JULY 21, 1899. 
lar instruction—and if it is to be efficient its 
collections must be arranged with reference to 
the special function regarded as its primary end. 
It is absurd to set before the ordinary visitor a 
long series of specimens only differing in the 
most minute details, while it is equally absurd 
to ask a student engaged in writing a mono- 
graph on some obscure morphological point to 
be satisfied with a selection of typical forms 
such as the former would find infinitely more in- 
structive. These views he had an opportunity 
of putting into practice during the time he was 
head of the Natural History Museum at South 
Kensington. The numerous alterations he there 
carried out in the arrangement and nomencla- 
ture of the specimens were attended with ex- 
cellent results, and the adoption of improved 
principles of classification, together with the 
relegation to store-rooms of objects which, 
though of value for purposes of study, were 
superfluous in exhibition cases, had the effect 
of greatly increasing the interest of the museum 
as well as enhancing its educational usefulness. 
During the time he was in charge of the 
Hunterian Museum Sir William did a great deal 
to supply the deficiency which existed in this 
country of materials for studying the physical 
characteristics of the different races of men, 
and under his care the collections of the College 
of Surgeons increased enormously, both in ex- 
tent and usefulness. For instance, in 1884 they 
contained 89 more or less complete skeletons 
and 1,380 crania (not including the Davis ecol- 
lection purchased in 1880), whereas 20 years 
before they had only 18 skeletons and 242 
skulls. To him must be ascribed much of the 
credit of the increased opportunities thus af- 
forded for the study of the osteological varia- 
tions of man, for it was largely owing to his 
alertness and watchfulness that the College 
seized every opportunity of acquiring speci- 
mens, thus in many cases saving them from the 
destruction and neglect which too often is the 
fate of small private collections. It need 
scarcely be added that the objects were arranged 
and looked after in the most approved manner, 
an instance of the time and labor he spent on 
them being afforded by the osteological cata- 
logue he published with carefully verified meas- 
urements of no less than 1,300 human skulls. 
SCIENCE. ol 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 
Atv its recent decennial celebration Clark 
University conferred the degree of LL.D. on 
the foreign lecturers, Professors Boltzmann, . 
Picard, Mosso, Ramon y Cajal and Forel. 
THE Albert Medal of the Society of Arts has 
been awarded to Sir William Crookes, F.R.8., 
“for his extensive and laborious researches in 
chemistry and in physics, researches which 
have, in many instances, developed into useful 
and practical applications in the arts and manu- 
factures.’’ 
PROFESSOR KARL VON ZITTEL has been elected 
President of the Munich Academy of Sciences 
in succession to Professor von Pettenkofer. 
Srr GEORGE STOKEs has been elected a foreign 
member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. 
WE learn from Nature that a civil list pension 
of 60/. per annum has been granted to Mrs. Kan- 
thack ‘‘in consideration of the eminent services 
rendered to science by her late husband, Dr. 
A. A. Kanthack, professor of pathology in 
Cambridge University.”’ 
Tue French Minister of the Interior has sent 
Dr. Vignes to Great Britain to report upon the 
ophthalmological methods of that country. 
GLasGow University has conferred the degree 
of LL.D. on Mr. R. L. Jack, Government 
Geologist of Queensland. 
THE Adams Prize of the University of Cam- 
bridge has been awarded to Dr. J. Larmor and 
Mr. G. T. Walker. 
Dr. F. KLEIN, professor of mathematics at 
Gottingen, and Dr. W. Nernst, professor of 
chemistry at the same university, have been 
elected foreign members of the Academy of 
Sciences at Buda-Pesth. 
Mr. D. L. WILDER has been appointed As- 
sistant on the Iowa Geological Survey. 
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JOHN F. D. DONNELLY, 
K.C.B., retired on July 3d from the secretary- 
ship of the British Science and Art Department, 
after 40 years in the public service. In conse- 
quence of Sir J. Donnelly’s retirement, the 
Duke of Devonshire, Lord President of the 
Council, has made the following appointments : 
Sir George W. Kekewich, K.C.B., the present 
Secretary of the Education Department, to be 
