302 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 217. 



Sometime since we called attention to the 

 appointment of a commission in France to con- 

 sider the question of colonial botanical gardens 

 and agricultural experiment stations. This 

 commission has now recommended that a sta- 

 tion be established in each of the French colo- 

 nies and a central station for the distribution of 

 seeds and plants. A decree has been issued or- 

 ■ ganizing such a station at Vincennes and M. 

 Jean Dybowski has been appointed its director. 



Plans have been made for the erection of a 

 State Meteorological Station on the summit of 

 Schneeliope, one of the Riesengebirge, Silesia, 

 which is 1,605 meters in height. A scientific 

 observer will be stationed in the observatory. 



It is feared that the instruments of the 

 Manila Observatory have been injured by the 

 recent battles. The Observatory is well 

 equipped for meteorological and seismological 

 observations, and its publications have been of 

 milch scientific value. 



The Brooklyn Institute will establish in its 

 museum a department in which natural history 

 and technology will be exhibited in a manner 

 that will interest and instruct children. There 

 are such museums in foreign cities, but not, it is 

 said, elsewhere in America. 



Mr. Andrew Carnegie, in addition to offer- 

 ing $250,000 for a free library in Washington, 

 and $100,000 for a free library at Atlanta, has 

 also offered to provide libraries for Richmond, 

 Va., and Bellefonte, Pa. Mr. Carnegie has 

 already given more than $8,000,000 for the 

 establishment of free libraries. 



Open competitive merit examinations will be 

 held March 1st to 7th, 1899, in various cities 

 throughout New York State for the positions 

 mentioned below. Exact dates will be fixed later 

 for the various cities, and candidates having 

 applications on file will be given ample notice 

 of the time and place of examination most 

 convenient to their place of residence. In- 

 tending competitors must file applications in 

 the oflice of the Commission before February 

 28th. Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 Third Division. — Applicants must be residents 

 of this division, which includes the counties of 

 Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, 

 Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and part 



of Westchester. Salary, SI, 500 per annum. 

 The examination will relate entirely to the 

 duties of the position, the experience of the 

 candidate, his knowledge of agriculture and its 

 interests in the division and his familiarity with 

 the laws relating to the Department and its 

 work. Assistant at the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, Jamaica, N. Y. — Candidates must have 

 a practical knowledge of farm and garden work, 

 and should have some training in the funda- 

 mentals of botany and entomology ; they must 

 also have the knowledge of the care of a forcing 

 house, spraying and the supervision of other 

 experiments conducted by such a station. Sal- 

 ary, $600 per annum. The examination will 

 relate wholly to the duties of the position and 

 the knowledge and experience required for their 

 performance. Time allowed, seven hours. 

 Library Assistant, State Library. — Salaries, 

 $30 to $50 per month. The examination will 

 cover cataloguing, classification, indexing, li- 

 brary economj"^, indexing and handwriting. 



The Department of State has received from 

 the German embassy at Washington, under 

 date of January 21, 1899, notice of the interna- 

 tional veterinary congress to be held at Baden 

 on August 9-14, 1899. The subjects to be dis- 

 cussed include prophylactic measures to prevent 

 the spread of cattle diseases by the export of 

 animals, treatment of tuberculosis in domestic 

 animals, use of flesh and milk of animals 

 affected by tuberculosis and requirements for 

 inspection of meat, cure of foot and mouth 

 disease and diseases of swine, dissemination of 

 veterinary instruction, preparation of a uniform 

 anatomical nomenclature in veterinary medicine 

 and cure of rabies. The members of the con- 

 gress shall consist of delegates from foreign 

 countries and the German Empire, representa- 

 tives of veterinary schools who are designated 

 to the committee, delegates of veterinary and 

 agricultural societies, representatives of state 

 and communal offices of public health and pub- 

 lic hygienic institutes, and veterinarians who 

 record their names and pay 12 Marks. 



At a meeting held January 20th by the Bel- 

 gian Society of Electricians (M. Emile Closset, 

 President) it was decided to open an exposition 

 of electrical appliances applicable to domestic 



