456 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [VoL. XXXIII. 
An English committee has been formed to conduct the study of 
the region around Lake Tanganyika, in Central Africa. It is hoped 
that they will be able to study especially the aquatic fauna and flora 
of the region, as well as its geology. An appeal is now made for 
funds to carry out the plans, it being estimated that about $25,000 
will be needed for the purpose. 
The American Journal of Physiology has adopted a plan, advocated 
for some years by Dr. Bowditch, of publishing with each number 
titles of the various articles on thin paper, which can be cut out and 
pasted on index cards. Each title is accompanied by a brief abstract 
of the matter recorded in the article. | 
At the annual election of the California Academy of Sciences, held 
January 3, the following officers were elected: President, William E. 
Ritter; rst Vice-President, Charles H. Gilbert; 2d Vice-President, 
H. H. Behr; Corresponding Secretary, J. O’B. Gunn; Recording 
Secretary, G. P. Rixford; Treasurer, L. H. Foote; Librarian, Louis 
Falkenau; Director of the Museum, Charles A. Keeler; Trustees, 
William M. Pierson, William H. Crocker, James F. Houghton, C. E. 
Grunsky, George C. Perkins, George W. Dickie, E. J. Molera. The 
yearly report of the president, William E. Ritter, shows the past year 
to have been one of earnest activity in the various departments. The 
necessity is urged of concentrating both the efforts and the funds of 
the academy toward making complete the natural history collections 
of the state. Especial stress is laid upon the desirability of exploring 
the waters of the Pacific that wash the California coast. A gift of 
$1000 from C. P. Huntington for the publication fund was announced. 
The Academy of Sciences of Vienna has sent an expedition to 
South Arabia under the leadership of Count Lundberg. Professor 
Oskar Simony accompanies the expedition as botanist and physicist ; 
Dr. Cossmat, geologist; and Dr. Gimley, as physician and botanist. 
Trinity College, at Hartford, Conn., is to have a Natural History 
Hall, erected at a cost of $40,000. The collections and laboratories 
are at present in cramped quarters in the basement of the main 
building of the college. 
Dr. Ulric Dahlgren has been appointed as assistant director of the 
Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Holl, as successor to the late 
Professor Peck. 
Mr. J. G. Baker has resigned his position as director of the Kew 
Botanical Herbarium. 
