June 2, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



849 



Eight lectures on the Hitelieock Founda- 

 tion, at the University of California, were de- 

 livered by Professor Harry Fielding Eeid, of 

 the Johns Hopkins University, on the even- 

 ings of March 28, 29, 30 and 31, and of April 

 3, 4, 5 and 6. The general title of the course 

 of lectures was " The Mechanics of Earth- 

 quakes." 



The annual public address before the chap- 

 ter of Sigma Xi in the University of Cali- 

 fornia was delivered May 11, by Sir John 

 Murray on the subject of " The Floor of the 

 Ocean." The lecture was illustrated with a 

 fine series of lantern slides largely based upon 

 the results of the Atlantic Expedition of the 

 Norwegian fisheries steamer Michael Sars in 

 the summer of 1910. 



On the evening of Friday, May 12, Pro- 

 fessor G. J. Pierce, professor of botany in 

 Stanford University, lectured before the so- 

 ciety of Sigma Xi of Indiana University on 

 "Vegetation and Civilization." 



Professor Eoss C. Puedy, of the ceramics 

 department of the Ohio State University, was 

 recently elected president of the local chapter 

 of the Sigma Xi Society. Professor Charles 

 S. Plumb was elected vice-president and Pro- 

 fessor E. F. Coddington, secretary. 



Professor Wayland Morgan Chester gave 

 an illustrated lecture before the departments 

 of geology and biology of Colgate University, 

 on May 25. His subject was " The Bermuda 

 Islands and their Life." 



A MONCMENT has been erected at the Na- 

 tional School of Agriculture, Montpelier, 

 France, in recognition of the work of the late 

 Gustave Foex, a former president of the 

 school, in improving the culture of grapes. 



The Carnegie Fund Committee of France 

 recently awarded the foundation gold medal 

 to the widow of the French doctor, G. E. 

 Mesny, who died while engaged in treating 

 plague victims at Harbin, China. 



Mrs. Williamina Paton Fleming, curator 

 of astronomical photographs in the Harvard 

 College Observatory, died on May 21, aged 

 fifty-four years. 



Nathaniel "Weight Lord, for thirty-one 

 years professor of mineralogy and metallurgy. 



director of the school of mines and first dean 

 of the college of engineering of the Ohio 

 State University, died at his home on May 

 23, aged fifty-five years. 



The New York assembly passed on May 22 

 the bill previously passed by the senate in- 

 corporating the Carnegie Corporation of New 

 Tork. The incorporators mentioned in the 

 biU are Andrew Carnegie, Elihu Eoot, Henry 

 S. Pritchett, William N. Frew, Eobert S. 

 Woodward, Charles L. Taylor, Eobert A. 

 Franks and James Bertram. Its purposes are 

 defined as follows : " To promote the advance- 

 ment and diffusion of knowledge and under- 

 standing among the people of the United 

 States, by aiding technical schools, institu- 

 tions of higher learning, libraries, scientific 

 research, hero funds, useful publications, and 

 by such other agencies and means as shall 

 from time to time be found appropriate 

 therefor. 



The gentlemen's conversazione of the Eoyal 

 Society was held at Burlington House on May 

 10. The fellows and guests were received by 

 Sir Archibald Geikie, K.C.B., president of the 

 society. The Hon. E. J. Strutt gave a lec- 

 ture on the afterglow of the electric discharge 

 and on an active modification of nitrogen, and 

 Mr. Joseph Barcroft lectured on adaptation 

 to high altitudes in relation to mountain 

 sickness. There were as always a large num- 

 ber of interesting exhibits. 



Advanced students or teachers of zoology or 

 botany desirous of working at the Bermuda 

 Biological Station for Eesearch for a few 

 weeks this summer should communicate at 

 once with Professor E. L. Mark, 109 Irving 

 Street, Cambridge, Mass. 



There is a vacancy in the Bureau of Soils, 

 United States Department of Agriculture, at 

 Washington, D. C, for the position of soil 

 scientist in the laboratory of physical and 

 chemical investigations. The government is 

 endeavoring to secure the best qualified man 

 available for this work and has no particular 

 individual in view. The position requires a 

 high order of scientific training, equivalent 

 to that required by the leading American uni- 

 versities for a professorship in physical chem- 

 istry. As the work will also be largely ad- 



