Jl-N-E 14, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



065 



tau scientists to think of prepariug some- 

 tliino' for this memorable occasion. Dr. G. 

 B. Halsted has been asked by President 

 Vasiliev to act for him in this matter, 

 to correspond on questions of detail with 

 anj' who hope to attend the Congress in 

 person, to take charge of the communica- 

 tions of those who do not anticipate being 

 present and to guarantee their proper pre- 

 sentation. 



THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 



The annual award of the honours of the 

 Royal Geographical Society was made on 

 May 14th, as follows : The Founders' medal 

 to Dr. John Murray for his services to 

 physical geogi-aphy, and especially to 

 oceanography during the last 23 years, and 

 for his work on board the Challenger and 

 as director of the Challenger Commission 

 and editor of the Challenger publications 

 since the death of .Sir Wyville Thomson in 

 1S82; the Pati-ons' medal to the Hon. 

 George Curzon, M. P., (1) for his work on 

 the history, geogi-aphy, archieology, and 

 politics of Persia, (2) for his subsequent 

 journeys in French Indo-China, which have 

 resulted in further publications of geo- 

 graphical as well as political and general 

 value, and (3) for his journeys in 189-1 to 

 the Hindu Kush, the Pamirs and the Oxus, 

 together with his visit to the Ameer of 

 Afghanistan in Kabul; the Murchison 

 grant was awarded to Mr. Eivind Astrup 

 for his remarkable journey with Lieuten- 

 ant Peary across the interior glacier to the 

 northern shores of Greenland, and for his 

 independent journey along the shores of 

 Mehdlle Bay, during which he laid down 

 a portion of the northern part only pre- 

 viously seen at a great distance ; the Back 

 grant was awarded to Captain C. A. Larsen 

 for the geographical and meteorological 

 observations matle by him during his Ant- 

 arctic voyage in 1894 ; the Gill memorial 

 was awarded to Captain J. "\V. Pringle, R. 



E., for his sliare in the railway survey 

 operations carried on under the direction 

 of Captain Macdonald, R. E., in the country 

 between the coast from Mombasa to the 

 Victoria Lake ; the Cuthbert Peek grant 

 was awarded to Mr. G. F. Scott-Elliot for his 

 explorations of Mount Ruwenzori and the 

 region to the west of the \'ictoria Xyanza. — 

 London Times. 



THE XATIOXAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY. 



The National Geographic Societj'. of 

 Washington licld its annual business meet- 

 ing on May 31. Reports from the various 

 officers bore witness to the increasing use- 

 fulness of the Societj-. AVhen it was first 

 organized, in 1888, there were but 20.5 

 members. Since then there has been a 

 steady increase, the membership now num- 

 bering 1,193. A similar increase maj' be 

 noticed in the number of public lectures 

 delivered: sixty-two lectures having been 

 given during the past winter, while in the 

 winter of 1890 there were but eighteen. 



Mr. Gardner G. Hubbard was reelected 

 President and Lieut. Everett Hayden Re- 

 cording .Secretary, and the following were 

 elected Vice-Presidents : C. W. Dabney, 

 Jr., Assistant Secreta:ry of Agi-iculture ; H. 

 G. Ogden. Coast and Geodetic Survey; Gen. 

 A. AV. Greely. Chief Signal Service; C. Hart 

 Merriam, Agricultural Department; W. 

 ■\V. Rockhill, Assistant Secretary of State, 

 and Henry Gannet, Chief Topographer 

 United States Geological Survej' ; Board of 

 Managers, Marcus Baker, United States 

 Geological Survey; G. K. Gilbert, Chief 

 Geographer, United States Geological Sur- 

 vej' ; John Hyde, Statistical Expert, Agri- 

 cultural Department ; Prof. W J JIcGee, 

 Bureau of Etlinology ; F. H. Newell, Chief 

 Hj'drographer, United States Geological 

 Survey ; Prof. W. B. Powell and John R. 

 Proctor ; Treasurer, C. J. Bell ; Recording 

 Secretary, Everett Hayden ; CoiTCsponding: 

 Secretary, Miss E. R. Scidmore. 



