April 18, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



637 



from whence there is frequent communication 

 with eastern Australia. 



Lord and Lady Kelvin have accepted an 

 invitation to a reception at Columbia Univer- 

 sity on Monday evening, April 21. The recep- 

 tion is offered by the American Institute of 

 Electrical Engineers and other scientific so- 

 cieties concerned with subjects to which Lord 

 Kelvin has contributed, the committee of ar- 

 rangements beihg as follows : Dr. Francis B. 

 Crocker, Chairman, Past Pres. A. L E. E. ; 

 Mr. Calvin W. Rice, Secretary, Chairman 

 Com. on Meetings, A. I. E. E.; Dr. Eobert S. 

 "Woodward, Past Pres. A. A. A. S. and Am. 

 Math. Soc; Mr. Frederick P. Keppel, Sec. 

 Columbia University; Dr. Arthur G. Web- 

 ster, Viee-Pres. Am. Phys. Society; Professor 

 James McKeen Cattell, Pres. N. T. Academy 

 of Science; Mr. T. Commerford Martin, Past 

 Pres. A. I. E. E. The reception will continue 

 from 8 :30 to 11 p.m., with addresses at about 

 9 :30 p.m. by President Nicholas Murray, 

 Butler, Columbia University, and eminent 

 men of science representing the societies, to 

 which it is expected that Lord Kelvin will 

 reply. 



The Senate has confirmed the following 

 executive nominations: Omenzo G. Dodge, to 

 be a professor of mathematics in the Navy, 

 with ranlt of commander, from the 17th day of 

 December, 1899 ; Stimson J. Brown, to be a 

 professor of mathematics in the Navy with 

 the rank of captain, from the 25th day of 

 August, 1900; Henry M. Paul, to be a pro- 

 fessor of mathematics in the Navy with the 

 rank of commander, from the 25th day of 

 August, 1900 ; Edward K. Rawson, to be a pro- 

 fessor of mathematics in the Navy with the 

 ranlv of captain, from the 25th day of Novem- 

 ber, 1900 ; Aaron N. Skinner, to be a professor 

 of mathematics in the Navy with the rank of 

 commander, from the 25th day of November, 

 1900; Philip E. Alger, to be a professor of 

 mathematics in the Navy with the rank of com- 

 mander, from the 22d day of May, 1899. 



The Naples Academy has awarded its prize 

 for natural sciences for 1901 to Dr. Marussia 

 Bakunin, the authoress of papers dealing with 

 stereochemistry. 



Dr. a. H. Doty, health officer of the Port of 

 New York, has received from the directors of 

 the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo the 

 award of a gold medal for his exhibit on 

 sanitation. 



President Roosevelt has signed the bill 

 restoring Dr. Edward Kershner to his rank of 

 medical inspector in the navy. In accordance 

 with the provisions of this act, the President 

 has appointed Dr. Kershner to be medical 

 inspector in the navy on the retired list. 



Sir William Church has been elected for 

 the fourth time president of the Royal College 

 of Physicians, London. 



Dr. William Hunter, formerly assistant 

 bacteriologist at the London Ilospital, has been 

 appointed by the Colonial Oifice to be Govern- 

 ment bacteriologist at Hong Kong. 



The death is announced of Mr. Patrick T. 

 Manson, son of Dr. Patrick Manson, on 

 Christmas Island, whither he had gone to 

 investigate the cause and treatment of beri- 

 beri, on behalf of the London School of Tropic- 

 al Medicine. 



M. Emile Rendu, founder and director of 

 the Meteorological Observatory at St. Mauri, 

 died in Paris on April 7, aged eighty-seven. 

 He was the author of nximerous geographical, 

 geological and meteorological works, and made 

 an important scientific expedition to northern 

 Africa in 1840. 



Mr. George Fergusson Wilson, F.R.S., the 

 author of researches on chemistry, and also 

 known as a horticulturist, died on March 28, 

 aged eighty years. 



There have also died Dr. Richard Schu- 

 macher, astronomer at the Kiel Observatory, 

 at the age of seventy-six years ; Dr. Arnulf 

 Schurtel, professor of mining in the School of 

 Mining at Freiburg, aged sixty-one years, and 

 Dr. E. Miller, docent in physics in the Uni- 

 versity at Erlangen. 



The provision for the U. S. Geological Sur- 

 vey in the sundry civil service bill, as passed 

 by the House, is $960,570. The debate in the 

 House on the occasion of the passing of this 

 item is of much interest as showing how highly 

 the work of the survey is appreciated. The 



