860 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 833 



for his work in the advancement of the knowl- 

 edge of electrical theory. Sir Joseph John 

 Thomson Cavendish, professor of experimental 

 physics, Cambridge University, for his work 

 in the advancement of knowledge of the physi- 

 cal sciences. Sir Eobert A. Hadiield, Sheffield, 

 England, for his work in the advancement of 

 knowledge of metallurgical science. 



Mb. N. H. Darton, for many years geologist 

 of the TJ. S. Geological Survey, has been ap- 

 pointed the geologist of the new U. S. Bureau 

 of Mines with headquarters at Washington, 

 D. C. He will continue his investigations of 

 the geological conditions under which ex- 

 plosive gases occur in coal deposits. 



Dr. Allerton S. Cushman has retired from 

 the position of assistant director and chemist 

 in charge of the division of tests, office of pub- 

 lic roads, to undertake industrial research 

 work in Washington. 



Owing to ill-health Mr. Goodfellow, the 

 leader of the British expedition to Dutch New 

 Guinea, has been compelled to return home. 

 The Committee of the British Ornithologists' 

 Union have appointed in his place Captain C. 

 G. Eawling, who represents the Eoyal Geo- 

 graphical Society on the expedition. 



Dr. D.wfiEL T. MacDougal gave an illus- 

 trated address on " Desert Problems " before 

 the Sigma Xi Society of Purdue University on 

 the evening of December 3, 1910. 



Professor Egbert DeC. Ward, of Harvard 

 University, gave a lecture before the depart- 

 ments of geology and biology of Colgate Uni- 

 versity, on the evening of December 8, on 

 " The Coffee Country of Brazil, with Special 

 Eeference to Climate." 



" A Soils Survey for Minnesota " was the 

 topic of an address by Professor A. E. Whit- 

 son, of the soils department of the Wisconsin 

 College of Agriculture before the Northern 

 Minnesota Development Association which met 

 at Brainard, Minnesota, December 2. 



We regret to record the death of Dr. Octave 

 Chanute, known for his important contribu- 

 tions to scientific aviation. Dr. Chanute was 

 born in Paris in 1832. 



Professor Coopek D. Schmidt, professor of 

 mathematics for twenty-one years in the Uni- 

 versity of Tennessee and dean of the univer- 

 sity, has died at his home in Knoxville, Tenn., 

 aged fifty-one years. 



The Chemists' Building Company, organ- 

 ized to promote the interests of chemical sci- 

 ence and industry in America, has erected a 

 ten-story fireproof building, on a lot 56 feet 

 wide and 100 feet deep, at 50-54 East 41st 

 Street, New York City. The lower half of 

 this building is leased to the Chemists' Club, 

 and contains all the appurtenances of a social 

 club, together with a large auditorium for 

 scientific meetings and ample space for a com- 

 plete chemical library and museum. The five 

 upper stories have been specially constructed 

 for laboratory purposes, and can be rented 

 either as entire floors, or in suitable subdivi- 

 sions, to analytical, commercial or research 

 chemists, physicists, bacteriologists, etc. ; but 

 not as manufacturing laboratories. They are 

 provided with ventilating flues, water, gas and 

 electric mains, steam, refrigerating and com- 

 pressed-air lines, in suitable locations. The 

 building will be ready for occupancy in the 

 beginning of March, when the rooms will be 

 inaugurated by appropriate ceremonies. 



A CLUB that has for its purpose the study of 

 breeding problems in relation to animals and 

 plants, has been formed at the University of 

 Wisconsin by the members of the faculty of 

 several departments and graduate students 

 working along biological lines. The officers 

 are: Dr. Leon J. Cole, associate professor of 

 experimental breeding, president; Mr. Au- 

 gustus J. Eogers, instructor in horticulture, 

 secretary. The membership includes instruct- 

 ors and graduate students from the colleges 

 of letters and science and agriculture and the 

 school of medicine. 



A decree has been published by the Italian 

 government creating a commission to examine 

 the new theory put forward as to the cause of 

 pellagra and to formulate any changes in the 

 existing law of protection that may be consid- 

 ered desirable. The commission consists of 

 nine members, all doctors with the exception 



