668 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VIII. No. 202. 



career as a scientific author, to which, perhaps, 

 may be attributed, in part at least, the valuable 

 character of his work in economics. After 

 graduating from Williams College, Wells en- 

 tered the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard 

 as a special pupil of Louis Agassiz, and was 

 subsequently lecturer on physics and chemistry 

 at Groton Academy, Mass. At Cambridge, in 

 1849, he began, with George Bliss, the publica- 

 tion of The Annual of Scientific Discovery, which 

 was continued until 1886. In 1856 he invented 

 valuable improvements in the method of manu- 

 facturing textile fabrics. He also compiled sev- 

 eral scientific text-books, including ' Science of 

 Common Things,' 'Elements of Natural Phil- 

 osophy,' 'Principles and Applications of Chem.- 

 istry ' and ' First Principles of Geology.' 



We are compelled also to record the death of 

 Professor George Vestal, professor of agricul- 

 ture and horticulture at the New Mexico Agri- 

 cultural College, on October 24th, aged 41 years; 

 of Dr. W. Kochs, decent for physiology at 

 Bonn, and of M. J. V. Barbier, a well-known 

 French geographer. 



Dr. H. F. Mooee, of the United States 

 . Fish Commission, has been making a care- 

 ful examination of the physical conditions of 

 Great Salt Lake, with a view to determine its 

 adaptability to oysters and other salt-water and 

 brackish-water animals. While it is known 

 that the salinity of the open lake is so great as 

 to preclude the possibility of the acclimatization 

 of useful marine animals, it has been suggested 

 that there are certain bays or arms of the lake, 

 in which rivers discharge, where the density is 

 lowered to a point somewhat less than that of 

 ocean water, and where it may be possible for 

 clams, oysters, crabs, terrapins and such ani- 

 mals to survive and multiply. Dr. Moore has 

 not completed his inquiries, but it may be said 

 that the outlook for an augmentation of the 

 aquatic food resources of this region is not very 

 promising, the amount of fresh water entering 

 the lake being subject to great variation, and 

 the existence of a natural food supply for the 

 introduced species being uncertain. For a 

 number of years people living near the lake 

 have from time to time importuned the Fish 

 Commission to make experimental plants of 



fish and other animals in the lake and its tribu- 

 tary streams. Considerable numbers of young 

 shad have been deposited in the rivers, but 

 there is no evidence of their survival. The 

 present inquiries will, it is thought, definitely 

 settle the question. 



Me. AxelDanielson, of Stockholm, writes to 

 the Scientific American in regard to the status of 

 the Nobel bequest. He says that the case has 

 been decided, or rather a compromise has been 

 effected between the contesting parties. The 

 relatives of the deceased will receive 3,800,000 

 Swedish crowns, a little more than $1,000,000, 

 so that'there still remains for the prizes the sum 

 of 25,000,000 crowns, equivalent to $6,950,000. 

 The income, computed at the rate of three per 

 cent., will make the five prizes worth 150,000 

 crowns, or $41,600 each. It is expected that 

 the compound interest during the time, which 

 will necessarily be long, that will elapse before 

 the prizes can be awarded will increase the 

 capital so as to cover the cost of managing the 

 funds and the work entailed in properly distri- 

 buting the prizes. It will be remembered that 

 these prizes are to be awarded annually to 

 persons making the most important discoveries 

 in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine. 

 There is also to be a prize for the best literary 

 contribution upon the subject of physiology or 

 medicine, and also one for any person who has 

 achieved the most or done the best things look- 

 ing toward the promotion of the cause of peace 

 throughout the world. 



The New York Evening Post learns from the 

 Berlingske Tidende that the first competition 

 ofiered by the Nansen fund, which was estab- 

 lished soon after the return of the Fram in 1896, 

 has just been advertised. The subject is a 

 thorough work in embryology based on original 

 investigation, and the amount of the prize is 

 1,500 kroners (about $400). The result will be 

 announced at the annual meeting of the Chris- 

 tiania Academy of Science, May 3, 1900. 



The German Colonial Council has requested 

 the government to provide, as soon as possible, 

 stations for agricultural experiments in German 

 Southwest Africa and to establish a service for 

 meteorological observations extending over the 

 entire territory. 



