June 30, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



695 



member of the teaching staff who is entitled to a 

 Carnegie retiring allowance and who forfeits such 

 retiring allowance because of any voluntary act by 

 which the same is forfeited under the Carnegie 

 rules, may be deprived of his retiring allowance 

 from the university. 



The university will provide life insurance that 

 shall assure to each member of the teaching staff 

 the payment of $5,000 on his death before his 

 retirement, payable to his wife if he leaves one, 

 otherwise to his children, or, if he leaves none, 

 then to such person as he may, with the approval 

 of the president, designate. 



"An alternative" plan" submitted by the com- 

 mittee on pensions and also approved covers 

 the cases of members of the faculty who hold 

 deferred annuity policies issued by the Teach- 

 ers' Insurance and Annuity Association of 

 America or other companies approved by the 

 university finance committee. The university 

 will, on the request of a member of the faculty 

 and his relinquishment of all benefits under 

 the insurance and pension plan, contribute to- 

 ward the payment of the premiums on such 

 annuity policies a sum not exceeding five per 

 cent, of his annual salary, nor a maximum of 

 $300. 



GIFTS TO THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF 

 NATURAL HISTORY 



Gifts of $1,000,000 by Mr. John D. Rocke- 

 feller, Jr., and $250,000 by Mr. George F. 

 Baker to the American Museum of Natural 

 History were announced bj President Henry 

 Fairfield Osborn at a meeting of the executive 

 committee of the board of trustees last week, 

 when the following resolutions were passed: 



Besolved, That the trustees accept with grateful 

 thanks the splendid gift of $1,000,000 presented 

 to the miiseum by Mr. John D. Bockefeller, Jr., 

 for its corporate purposes and hereby take 

 pleasure in applying it to the permanent endow- 

 ment fund, the principal to be kept invested and 

 the income only to be expended for the work of 

 the institution. 



This munificent gift, valued at more than a 

 million dollars, is the more appreciated because it 

 is received at a time when the increase of the 

 permanent endowment by at least $2,000,000 

 stands as the paramount need of the museum, in 

 order that its scientific exploration and research 

 may not be curtailed and in order that it may 

 continue to render to public education, especially 



through the school system of the city and country, 

 a service which is increasing in importance and 

 is receiving universal approval of educators. 



Mr. Eoekef eller 's attitude in his generous terms 

 of gift and in his liberal-mindedness with respect 

 to the use of this fund is a further source of deep 

 satisfaction and encouragement to the trustees be- 

 cause it indicates his hearty endorsement of the 

 aims and purposes of the museum and of the trus- 

 tees ' policy in its development and expresses his 

 belief in the present and future service which it 

 can render to science and education for all the 

 people. 



In recognition of Mr. Eoekef eller 's interest in 

 the museum, the trustees take pleasure in hereby 

 electing him a benefactor. 



Besolved, That the trustees desire to record 

 their deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Baker for 

 his generous gift of $250,000, which constitutes 

 the initial contribution to the much needed en- 

 larged endowment for the growth and develop- 

 ment of the museum. The trustees deeply appre- 

 ciate not only the intrinsic value of the gift, but 

 especially the generous attitude of the donor in 

 permitting the unrestricted use of the income of 

 this fund — an action which is indicative of his 

 confidence in the administration of the museum 

 and the aims and purposes of the institution. In 

 recognition of Mr. Baker 's earlier contributions, 

 the trustees had previously elected him a bene- 

 factor, and can therefore merely express their 

 gratitude to him by extending their heartfelt 

 thanks and best wishes for continued good health 

 and happiness. 



THE INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL 

 UNION AT ROME 



At the meeting of the International Astro- 

 nomical Union at Rome from May 2 to 10, ac- 

 cording to a report in The Observatory, the 

 adherent countries represented were Australia, 

 Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czecho-Slovakia, 

 Denmark, France, Great Biitain, Holland, 

 Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Poland and the 

 United States. Greece and South Africa, 

 though adhering to the union, were not repre- 

 sented, while Roumania and Spain were rep- 

 resented, although the formalities connected 

 with adhesion to the union had not been com- 

 pleted. 



The list of committees for the coming three 

 years drawn up by the executive committee 

 was adopted. They were as follows, the name 

 of the chairman being given in each case : 



