AUGUST 27, 1897.] 
to be placed at the bottom of the steps in the 
Hall of the Natural History Museum leading 
up to the statue of Darwin. It is in white 
marble. The design for a medal for the Royal 
College of Science is thought admirable, and 
the medal is in preparation. It is further possi- 
ble, if subscriptions continue, that a medal may 
be instituted, open to the world of biologists, 
and awarded by the Royal Society. The Messrs. 
Macmillan, as a memorial, also, are publishing 
a fine edition of Huxley’s scientific papers; the 
first volume being now well in hand. There 
are on the list many subscriptions from America 
and it is not too late for others to be sent. 
THE monument to Darwin to which we have 
several times referred was unveiled on August 
10th. It is in his native town of Shrewsbury 
and in front of the school which for nine years 
he attended. The monument, the work of Mr. 
Horace Montford, represents Darwin seated in 
a chair holding some manuscripts from which 
his face is turned as if deep in thought, while 
at the foot are a number of volumes represent- 
ing his finished works. 
Dr. Victor Meyer, professor of chemistry 
at the University of Heidelberg, died at Heidel- 
berg of apoplexy on August 8th, aged 49 years. 
Meyer filled chairs of chemistry at Stiittgart, 
Zurich and Gottingen and finally succeeded 
Bunsen at Heidelberg in 1889. His work was 
in organic chemistry, more especially relating 
to the nitro-compounds and the vapor density 
of volatile compounds. 
WE regret also to record the deaths of M. 
Quantin, assistant in the taxidermic laboratory 
of the Paris Museum of Natural History, and of 
Dr. W. Petzold, a writer on geography and 
astronomy. 
WE learn from Cosmos that the new buildings 
of the Paris Museum of Natural History have not 
been completed as soon as was expected, the 
work of construction having been stopped for 
three months owing to the delay in voting funds 
for its completion. Work has, however, now 
been resumed and it is hoped that the galleries 
will be open to the public by the beginning of 
next year. The lower floor contains the collec- 
tions of comparative anatomy which are being 
arranged under the direction of MM. Filhol and 
SCIENCE. 
319 
Jarvis. The collections of anthropology and 
paleontology are being put in order on the 
upper floor. The collections have hitherto 
been badly arranged in crowded quarters, but 
will now be exhibited to great advantage. New 
catalogues giving full details are also being 
prepared. 
An exhibition has been opened in the zo- 
ological galleries of the Paris Museum of Nat- 
ural History containing the collections in nat- 
ural history made by M. Chaffanjon on his 
expedition to Siberia and Central Asia. 
AN exhibition of navigation instruments was 
opened in London on August 5th, intended es- 
pecially to illustrate the progress that has been 
made in the art of navigation during the 
Queen’s reign. There are in all about two 
hundred exhibits including a sextant by Bird, 
said to have been used by Captain Cook, lent 
by the Royal Astronomical Society, Lord Kel- 
vin’s deflector for adjusting the compass, his 
sounding machine and other instruments of 
historical or scientific interest. 
WE learn from Die Natur that the committee 
for the introduction of the produce of German 
colonies held its general meeting in Hamburg, 
recently. The committee has founded a journal 
called Der Tropenpflanzer, and has established 
in Berlin a permanent exhibition of colonial 
imports. The committee offers prizes for the 
development in the African colonies of new re- 
sources, such as the making of wine, the culti- 
vation of coca and quinine, the production of 
gum arabic, etc. 
THE Hungarian government has completed 
the necessary arrangements for the construction, 
without delay, of a subway beneath the Danube 
at Budapest on the same principle as that of 
the new Blackwall tunnel under the Thames in 
London. 
A TELEGRAM from San Francisco states that 
Commissioner-General Herman, of the United 
States Land office, has arrived there for the 
purpose of conferring with Professor Hilgard 
and other members of the State Forestry Com- 
mission upon the subject of the forest reserves, 
of which about 6,000,000 acres are located in 
California. 
