SEPTEMBER 1, 1899. ] 
Messrs. Munn & Co., publishers of the Scientific 
American. 
As is stated elsewhere in this number, Mr. 
Emerson McMillin, of New York, has gener- 
ously given $1,000 to the research fund of the 
American Association. This is especially wel- 
come, as it is now many years since Mrs. 
Esther Herrman, the only surviving patron, 
made a similar gift. Mr. McMillin originally 
sent President Orton $500 to be used by the local 
committee if needed, and if not to be turned 
over to the Association. Though in view of 
their liberal arrangements and entertainments, 
the expenses of the local committee must have 
been large, they preferred to pass on the fund 
to the Association. When Mr. McMillin, who 
as a member of the Association was present at 
Columbus, learned that an increase in the re- 
search fund was greatly needed he doubled his 
original gift. 
THE British and French Associations for the 
Advancement of Science will not only inter- 
change visits at the approaching Dover and 
Boulogne meetings, but there has also been ar- 
ranged a five days’ excursion of members of the 
British Association through France. 
THE British Parliament has sanctioned a 
grant of £12,000 for a National Physical Labora- 
tory, with an annual appropriation of £4,000, 
and Mr. R. T. Glazebrook, now Principal of 
University College, Liverpool, has been ap- 
pointed director. The establishment of the 
laboratery is due to action on the part of the 
British Association. 
WE understand that the Boston Public Li- 
brary will undertake the publication of a card 
catalogue of physiology, the cards to contain 
not only the ordinary bibliographical informa- 
tion, but also brief abstracts of the papers. The 
plan originated in the physiological department 
of the Harvard Medical School, and Professor 
W. T. Porter will be responsible for securing or 
preparing the abstracts. 
A NEW regulation on Russian weights and 
measures was published on August 18th. The 
current standards are defined in terms of the 
metric system. The metric system is to be op- 
tional, and may be used on a par with the Rus- 
sian in commerce, in dealing with contracts, ac- 
SCIENCE. 301 
counts, etc., and after mutual agreement by 
State and municipal authorities. Private per- 
sons are, however, to be under no compulsion 
to use the metric system when dealing with 
the above-named authorities. 
AN International Congress of Physies will be 
held in connection with the Paris Exposition 
from the 6th to the 12th of August, 1900. No 
International Congress of General Physics has 
yet been held, the present Congress being due 
to the initiative of the French Society of Phy- 
sics. The Committee of Organization, of which 
M. Cornu is President, suggests the following 
program: (1) reports and discussions on a 
limited number of subjects arranged in advance, 
such as ‘The definition of units,’ ‘The bibli- 
ography of physics’ and ‘ National laboratories’; 
(2) visits to the Exposition, laboratories and 
workshops, and (3) conferences on recent ad- 
vances. The secretaries of the committee on 
organization will be glad to receive suggestions 
in regard to the work of the Congress and will 
send future programs to those interested. 
The Secretaries are Ch. Ed. Guillaume, au Pa- 
vilon de Breteuil, Sevres (Seine-et-Oise) and 
Lucien Poincaré, 105 bis, boulevard Raspail, 
Paris. 
Ir is expected that the new lecture hall of 
the American Musuem of Natural History, 
witha seating capacity of 1,700, will be 
ready about November Ist. The exterior of 
the new east and west wings is also practically 
completed, but progress on the interior is 
stopped by complications in city politics through 
which the payment of appropriations is delayed. 
AMBASSADOR WHITE, now at Berlin, General 
A. W. Greely, Chief of the Signal Service, and 
Professor Willis L. Moore, Chief of the Weather 
Bureau, have been appointed delegates from 
the United States to the International Geo- 
graphical Congress, meeting in Berlin from 
September 28th to October 4th. 
THE council of the Royal Botanic Society 
have appointed Mr. James Louis North Curator 
of the Society’s Museum at Regent’s Park. 
SIGNoR MARCONI, it is said in the daily 
papers, will visit the United States next month 
with a view to introducing his methods of wire- 
less telegraphy. 
