July 24, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



117 



temperature, sunshine, the influence of 

 weather on crops, health, etc. A collection of 

 photographs illustrating meteorological phe- 

 nomena was also exhibited. A fully equipped 

 climatologieal station, with the various in- 

 struments in position, was arranged in a 

 railed-off enclosure outside the exhibition 

 building; and an address on "Meteorology in 

 Relation to Agriculture " was given each day 

 by Mr. W. Marriott. 



The first biennial convocation of the grand 

 chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma, the professional 

 chemical society for students in American 

 universities, met on June 27 at the University 

 of Wisconsin. The official delegates repre- 

 senting the seven universities on the chapter 

 roll are as follows : Alpha chapter. University 

 of Wisconsin, F. P. Downing; Beta, Univer- 

 sity of Minnesota, O. O. Whited; Gamma, 

 Case School of Applied Science, Karl W. 

 Ketterer; Delta, University of Missouri, L. S. 

 Palmer; Epsilon, University of Indiana, W. 

 B. Jadden ; Zeta, University of Illinois, E. J. 

 Bartells ; Eta, University of Colorado, Frank 

 J. Petura. This is the only fraternity of the 

 kind that is national in its character, and it 

 has been remarkably successful since its or- 

 ganization at the University of Wisconsin in 

 1902. The purpose is to promote good fellow- 

 ship and closer relations between those in- 

 terested in chemistry as a profession. 



The United States National Museum has 

 received as a gift from Mr. J. N. Leger, min- 

 ister from Haiti to the United States, a case 

 which contains models representing over a 

 hundred different fruits of Haiti arranged 

 for exhibition purposes. This collection of 

 models of fruits and vegetables, which was 

 exhibited at Jamestown, is probably the most 

 complete series of its kind that has ever been 

 prepared. The fruits of Haiti include many 

 forms that are rarely seen in this country, 

 and this set of models can not fail to be of 

 interest. The following are the names of the 

 most curious fruits of the island: cashew, 

 ginger plant, mango, alligator pear, castor oil 

 sted, custard apple, pomegranate, guava, 

 tamarind, naseberry, and a large green bread 

 fruit. 



The Sunday Society, which exists to obtain 

 the opening of museums, art galleries, libra- 

 ries, and gardens on Sundays, has, says 

 Nature, been making attempts, though as yet 

 unsuccessfully, to secure the opening on Sun- 

 days of the science and art collections at the 

 Franco-British Exhibition. The experience 

 gained during the last twelve years would ap- 

 pear to show that the Sunday opening of 

 national museums and galleries has been 

 greatly appreciated, and that there has been 

 no abuse of the privilege. The last published 

 returns show that in 1906 the number of Sun- 

 day visitors to the British Museum was 57,738, 

 an average Sunday attendance of 1,110 ; at the 

 Natural History Museum for the same year 

 the corresponding numbers were 61,151 and 

 1,176. In 1905 the number of visitors to the 

 Victoria and Albert Museum on Sundays was 

 93,005, an average Sunday, attendance of 

 1,755 ; the corresponding numbers in the same 

 year for the Bethnal Green Museum were 

 74,990 and 1,415. 



On May 23, as we learn from the London 

 Times, took place the inaugural ceremony of 

 the International Institute of Agriculture in 

 the presence of his Majesty the King of Italy, 

 who attended in state and formally opened 

 the new building erected for the use of the 

 permanent delegates. The Italian government 

 was represented by seven ministers and the 

 chief officers of state, while some 30 foreign 

 delegates attended on behalf of the various 

 countries which have promised their coopera- 

 tion. Speeches were made by Signer Tittoni, 

 the foreign minister, who welcomed the foreign 

 delegates; by M. Vasconcellos, the Portuguese 

 Minister, in reply, and by Senator Faina, who 

 explained the history and aims of the insti- 

 tute. The foreign delegates were afterwards 

 entertained at a dinner by the king in the 

 Quirinal, at which there were present, among 

 others. Sir Thomas Elliot (Great Britain), Sir 

 Edward Buck (India), Mr. Rutherford 

 (Canada), Mr. Taverner (Australia) and 

 Boghos Nubar Pasha (Egypt). The new 

 building is situated within the gardens of the 

 ViUa Borgese, on rising ground immediately 

 upon the left of the main entrance. The 



