942 
Dr. T. BE. THORPE has been appointed to suc- 
seed the late Sir Edward Frankland in the work 
of analyzing the water supplied by the London 
water companies. Dr. Thorpe is Principal of 
the Laboratory Department in-connection with 
the Inland Revenue Offices, and was formerly 
Professor of Chemistry of the Royal College of 
Science of South Kensington. 
FREDERIK MAURITZ VAN ‘DER WULP, the 
celebrated Dutch dipterologist, has died at the 
age of 80 years. 
THE death is announced of Frau Anna yon 
Helmholtz, the widow of the late Hermann von 
Helmholtz. 
A CABLEGRAM to the New York Herald from 
Lima, Peru, reports that Professor Miguel Fort, 
of the Lima School of Mines, lectured on De- 
cember 3d before a large audience on the dls- 
coveries made during his recent visit to Cerro 
de Pasco. He brought forward evidence of the 
existence in Cerro de Pasco of rich deposits of 
gold, silver and copper. 
DurinG the past summer the University Geo- 
logical Survey of Kansas made extended exam- 
inations in the lead and zine mining district in 
the vicinity of Galena, preparatory to issuing a 
full report on the subject. Professor Haworth 
and five assistants from the State University 
spent the entire summer in the field, and were 
successful in gathering a large amount of data, 
much of which will be entirely new to the min- 
ing world. 
Ir is announced that the plague has ap- 
peared at Lourenco Marques, the Port of Delagoa 
Bay. The spread of the disease among the 
armies in South Africa is thus rendered possible. 
The plague is now also reported from Algeria. 
The deaths in India still amount to about 5000 
a week. 
A museuM for children to illustrate the 
sciences has been opened in Bedford Park, by 
the Brooklyn Institute. It contains exhibits in 
botany, mineralogy, geology and zoology. 
Dr. G. A. DorseEy, curator of anthropology, 
Field Columbian Museum, accompanied by an 
assistant and the Rev. H. R. Voth, left Chicago 
December 6th for the Pueblo of Oraibi, Ari- 
zona. The aim of the expedition is to secure 
additional ethnological material, to witness the 
SCIENCE, 
4 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 260. 
approaching solstice ceremony in order to get 
suggestions for new groups, and also to start a 
systematic and somewhat extended excavation 
in order to strengthen the archeological exhibit 
from this interesting region. The expenses are 
covered by Mr. Stanley R. McCormick, of Chi- 
cago, who has placed $5000 at the disposal of 
the Museum in addition to the $10,000 already 
expended on the Hopis. The splendid exhibit 
filling three large hallg is drawing crowds of 
visitors and attracting wide attention. 
Mr. GEORGE BYRON GORDEN started for Cen- 
tral America, December 5th, onan archeological 
expedition under the auspices of the Peabody 
Museum of Harvard University. It is hoped 
that an arrangement may be made by which 
explorations can be renewed at the ruins of 
Copan, where the museum has done such im- 
portant work during previous years. 
ARCHMOLOGICAL explorations have been 
carried on, along the Sound and lower Hudson 
Valley during the past season, by Mr. M. Ray- 
mond Harrington, son of Professor Mark Har- 
rington. These have been for the American 
Museum of Natural History and have brought 
to light a number of Indian burials as well as 
specimens from the shell-heaps. 
CapTrain Desy has returned to London after 
two years spent in exploring in Central Asia 
more especially the unknown parts of the Yark- 
and River. 
THE Goldsmith’s Company has made a fur- 
ther grant of £1,000 to the Royal Institution of 
Great Britain, for the continuation and develop- 
ment of original research, and especially for the 
prosecution of further investigations of the 
properties of matter at temperatures approach- 
ing that of the absolute zero of temperature. 
LADY PRESTWICH, widow of Sir Joseph 
Prestwich, has bequeathed £500 for the public 
museum at Forres. 
A COMMERCIAL museum is planned for Berlin 
under government auspices. Branches may be 
established at Hamburg and Stuttgart. 
AN Industrial Museum is soon to be estab- 
lished in the City of Mexico under the auspices 
of the Government. The museum will occupy 
the old church edifice of Betlemitas, on San 
