348 Scientific News. [April, 



lished by the society, lectures having been delivered by Professors 

 Cross, Hyatt, Goodale and Mr. W. O. Crosby. The average attend- 

 ance on these lectures was at first 400. As the result of these lec- 

 tures Mr. Augustus Lowell recently sent word that the society 

 would receive an annual donation of $1500, to be expended in the 

 Teachers' School of Science. The laboratory of the society has been 

 used the past year by a Saturday morning class for teachers in 

 zoology, a class in zoology for the Boston University, a class in 

 zoology and palaeontology from the Massachusetts Institute of 

 Technology, a special class in biology, and also in physiology, 

 under the exclusive control of Mr. Van Vleck. Other donations 

 for educational purposes under the auspices of the society are re- 

 corded. 



— The reports of the Tenth Census are concerned much more 

 with the material resources of the country, and has invited the 

 cooperation of expert scientists to a far greater extent than here- 

 tofore. This is good evidence that scientific ideas have as never 

 before impressed themselves upon the people and government. 

 This will lead to a truer economy and a wiser administration of 

 all subjects relating to the natural resources of the country. Be- 

 sides the admirable report on the fur seal, which is noticed else- 

 where, we have received an elaborate report on the Oyster Indus- 

 try, prepared by Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, under the direction of the 

 Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. It consists of 250 quarto 

 pages, with suitable illustrations. The account of the mode in 

 which the starfish feeds upon the oyster is in some respects new to 

 us. The excellent researches of Dr. Brooks upon the embryology 

 of the oyster are given in full with his original drawings, and this 

 illustrates how often what at first sight appears to be abstruse 

 science and most remote from any practical issue, becomes avail- 

 able and necessary in such a practical matter as the oyster 



— The eminent physiologist and anatomist, Professor Theodor 

 Schwann, who in 1 839 published his famous " cell theory," which 

 made such a revolution in biology, and has done so much to 

 simplify our conceptions of the general structures of organized 

 bodies, died at Liege in February. Although active as a teacher, 

 in late years Professor Schwann did not publish much, but he 

 held to biology very much the same position maintained by Far- 

 aday in physics. He was born in 18 10, was an assistant of J. 

 Muller, the great anatomist, and afterwards was appointed to a 

 professorship in the University of Liege, which he held until the 

 time of his death. In 1848, on the fortieth anniversary of 

 Schwann's professoriate, deputations from all the important uni- 

 versities in the world went to Liege and presented addresses, while 

 all distinguished biologists contributed their cartes to an album 

 which was presented to the Professor. 



