204: Scientific Intelligence. 



the forty-inch refractor and two-foot reflector, by G. W. Ritchey, 

 accompanied by 20 plates, giving beautiful photographs of the 

 moon's surface, star clusters, nebulas, and other points ; and 

 lastly, the orbit of the minor planet (334) by Kurt Laves. 



3. How to Know the Starry Heavens, a Study of Suns and 

 ^Yorlds ; by Edward Irving. Pp. xvi, 313, with charts, colored 



plates, diagrams, etc. New York, 1904 (Frederick A. Stokes Co.). 

 — The present volume is one of a series planned by the author 

 which are to deal with the sciences of Astronomy, Geology, 

 Biology and Sociology. It is a very liberally illustrated account 

 of the celestial universe, with the subjects presented in clear, 

 popular, and often colloquial style, which must certainly appeal 

 to the class of readers for which it is intended. Some of the 

 word-illustrations introduced are novel and ingenious, and will 

 help to an understanding of a somewhat difficult subject. The 

 next volume to appear will deal with the earth, from its nebulous 

 birth to the advent of man, and will be entitled : " How to 

 Know the Earth's History." 



4. The Jefferis Mineral Collection. — It is announced that the 

 Carnegie Museum, Pittsburg, Pa., has purchased the Jefferis 

 collection of minerals ; it is to be known in perpetuity as "The 

 W. W. Jefferis Mineral Collection of the Carnegie Museum." 

 It owes its existence to the active work and liberal expenditure 

 by Mr. Jefferis begun some seventy years ago, and now 

 ranks as one of the finest private collections of minerals in 

 America. Living in West Chester, Chester county, Pa., he 

 had unusual opportunities of collecting choice specimens from 

 the ancient gneisses, serpentines and limestones, as well as from 

 the trap rocks of eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New 

 York. He also visited northern New York, Canada and Europe ; 

 and carried on extensive exchanges with other collectors all over 

 the world. 



Mr. Jefferis, although primarily a collector, was also a discoverer 

 and contributor to science. A number of new minerals were dis- 

 covered by him and in addition he aided largely in extending the 

 distribution of known minerals and in furnishing material for the 

 reexamination of old or poorly known ones. Dana drew largely 

 from Mr. Jefferis' notes and specimens, some of which were 

 figured in his " System of Mineralogy " ; Genth's " Mineralogy 

 of Pennsylvania" was also indebted to Mr. Jefferis' labors in 

 the field. 



5. The Chemical Engineer. — A new monthly journal of prac- 

 tical, applied and analytical chemistry was started in November, 

 1904, under the above title. It is published by The Chemical 

 Engineer Company, Allentown, Pa., at $3 a year. The first 

 number contains articles on the Valuation of Coal for Steaming 

 Purposes, on Tests for Wood Paving, with others on subjects less 

 directly technical. 



Obituary. 

 Dr. Benjamin W. Frazier, Professor of Mineralogy and 

 Metallurgy at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Penn., died on 

 January 4 at the age of sixty-three years. 



