822 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIV. No. 360. 



in the Antitoxin Laboratory, and assistant bac- 

 teriologist, both in the Department of Health, 

 at salaries of $750 and $500, respectively. The 

 former position is open only to women, and 

 subjects of examination and their relative 

 weights are as follows : Bacteria, their nature, 

 position among other living objects, functions, 

 classification, principles of bacteriological ma- 

 nipulations, methods of making and testing 

 culture media, sterilization of instruments and 

 media, preparation of diphtheria toxin, etc., 8 ; 

 experience and education, 2. The position of 

 assistant bacteriologist is open only to licensed 

 medical practitioners of New York State. The 

 incumbent must give half his time to the work, 

 which must be the first chai'ge on his time. 

 The examination will cover general knowledge 

 of bacteriology and special knowledge of the 

 methods and problems of the preparation of 

 diphtheria and other antitoxins. 



The U. S. Civil Service Commission an- 

 nounces that at the request of the Board of 

 Visitors to the United States Naval Observa- 

 tory, an examination will be held on December 

 11, 12, 13, 1901, at various places throughout 

 the United States, for the position of assistant 

 astronomer in the U. S. Naval Observatory, at 

 a salary of $1,800 per annum. 



The subjects and weights are : 



Pure mathematics, practical and spherical 

 astronomy, celestial mechanics, general 

 mechanics, optics, and French and Ger- 

 man 20 



Experience ( a ) in making astronomical ob- 

 servations, (6) in making astronomical 

 computations, (c) in making and repair- 

 ing, mounting and dismounting, and in 

 caring for astronomical instruments, in- 

 cluding auxiliary apparatus 40 



Ability to carry on original astronomical in- 

 vestigations, as evidenced by printed or 



written memoirs, certificates, etc 40 



Total.. 100 



The examination on the technical subjects 

 first named will be entirely of a scholastic char- 

 acter and will occupy three days. Under the 

 second and third subjects applicants will be 

 expected to submit evidence of their experience 

 and ability. This evidence should be full and 

 complete. Age limits, 20 to 45 years. 



A TELEGRAM has been received at the Har- 

 vard College Observatory from Professor W. W. 

 Campbell at Lick Observatory stating that from 

 a Crossley photograph. Professor Perrine finds 

 that four principal condensations in faint neb- 

 ula surrounding Nova Persei moved southeast 

 one minute arc in six weeks. Professor G. E. 

 Hale, from the Yerkes Observatory, reports 

 that from photographs of Nova Persei on No- 

 vember 9 Ritchey finds the nebula probably ex- 

 panding in all directions, this certainly being 

 true of the southern half. 



An international sanitary congress will be 

 held in Paris during the week of February 

 15-21, 1902. Among the subjects to be dis- 

 cussed will be the role of mosquitoes in the 

 spread of yellow fever, malaria and filariasis, 

 quarantine, and the value of municipal sanita- 

 tion in the prevention of epidemics. 



The Institution of Junior Engineers opened 

 its winter session on November 1, at the 

 Westminster Palace Hotel. The new Presi- 

 dent, Sir John Jackson, was installed, and de- 

 livered his inaugural address, in which he dealt 

 chiefly with the relations between employers 

 and employed. 



The biennial dinner of the Physical Society 

 of London will be held at the Hotel Cecil on 

 Friday, November 15. 



We learn from the Journal of the American 

 Medical Society that it is proposed to unite the 

 scientific institutes at Hamburg under one di- 

 rection, somewhat in the form of a university, 

 and the directors and lecturers will compose the 

 faculty, issue reports, etc. The oflicial title of 

 the faculty will be the ' Professorenconvent ' of 

 the Scientific Institutes. Besides promoting 

 individual research, the institutes will carry 

 on research desired by men of science and 

 advise in scientific matters generally. 



Preparations are being made for the de- 

 spatch of a new Norwegian expedition to de- 

 termine more exactly the position of the north 

 magnetic pole. The expedition will be under 

 the direction of M. Amundsen, a Norwegian, 

 who was one of the officers in M. Gerlache's 

 Antarctic expedition. 



A CABLEGRAM to the Ncw York Sun states 

 that a striking discovery has been made during 



