Januaet 14, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



67 



varied apparatus necessary for the study of 

 small animals and plant forms. The labora- 

 tories will be equipped, some of them for gen- 

 eral students of biology and some for special 

 research. Salt water from the lake and fresh 

 water from other sources will provide for the 

 aquaria and other receptacles. Investigations 

 already made show that Devils Lake swarms 

 with life in great numbers though not in 

 great variety of species. North Dakota has a 

 rare opportunity to study the biological stages 

 of variation, adaptation and isolation, and it 

 is the purpose of this new station to provide 

 for biological students and to offer facilities 

 for trained investigators who may desire to 

 carry on research under such conditions as 

 exist in that region. 



The Auh states that the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology at Harvard Univer- 

 sity has received during the past year the 

 most noteworthy accessions to its bird col- 

 lection in its history. These include, as 

 the most important, the E. A. and O. 

 Bangs collection, containing approximately 

 24,000 skins, chiefly from North and mid- 

 dle America and the West Indies. Most 

 of those from Central America were taken 

 by Mr. Wilmot W. Brown and Mr. C. F. 

 Underwood, well knovsm as intelligent and 

 energetic collectors, the former noted for his 

 skill in preparing skins of birds and mammals. 

 The specimens have been determined by Mr. 

 Outram Bangs, with the assistance of Mr. 

 Eidgway and Dr. Eichmond. They also in- 

 clude the types of the many new forms de- 

 scribed in recent years by Mr. Bangs. 

 Another gift of unusual importance consists 

 of several thousand specimens from the in- 

 terior of central and western China, presented 

 by Mr. John E. Thayer. A collection of over 

 3,000 skins collected in Palestine have been 

 acquired by purchase. A considerable number 

 of other skins and mounted specimens of un- 

 usual interest have also been acquired, by gift 

 or purchase, from other sources. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS 

 The late Arthur Hill, regent of the Uni- 

 versity of Michigan, has bequeathed $200,000 



to the university for the erection of an audi- 

 torium. 



The gift of $650,000 by Mrs. Eussell Sage 

 to pay for the Hillhouse property, of Tale 

 University, will release a considerable sum 

 which, according to the correspondent in the 

 N. Y. Evening Post, will probably be used for 

 work in biology. 



The building of the University College of 

 Medicine, at Eichmond, Va., was destroyed 

 by fire on January 6, entailing a loss esti- 

 mated at $200,000. 



The board of trustees of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College having received propo- 

 sitions from the Boston & Albany Eailroad 

 and also from electric railroads centering in 

 Springfield to run agricultural educational 

 trains over their respective lines, it has been 

 voted, " That this board will heartily cooper- 

 ate with these railroads, the Board of Agri- 

 culture, the Chamber of Commerce and other 

 organizations in the state to further the de- 

 velopment and success of this project. To 

 this end it will tender the services of its 

 teachers and experts and place at the disposal 

 of these railroads such equipment and appa- 

 ratus as may be required." 



At the annual meeting of the governors of 

 the Nottingham University College on De- 

 cember 22 it was announced that it was the 

 intention of the council to develop immedi- 

 ately a scheme for submission to the court of 

 governors that application might be made for 

 a full charter, so that Nottingham College 

 would become a degree-conferring university. 



Dr. C. J. Keyser has been appointed head 

 of the department of mathematics of Co- 

 lumbia University, to succeed Professor J. H. 

 Van Amringe, who retires from active service 

 at the close of the academic year. 



Dr. J. L. SiMONSEN has resigned his posi- 

 tion as assistant lecturer and demonstrator in 

 chemistry in Manchester University to accept 

 the chair of chemistry in the University of 

 Madras. Mr. AKred Holt, M.A., D.Sc, has 

 been appointed as his successor. 



