May 27, 1898.] 



SGIENGE. 



747 



think proper, be the professor of botany in the 

 University. It is especially provided that this 

 bequest is to be in addition to the sum already 

 spent by the University and other bodies on 

 the teaching of botany. The garden is to be 

 known as the Cruickshank Botanical Garden, 

 in memory of the donor's late brother, Dr. 

 Alexander Cruickshank, and it is to be held by 

 the trustees in all time for the use, enjoyment 

 and behoof of the University of Aberdeen and 

 of the general public, without any preferable 

 right on either, except as it may be thought 

 right by the trustees to set apart class-rooms 

 and laboratories for the use of either body. 

 Professor Trail, the professor of botany, in his 

 opening address to his class at the beginning of 

 the summer session, on April 25th, alluded to 

 this gift, and to the great advantage which it 

 would be to the botanical department at the 

 University. He also touched on the changes 

 which the last few years had worked in this de- 

 partment, and on the great facilities which were 

 now offered to botanical students, especially 

 since the opening of the handsome new labora- 

 tories and class-rooms last year. 



A LETTER addressed to the London Times 

 by ' A Kew Student ' protests against opening 

 the gardens to the public in the mornings, as 

 follows : As holder of a student's ticket which 

 will be rendered practically useless by the 

 change, may I be allowed to explain how the 

 proposed opening of the gardens at 10 a. m. 

 will affect students at Kew? The difliculty 

 does not lie in the large or small number of 

 visitors, but in a rule — namely, that students 

 must abstain from handling plants after the ad- 

 mission of the public. I am informed that this 

 regulation is so far necessary by way of exam- 

 ple that it is observed by the authorities them- 

 selves. The public recognize a working gar- 

 dener, but if one stranger were seen to inter- 

 fere with plants others would naturally see no 

 harm in doing the same. Where the conven- 

 ience of the public is concerned, individual pro- 

 tests appear selfish and ridiculous, but I am in- 

 formed that there are 800 students upon the 

 books, and surely their interests deserve con- 

 sideration, inasmuch as Kew-gardens are in- 

 tended to be used for scientific purposes. As 

 an individual I should have been satisfied and 



very grateful if students had been permitted to 

 retain certain mornings of the week, and I shall 

 be glad if you will allow me to point out that 

 the recent decision has caused disappointment 

 and vexation to at least one worker. My ticket 

 carries the privilege of gathering certain speci- 

 mens for botanical research ; it will be difficult 

 for students, who like myself live in London, 

 to use the gardens before 10 a. m., and it is out 

 of the question that I, or any other student, 

 should collect plants out of doors or work in 

 hothouses during public hours. 



At a meeting of the Zoological Society of Lon- 

 don on April 19th a communication was read 

 from Dr. Bashford Dean, describing further evi- 

 dence of the existence of possible paired fins in 

 the problematical Devonian organism Palseo- 

 spondylus. He maintained his former views, as 

 opposed to those of Dr. E. H. Traquair ex- 

 pressed in a former communication to the So- 

 ciety. Mr. Smith Woodward, in communica- 

 ting this paper, remarked]]that he was inclined 

 to agree with Dr. Traquair's interpretations of 

 the markings on the stone round the skeletons 

 of Palxospondylus as entirely due to inorganic 

 agencies. In support of this view he exhibited 

 the specimen from Dr. Traquair's collection 

 noticed by Dr. Dean. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 



The new buildings of the University of Vir- 

 ginia will be dedicated in June, the exercises 

 beginning on the 12th. It is expected that 

 three Presidents of the United States, Mr. Mc- 

 Kinley, Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Harrison will 

 take part in the ceremonies. 



The building for the museums of the Uni- 

 versity of Pennsylvania is now nearing com- 

 pletion, aud plans are being drawn for a build- 

 ing for the departments of physiology, pathol- 

 ogy and pharmacology. 



A BUILDING for the College of Agriculture of 

 Ohio State University has been completed dur- 

 ing the present year at a cost of $70,000. 



Congregation, at Oxford, passed, on May 

 4th, a decree which will require the ratification 



