144 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. Y. No. 108. 



Manures,' by Mr. J. J. Willis; 'Diseases of 

 Orcliids,' by Mr. G. Massee, F.L.S., of Kew ; 

 'Physiology of Plants,' by Prof. S. H. Vines, 

 of Cambridge ; ' Mutual Accommodation be- 

 tween Plant Organs,' by Prof. G. Henslow ; 

 ' Roots, ' by Prof. F. W. Oliver, and ' Sporting 

 in Chrysanthemums,' by Prof. Henslow. In 

 addition to these scientific lectures by eminent 

 specialists, there will also be lectures upon 

 practical subjects by leading practitioners. 

 These lectures are all published afterwards in 

 the Society's journal. The great exhibition at 

 the Temple is announced for May 26th, 27th, 

 28th, and the exhibition of fruit at the Crystal 

 Palace for Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st and 2d. 



At the close of the thirtieth volume of The 

 American Naturalist Prof. J. S. Kingsley, of 

 Tufts College, and Prof. C. O. Whitman, of the 

 University of Chicago, withdrew from the board 

 of editors. Dr. F. C. Kenyon, of Philadelphia, 

 takes the place of Prof Kingsley as manag- 

 ing editor, with Prof. E. D. Cope. The Natu- 

 ralist has, in its long history, witnessed un- 

 paralleled advances in the biological sciences, 

 and will continue to be an important factor in 

 the further progress that is assured. 



Die Umschau is the title of a new weekly jour- 

 nal, devoted to pure and applied science, litera- 

 ture and art, published at Frankfort by Bech- 

 hold, and edited by Dr. J. H. Bechhold. The 

 journal proposes to give a complete and reliable 

 review in plain language of the advances in all 

 the sciences. The first number includes articles 

 by William Huggins on the physics of celestial 

 bodies ; by T. H. Achilles, Max Buchner and 

 J. W. Brainier on anthropological subjects, and 

 by Prof Eulenberg on the treatment of neuras- 

 thenia. 



The Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 

 New York, will hereafter be edited by a board 

 consisting of Dr. Charles L. Dana, Dr. F. X. 

 Dercum, Dr. Philip Coombs Knapp, Dr. Chas. 

 K. Mills, Dr. Jas. J. Putnam, Dr. B. Sachs and 

 Dr. M. Allen Starr, with Dr. Ph. Meirowitz and 

 Dr. Wm. G. Spiller as associate editors and 

 Dr. Charles Henry Brown as managing editor. 



The Macmillan Company announces as in 

 preparation an Encyclopsedia of American Horti- 

 culttire, to be edited by Professor L. H. Bailey. 



The Agricultural Appropriation Bill was pre- 

 sented to the House of Representatives on 

 January 13th, by Mr. Wadsworth, Chairman of 

 the Committee on Agriculture. The total ap- 

 propriation recommended is $3,152,752, an in- 

 crease of $102,780 over the amount appro- 

 priated for the current year. The increase is 

 chiefly for the Bureau of Animal Industry, to 

 be used in the inspection of meat. $120,000 is 

 appropriated for the purchase and distribution of 

 seeds, and the Secretary is directed to expend 

 the appropriation. It is well known that Sec- 

 retary Morton is opposed to this expenditure, 

 and the item has been inserted in the bill with- 

 out his sanction. 



Me. Chas. D. Walcott, Director of the 

 U. S. Geological Survey, has asked for an im- 

 mediate appropriation of $25,000 for the prepa- 

 ration of a map of the gold and coal areas of 

 Alaska. 



The Massachusetts Board of Agriculture has 

 submitted to the General Court the report of the 

 Gypsy Moth Commission. Mr. C. H. Fernald, 

 the entomologist of the Board, recommends that 

 $200,000 be granted for the work, and holds 

 that if this appropriation be given for five 

 years, with a smaller appropriation for ten 

 years more, the pest can be exterminated. It 

 can be held in check for $100,000 annually. 

 If nothing is done the moth will spread rapidly 

 in Massachusetts and elsewhere, and will cause 

 great destruction. 



Botanists and zoologists will learn with in- 

 terest that a Biological Survey of Alabama has 

 been organized and put into operation. The 

 survey will be carried on under the auspices 

 of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and will 

 be manned by the specialists engaged at that 

 institution in the various lines of biological in- 

 vestigation. It will have for its object the 

 study in field and laboratory of all plants and 

 animals occurring in the State, and of the vari- 

 ous conditions affecting them. The work will 

 be done sytematically and thoroughly and all 

 results published. In a region so interesting 

 and little known as this portion of the Southern 

 United States, careful and extended research 

 will be sure to yield results of great value. 



