July 1, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



31 



that three hundred special physicians will be 

 required during the progress of the war. These 

 physicians will be in addition to surgeons of 

 the army and navy, and will be selected from 

 those who have recently graduated and com- 

 pleted hospital service. 



There is wanted an economic geologist and 

 paleontologist in the Mining Bureau at 

 Manila, P. I., the salary of the position being 

 $2,000. Applicants must satisfy the U. S. 

 Civil Service Board, but should write directly 

 to the Chief of the Mining Bureau, Manila, 

 P. I. 



We learn from Nature that a meeting of 

 members of the council of the South African 

 Association for the Advancement of Science 

 was held at Johannesburg, on May 19, Mr. T. 

 Eeunert presiding. The chairman reported 

 that he had been in communication with the 

 German, French, Austrian and Italian con- 

 suls, and was hopeful of the cooperation of 

 these gentlemen in connection with the visit 

 of continental delegates to South Africa with 

 the British Association next year. Dr. Pakes, 

 referring to the impending departure of Mr. 

 Eeunert for England, mentioned that he would 

 represent the South African Association at the ■ 

 forthcoming Cambridge meeting of the British 

 Association. 



The Institution of Civil Engineers gave a 

 conversazione on June 15 at the institution 

 premises. The guests, who numbered about 

 1,200, were received by Sir William H. White, 

 the president, and Lady White and the mem- 

 bers of the council. 



The Discovery and the Morning have sailed 

 from Lyttleton, New Zealand, for Plymouth. 

 The British Medical Joural states that a 

 number of French medical men who take an 

 interest in English medicine and surgery pro- 

 pose to visit London next October in order 

 to see something of the hospitals and labora- 

 tories. An influential committee has been 

 formed in Paris, and a small organizing com- 

 mittee, of which Dr. Triboulet is president. 

 Among the senior members of the Paris fac- 

 ulty who have expressed their intention of 

 joining the party are Professors Bouchard, 

 Lucas-Championniere, Chauffard, Landouzy, 

 Lermoyez, Marie and Sebileau. 



A letter from Dr. C. Nordmann to the 

 Revue generale des Sciences, abstracted in 

 Nature, describes a newastrophysical observa- 

 tory which has just been built near to Tor- 

 tosa, in Spain, in latitude 40° 48' N. and lon- 

 gitude 1° 47' E. of Paris. The general idea of 

 the work to be prosecuted is to obtain infor- 

 mation regarding the relations between solar 

 and terrestrial phenomena. Two magnetic 

 houses have been equipped, the one for abso- 

 lute measures of terrestrial magnetism, the 

 other for obtaining records of the regular vari- 

 ations in the elements and of the extraordi- 

 nary disturbances which appear to coincide, in 

 point of time, with solar disturbances. The 

 observatory is also to be furnished with an 

 equatorial for observing sun-spots, an Ever- 

 shed photo-spectroheliograph, and an instru- 

 ment for determining the radial velocities of 

 solar prominence eruptions. Another build- 

 ing has been set apart for meteorological ob- 

 servations and the study of atmospheric optics, 

 and seismological observations have also been 

 provided for. 



The committee appointed to enquire into 

 the administration of the British Meteorolog- 

 ical Council has made its report. We learn 

 from the London Times that among its rec- 

 ommendations are the following: That the 

 registration of the Meteorological Office as a 

 company under the joint stock companies acts 

 should be cancelled; that the company should 

 be wound up, and the office reconstituted as 

 a department under the control of the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries; that the office 

 be placed under the control of a man of 

 science as director of meteorology, appointed 

 after consultation with the Royal Society, but 

 responsible to the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries; that an advisory board be appoint- 

 ed, consisting of the hydrographer to the 

 Admiralty, a representative of the Board of 

 Trade, and one of the Board of Agi-iculture ■ 

 and Fisheries, and two members nominated by 

 the Eoyal Society, the functions of the ad- 

 visory board to be consultative only, the direct- 

 or being responsible to the Board of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries for administration; that a 

 second officer be appointed to act as scientific 



