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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLni. No. 1122 



the doctors were as follows : " Genetical Phe- 

 nomena in CEnothera," George H. Shull (1904), 

 Princeton University ; " A Quarter-century of 

 Growth in Plant Physiology," Burton E. Liv- 

 ingston (1901), Johns Hopkins University; 

 " The Problems of Plant Pathology," Frank L. 

 Stevens (1900), University of Illinois, and 

 " Inland Associations of Algae and their Con- 

 trols," Edgar IST. Transeau, Ohio State Univer- 

 sity. 



At the University of Ulinois College of 

 Medicine, Chicago, during the graduate sum- 

 mer quarter (June 20-September 12), in addi- 

 tion to the scheduled courses, a series of lec- 

 tures will be given before the faculty and stu- 

 dents to which physicians and all others inter- 

 ested are especially invited. The series will 

 include about twenty lectures upon special 

 research topics in the preclinical sciences by 

 men from various institutions throughout the 

 country. The opening of the graduate quar- 

 ter will occur on June 20 and the first lecture 

 of the series will be given on that date at 11 

 A.M. by Dr. Frank Billings, his subject being 

 " The Relation of Graduate Work in the 

 Fundamental Sciences to Clinical Study." 

 President James will preside and will give an 

 introductory address on " Graduate Work in 

 Medicine." 



Sylvanus Phillips Thompson, professor of 

 physics in the Finsbury Technical College, 

 London, known for his contribution to physics 

 and electrical engineering, died on June 13, 

 aged sixty-five years. 



We learn from Nature of the death of M. 

 Paul Lemoult, until the outbreak of war pro- 

 fessor of chemistry at the University of Lille, 

 and director of the School of Commerce of the 

 North, and chief engineer of the chemical 

 works of La Pallice, near La Eochelle. When 

 Lille was occupied by the Germans some of the 

 industries were transferred to the Lyons dis- 

 trict, and under the direction of Professor 

 Lemoult a picric acid works was erected. On 

 May 1, a fire broke out in the works, and very 

 soon assumed serious proportions. Lemoult 

 was soon on the spot, but, in spite of his 

 efforts, the fire spread to the storehouse. 



which contained 150 tons of picric acid. The 

 explosion which ensued destroyed the factory, 

 and Lemoult lost his life. 



Two members of Lord Kitchener's party, 

 who were lost with him, were Sir H. F. Donald- 

 son and Mr. L. S. Eobertson. Sir Frederick 

 Donaldson was chief technical adviser to the 

 ministry of munitions. He was president of 

 the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 

 1913. Mr. Leslie S. Robertson, assistant to 

 the director of production in the ministry of 

 munitions, was secretary of the Engineering 

 Standards Committee. 



The lectureship in animal embryology at the 

 University of Cambridge will not be filled 

 now, the balance of the benefaction (about 

 £300) accruing since the death of Dr. Assheton, 

 the late lecturer, being applied to completing 

 and publishing the embryological work on 

 which he was engaged. 



Addresses at the dedication of the Van 

 Vleck Observatory at Wesleyan University on 

 June 16 were made by Dr. George EUery Hale, 

 director of the solar observatory of the Car- 

 negie Institution, on " Astronomical Research 

 as National Service," and by Professor Edward 

 Burr Van Vleck, of the University of Wiscon- 

 sin, on " John Monroe Van Vleck." The 

 tablet on the building bears the inscription : 



This Observatory, the gift of Joseph Van 

 Vleck, commemorates the services rendered to 

 Wesleyan University 1853-1912 by his brother 

 John Monroe Van Vleck, professor of mathematics 

 and astronomy. 



A TABLET was unveiled on June 20 to the 

 memory of Dr. Leonard Pearson, formerly pro- 

 fessor in the University of Pennsylvania 

 veterinary school and dean of the faculty. The 

 exercises were held in the library of the vet- 

 erinary school. Addresses were made by Dr. 

 Louis A. Klein, dean of the veterinary school; 

 Dr. William H. Caldwell, secretary of the 

 American Guernsey Cattle Club, and Dr. C. J. 

 Marshall, state veterinarian. The tablet was 

 presented on behalf of the Guernsey Breeders' 

 Association by Dr. Ephriam T. Gill, and was 

 accepted for the university by Provost Smith. 

 The tablet reads : " To the memory of Leonard 



