OCTOBER 29, 1897. ] 
ural magnesia from the magnesite of Veitsch 
containing some ten per cent. of impurity, 
chiefly iron with silica, was found to sinter 
together in the heat of the graphite furnace 
and form gas-tight vessels. As the hottest 
zone of the furnace is very restricted, it was 
found possible to fire successfully only very 
small vessels in this manner. Attempts 
were made to fire larger density tubes in a 
oxyhydrogen furnace, but at the highest 
heat obtained the magnesia was still porous. 
Efforts to glaze the tubes also all resulted 
in failure. Here this exceedingly difficult 
investigation now stands, and it is to be 
hoped that Professor Meyer’s assistant, Dr. 
Bodenstein, who, with Dr. von Reckling- 
hausen, has carried it thus far, will go on 
with it to success. The value of density 
determinations at a high temperature is of 
great importance to chemical theory, and 
Victor Meyer’s work has already afforded 
very valuable results, but if 500° more 
could be gained the value would be much 
increased. Tr i. TE. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS. 
THE German Society of Men of Science and 
Physicians will hold its meeting next year at 
Dusseldorf, under the presidency of Professor 
Waldeyer, of Berlin. The secretaries of the 
meeting are Professor Mooren and Dr. von Vie- 
hoff, of Dusseldorf. 
Proresson A. A. MicHELson, of the Uni- 
versity of Chicago, has been made a member of 
the International Committee of Weights and 
Measures in the room of the late Dr. B. A. 
Gould. 
WE called attention last week to the fifteenth 
Congress of the American Ornithologists’ Union. 
The meetings at the American Museum of Nat- 
ural History, for the presentation of scientific 
papers, beginning at 11 a. m. on Tuesday, No- 
vember 9th, are open to the public and should 
prove of interest to many residents of New 
York. Information regarding the Congress can 
be had by addressing the Secretary, Mr. John 
H. Sage, Portland, Conn. 
SCLENCE. 
659 
Dr. FRIDJOF NANSEN arrived at New York 
on October 23d, and was in the evening the 
guest of the American Geographical Society, 
which conferred upon him the Cullum Geograph- 
ical Medal and elected him an honorary mem- 
ber. Another reception was given to him on 
Monday night by the Swedish and Norwegian 
inhabitants of the city. A reception and dinner 
was offered him by the National Geographical 
Society, Washington, on October 26th. To-day 
the American Philosophical Society of Philadel- 
phia will hold a special meeting, at which Dr. 
Nansen will present a paper on ‘Some of the 
Scientific Results of Recent Arctic Explora- 
tions.’ Dr. Nansen’s first public lecture will 
be given at the Metropolitan Opera House, New 
York, on November 6th. 
Mr. E. BE. Howe tt, of Washington, has just 
received from the U. 8. Government Board of 
Control an order to construct a relief map of 
the Yellowstone National Park, for exhibition 
at the coming exposition at Omaha. This 
model, which will be 6x6} feet in dimensions, 
will be based upon the surveys of the Park 
made by the U. S. Geological Survey and will 
represent the geology as well as the topography. 
The scale will be one inch to the mile, and 
there will be no vertical exaggeration. The 
map will be very accurate and complete, far 
surpassing the one made some years ago. 
THE U. 8. Geological Survey has practi- 
cally completed the distribution of the Educa- 
tional Series of Rocks, 175 suites of 156 speci- 
mens each having been sent out during the 
past summer to universities, colleges and tech- 
nical institutions in the United States. There 
remains a small number of incomplete sets, 
which will be placed in such smaller colleges as 
will make them most useful. The Educational 
Series were prepared by the Survey with much 
care, for the purpose of aiding students in ae- 
quiring a general and special knowledge of 
rocks and promoting the study of geology. 
Tue first meeting of the new session of the 
Royal Geographical Society will be held on 
Monday, November 8th. After a short intro- 
ductory address by the President, Sir Clements 
Markham, K. C. B., Mr. F. J. Jackson will give 
an account of the Jackson-Harmsworth expedi- 
