116 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 25. 



of the Gulf of California, made six years before the 

 earliest that had previously been known; and it dis- 

 closed the extent of Cortes' own examination of 

 the Pacific coast in advance of his captains. The 

 archives of the old world have by no means yet 

 yielded all that tliey may. 



— The funeral of the late Mr. William Spottiswoode 

 took place atnoon July 5 in Westminster Abbey, and 

 was attended by many distinguished men from the 

 various scientific and other societies with which the 

 deceased was connected. There was also a large at- 

 tendance of the general public. The pall-bearers were 

 Marquis of Salisbury, Oxford university ; Lord Gran- 

 ville, London university; Sir W. Siemens, British as- 

 sociation; Sir F. Leighton, Eoyal academy; Sir .J. 

 Lubbock, Linnaean society; Sir Bartle Frere, Eoyal 

 Asiatic society; Sir W. Armstrong, Institute of civil 

 engineers; Dr. Evans, Eoyal society; Chancellor of 

 the exchequer, H. M. government; Duke of Nortlium- 

 berland, Eoyal institution; Master of the stationers' 

 company, tlie company; Lord Aberdare, Eoyal geo- 

 graphical society; G. Busk, Esq., Eoyal astronomi- 

 cal society; Professor Flower, Zoological society; 

 Mr. Shinn, Mr. Carey, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Millwood, Mr. 

 White, Mr. Wilson, representing departments in the 

 Queen's printing-office. 



The Athenaeum says of Mr. Spottiswoode: "Mr. 

 W. Spottiswoode's illness had from the first caused 

 serious alarm ; still it was hoped that he would tri- 

 umph over typhoid-fever, though complicated by 

 congestion of the lungs. His strength had, however, 

 been shaken by the severe accident lie met with some 

 months ago, and there is little doubt that his indefati- 

 gable attention to duties of various sorts had over- 

 tasked even his vigorous constitution. He combined 

 with the studies of a physicist and a mathematician 

 the supervision of a great mercantile concern. To 

 accomplish all this; to make elaborate and delicate 

 experiments, contribute a succession of paj^ers to the 

 Transactions of the Eoyal society and The Philo- 

 sopJiical magazine ; to mix frequently in general 

 society ; to preside over the chief of our scientific 

 bodies, and manage a large business, — was possible 

 only to a man who would map out the work of every 

 day, and never waste a minute of his time. And this 

 was the case with Mr. Spottiswoode. His was 

 eminently an organizing brain, gifted with great 

 clearness, complete mastery of detail, unfailing 

 punctuality, and power at once to seize the essence 

 of any matter brought under his notice. Personally 

 he was most kind and generous, eminently tolerant 

 of differences of opinion, and courteous to all with 

 whom he came in contact." 



— On Thursday night, July 12, 1883, the newer of 

 the buildings of the Indiana university was struck 

 by lightning and thoroughly destroyed. The build- 

 ing was a four-story brick of Gothic design. Upon 

 the first floor were the collections of geology, miner- 

 alogy, and archeology, and the chemical laboratory; 

 on the second floor were the libraries and the physi- 

 cal laboratory ; while the third contained the valuable 

 zoological collections of the university, and the mu- 

 seum of comparative anatomy. The loss as reported 



is as follows: museum, §75,000; library, §36,000; 

 laboratory, 810,000; building, .$45,000; total, $166,- 

 000; upon which there was a total insurance of §27,- 

 454.54. 



The entire Owen collection of 85,000 specimens of 

 geology and mineralogy was destroyed. This collec- 

 tion contained many tj^jes of species described by 

 David Dale Owen and others. The geological col- 

 lection also contained many noted specimens from 

 Europe and America, among the more celebrated of 

 which were the large Wiirtemberg Ichthyosaurus, and 

 a Megalonyx from Henderson, Ky. The latter has 

 fortunately been described and figured by Professor 

 Cope for the forthcoming report of the Indiana geo- 

 logical survey. A fine set of Ward's casts was also 

 destroyed, but can readily be replaced. 



Professor Van Nuys' chemical laboratory, contain- 

 ing a number of fine imported pieces of chemical 

 apparatus; Professor Wylie's jihysical laboratory, 

 including a number of the owner's ingenious mech- 

 anisms, and the entire ichthyological collections of 

 Professoi'S Jordan and Gilbert, — representing years 

 of patient work, and probably the finest private col- 

 lection of fishes in the United States, — were also 

 destroyed, together with valuable collections belong- 

 ing to the U. S. national museum, Yale college, 

 Cornell university, and other institutions. 



The Brookville society of natm'al history, of Brook- 

 ville, Ind., has been the first to offer aid to the insti- 

 tution: they have placed their entire collection of 

 duplicates at the service of the trustees, from which 

 several thousand specimens will be received as soon 

 as arrangements can be made to accommodate them. 

 It is understood that the trustees will jiroceed at once 

 to replace the building which was destroyed; and 

 they should erect a substantial fire-proof building in 

 which to keep what valuable material they may here- 

 after acquire. 



— The circular of the local committee of the Ameri- 

 can association announces reduced rates on very 

 many railways and at the hotels of Minneapolis. 

 The latter, however, are crowded at this season ; and 

 members are recommended to resort to the subur- 

 ban hotels on Lake Minnetonka and Lake Calhoun, 

 about twelve miles from the city, to and from many 

 of which the railways will carry members free, the 

 time being about half an hour. Many members will 

 be entertained by the citizens of Minneapolis; and 

 a sub-committee will endeavor to find entertainment 

 for all who will notify its chairman, Hon. A. C. 

 Eand, early, of their intention to be present. 



The usual favors will be granted by the telegraph 

 companies. Badges, a daily lunch, and low-priced 

 carriages will be furnished, together with a descrip- 

 tive and illustrated guide to the city of Minneapolis, 

 now in preparation. Express packages containing 

 apparatus, specimens, maps, books, drawings, or 

 other articles designed for use in the meetings, will 

 be forwarded by the American express company, and 

 delivered free of charge at the University of Minne- 

 sota. Such parcels should be addressed in care of 

 Prof. J. A. Dodge, to whom, also, all correspondence 

 relating to the same should be sent. After Aug. 12, 



