‘990 
his entire estate, estimated at $8,000,000, for 
the Thomas W. Evans Museum and Institute of 
Philadelphia. Further details are lacking. 
Dr. T. PorTER, whose herbarium was re- 
ported to have been destroyed by the recent fire 
in Pardee Hall, Lafayette College, has made 
the following statement: ‘‘ The Pennsylvania 
flora is saved entire and complete. It is the 
best in existence, and I am greatly relieved. I 
have labored a lifetime onit. The collection of 
North America is saved to the extent of a little 
more than two-thirds ; much that appeared ut- 
terly destroyed Saturday proves not to be so 
badly damaged as to be valueless. The offers 
of my friends in all directions which are coming 
in on me like a blessed shower will enable me 
to restore the collection. Iam deeply touched 
by their generous sympathy and aid.”’ 
THE Harvard Natural History Society cele- 
brated on December 17th its sixth anniversary. 
Professor Shaler gave an address on the history 
of the Society, and William T. Hornaday, of 
the New York Zoological Society, lectured on 
the preservation of our native birds. The 
Society now numbers over seventy members 
and has recently been organized into sections 
for the various branches of natural history. 
THE sixty-sixth annual meeting of the British 
Medical Association will be held in Edinburgh 
from Tuesday, July 26, to Saturday, July 30, 
1898. Since the Association met in Edinburgh 
twenty-three years ago many changes have 
taken place in the medical institutions of the 
city, and the Association will next year be able 
to meet in McEwan Hall, the magnificent new 
building of the University of Edinburgh. 
THE deaths are reported of Dr. Friedr. Wil- 
helm Snyder, the botanist, at Braunsberg, at 
the age of 87 years; of Professor Raphael v. 
Erlanger, the zoologist, at Heidelberg, aged 33 
years; of Dr. Wilhelm Joest, the explorer, in 
Australia ; of Mr. Samuel A. Miller, of Cincin- 
nati, the author of numerous contributions to 
zoology and paleontology, on December 19th, 
aged 61 years ; of Dr. F. C. Schneider, emeritus 
professor of chemistry in the University of 
Vienna, aged 84 years, and of Dr. Schrauf, pro- 
fessor of mineralogy in the University of Vienna, 
aged 60 years. 
SCIENCE. 
[N. 8. Von. VI. No. 157. 
WE are requested by Professor I. P. Roberts, 
Director of the College of Agriculture of Cor- 
nell University, to call attention to the univer- 
sity extension work in agriculture, provided last 
year by the Nixon Bill and placed under the 
direction of the College of Agriculture. The 
object of the work is the promotion of agricul- 
tural knowledgein theState. <A reading course 
class has been organized for the study of some 
of the fundamental principles which underlie 
agriculture, and this study may be taken up 
at the farmers’ homes. Those wishing to join 
the class, now numbering several hundred, will 
receive, free of cost, printed matter for study 
which will be followed by questions intended to 
lead to a discussion of any points not well un- 
derstood by the pupil. 
THE Société des Laboratoires Bourbouze, of 
Paris, offers scientific courses to workingmen, 
free of charge, on Sunday from nine to eleven 
o'clock. Physics and chemistry will be taught 
in the laboratories, the courses being adjusted 
to the practical needs of the students. 
DECEMBER Oth was the sixth anniversary of 
Museum Sunday, instituted in Great Britain by 
the Sunday Society in 1892. About one hun- 
dred institutions were opened on that Sunday. 
The attendance at the British Museum was 
458, and at the Natural History Museum 554. 
These numbers are scarcely as large as might 
have been expected. 
THE United States Civil Service Commission 
announces that the examination which was 
scheduled to be held at Washington and else- 
where on January 8th, for the position of Com- 
putor in the Nautical Almanac Office, has been 
postponed to January 10th and 11th, it being 
found that it will be necessary to give two days 
for the examination. Very few applications 
have as yet been received for examination for 
this position. All persons desiring to compete 
should write to the Commission at once for ap- 
plication blanks and information. 
PROFESSOR GABRIEL LIPPMANN, who was 
recently awarded the ‘ Progress’ Medal of the 
Royal Photographic Society for ‘ Photography 
in colors by the interference method,’ read a 
