June 23, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



887 



scribing the statistical methods elaborated by 

 Galtou and Pearson and their application in 

 the natural sciences. 



According to the Boston Transcript the Uni- 

 versity of Chicago has set aside $.5,000 to defray 

 the expenses of explorations which are about 

 to be conducted under its auspices in Yucatan. 

 A collection of hitherto-unknown ruins has 

 been discovered lately some distance southeast 

 of the city of Merida, on the north coast, and a 

 representative of the institution paid a visit to 

 the spot this winter. He found the remains of 

 what seemed to be an enormous tribal dwelling, 

 with buildings scattered around it over an area 

 of nearly a mile. The main edifice was built 

 massively of stone, and the fagades were liter- 

 ally covered with the most intricate and beau- 

 tiful carving. The top is covered with earth 

 and vegetation, and from a distance looks like 

 a square wooded hill, so there is fairly good 

 reason for supposing that the interior rooms are 

 in a state of good preservation, at least that 

 they have not been opened and ransacked by 

 prowling Indians. There are many tombs also 

 that have every appearance of being intact, and, 

 if so, they may contain much matter to shed 

 light on one of the most mysterious pages of 

 the history of humanity. The exploring 

 expedition will start some time within the 

 next month, and New Orleans will be the point 

 of departure. 



A conversazione in connection with the meet- 

 ing of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Lon- 

 don, was given on August 9th, the guests 

 being received by the President, Sir W. H. 

 Preece. The London Times states that Sir W. 

 Martin Conway showed a series of photographs 

 taken during his recent expedition to the Andes, 

 and Mr. Mansergh exhibited views in the Elan 

 valley, illustrating the progress of the works, 

 of which he is the engineer, for giving Birming- 

 ham a new supply of water from Wales. For 

 those who desired still lighter amusement a 

 number of electrophones were fitted up in 

 connection with the theatres. Of engineer- 

 ing models and scientific apparatus there 

 was a very interesting display. Among the 

 former, which were particularly numerous, 

 were representations of the Poiverful, Latona 



and Fearless, lent by Messrs. Vickers, Sons 

 & Maxim ; of the Turhinia and a tor- 

 pedo-boat destroyer with a guaranteed speed 

 of 35 knots, from the Hon. Charles A. 

 Parsons ; of the steel ice-breaking steamer 

 Ermak, from Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth 

 & Co. ; of the proposed new bridge at Kew, 

 from Sir John Wolfe Barry ; of the new high- 

 level bridge at Newcastle, from Mr. Charles 

 Harrison ; of the new P. and O. steamer Isis, 

 from Sir Thomas Sutherland ; and of dredgers 

 of various descriptions, from Messrs. J. C. Coode 

 and William Matthews. The Koyal Ordinance 

 Factories had an Interesting exhibit showing 

 the component parts of a 303 Lee-Enfield 

 magazine rifle and the stages in the manufac- 

 ture of a solid-drawn G-inch cartridge case. 

 The Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company 

 showed some specimens of Professor Callendar's 

 beautiful electrical recording instruments. One 

 was arranged as a pyrometer recording the 

 variations in the radiation from an ordinary in- 

 candescent lamp, and it was very curious to see 

 the constant alterations in the readings with 

 minute fluctuations in the current when the eye 

 could perceive no change whatever in the 

 lamp. The same firm also showed the seismo- 

 graph, designed by Professor Ewiug, and Mr. 

 W. Duddell's oscillograph for tracing alternate- 

 current wave forms. Another model in action 

 that attracted considerable notice was Professor 

 Dunkerley's machine to illustrate the whirling 

 and vibration of shafts in rapid rotation. 

 Among the railway exhibits may be mentioned 

 examples of Mr. James Holden's liquid fuel 

 burner for locomotives, as successfully used on 

 the Great Eastern Railway; an interesting series 

 of rail sections from Mr. W. Dean, illustrating 

 the development of the permanent way on the 

 Great Western ; and a working model of a mag- 

 netic system of train signalling from Mr. W. S. 

 Boult. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 



The gift of Mr. B. N. Duke, of the American 

 Tobacco Company, to Trinity College, which we 

 announced last week, makes his gifts to the 

 College during the year $183,000 ; $6,000 of 

 which is to improve the scientific laboratories. 



