Maech 20, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



435 



tljere was a uniform climate over the whole sur- 

 face of the globe and an almost universal fauna 

 and flora. The coral reefs that flourished with- 

 in the Arctic Circle in the Palaeozoic period were 

 formed when the water in the polar regions had 

 probably a temperature approaching 70 deg. 

 Fahr., and when cooling set in those animals 

 with pelagic larvte and those which secreted 

 carbonate of lime would either succumb or be 

 forced to retire to warmer waters, those having a 

 direct development surviving. Cold water de- 

 scending from the poles into the deep sea would 

 carry oxygen with it and render the deep re- 

 gions habitable, thus initiating migrations from 

 the mud line. The elimination of the same ele- 

 ments, in the manner indicated, from the two 

 polar faunas would account for their resem- 

 blance and even identity, as well as for the 

 similarity of the polar and deep-sea faunas and 

 the absence of truly ancient types in the deep 

 sea. 



GBNEBAL. 



It is expected that there will be present an 

 unusual number of foreign guests at the Liver- 

 pool meeting of the British Association (Sept. 

 16-23). A special scientific excursion to the 

 Isle of Man has been provided. The geology of 

 this island is varied and interesting, especially 

 as regards igneous and glacial formations, and 

 fossil-bearing carboniferous limestones ; the 

 Prehistoric, Scandinavian and other early re- 

 mains are celebrated, the marine fauna and 

 flora are abundant, and the presence of the 

 Liverpool Marine Biological Station at Port 

 Erin will be a special attraction to all natural- 

 ists. Prof. W. A. Herdman, of University 

 College, Liverpool, is chairman of the local 

 committee. 



The Polarizing Photochronograph devised 

 by Lieut. G. O. Squier, U. S. A., and Mr. 

 Albert C. Crehore, has been recognized by the 

 Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, which has 

 given them the John Scott endowment medal 

 for 1895. 



The life of Prof. A. W. von Hofiman, founder 

 and long president of the German Chemical 

 Society, will be written by a committee of the 

 Society, composed of his successor. Prof. E. 

 Fischer, Dr. Martins and Prof. F. Tremann. 



The scholarships for some time maintained 

 at the Naples Zoological Station by the Univer- 

 sities of Oxford and Cambridge are to be con- 

 tinued. 



P:^OF. Simon Newcomb has been elected a 

 member of the Royal Academy of the Lincei at 

 Rome, and also made an ofiicer of the French 

 Legion of Honor. 



Peof. H. a. Rowland, of Johns Hopkins 

 University, has been made an officer of the 

 French Legion of Honor, foreign correspondent 

 of the French Academy of Sciences, and for- 

 eign member of tlie Italian Society of Spectro- 

 scropists. 



All teachers of natural science are invited 

 to join in a movement to raise the requirements 

 in science for admission to college, by attend- 

 ing the next meeting of the National Educa- 

 tional Association at Buffalo, July 3-11, 1896. 

 At the Denver meeting, 1895, a Department 

 of Natural Science Teaching was organized, as 

 a regular part of the National Educational As- 

 sociation, with the following officers: Prof. C. 

 E. Bessey (Lincoln, Neb.), President: Prof. 

 Wilbur S. Jackman (Cook County Normal 

 School), Vice-President ; Prof. Chas. S. Palmer 

 (Boulder, Colo.), Secretary. The Western States 

 have taken the lead, but it is hoped that all 

 college and high-school teachers of science will 

 unite in the movement. A good program, in- 

 cluding special papers on the various topics in 

 physics, chemistry and biology, is now being 

 arranged and will soon be published. 



Peof. M. I. Pupin, of Columbia University, 

 will lecture in the New York Academy of Sci- 

 ences on March 23d, on ' Rontgen's Discovery.' 

 The lecture will be illustrated by experiments 

 and lantern views. 



Macmillan & Co. have issued cards of the 

 standard library size giving the publications of 

 the Columbia University press. In addition to 

 the ordinary bibliographical details each card 

 contains a synopsis of the contents of the 

 volume. The cards need to have only the 

 library reference number added and can then 

 be placed without further copying in the card 

 catalogue. 



A BEONZE memorial tablet in memory of the 

 late Prof. George Huntingdon Williams, who 



