OcToBER 8, 1897. ] 
who spoke on ‘The Functions of Education in 
Democratic Society.’ The present building, 
which is already crowded by the collections of 
art and natural history, was informally opened 
at the beginning of June, and was visited during 
August by 12,000 persons. The building as pro- 
jected will be thirty-two times as large as the 
present structure, erected by the city of Brook- 
lyn as one of its last public works at a cost of 
$300,000. The charter of the combined cities 
composing New York at the beginning of next 
year provides for the liberal maintenance of the 
Brooklyn Institute, which will be one of the 
chief centers of art, science and culture in the 
great city. 
In his address at the recent meeting of the 
Associated Chambers of Commerce, Sir Court- 
ney Boyle announced his intention of establish- 
ing a museum of samples in connection with the 
British Board of Trade. The scope and objects 
of the museum would be similar to those of the 
recently established commercial museums at 
Philadelphia. 
THE sum of £442 has been collected in British 
India as a contribution to the Pasteur Memorial 
Fund. 
THE Maharaja of Patiala has presented the 
Indian government with a site for the Pasteur 
Institute to be established at Simla. 
THE American Public Health Association will 
hold its twenty-fifth annual meeting at Phila- 
delphia from the 26th to the 29th of October. 
A scHoot of ethics and social philosophy has 
been formed in London, with a general com- 
mittee including the Master of Balliol, Mr. 
Leslie Stephen, Mr. R. B. Haldane, Mr. W. L. 
Courtney, Professor Sully and Mrs. Bryant. 
The aim of the new school is to approach social 
questions from the side of psychology and 
ethics. Lectures have been promised by Pro- 
fessor Henry Sidgwick, Mr. Sidney Webb, Mr. 
EF. W. H. Myers, Mr. Bosanquet, Professor 
Lewis Campbell and others. 
THE first installment of a card catalogue of 
the New York Public Library was put in use at 
the Astor Library this week. Some twenty-five 
assistants are working under Dr. Billings on the 
catalogue, and it is hoped that it will be com- 
pleted in about three years. 
SCIENCE. 
5oT 
THE prize lists of the Institution of Civil 
Engineers for the session of 1896-97 awards the 
Howard prize of 50 guineas to Mr. Hilary 
Bauerman, in recognition of his work on the 
metallurgy of iron. For original papers pre- 
sented to the Institution, Telford medals, with 
premiums of books or instruments, are awarded 
to Messrs. H. A. Humphrey, for ‘The Mond 
Gas-Producer Plant and its Application;’ to 
Colonel Pennycuick, R.E., for ‘The Diversion 
of the Parivar;’ to Mr. EH. C. Shankland, for 
‘Steel Skeleton Construction in Chicago ;’ to 
Mr. Dugald Drummond, for ‘ High Pressure in 
Locomotives ;’ and to Mr. Thomas Holgate, for 
‘The Enrichment of Coal Gas.’ George Stephen- 
son medals and Telford premiums are awarded 
to Mr. Cruttwell, for ‘The Tower-bridge Super- 
structure,’ and to Professor Unwin, for ‘A 
new Indentation Test for Determining the 
Hardness of Metals;’ Watt medals and Telford 
premiums to Messrs. Hay and Fitzmaurice for 
their joint paper on ‘ The Blackwall Tunnel.’ 
THE Royal Society of New South Wales offers 
its medal and ten guineas for the best commu- 
nication (provided it be of sufficient merit) con- 
taining the result of original research or ob- 
servations on the following subjects; ‘On the 
Iron-ore deposits of New South Wales’ (time 
limit, May 1, 1898); ‘Onthe Life History of 
the Australian Teredo and other specimens of 
Australasian wood-eating Marine Invertebrata, 
and on the means of protecting timber from 
their attacks’ (time limit, May 1, 1899). The 
competition is not confined to members of the 
Society, nor to residents in Australia. The So- 
ciety is fully sensible that the money value of 
the prize will not repay an investigator for the 
expenditure of his time and labor, but it is hoped 
that the honor will be regarded as a sufficient 
inducement and reward. 
THE United States Civil Service Commission 
announces that on October 25, 1897, it will hold 
examinations to establish a register from which 
selections may be made to fill numerous minor 
vacancies in special and technical positions in 
the government service. A list of the exami- 
nations which will be held, and of the cities at 
which they may be taken, will be furnished on 
request. 
