422 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 614. 



tion by functions with a given number of param- 

 eters.' 



J. I. Hutchinson : ' On loci the coordinates of 

 whose points are abelian functions of three param- 

 eters.' 



L. P. EiSENHAKT : ' Applicable surfaces with 

 asymptotic lines of one surface corresponding to 

 a conjugate system of another.' 



H. B. Leonard : ' On the factoring of composite 

 hypercomplex number systems.' 



Frank Morlet : ' Eeflexive geometry.' 



G. A. Miller : ' Generalization of the groups of 

 genus zero.' 



E. B. Wilson : ' On divergence and curl.' 



E. B. Wilson: 'Oblique reflections and uni- 

 modular strains.' 



E. B. Wilson: 'Double prodvicts and strains 

 in n dimensisns.' 



F. R. MoULTON : ' A class of three dimensional 

 periodic orbits in the problem of three bodies, 

 with applications to the lunar theory.' 



OSKAB BOLZA: ' Weierstrass's theorem and 

 Kneser's theorem on transversals for the most 

 general case of an extremum of a simple definite 

 integral.' 



The next meeting of the society will be 

 held at Columbia University on Saturday, 

 October 27. The San Francisco Section 

 met at the University of California on 

 Saturday, September 29. 



F. N. Cole, 

 Secretary. 



THE EDINBURGH MUSEUM. 



The Edinburgh museum challenges at- 

 tention. It is significantly useful, and 

 seems to attempt to make its collections sup- 

 plementary to class-room study; nor is 

 there any hesitancy shown in displaying 

 specimens to the limits of its capacity, as 

 long as they contribute in the slightest de- 

 gree to the need of the student. Its 

 methods of installation are not expensive 

 or elaborate, but they show painstaking 

 care, considerable ingenuity and promise 

 to be made progressively better and more 

 complete. 



There can be no question as to the rich- 

 ness of its possessions in geology and lithol- 



ogy and Scottish mineralogy, nor is there 

 reason to look askance upon their splendid 

 biological demonstrations. The writer en- 

 joyed the opportunity of only one or two 

 visits to its crowded halls, and then con- 

 fined his attention to the departments of 

 natural history, which are in it associated 

 with very satisfactory, in some instances 

 most valuable, collections, illustrating ma- 

 chinery, fictile art, ceramics, design, ethnol- 

 ogy, sculpture, architecture, industries, 

 chemistry, navigation, archeology and 

 house furnishings. 



There are evidences in many places of 

 unfinished plans, of reorganization and ex- 

 periment, but the museum indubitably 

 claims the attention, and admiration, in 

 some ways, of every museum promoter and 

 officer, and its own relations to the inquisi- 

 tive Scotch public are wholesome and help- 

 ful. 



Criticism in some particulars might nat- 

 urally be provoked as where in one hall or 

 room, mammals, birds, insects, crustaceans, 

 fish, shells, echinoids and hydrozoans are 

 grouped together, and in another inverte- 

 brate fossils and birds, while in a third 

 there are discovered birds, invertebrate fos- 

 sils and corals. This peculiar juxtaposi- 

 tion is doubtless referable to want of space, 

 capacious as the museum is, and not in all 

 instances to the aims of comparative study. 



The museum is on Chamber Street be- 

 tween South and George Bridge Streets, 

 beyond St, Giles cathedral, not far from 

 the university, and opposite the Watt Col- 

 lege. It consists of a long (250 feet) 

 three-storied skylighted oblong section 

 with terminal buildings disposed at right 

 angles to the axis of the main structure, 

 and similarly arranged in three stories 

 with skylights, except that their anterior 

 portions are also illuminated by the intro- 

 duction of wall windows. Back of the 

 main series of halls or galleries, as they 

 might be called, are three large rectangular 



