758 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 280. 



tronomer C. D. Perrine. After the instruments 

 are mounted and adjusted, these observers will 

 be joined and assisted by Professor A. A. 

 Nijland, director of the Utrecht Observatory, 

 Dr. J. H. Wilterdink, astronomer in the Leiden 

 Observatory, and by about twelve professional 

 and amateur astronomers from various parts of 

 this country. 



The Western University of Pennsylvania 

 will have an expedition in the field to observe 

 the total eclipse of the sun, which occurs at the 

 end of this month. The expedition will con- 

 sist of Professor F. L. O. Wadsworth, the 

 director of the Allegheny Observatory ; Pro- 

 fessor S. M. Kintner, of the Engineering School ; 

 Dr. J. A. Brashear, the noted instrument maker 

 of Pittsburgh, and others. Dr. Holland, the 

 Chancellor of the University, may be of the 

 party. 



Pkofessok Ormond Stone, director of the 

 Leander McCormick Observatory, of the Uni- 

 versity of Virginia, will occupy a station for 

 the observation of the eclipse, at Winsboro', S. 

 C. His special aim will be to obtain means 

 for studying characteristics of the filamentary 

 structure of the inner corona, which was 

 carefully observed by him, near Denver, dur- 

 ing the total eclipse of July 29, 1878. The 

 observations will be both photographical and 

 visual. Dr. William J. Humphreys, of the 

 same university, will occupy a station near 

 the edge of the shadow, in order to study the 

 ' reversing layer. ' 



The Russian Government has established a 

 station at Villa Franca, near Nice, for deep-sea 

 explorations. A special yacht for the station 

 has been constructed in Zurich. 



The Botanical Section of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, The 

 Linnean Fern Chapter and The Sullivant Moss 

 Chapter will be the guests of the New York 

 Botanical Garden on Wednesday, June 27th. 

 By invitation the Torrey Botanical Club will 

 present a memorial program in honor of Dr. 

 John Torrey in the lecture hall of the Museum, 

 beginning at 10 a. m. The following features 

 of this program have already been determined : 

 'Historical Sketch of Botany in New York 

 City,' by Dr. T. F. Allen ; ' Personal Reminis- 



cences of Dr. Torrey,' by Professor T. C. Por- 

 ter ; ' Work of Dr. Torrey as a Botanist, with 

 Bibliography,' by Dr. N. L. Britton ; exhibition 

 of letters, pictures and material illustrative of 

 Dr. Torrey's work, by Mrs. Elizabeth G. Brit- 

 ton and Miss Anna Murray Vail ; work of the 

 Torrey Botanical Club, by the Secretary, Pro- 

 fessor Edward S. Burgess. A large amount of 

 interesting historical material has already been 

 sent in response to the inquiry of the Secretary 

 of the Section. 



A SUMMER school of natural history has been 

 established by professors of Beloit College on 

 Madeline Island, Lake Superior. Courses in 

 physiography are offered by Professor G. L. 

 Collie ; in geology by Professor Grant Smith, 

 and in botany by Professor H. B. Densmore. 

 The location of the school is very favorable for 

 the study of these sciences. The courses will 

 open on July 27th and will continue until 

 August 30th, and the fee for tuition and ma- 

 terials, including the use of a microscope, is only 

 five dollars. 



The international conference for the protec- 

 tion of wild animals in Africa, was opened at 

 the British Foreign Office on April 24th, and 

 was attended by plenipotentiaries of France, 

 Germany, Great Britain, Congo Independent 

 States, Italy, Portugal and Spain. A plan is 

 advocated for the establishment of large re- 

 serves like Yellowstone Park, where wild ani- 

 mals may live under natural conditions. 



The need of protecting the larger wild ani- 

 mals is illustrated by a ' Note on the Word 

 Bison,' in the Bulletin of the American Mu- 

 seum of Natural History, where Dr. J. A. 

 Allen states that the American bison is practi- 

 cally exterminated in the wild state and its 

 perpetuation depends upon the care and skill 

 exercised to preserve the domesticated herds 

 which, it is estimated, comprise between 300 

 and 500 individuals. There are possibly 20 

 bison in the Yellowstone National Park and 

 not a dozen outside of it. About 50 of the 

 Wood bison, the variety found in the vicinity 

 of Great Slave Lake, are believed to be in exist- 

 ence. The paltry numbers given above are all 

 that are left of the millions that once roamed 

 over the west and northwest. 



