FEBRUARY 1, 1901.] 
Lorp RALEIGH has been appointed chairman 
of a Board of Trade committee to consider the 
extent to which the working of the traffic on 
the Central London Railway produces vibration 
in the adjacent buildings, and what alterations 
in the conditions of such working or in struc- 
ture can be devised to remedy the same. 
PROFESSOR MANSFIELD MERRIMAN, head of 
the department of civil engineering, Lehigh 
University, has issued a circular letter to the 
County Commissioners throughout the State of 
Pennsylvania, offering on behalf of the Univer- 
sity, to make, without expense to the Commis- 
sioners, tests of hydraulic cement to be used on 
public works. In the report of the results of 
these tests no opinion will be expressed on the 
value of the cements. 
Av the annual meeting of the Washington 
Academy of Sciences, on January 17, 1901, the 
following officers were elected: 
Chas. D. Walcott, President. 
W. H. Holmes, Vice-President for the Anthropolog- 
ical Society. 
F. A. Lucas, Vice-President for the Biological So- 
ciety. 
V. K. Chestnut, Vice-President for the Chemical 
Society. 
John A. Kasson, Vice-President for the Columbia 
Historical Society. 
H. G. Dyar, Vice-President for the Entomological 
Society. 
A. G. Bell, Vice-President for the Geographic Society. 
G. K. Gilbert, Vice-President for the Geological 
Society. 
S. C. Busey, Vice-President for the Medical Society. 
J. Howard Gore, Vice-President for the Philosoph- 
ical Society. 
Frank Baker, Secretary. 
Bernard R. Green, Treasurer. 
Managers : Class 1902—L. O. Howard, J. W. Powells 
Carroll D. Wright. Class 1903—F. W. Clarke, C. 
Hart Merriam, Whitman Cross. Class 1904—Marcus 
Baker, Geo. M. Sternberg, G. M. Kober. 
THE Middleton Goldsmith Lecture for 1901, 
before the New York Pathological Society, will 
be delivered by Dr. Charles 8. Minot on March 
26th. The subject announced is ‘The Em- 
bryological Basis of Pathology.’ We learn 
that it is the lecturer’s intention to discuss the 
general laws governing both the 7 ormal and 
pathological differentiation of cells. 
SCIENCE. 
197 
THE Duke of the Abruzzi and Captain Cagni 
gave before the Italian Geographical Society, on 
January 14th, accounts of their recent Polar ex- 
pedition. The King and Queen of Italy and a 
distinguished audience were present. The free- 
dom of the City of Rome has been conferred 
on the Duke of the Abruzzi. 
PROFESSOR FRANCIS H. HERRICK, of Western 
Reserve University, delivered an illustrated 
lecture before the Sigma Xi Society of Yale 
University on January 19th, on ‘The Habits of 
Wild Birds.’ 
THE annual meeting of the Neurological So- 
ciety of London was held on January 24th, 
when the presidential address was delivered by 
Dr. W. J. Mickle on ‘ Mental Wandering.’ 
PROFESSOR SILVANUS P. THOMPSON gave a 
lecture on January 10th, at the Urania, in Ber- 
lin, on ‘Faraday and the English School of 
Hlectricians.’ 
THE Royal Geographical Society of Australasia 
has established a Thomson Foundation Medal 
in recognition of Mr. J. P. Thomson’s great 
services to the Society, of which he is regarded 
as the founder, and which he has served in 
many capacities. The gold medal is to be 
awarded annually for the best original contri- 
bution to geographical literature, preference 
being given to the geography of Australasia. 
THE annual meeting of the Geographical As- 
sociation was held in London on January 9th, 
when Mr. Douglas W. Freshman was elected 
president and Mr. A. J. Herbertson, vice-presi- 
dent. The membership of the Association is 
now 184, representing 84 schools and colleges. 
Plans are being considered for the publication 
of a geographical journal for teachers of geog- 
raphy. E 
THE annual meeting of the Board of Regents 
of the Smithsonian Institution was held on Jan- 
uary 23d. The following changes were an- 
nounced in the membership of the Board: Hon. 
Richard Olney, to succeed Dr. William Preston 
Johnston, and Judge Gray of Delaware, to fill 
the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. William 
L. Wilson. The vacancy in the executive 
committee, caused by the death of Dr. Wilson, 
was filled by the election of Representative 
