August 29, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



359 



All the houses have been demolished and the 

 150 inhabitants killed. 



. The Berlin correspondent of the Times says 

 that the scientific commission sent by the 

 German Sea Fisheries League to ascertain the 

 value of deep sea fishing in the Baltic has not 

 yet published its report. It is known, how- 

 ever, that large fishing grounds were not found 

 and that trawl fishing as practiced in the 

 North Sea would not pay. 



" An industrial exhibition is being planned 

 for Johannesburg, South Africa. It will em- 

 brace mining and agricultural machinery, mo- 

 tive powers, tramways and various industries. 

 The arts and sciences will be included in the 

 scope of the exhibition. 



The Botanical Gazette states that the serial 

 publication known as 'Contributions to the 

 U. S. National Herbarium' was transferred 

 'from the Department of Agriculture to the 

 National Museum with a special appropria- 

 tion of $7,000. This provides for an editorial 

 assistant ■ and an artist, and will enable the 

 rauseuin to republish .certain numbers which 

 •are- out of print and in demand. 



From a letter dated Kechatno River, June 

 28, from Mr. A. H. Brooks, geologist in charge 

 of the Alaskan work of the Geological Survey, 

 the latest information is received regarding 

 •the progress of . exploration in that territory. 

 Mr. Brooks is at present leading an exploring 

 qaarty which started late in May from near 

 the head of Cook Inlet, on the southern coast, 

 to explore the unknown region of the western 

 Alaska Range and to reach Circle City, on the 

 Upper Yukon, before the arrival of cold 

 weather. The distance is about 600 miles, 100 

 of which had been traversed at the date of the 

 letter. The route taken from Cook Inlet was 

 northward, partly along the beach and partly 

 by Indian trail parallel to the shore of the in- 

 let. Beluga River, a formidable stream over 

 'which it was necessary to swim the horses by 

 means of boats, was successfully crossed. 

 Thence northwestward a well-forested foothill 

 -region with abundance of grass was traversed 

 •to the Sloventna River, which was crossed with 

 difficulty owing to its low temperature and 

 rapid current. A portion of the outfit was 



then sent by boat to the Kechatno River, while 

 the rest of the party went overland to meet it 

 through a region of extensive swamps where it 

 was necessary to cut the trail for almost 30 

 miles. From Kechatno River the route lies 

 across the Alaska Range, partly by the trail 

 used by Captain ITerron in 1899, thence to the 

 Tanana River and northeastward to Circle 

 City. If the season is found to be too far 

 advanced on reaching the Tanana, the river 

 will be descended to the Yukon, and passage 

 will be taken on one of the boats going down 

 the latter river. In spite of the difficulties of 

 travel experienced to this point, the party is 

 reported to be in excellent health and spirits. 

 The topographer of the expedition is Mr. D. 

 L. Reaburn, and the assistant geologist is Mr. 

 L. M. Prindle, who has already made a valu- 

 able collection of plants. 



We learn, from Nature that the text - of the 

 draft scheme of organized research on cancer, 

 adopted by the Royal College of Physicians on 

 March 24 and approved by the Royal College 

 of Surgeons on April 10, has now been pub- 

 lished. The scheme states that in order to pro- 

 mote investigations into all matters connected 

 'with, or bearing on, the causes, prevention and 

 treatment of cancer and malignant disease, 

 steps are to be taken, (1) to provide, extend, 

 equip and maintain laboratories to be devoted 

 exclusively to cancer research; (2) to en- 

 courage researches on the subject of cancer 

 within the United Kingdom or in the British 

 dominions beyond the seas; (3) to assist in the 

 development of cancer-research departments in 

 various hospitals and institutions approved by 

 the executive committee ; (4) and generally to 

 provide means for systematic investigation in 

 various other directions into the causes, pre- 

 vention and treatment of cancer. Should the 

 object of the fund be attained by the discovery 

 of the cause and nature of cancer, and of an 

 effective method of treatment, the Royal Col- 

 leges, with the consent of the trustees, are to 

 be empowered to utilize the fund either (a) 

 for equipping with the necessities for such 

 treatment such hospitals as they may select,- or 

 (&) for forwarding research into other diseases. 

 The fund is to be administered by" a president, 

 vice-presidents, trustees, honorary treasurer. 



