744 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VIII. No. 204. 



of the metric system of weights and measures 

 in the United States and its compulsory ufe 

 in all government transactions except the com- 

 pletion of surveys of the public lands, will be 

 brought up in the approaching session of Con- 

 gress. The bill, it will be remembered, was 

 defeated by only three votes in the 54th Con- 

 gress and the increased interest in the foreign 

 trade of the United States seems likely to in- 

 fluence its passage this winter. Scientific so- 

 cieties and men of science should exert such 

 influence as they possess to call attention to the 

 importance of the measure. 



The American Chemical Society will hold its 

 winter meeting in New York City, beginning 

 on December 27th. 



The eleventh winter meeting of the American 

 Geological Society will be held in New York 

 City, beginning on Wednesday, December 2Sth, 

 in the geological lecture room, Schermerhorn 

 Hall, Columbia University. The Council will 

 meet on Tuesday evening, at the Endicott 

 Hotel, the headquarters of the Society, and also 

 Wednesday morning. The Society will be 

 called to order by President Stevenson at 10 

 o'clock a. m. The President's address will 

 probably be given on Wednesday morning, and 

 the usual subscription dinner will be on Thurs- 

 day evening. The list of papers will be mailed 

 to Fellows on December 6th. 



The Biological Laboratory of the United 

 States Fish Commission at Woods Holl will be 

 open throughout the winter to those who may 

 desire to avail themselves of the opportunities 

 afforded for investigation in maritime zoology 

 and embryology. Several of the winter fishes 

 have already begun to breed, and the surface 

 fauna is materially different from that of the 

 summer months. The Laboratory is provided 

 with steam heat, and a limited number of rooms 

 in the residence are available. Applications 

 should be addressed to the Director, Dr. H. C. 

 Bumpus, Woods Holl, Mass. 



In connection with the approaching meeting 

 of the New York State Science Teachers' Asso- 

 ciation it is proposed to hold an exhibition of 

 pieces of apparatus useful in teaching science. 

 Those who wish to examine special instruments 

 are requested to communicate with Professor 



R. E. Dodge, Teachers College, New York, and 

 efforts will be made to have the instruments on 

 exhibition. 



The annual convention of the Association of 

 Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations 

 met last week in Washington. 



Mr. Stanley Flowee, of the King of Siam's 

 Museum, at Bangkok, has been appointed Su- 

 perintendent of the Cairo Zoological Gardens. 



De. Marcus S. Farr has been appointed 

 curator of the zoological collection of the New 

 York State Museum, University of the State of 

 New York, Albany. 



A BUST in relief of the physiologist, G. von 

 Fleischl-Marxow, who died in 1891, has been 

 unveiled in the Court of the University of 

 Vienna. 



At a meeting of former instructors, fellow 

 students and students of the late James Ingram 

 Peck, at John Hopkins University on November 

 5th, the following resolution was adopted. 



Whereas we cannot forget that James Ingram Peck 

 exemplified in his own life all those high qualities of 

 enthusiasm for truth, of devotion to scientific research 

 and ot earnestness in the instruction of others, which 

 it is the chief aim and best reward of a university to 

 diffuse among men : 



We, therefore, resolve that : 



While we mourn the untimely loss of one who had 

 been the earnest and faithful pupil of some among us, 

 tbe enthusiastic and inspiring fellow student or the 

 patient, kindly and helpful teacher of others, we are 

 glad to remember his devotion to the highest and best 

 work of a learned man and his success in handing 

 on to his associates his unselfish enthusiasm in tbe 

 pursuit of truth. 



Edwin A. Kimball, an inventor and me- 

 chanical expert formerly superintendent of the 

 mechanical department of the University of Il- 

 linois and the Illinois Industrial Home for the 

 Blind in Chicago, died in that city on Novem- 

 ber 14th, aged 64 years. 



We have also to record the death of M. 

 Alexander Pilliet, Curator of theMusee Dupuy- 

 tren, the anatomical museum of the University 

 of Paris and well known for his contributions to 

 morbid anatomy. He died in Paris on Novem- 

 ber 2d, at the age of 38 years. 



The death is announced of John W. Keely in 

 Philadelphia, on November 18th. Mr. Keely, 



