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KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



in Germany a few years ago giving the " Lit- 

 erature of Darwinism," which covered thirty- 

 six pages, with the names of several hun- 

 dred authors who have written on evolution. 

 Charles Darwin was born in 1800, and was 

 educated at Christ College, Cambridge. 

 Soon after taking his degree he set out on a 

 tour of the world in the ship "Beagle." The 

 trip lasted five years during which he made 

 vast collections in natural science, a part of 

 which was published in 1839 in a three-vol- 

 ume narrative of the expedition. In the 

 course of twenty years half a dozen other 

 volumes were published whose foundations 

 were laid during the voyage of the " Beagle." 

 The result of these works has produced a 

 marked modification of scientific belief, many 

 of the best Christian scientists now believing 

 in a species of theoristic evolution. It was a 

 fitting token of honor that the great scientist 

 should be buried in Westminister Abbey, by 

 the side of royalty. Perhaps Mr. Darwin 

 has given the best definition ever written of 

 the theory of evolution in the following sen- 

 tence : '' Those who hold the theory of evo- 

 lution conceive that there are grounds for 

 believing that the present conformation and 

 composition of the earth's crust, the distri- 

 bution of land and water, and the infinitely 

 diversified forms of animals and plants 

 which constitute its present population, are 

 merely the final terms in an immense series 

 of changes which have been brought about, 

 in the course of immeasurable time, by the 

 operation of causes more or less similar to 

 those which are at work at the present day." 



Washington University, at St. Louis, 

 closed in June of this year one of its most 

 successful years of work. In all departments 

 of the University were enrolled about 1,400 

 students. This includes the Law School, the 

 Undergraduate Department, the Manual 

 Training School, the Smith Academy and 

 Mary Institute for Girls and the Art School. 

 At the annual meeting of the Board of Di- 

 rectors reports were received from the differ- 

 ent departments. The Art School shows a 

 large attendance and presents an urgent re- 

 quest for greater means. The Manual Train- 



ing School is filled to its utmost capacity and 

 during the present summer a large addition 

 is being built. From the Director of the Ob- 

 servatory a report of the Extension Time Ser- 

 vice of the Observatory was made and an 

 urgent request for a few thousand dollars to 

 to be spent in the way of fitting up the Ob- 

 servatory was presented. It was determined 

 to raise three thousand dollars for this pur- 

 pose. In view of the rapid growth of the 

 various departments of the University, a res- 

 olution was passed that one million dollars 

 additional endowment shall be raised within 

 the next five years to place the University in 

 proper shape for its work. It is confidently 

 expected that this sum shall be raised within 

 five years. On Friday evening, June 9th, oc- 

 curred the exhibition of the Art School. 

 The commencement of the Manual Training 

 School and the Mary Institute occurred on 

 Wednesday morning, June 14th, and the 

 commencement of the Undergraduate De- 

 partment and Law School was held in Me- 

 morial Hall on Thursday evening, June 15th. 

 Besides a large law class three received the 

 degree of B. A., three the degree of Engineer 

 of Mines and one that of Civil Engineer. 

 Upon Judge John R. Shipley was conferred 

 the degree of LL. D., and upon Prof. C. M. 

 Woodward, of Washington University, the 

 degree of Ph. D., these being respectively 

 the second arid third honorary degrees ever 

 conferred by the University. 



The Kansas Editorial Convention met in 

 Lawrence, June 5th, and was largely attend- 

 ed. The sessions were held in Liberty Hall. 

 Mayor J. D. Bowersock and Judge S. O. 

 Thacher gave welcoming addresses to which 

 Capt. Henry King returned the thanks of 

 the Convention in his usually felicitous man- 

 ner. The address of O. H, Rothacker, of 

 Denver, (in his absence) was read by W. H. 

 Rossington, of Topeka. After the meeting 

 at Lawrence adjourned, the members visited 

 the State Institutions. The convention was 

 very enjoyable, the programme being carried 

 out for the excursion under the excellent 

 management of Col. S. S. Prouty, to the 

 complete satisfaction of the whole party. 



