December 4, 1891.] 



SCIENCE. 



313 



spleen. The prize offered iu each case is a gold medal or a sum 

 of 150 florins. Memoirs may be written in Dutch, French, 

 English, Latin, Italian, or German (not German characters), and 

 they are to be sent in, with sealed pacljet, to the secretary before 

 January 1, 1893. (Further particulars in the Revue Scientifique, 

 Oct. 10, 1891.) 



— A conference of educators began Nov. 2 at Newberry Library, 

 Chicago, according to a despatch to the New York Tribune, to 

 discuss the methods of executing the general design already' 

 formeJ of inaugurating University Extension work in Chicago. 

 There were present President Harper of the University of Chicogo. 

 President Rogers of the North-western University, President 

 Chamberlain of Madison University, President Eaton of Beloit 

 University. President Coulter of the University of Indiana, Regent 

 Burriil of the University of Illinois, Professors Moss and Forbes of 

 the University of Michigan, Professors Turner and Freeman of 

 Madisou University, Professor Young of the North-western Uni- 

 versity, and Dr. Poole of the Newberry Libra:y. President Rogers 

 presided, and the session was private. There was a difference of 

 ideas amounting almost to friction as to how university extension 

 should be effected. Tlie Newberry Library will equip rooms and 

 furnish books, the public Library will assist, and instructors will 

 be provided in abundance. But there the agreement ends. There 

 is a radical difference of opinion as to whether the university 

 should co-operate in the work, or each university carry on its work 

 separate from the others. Dr. Harper stands for those who insist 

 on separate work, and Dr. Rogers for tliose who insist on co- 

 operation. 



— At the meeting of the Rojal Meteorological Society, Nov. 18, 

 the following papers were read: (1) " Account of an Electric Self- 

 Recording Rain Gauge," by Mr. W. J. E. Binnie. This is a very 

 ingenious instrument, and has been constructed on the assump- 

 tion that all drops falling from an oriSce or tube are identical iu 

 weight, as long as the dimensions of the orifice are not varied. 

 (3) " On Wet and Dry Bulb Formulae," by Professor J. D. Ever- 

 ett. This is a criticism of the methods investigated some years ago 

 by Mons. August and Dr. Apjohn for determining, by calculation, 

 the maximum vapor tension for the dew point from the tempera- 

 tures of the dry and wet Imlb Professor Everett also criticises 

 the values adopted by Regnault, and says that in presence of the 

 uncertainty as to a rational formula, he thinks Mr. Glai;her did 

 wisely iu constructing liis table of factors, which give the dew 

 point appi'oximately by the most direct calculatii^n which is ad- 

 missible. The iuherent difficulties of hygrometric observation 

 and deduction are great, and have not yet been fully overcome. 

 (3) " Results of Meteorological Observations made at Akassa, Ni. 

 ger Territories, May, 1889, to December. Is90," by Mr. F. Russell. 

 This was in continuation of a former communication respecting 

 the same place. After detailing the restilts of the various obser- 

 vations, the author says that this period was very unhealthy, and 

 the year 1890 especially so. The weather was exceptionally dry, 

 with small-pox and phthisis amongst the native population. The 

 "West Coast reports generally were also unfavorable in reference 

 to the condition of resident Europeans, and at the principal ports 

 quarantine regulations were put in force, consequent upon an 

 outbreak of yellow-fever in places situated to the south-west. At 

 Bonny ten deaths occurred from November to February out of a 

 population of some sixteen Europeans. 



— The Brooklyn Institute December bulletin of lectures is as 

 follows: Dec. 1, Department of Philology, lecture in the course on 

 "The Victorian Poets," by Mrs. Abby Sage Richardson, subject, 

 ^'Robert and Elizabeth Browning;" Dec. 1, Departmeut of Ento- 

 mology, lecture by Professor John B. Smith of Rutgers College 

 on "The Moi-phology of the Tools and Weapons of Insects;" Dec. 

 2, Department of Geology, lecture by Professor William B. Scott 

 of Princeton College on " The Age of Mammals; " Dec. 3, Depart- 

 ment of Psychology, lecture by Professor Franklin W. Hooper on 

 "The Physics and Psychology of Seeing;" Dec. 4, Department of 

 Philology, second of the Shakesperian Recitals, by Mr. Hannibal 

 A. Williams of New York, subject, ''Julius Caesar; " Dec. 4, De- 

 partment of Electricity, lecture by Mr. William S. Barstow, gen- 



eral superintendent of the Edison Illnminaling Company on " The 

 Direct Application of the Armature of a Motor to the Running of 

 Machinery;" Dec. 5, Department of Chemistry, lecture by Dr. 

 Arnold Eiloart of Cornell University on " The Arrangement of 

 Atoms in Space, or Stereo-Chemistry;" Dec. 7, Department of Mi- 

 croscopy, lecture by the Rev. Frederick Carter of Montclair, N.J., 

 on "Desmids;" Dec. 8, Department of Philology, lecture in the 

 course on " The Victorian Poets,"' by Mrs. Abby Sage Richardson, 

 subject, -'Longfellow, Lowell, and Whittier contrasted ;" Dec. 8, 

 Department of Engineering, lecture by Mr. C. J. H Woodbury, 

 vice president of the Boston Manufacturer.s' Fire Insurance Com- 

 pany of Boston, on "The Proper construction of Buildings to 

 Resist Destruction by Fire; " Dec. 9, Department of Music, lecture 

 by Mr. W. J. Henderson of the New York College of Music on 

 "The Development of the French Drama;" Dec. 9, Department 

 of Zoology, lecture by Mrs. Annie Chambers-Ketchum of Rutgers 

 College, New York, on "The Evolution of the Lower Reptilia;" 

 Dec. 10, Department of Painting, lecture by Mr. William Ordway 

 Partridge on "The Practical Details of Modelling;" Dec. 10, De- 

 partment of Political and Economic Science, Mr. Bolton Hall of 

 New York has been invited to lecture. Discussion of the lecture by 

 members of the deijartment. Large lecture- room; Dec. 11, De- 

 partment of Philology, third Shakespetian Recital, by Mr. Hanni- 

 bal A. Williams, subject, " The Taming of the Shrew;" Dec. 11, 

 Department of Geography, lecture by Mr. Charles M. Skinner of 

 the Brooklyn Eagle on " The Mountain Systems of British Colum- 

 bia," illustrated by photographic views of mountain scenery ; 

 Dec. 12, Department of Mathematics, lecture by Mr. Julius Henry 

 Cone of the Brooklyn Classical School on " The Teaching of Alge- 

 bra;" Dec. 14, Department of Astronomy, paper by Mr. Gardner 

 D. Hiscock on "The Constitution of the Sun." The paper and 

 the discussion following will be illustrated by lantern photographs; 

 Dec. 15, Department of Philology, lecture in the course on the 

 " Victorian Poets," by Mrs. Abby Sage Richardson, subject, "The 

 Modern Spirit in Poetry ; " Dec. 15, Department of Botany, lec- 

 ture by Dr. Byron D. Halstead of Rutgers College on " Typical 

 Forms of Cryptoganiia; " Dec. 16, Department "f Architecture, 

 lecture by Mr. Russell Sturgis, president of the New Y"ork Archi- 

 tectural League, on " Museums for the People;" Dec. 16, Depart- 

 ment of Mineralogy, lecture by Mr. Edgar A. Hutchius, member 

 of the Institute, on "Quartz and its Varieties;"' Dec. 17, General 

 Meeting of the Members of the Institute, address by Professor 

 Truman J. Backus, LL.D., president of the Packer Collegiate In- 

 stitute, on "The Age of Discovery;" Dec, 18, Department of 

 Philology, fourth Shakesperian Recital, by Mr, Hannibal A. Wil- 

 liams, subject, "The Winter's Tale;" Dec. 18, Department of 

 Electricity, lecture by Mr. J. Stanford Brown on "Electrical 

 Units in Theory and in Practice;" Dec. 19, Regular Monthly 

 Meeting of the Council; Dec. 21, Department of Archajology, lec- 

 ture by Dr. Theodore F. Wright of Cambridge, Mass., secretary 

 of the Palestine Exploration Society, on "The Recent Archaeo- 

 logical Explorations in Palestine;" Dec. 22, Department of Phi- 

 lology, last of the series of Shakesperian Recitals, by Mr. Hannibal 

 A. Williams subject, "Othello;" Dec, 22, Department of Psy- 

 chology, lecture by Dr. Thomas Balliet of Springfield, Mass., on 

 " The Physics and Psychology of Hearing; " Dec, 2'i, Department 

 of Physics, lecture on "Static Motors;" Dec. 26, Dejiartment of 

 Archeology, organization of a section of Numismatics, lecture 

 by Dr. Charles E, West, LL.D.. president of the Departmeat, on 

 "Jewish Coins;" Dec. 28, Dt-partment of Photography, lecture by 

 Mr. Wallace Gould Levison on "Photography as an Aid to Sci- 

 ence, History, and Art;" Dec. 29, Department of Music, concert 

 by the Beethoven Quartet Club of New York, assisted by a vocalist; 

 Dec. 30, Department of Piidology, German section, lecture by 

 Professor Frederick W. Grube of the Boys' High School on " The 

 Philology of the German Case Endings;" Dec. 31, General Meet- 

 ing of the Members of the Institute, lecture by Mr. Garrett P. 

 Serviss, president of the Department of Astronomy, on "The Old 

 Year and the New," or " The Revolutions of Worlds." After 

 paj ing the initiation fee of $5, associate membership in the Insti- 

 tute costs only §5 a 5 ear; extra tickets of admission for the month 

 of December, •f4; extra tickets for one week, $1.50; single admis- 

 sion, 50 cents. 



