338 Scientific Intelligence. 



gated by Dr. G. Embden and co-workers, with the important 

 conclusion, among others, that sugar may be formed from alanin 

 in the intermediary nutritive exchanges. Dr. Wiechowsky has 

 published a detailed review and report regarding the probable 

 status of glycocoll in the synthesis of hippuric acid by animal 

 organisms. Some features of growth are considered in a paper 

 by Falta and Noeggerath, indicating their failure to maintain 

 animals in continued health on so-called " artificial " food-mix- 

 tures. Babak has found marked differences in the relative size 

 of the intestines of developing animal forms (frogs), thismorpho- 

 genetic reaction depending on the kinds of foodstuffs furnished 

 during the period of early growth. As may be expected, there 

 is, further, no dearth of papers dealing with the chemical physi- 

 ology of the proteids. l. b. m. 



10. Life and Matter. An Answer to HaeckePs " Middle of 

 the Universe" ; by Sir Oliver Lodge. Pp.175. New York and 

 London, 1905 (G. P. Putnam's Sons). — A discussion of the funda- 

 mental topics in philosophy by one trained to exact thinking in 

 physics must necessarily be interesting, and this is markedly true 

 of the little volume before us. The author states that his object 

 is to make the book an antidote against the speculative and 

 distinctive portions of Professor HaeckePs work entitled "Das 

 Weltrathsel." Furthermore he desires to confute two prevalent 

 errors, viz: (l). The notion that because material energy is con- 

 stant in quantity, therefore its transformations and transferences — 

 which admittedly constitute terrestrial activity — are insusceptible 

 to guidance or direct control. (2). The idea that the specific guid- 

 ing power which we call "life" is one of the forms of material 

 energy ; so that, directly it relinquishes its connection with mat- 

 ter other equivalent forms of energy must arise to replace it. 



11. Joseph Leidy Memorial. — At a meeting held recently in 

 Philadelphia it was resolved to present to the city, for a place 

 upon the City Hall Plaza, a statue of Dr. Joseph Leidy, in recog- 

 nition of his memorable contributions to the natural sciences. 

 Over one-half of the amount ($10,000) called for has been already 

 subscribed and it is proposed to raise the balance as speedily as 

 possible. Subscriptions may be sent to Edward B. Smith, 

 Treasurer, 511 Chestnut st. 



12. Memorial to Professor Ernest Abbe. — Contributions are 

 being solicited in this country, as well as abroad, in behalf of the 

 proposed memorial to Professor Ernest Abbe of Jena, whose 

 invaluable work for optics and optical instruments has made his 

 native town famous. This memorial is to take the form of a 

 statue to be placed in Jena between the Volkshaus erected by 

 him and the Zeiss Works. 



The Bausch and Lomb Optical Company of Rochester will 

 receive contributions for this important object; in a circular let- 

 ter dated March 22 they remark that " this is a unique occasion, 

 as Abbe was a unique man, and most of us who know anything 

 at all about him will consider it a privilege to be able to con- 

 tribute, be it ever so small a sum, to the statue that is to per- 

 petuate his form to posterity." 



