Deoembek 29, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



749 



years. Mr. Ehves was a felloTv- of the Royal 

 Society and had been president of the Royal 

 Entomological Society of London and of the 

 Soyai English Arborieultural Society. 



John" Henry Gubxet, the English natural- 

 ist and ornithologist, died at his residence, Kes- 

 wick Hall, near Nonvich, on November 9, aged 

 ieveiily-five years. 



The first of the cusitomary lectures arranged 

 by the Central Ohio Chapter, at the Ohio State 

 University, of the Society of Sigma Xi, fol- 

 lowing its usual program for the encourage- 

 ment of research, was a lecture with experi- 

 mental demonstrations by Mr. Thomas Miflgelj', 

 Jr., and Mr. T. A. Boyd, research fuel engi- 

 neer of the General Motors Research Corpora- 

 tion of Daytton, entitled, "The chemical control 

 by catalysis of detonation." Experimental 

 demonstrations of the use of selenium and lead 

 derivatives were made with internal combus- 

 tion engines. The program is under the direc- 

 tion of the new officers <y£ the local chapter, 

 namely, James R. Withrow, pi-ofessor indus- 

 trial chemistry, president; Edward Mack, Jr., 

 assistant professor of physical chemistry, sec- 

 retary, and C. A. Norman, professor of ma- 

 chine design, retiring secretary. 



The directors of the Femger Memoria;! Fund 

 have set aside $500 for medical invesitigation. 

 The work should 'have a clinical bearing and if 

 possible it should 'be carried out in an institu- 

 tion that will furnish facilities and ordinary 

 supplies free of cost. Applications with full 

 particulars should ibe sent to Dr. L. Hektoen, 

 637 S. Wood Street, Chicago, before January 

 15, 1923. 



Me. Arthur H. Helme, whose gift to the^ 

 Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and 

 Sciences of a large collection of Long Isla,nd 

 birds and mammals was anmouneed during the 

 spring, has been engaged since summer in 

 afOxing labels bearing name, locality and date 

 to all of his specimens, which, instead of the 

 original estimate of 3,000, it has now been 

 shown number albout 4,000. This donation, to- 

 gether with that of Mi'. Peavey, Mr. Putt- 

 farcken and others, represents the addition of 

 fully 5,000 specimens, all received during the 

 present year and this signifies that ithe Brook- 



lyn Museum has attained its goal in now pos- 

 sessing the most exclusive and authentic collec- 

 tion of 'birds and mammals from Long Island. 



The Hurley expedition, which left Australia 

 in August with a flying boat and seaplane to 

 explore the country at the 'head of the Fly 

 River, Papua, has bad its plans dislocated by 

 climatic conditions. The air pilot, who has 

 reached Brisbane, reported that the machines 

 were found unsuitaible. Rain every night and 

 teniflc heat Iby day destroyed the faibrie cover- 

 ing and made it unsafe to proceed. The only 

 planes possible in such country must be of 

 metal, with high horse-power. 



The first number of a new Italian mathe- 

 matical journal, entitled Bolletino della TJnione 

 Matematica Italiana, was issued under the da.te 

 of October, 1922. S. Pincherle, of Bologna, is 

 provisional president of the union. 



It is announced bj' the United States Geolog- 

 ical Survey, that the price of radium has de- 

 creased owing to the discovery of radiiun bear- 

 ing ores in Africa, which are easily worked at 

 a much lower cost than the American mines. 

 This caused a drop from $120,000 a gram to 

 $70,000, which is the lowest price at any time 

 since radium has ibeen used. In connection 

 with Cancer Week, the Survey announced, the 

 state of New York and the city of Philadel- 

 phia have each 'bought itwo grams for the use 

 of their citizens, and the oity of Quebec one 

 gram. 



The 'Seismos-Gesellschaft, of Hanover, 

 Germany, has lately issued a pamphlet on the 

 determination of underground geological struc- 

 tures and ore deposits by seismic methods, ap- 

 parently an outcome of devices used in locating 

 heavy guns in the war. The needed appai-atus 

 can be carried iby two men. The work is said 

 to ibe more expeditious and economical than 

 exploration Iby borings. A number of sectaonal 

 illustrations of investigated struettures are in- 

 cluded. 



The Swedish Parliament, as reported in 

 Eugenical News, voted, May 13, 1921, to esltab- 

 lish a Swedish Institute for Race-Biology with 

 82,500 crowns (Swedish) in addition to the 

 salary of the director. Of this siun, 24,000 

 crowns are to he litilized for the first equip- 



