preserved topographic products. He tliscu.sses at some length 

 the records of arid and humid climates, the consecpiences of 

 various glacial theories, &c. , and suggests an exploration of the 

 most critical regions by well-trained topographical climatologists, 

 with the jiuints at is,sue clearly in mind. — The new meteorological 

 observatory im the Brncken, by A. L- Rotch. This observatory 

 has an elevation of 3750 feet above the sea and is the highest 

 mountain in Northern Germany. Observations, with some in- 

 terruptions, were made between 1836 and 1869, and have now 

 been resumed undei the superintendence of the Prussian Meteoro- 

 logical Institute. The greatest difficulty in securing continuous 

 observations is the frost, owing to which an anemometer cannot 

 be kept in action, and much trouble is experienced with thermo- 

 meters and rain-gauges ; nevertheless, in addition to automatic 

 records, direct observations are made thrice daily, from which 

 important contributions will be added to our knowledge of the 

 upper air. Further particulars of the work at this .statiim will 

 be found in Die Nalur of the 26th ult. by Herr Koch, the 

 Superintendent. 



Bollcltino della Societa Sismologica Italiana, vol. i., 1896, 

 No. 10 and 11. — Summary of the principal eruption phenomena 

 in .Sicily and the adjacent islands during the four months 

 September to December, 1895, by S. Arcidiacono. For the 

 whole year ( 1895) the following summary is given. PUna was 

 covered by clouds on forty-six days ; of the remainder, it was 

 in a state of " emanation " on 172 days, and in a " strombolian " 

 condition <m 147 days. In Vulcano, Stromboli, and Saisi di 

 Paterno, no change has occurred except that, on March 29, 

 Stromboli passed from the normal to the explosive phase, at the 

 same time a sensible earthquake was felt at several places in 

 Calabria. — On a new type of .seismometrograph, by G. 

 Agamennone. The instrument consists of a pendulum of mass 

 200 kg. and length 16 metres, whose movements are magnified 

 by the light horizontal lines at right angles to one another. 

 When the first tremor occurs, the velocity of the strip of paper 

 is increased from about 30 cm. per hour to about 5 mm. per 

 second. The instrument is installed in the Central Meteorological 

 and Geodynamical Office at Rome. — Notices of Italian earth- 

 quakes (.\ugust-October 1895), 'he most important being the 

 Adriatic earthquake of .\ugust 9. 



