April 18, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



639 



Boston. Among other members of the faculty 

 of the school are Professor G. H. Barton of 

 the Institute, Mr. J. G. Jack of the Arnold 

 Arboretum, Mr. A. H. Kirkland and Mr. Wm. 

 Lyman Underwood. 



The department of physics of Indiana Uni- 

 versity held a conversazione on three evenings 

 during the recent meeting of the Southern 

 Indiana Teachers' Association. Each demon- 

 stration required ten minutes. The following 

 subjects were given: 'An improved interrupter 

 with an automatic circuit maker,' used to 

 operate X-ray tubes of highest power; 'Mo- 

 tion,' the bicycle wheel gyroscope, compound 

 pendulum, etc.; the 'Nernst lamp' (the ex- 

 hibit was loaned by the Nernst Lamp Co. of 

 Pittsburg); the 'Cooper-Hewitt Vapor Lamp,' 

 given by the consent of the inventor; the 

 •Speaking arc'; and 'Wireless telegraphy.' 

 The department was especially successful in 

 demonstrating the Hewitt lamp, considering 

 how difficult it is to obtain the proper vacuum 

 conditions. 



The Peary Arctic Club, having found the 

 steam barque Windward unserviceable for fur- 

 ther work in the north, has decided to install 

 new engines and boilers. The work will be 

 completed by June 20 and departure will be 

 taken immediately for the north, about a 

 month earlier than usual in order that advan- 

 tage may be taken of the conditions in Smith 

 Sound, which experience has shown are likely 

 to be more favorable early in the season. The 

 Windward expects to effect a junction with 

 Peary, either at Etah, on the eastern side, or 

 at Cape Sabine, his headquarters of last year 

 on the westward side of Smith Sound, his 

 journey to the pole and return having by the 

 time of its arrival been accomplished. 



Nature states that in connection with the 

 survey of British lakes provided for by the 

 Pullar Trust, Sir John Murray has rented 

 Rannoch Lodge, standing at the west end of 

 Loch Rannoch, from now until the commence- 

 ment of the shooting season. In the first week 

 of April the following gentlemen will join him 

 and will be associated with him in the work, 

 viz.: Mr. R. M. Clark, Aberdeen; Mr. T. K 

 Johnston, Edinburgh; Mr. James Parsons, 



London, and Mr. James Chumley, Edinburgh. 

 Other appointments will be made later in the 

 season. Sir Robert Menzies, who has taken a 

 great interest in these investigations, and has 

 placed boats, etc., at Sir John Murray's dis- 

 posal for carrying on the work, has said that 

 all Highland proprietors should render any 

 assistance in their power to the survey by 

 offering the use of boats. It is intended to 

 include within the scope of the survey, in 

 addition to the systematic physical and 

 biological investigations, observations regard- 

 ing the oscillations in the level of the water 

 (phenomena called 'seiches' by Professor 

 Forel) by means of self -registering 'limno- 

 graphs,' which will be set up on the shores of 

 the larger lakes. The first limnograph is now 

 in process of construction in Geneva under the 

 personal supervision of Professor Ed. Sarasin, 

 of Geneva. It will be remembered that Mr. 

 Laurence Pullar, of Bridge of Allan, has set 

 aside funds to aid in carrying out this survey, 

 as a memorial to his son, the late Mr. Fred. 

 P. Pullar, who was engaged (in collaboration 

 with Sir John Murray) in a systematic sur- 

 vey of the Scottish lakes at the time of his 

 accidental death in February of last year. 



We learn from the London Times that Mr. 

 Consul ISTeville Rolfe in his last report from 

 Naples states that the subject of mosquitoes 

 and malaria is still attracting considerable 

 attention in Italy, more especially in the 

 Naples district, where a large area is subject 

 to malaria. Next to Sardinia, the province 

 of Basilicata is the largest malarious tract in 

 Italy, and therefore, the most interested in the 

 extermination of the disease. The most fatal 

 season occurs in August and September, but 

 the further south the longer does the danger- 

 ous season continue, so that in Basilicata 

 security can rarely be enjoyed or reckoned 

 upon until October is past. Mosquitoes are not 

 transported by wind, as has been often sup- 

 posed, but they move from place to place on 

 or about men or animals, and on any baggage 

 which attracts them. This explains isolated 

 cases and epidemics which have occurred in 

 places distant alike from marshes and stagnant 

 water. Some interesting cases of fever, owing 

 to this cause, occurred at the station of 



