422 SCIENCE. 
Yerkes Observatory, has elected officers as 
follows : 
President, Simon Newcomb ; Vice-Presidents, C. 
A. Young, George E. Hale; Treasurer, C. L. Doo- 
little ; Councillors for two years, E. C. Pickering, 
J. E. Keeler; Councillors for one year, E. W. Mor- 
ley, Ormond Stone ; Secretary for three years, George 
C. Comstock. 
We hope to publish in an early issue a full 
report of the meeting at the Yerkes Observa- 
tory together with abstracts of the papers pre- 
sented. 
Ir is expected that the New York Zoological 
Park will be formally opened to the public dur- 
ing the second week in October. Only a few 
of the buildings will be completed, but there is 
already a fairly representative collection of 
animals in the Park. 
THE United States Fish Commission steamer 
Albatross sailed from San Francisco on August 
23d, with a scientific party under Professor 
Agassiz bound for the South Pacific. The ob- 
jects, itinerary, and personnel of the expedi- 
tion were noticed in the issue of SCIENCE for 
June 9. The voyage will occupy eight or 
hine months, and is expected to yield much val- 
uable information pertaining to the fauna of the 
little-known regions that will be visited. 
DurRING the present season the U. S. Fish 
Commission has had a number of field parties, 
in various States, engaged in ichthyological and 
other investigations. A camping party under 
the direction of Dr. Charles H. Gilbert has sys- 
tematically examined the coastal streams of 
Oregon, with reference to their fish fauna; the 
eastern tributaries of the Sacramento have been 
visited by Mr. Cloudsley Rutter ; a comprehen- 
sive study of the biological and physical features 
of the Wabash basin has been begun under the 
direction of Professor B. W. Evermann, who is 
assisted by Dr. J. T. Scovell, Dr. C. H. Higen- 
mann and others ; a party in charge Mr. W. P. 
Hay has explored the Monongahela basin in 
West Virginia; Dr. P. H. Kirsch has been col- 
lecting and studying the fishes of the San Pedro 
River, Arizona; in connection with the biolog- 
ical survey of Lake Erie, Professor Jacob Reig- 
hard and assistants have cruised along the 
northern and southern shores of the lake in a 
[N.S. Vou. X. No. 247. 
special steamer; Dr. H. M. Smith has visited 
Seneca Lake, N. Y., for the purpose of deter- 
mining the character of its fish fauna ; a study 
of the variations of the mackerel of the east 
coast has been conducted by Mr. M. C. Marsh, 
and in the interesting Sebago and Cobbossee- 
contee lake regions of Maine, Dr. W. C. Ken- 
dall has made some special investigations re- 
garding salmon and other fishes. 
WE regret to learn that Professor E. W. Hil- 
gard, of the University of California, and Direc- 
tor of the California Agricultural Experiment 
Station, has been seriously ill during the sum- 
mer. It is feared that he will not be able to 
resume his duties at the beginning of the aca- 
demic year. 
Mr. W. TT. SwINGLE, agricultural explorer 
for the Department of Agriculture, has re- 
turned from an extended trip to the Mediter- 
ranean countries, undertaken for the Depart- 
ment, with the view of finding new agricultural 
industries capable of being introduced into the 
United States. He made a special study of 
viticulture and of the date and fig industries, 
and for some months will be at Washington, 
engaged in preparing for publication the results 
of his trip. 
PROFESSOR G. 8. FULLERTON, who holds the 
chair of philosophy at the University of Penn- 
sylvania, bas returned to Philadelphia after a 
year’s absence in Europe. 
Proressor C. H. Hirrcwcock, of Dartmouth 
College, will resume his work this month after 
a year’s leave of absence spent in Australia 
and Hawaii where he has been carrying on 
geological work. 
Dr. THURSTON, of Cornell University, has 
been requested to serve on a number of the Con- 
gresses, to be held in connection with the Paris 
Exposition, including those for mining, metal- 
lurgy, testing materials of construction and 
applied mechanics. He has been appointed a 
member of the Comité de patronage, and has 
been invited to prepare the reports on ‘ Me- 
chanical Laboratories,’ as rapporteur or editor 
and the introductory paper. He particularly 
desires full accounts of all laboratories of that 
character in the United States. Men ofscience, 
interested in the subject, either through their 
