400 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 584. 



duced results of great interest and impor- 

 tance. The flora and fauna of the various 

 islands visited were described, together with 

 the geological formation of the rocks and the 

 changes which are in progress. A large col- 

 lection of specimens both from the land and 

 the sea was made during the expedition, and 

 was exhibited by the lecturer. 



Nature says : " The real existence of the 

 n-rays, discovered by M.. Blondlot, has been 

 the subject of much discussion, there being a 

 general consensus of opinion outside France 

 that the effects produced are physiological. 

 The Comptes rendus for January 15 contain 

 two papers of considerable interest on this 

 subject. The first of these, by M. Mascart, 

 gives details of a series of measurements of 

 the points of maximum intensity in the 

 spectrum produced by the refraction of the 

 n-rays through an aluminium prism, by a 

 number of independent observers. The phos- 

 phorescent screen was mounted on the carriage 

 of a dividing engine, and each of four ob- 

 servers (Messrs. Blondlot, Gutton, Virtz and 

 Mascart) made independent measurements of 

 the points of maximum intensity. The most 

 concordant figures were those obtained by M. 

 Blondlot, but the general agreement of the 

 results left no doubt as to the position of the 

 lines. M. Mascart gives the results without 

 comment. The second paper, by M. Gutton, 

 is an attempt to prove the objective existence 

 of the Ji-rays. It had been noted that if 

 these rays are allowed to fall on the primary 

 spark of a Hertzian oscillator, the luster of 

 the secondary spark diminishes. This effect 

 has been secured photographically, the dif- 

 ference being clearly marked in the whole of 

 the thirty-seven experiments. The apparatus 

 is described in detail, and the precautions 

 necessary for success pointed out. These two 

 papers certainly provide material for con- 

 sideration by those who maintain that the 

 whole phenomenon is a physiological illusion." 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 

 The annual report of the treasurer of 

 Princeton University states that $1,000,000 



has been raised by the committee of fifty 

 toward the fund to endow the new preceptorial 

 system. 



Contracts have been let for a new build- 

 ing at Swarthmore College, to be used for 

 engineering shops. The building is to cost 

 twenty thousand dollars, and is to be two 

 stories high and will be made fireproof. In 

 the basement the shops for forging will be 

 located. The machine shops and metal works 

 will be installed on the first floor, while the 

 second floor will be given to wood working. 



Old North College, a dormitory of Wes- 

 leyan University erected in 1827, was de- 

 stroyed by fire on March 1. The loss, which 

 is said to be $80,000, is covered by insurance. 



Mr. Alfred Beit, of London, the South 

 African financier, has given $500,000 to es- 

 tablish a university at Hamburg, where he 

 was born in 1853. 



The Association of American Universities 

 will hold its seventh annual conference in 

 San Francisco on March 14. 



A CONFERENCE of coUcge and university 

 presidents of New York state, and representa- 

 tives of the Department of Education held a 

 meeting in Albany last week. Preliminary 

 steps were taken for the formation of an Asso- 

 ciation of Colleges of the State of New York, 

 and a committee consisting of First Assistant 

 Commissioner Rogers, as chairman; Chan- 

 cellor Day, of Syracuse University; President 

 Ehees, of Rochester University, and Dean 

 Crane, of Cornell University, was appointed 

 to prepare a constitution to be presented at a 

 meeting at Columbia University, on April 19 

 and 20. 



The New York alumni of the Johns Hop- 

 kins University held their annual dinner on 

 March 2, the principal address being made by 

 President Eemsen. Dr. Charles Lane Poor, 

 professor of astronomy at Columbia Univer- 

 sity, was elected president for the ensuing 

 year. 



Richard S. Lull, associate professor of 

 zoology in the Massachusetts State Agricul- 

 tural College, has been appointed assistant pro- 

 fessor of paleontology at Yale University. 



