414- 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 508. 



exile, though filled with suffering and priva- 

 tion, was one of the most productive of his 

 life. During four of these years as president 

 of the Territorial University of !New Mexico 

 he did valiant service for the cause of higher 

 education in the southwest, and during the 

 whole time was conducting and publishing re- 

 searches in zoology and geology, besides sup- 

 porting his family by practising as a mining 

 expert. During the last few months of his life 

 failing physical strength gave opportunity for 

 a final formulation of much unfinished work, 

 particularly in philosophical lines, a part of 

 which has already been published, and much 

 of which is still in manuscript. 



Professor Ed. von Martens, vice-director 

 of the Berlin Zoological Museum, died on 

 August 14, at the age of seventy-three years. 



We also regret to record the death of Dr. P. 

 van der Vliet, formerly professor of physics 

 at the University of St. Petersburg, aged 

 sixty-four years. 



King Edward has directed that a new medal 

 be struck for service in polar regions. The 

 officers and crew of the Antarctic exploration 

 ship Discovery will be the first recipients of 

 the medal. 



The U. S. Civil Service Commission will 

 hold an examination on October 12, for the 

 position of assistant to the agrostologist, of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of 

 Agriculture, with a salary of $1,400 a year. 

 On the same day an examination will be held 

 for the position of assistant preparator in the 

 Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, National 

 Museum, at a salary of $480 a year. 



In a recent number of the Bulletin of Lick 

 Observatory, Professor W. W. Campbell states 

 that the late Director Keeler's observing pro- 

 gram for the Crossley reflector included the 

 photography of about one hundred of the prin- 

 cipal nebulaa and star clusters. The portions 

 of this program available for observation in 

 clear summer weather were practically com- 

 plete at the time of his death; but those in 

 position during the cloudy winter months, 

 forming nearly a half of the whole, were in- 

 complete. After the lamented death of Pro- 

 fessor Keeler, Assistant Astronomer Perrine, 



in charge of the Crossley reflector, made it 

 his first duty to complete the observing pro- 

 gram. This was accomplished in September, 

 1903. The importance of prompt publication 

 of this invaluable series of photographs has 

 been fully realized, but difficulties, both tech- 

 nical and financial, have existed. Owing to 

 the generosity of friends of the Lick Observa- 

 tory plans have recently been completed, where- 

 by it is hoped to issue, within the coming half- 

 year, a volume of the Lich Ohservatory Pub- 

 lications, to contain high-class reproductions 

 of seventy-two of the principal subjects, as 

 well as a list of several hundred new nebulae 

 incidentally recorded on the negatives. 



The University of Chicago paleontological 

 expedition to Wyoming the past summer has 

 obtained a valuable and extensive collection of 

 land reptiles from the Trias. The material 

 collected includes labyrinthodonts, dinosaurs, 

 anomodonts and phytosaurs of several kinds. 

 One specimen, largely complete, apparently 

 belonging in the last group, has a slender, 

 teleosaur-like skull nearly three feet in length, 

 armed with serrated, cutting, dinosaur-like 

 teeth. Several labyrinthodont skulls of at 

 least two forms were obtained. The material 

 will be described as soon as possible by Dr. S. 

 W. Williston and Mr. E. B. Branson, of the 

 University of Chicago. 



The International Geographic Congress and 

 the Society of Chemical Industry have been 

 holding their meetings and making the visits 

 in accordance with the programs to which we 

 have already called attention. We ho.pe to 

 publish later some account of the proceedings. 



The International Astronomical Congress 

 began its meetings at Lund on September 5. 



The second International Congress of Phi- 

 losophy was opened at the university at 

 Geneva on September 4, with 316 members 

 in attendance. 



The fifteenth annual general meeting of the 

 British Institution of Mining Engineers was 

 held at Birmingham on September 14. 



The fourth Congress of the International 

 Aeronauts' Committee, with about 60 members 

 in attendance, met at St. Petersburg, begin- 

 ning on August 30. 



