1038 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 391. 



wanted to obtain a thorough technical training, 

 to come to America. To change the present 

 condition of affairs in England is the object of 

 our present visit." 



At a meeting of the Zoological Society of 

 London on June 3 Mr. William Sclater made 

 some remarks on the present condition and 

 future prospects of the zoological museums of 

 South Africa, altogether eight in number, 

 most of which he had recently visited. 



The city of "Waukesha, Wisconsin, as a re- 

 sult of a condition of a recent election, has 

 purchased the Cutler property in that city for 

 use as a library and park site to enclose and 

 preserve the three prehistoric mounds situated 

 thereon. The efforts of the Wisconsin Nat- 

 ural History Society were largely instru- 

 mental in bringing about this result. 



The Canadian Electrical Association held 

 its twelfth annual convention at Quebec on 

 June 11, 13 and 14. 



An International Navigation Congress will 

 be held at Diisseldorf from June 29 to July 5. 



The American Eoentgen Eay Society will 

 hold its next meeting in Chicago on Decem- 

 ber 10 and 11, under the presidency of Dr. 

 G. P. Girdwood, of Montreal. 



The program for the Section of Science at 

 the approaching meeting of the National Edu- 

 cational Association is : 



' President's Address ' : W. H. Norton, Pro- 

 fessor of Geology, Cornell College, Iowa. 



' Tlie Educational Value of Museums ' : Olivek 

 0. Parrington, Field Columbian Museum, Chi- 

 cago. 



'The Projection Microscope; its Possibilities 

 and Value in Teaching Biology ' : Professor A. 

 H. Cole, Lake High School, Chicago. 



' The international Geographical Congress to 

 be held in Washington under the Auspices of 

 the National Geographic Society, 1904 ' : Gilbert 

 H. Grosvenor, Managing Editor National Geo- 

 graphic Magazine, Washington. 



' Laboratory Courses in Physics ' : Frank M. 

 Gilley, High School, Chelsea, Mass. 



' The Value of Physiography in the High 

 School ' : Professor J. A. Merrill, State Normal 

 School, West Superior, Wisconsin. 



' Federal Facilities for Education ' : Dr. W J 



McGee, Ethnologist in charge Bureau of Ameri- 

 can Ethnology, Washington. 



We amiounced last week a civil service ex- 

 amination to fill twelve vacancies in the posi- 

 tion of aid in the U. S. Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey. We have received a copy of a letter 

 by Mr. O. H. Tittmann, superintendent of the 

 Survey, containing the following further ex- 

 planation: The rank of aid is the lowest or 

 entering rank leading to the position of as- 

 sistant to the superintendent. The Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey is engaged in a great variety 

 of duties and its operations extend over a 

 vast range of territory. The aids, like the 

 assistants, are subject to assignment either as 

 chiefs of party or subordinate officers on par- 

 ties engaged in the determination of the mag- 

 netic elements, in secondary triangulation 

 and astronomical determinations for the con- 

 trol of topographic and hydrographic surveys, 

 in primary triangulation and the correspond- 

 ing astronomical determinations, in topo- 

 graphic surveying along the coast and in 

 hydrographic surveys in the bays or harbors 

 and in the open sea. The steamers and sail- 

 ing vessels belonging to the Survey are com- 

 manded by these members of the permanent 

 field force. During the intervals between field 

 seasons assistants and aids are subject to as- 

 signment to office duty in Washington, or in 

 one of the sub-offices at Seattle, San Fran- 

 cisco, Honolulu or Manila. Nearly all ad- 

 ministrative positions in the office at Wash- 

 ington, from that of chief of division to the 

 highest rank, are open to and are now filled 

 by assistants. The diities of the field officers 

 take them to all parts of the United States, 

 including Porto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and 

 the Philippines. The members of the perma- 

 nent field force have, therefore, a very wide 

 range of duties as surveyors engaged in the 

 highest grades of surveying, as navigators 

 and as scientists, and have a rare opportunity 

 .for extensive travel and acquaintance with 

 the world. The aid is subject to assign- 

 ment to any duty required of any other 

 officer of the permanent field force. In 

 general the exigencies of the service 

 place the aids so promptly in responsible posi- 

 tions that there is an abundant opportunity 



