OcTOBER 6, 1899. ] 
WE learn from the Botanical Gazette that Dr. 
Henry C. Cowles of the University of Chicago- 
has spent several weeks with a party of ad- 
vanced students at Marquette, Mich., prosecu- 
ting ecological studies on the adjacent flora. 
THE executors of the late Professor O. C. 
Marsh, of Yale University, will sell for the bene- 
fit of the University his valuable collection of 
orchids, objects of art, antiques, etc. The sale 
will take place -during the present month but 
the exact date is not yet fixed. 
THE first meeting of the International Con- 
gress of Juife Assurance will be held in Brussels 
from September 25th to the 28th. 
THE American Institute of Mining Engineers 
held last week its annual meeting in San Fran- 
cisco. At the adjournment a two weeks’ visit 
through the mining regions of the State was 
begun. 
THE tenth annual general meeting of the 
British Institution of Mining Engineers met at 
University College, Sheffield, on September 
19th, with Mr. C. H. Peak, of Walsall, presid- 
ing. It was reported that the number of mem- 
bers is now 2,075, a slight decrease compared 
with last year. 
AT the annual meeting of the American Oto- 
logical Society, Dr. Blake presented a resolution 
asking for cooperation with the National Asso- 
ciation of Teachers of the Deaf and Dumb, to 
secure systematic examination of the pupils in 
deaf-mute schools throughout the United States, 
explaining the necessity of thorough and quali- 
fied investigation in order to select those pupils 
who could be most benefited by special teach- 
ing, or who perhaps by some treatment could be 
made better able to accept teaching. 
THE Chambers of Commerce that met re- 
cently at Belfast, Ireland, urged upon the Brit- 
ish Government the necessity of making {the 
metric system compulsory. It was pointed out 
from consular reports, that much loss of trade 
has resulted in South America and elsewhere 
from Great Britain’s adherence to the anti- 
quated system. 
Mr. H. M. WHELPLEY, of St. Louis, has 
been collecting statistics in regard to the use of 
the metric system in physicians’ prescriptions. 
SCIENCE. 
503 
It appears that of 1,008,500 prescriptions that 
have been examined, 6 per cent. were in the 
metric system. Reports were received from 
apothecaries in forty-two States and Territories. 
The Pharmaceutical Era from which we take this 
information earnestly advocates the metric sys- 
tem in medical prescriptions. Itstates that the 
system is taught in all pharmaceutical colleges 
but only in very few medical colleges. 
THE city of Ithaca, N. Y., at the meeting 
of its Common Council, September 20th, fol- 
lowed the example of some of the largest cities 
of the State, including Buffalo, Rochester, Utica 
and Binghamton, and adopted voting machines. 
The contract guarantees their reliability and 
accuracy, is accompanied by a bond, not only 
for fulfillment of the contract in other respects, 
but also in the matter of possible patent litiga- 
tion, makes the compensation payable out of 
the savings effected by use of the machines 
costing the city, in fact, nothing ; while, in the 
end, not only providing what is claimed to be 
absolute insurance that no man shall lose his 
vote by defective or spoiled bailot, but also 
yearly profit by the change which, if capitalized 
at the city’s rate of credit, 4 per cent., would 
amount to about one-half the city budget as 
fixed by its charter. f 
ADVICE has been received at Liverpool from 
the Malarial Investigation Expedition in West 
Africa, that the members of the Liverpool Com- 
mission, with the assistance of the colonial 
medical staff and others, have now started the 
operation of hunting for the anopholes (malarial 
mosquito) grub in water. This is a tedious but 
most important task, and necessitates a very 
careful inspection of all the ground in Freetown. 
So far these grubs have only been found ina 
shallow puddle and two tubs of stagnant water, 
but it is hoped that the minute inspection of the 
ground that is now being conducted will have 
satisfactory results. Dr, van Neck, the official 
delegate of the Belgian Government, who started 
from Antwerp after the English members had 
sailed, has now joined the expedition. In view 
of the importance of completing the expedition’s 
researches, instructions have been cabled to 
Major Ross to use his own discretion as regards 
the date of his return. It is hoped that this 
