Juke 8, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



893 



We learn from the London Times that the 

 senate of the University of London has in- 

 vited representatives of the University of Paris 

 and of the College de France to visit London. 

 These representatives will be accompanied by 

 the highest officials of the French Ministry of 

 Public Instruction, and by a number of repre- 

 sentatives of the French provincial univer- 

 sities. The Societe des Professeurs de 

 Langues Vivantes and of the Guilde Inter- 

 nationale will be simultaneously entertained 

 by the Modern Language Association, and the 

 university has arranged for the representation 

 of all these bodies at the various ceremonies. 

 The French delegations will be headed by M. 

 Liard, the vice-rector of the University of 

 Paris. The king has expressed his desire to 

 receive a number of the French visitors at 

 Windsor on Thursday afternoon, June 7. 

 The general program includes the following: 

 Monday, June 4, an informal dinner at the 

 Koyal Palace Hotel, Kensington, where the 

 guests of the university will^ stay. Tuesday, 

 June 5, a reception at the foreign office by 

 Lord Fitzmaurice and Mr. Lough, M.P., 

 parliamentary secretary of the board of edua- 

 tion, at noon; luncheon at the university; 

 addresses at the university by the vice-chan- 

 eelor, M. Liard, Sir Arthur Eiicker and Pro- 

 fessor Sadler. Wednesday, June 6, visits to 

 Westminster Abbey, to Westminster School 

 and to some of the London County Council 

 educational institutions, followed by a luncheon 

 to be given by Mr. Evan Spicer, chairman of 

 •the County Council, at Belair, Dulwich; in the 

 evening, a dinner at University College and 

 various private dinners, followed by a recep- 

 tion by the French ambassador at the French 

 embassy. Thursday, June 7, addresses by the 

 deans of the Faculties of Arts and Science of 

 the Universities of London and Paris, by Pro- 

 fessor Sir William Ramsay and by representa- 

 tives of the College de France, the French 

 provincial universities and the French Modern 

 Language Association; in the evening a con- 

 versazione at the university. A number of 

 the French guests will, on Friday, June 8, visit 

 the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. 



The Journal of the American Medical Asso- 

 ciation reports that it is the purpose of Health 

 Commissioner Dr. Dixon to destroy the breed- 

 ing places of mosquitoes in Pennsylvania. 

 The task will involve the examination of 

 all places holding or capable of holding 

 water in which the species can breed. Dr. 

 Dixon has employed an expert entomologist to 

 take up the work and map out all the malarial 

 districts in the state. The report of the 

 entomologist will give all conditions supplying 

 the environment necessary to support the lives 

 of the variety of mosquito which carry the 

 poison from one person to another. That 

 this work shall prove most economic, it is pro- 

 posed that the country surrounding the larger 

 centers of population be investigated and the 

 most dangerous pools and streams be mapped 

 out, starting with the built-up municipalities 

 in the southern part of the state, where 

 malaria is most prevalent. For the purpose 

 of mapping the breeding places it is proposed 

 that the United States Geological Survey maps 

 be used. 



The following letter, dated May 1, has been 

 sent by the post-office to the Decimal Associa- 

 tion : " With reference to your further letters 

 of April 11 and 27, concerning the treatment 

 of letters for places abroad prepaid a single 

 rate of postage and weighing more than half 

 an ounce, but not more than 15 grams, I am 

 directed by the postmaster-general to acquaint 

 you that such letters for any foreign country 

 included in the postal union are sent forward 

 for delivery uncharged. The same treatment 

 would be applied to any letter weighing more 

 than 15 grams which might happen to be 

 posted with 5d. prepaid on it, and so on for 

 other weights. I am. Sir, your obedient ser- 

 vant, H. Buxton Forman." In forwarding a 

 copy of this letter to the London Times the 

 Decimal Association adds : " The metric 

 weights and measures have, according to this 

 communication, been adopted by the post- 

 office for foreign letters, and it is difficult to 

 understand how the representative of the 

 British post-office at the Postal Congress in 

 Rome, could have stated there that ' under 



