676 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 382. 



ington, assumed the directorship of the 

 biological laboratories of the H. K. Mulford 

 Company at Glenolden, Pa. 



It is planned to found at Edinburgh Univer- 

 sity a laboratory in memory of the late Pro- 

 fessor Tait. A subscription of £1,000 has been 

 received. 



Professor PIans Bijchner, the eminent bac- 

 teriologist, died at Munich on April 5, in the 

 fifty-second year of his age. 



The foUovping amendments to the Sun- 

 dry Civil Appropriation Bill have been pro- 

 posed in the Senate : An amendment proposing 

 to appropriate $5,000 for the preparation of 

 preliminary plans for an additional fireproof 

 building to cost not exceeding $2,500,000 for 

 the United States National Museum; an 

 amendment proposing to increase the appro- 

 priation for the expenses of the system of 

 international exchanges between the United 

 States and foreign countries, under the direc- 

 tion of the Smithsonian Institution, from $24,- 

 000 to $29,800; an amendment proposing to 

 increase the appropriation for continuing the 

 preservation, exhibition, and increase of the 

 collections in the National Museum from the 

 surveying and exploring expeditions of the 

 Government from $180,000 to $200,000; an 

 amendment proposing to increase the appropri- 

 ation for the National Zoological Park at 

 Washington, D. C, from $80,000 to $110,000, 

 and providing that $20,000 of this amount 

 shall be expended in the construction of a 

 boundary fence, including entrance gates; an 

 amendment proposing to appropriate $20,000 

 for the construction of an elephant house at 

 the National Zoological Park, Washington, D. 

 C. ; and an amendment proposing to ap- 

 propriate $25,000 for the construction of an 

 aquarium building at the National Zoological 

 Park, Washington, D. C. 



The U. S. Civil Service Commission an- 

 nounces an examination on May 15, for the 

 positions of botanist in charge of grain in- 

 vestigations and of assistant curator in the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. The salary of 

 each position is $1,800. An examination will 

 also be held on May 6 and 7 for the position 

 of field assistant in forestry in the Bureau of 

 Forestry at a salary of $1,000. 



The executive committee of the Carnegie 

 Institution held a meeting at Washington on 

 April 15. 



Professor W. R. Brooics, director of the 

 Smith Observatory at Geneva, S. Y., an- 

 nounces the discovery of a comet in the 

 constellation Pegasus. The comet has been 

 observed at the Lick and Kiel Observatories. 



Professor von Leyde.x claimed before the 

 German research committee on cancer, at 

 Berlin, on March 21, the discovery of the 

 microorganism of cancer. He concluded by 

 the assertion that 'cancer is an infectious 

 disease, dependent on parasitic organisms 

 (protozoa) identical with those discovered by 

 him and exhibited to the meeting.' 



This board of estimate of New York City has 

 authorized the issue of bonds for public im- 

 prove-nents giving $250,000 to the Zoological 

 Park and $150,000 to the Botanical Garden. 



Mr. Andrew Carnegie has made the Public 

 Library Board of Cincinnati an offer of $18Q,- 

 000 with which to erect six new branch library 

 buildings in different parts of the city. He 

 stipulates that the Board shall supply $18,000 

 a year for the maintenance of the proposed 

 branches. 



Dr. V. GuAiTA has given 15,000 Marks to 

 the University at Freiburg for a fund to aid 

 in supporting scientific exxjeditions. 



As we learn from the British Medical 

 Journal, the Prussian Government has voted 

 26,000 Marks for lecture courses in hygiene, 

 forensic medicine, .and psychiatrics which are 

 to be held in Berlin for the benefit of the dis- 

 trict health officers. Professor Koch and his 

 assistants will take charge of the hygiene 

 course (chief stress to be laid on the prevention 

 of epidemics) ; Professors Jolly and Moeli will 

 undertake psychiatrics, the former in his 

 department at the Charite, the latter in the 

 Herzberge Asylum. The courses are to be 

 gratis, and the hearers will receive a &xed sum. 

 for traveling and lodging expenses. If these 

 courses should prove as successful and useful 

 as is hoped, they are to be repeated, and may 

 grow into a permanent institution. 



As announced last year, the association for 

 maintaining the American women's table at 



