SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Fresh-water investigation in Switzerland is in charge of a 
“Limnological Commission ” of the Swiss “ Naturforschende Gesell- 
schaft.” This Commission was under the presidency of Prof. 
F. A. Forel, but for a number of years of late the position has 
been occupied by Prof. F. Zschokke, of the University of Basel. 
At present the Commission is engaged principally in an exhaust- 
ive examination of the Vierwaldstattersee. This work is in 
charge of a special committee of which also Professor Zschokke is 
chairman. The investigations have been carried on for three years, 
and are in full progress at present ; they include work along physical, 
chemical, botanical, and zoological lines. The physical report has 
been published, and two zoological papers — upon the plankton and 
the Mollusca — are ready for the press. It is hoped that the entire 
project will be completed in ten years. The results are published in 
the Berichten der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Luzern. There is 
a finance committee that secures the funds needed for the prosecu- 
tion of the work by subscriptions from the authorities, societies, and 
individuals interested in the locality. Lake Ziirich is also being 
investigated by the city of Ziirich, in conjunction with the University 
and its associated polytechnic schools. ‘The zoological part of the 
work is in charge of Dr. G. Heuscher, and the botanical side is 
attended to by Prof. C. Schröter. The Limnological Commission 
also has an interest in these explorations. The individual work of 
Prof. F. A. Forel upon Genfersee and that of the International Com- 
mission on Bodensee should also be mentioned. 
Profs. E. L. Mark and W. M. Davis, of Harvard, and Henry 
F. Osborn, of Columbia, are spending their sabbatical year in 
Europe. 
Osbert Salvin, the well-known ornithologist, and co-editor with 
Frederic Godman of the Biologia Centrali Americana, died near 
Haslemere, England, at the age of 63. He was a graduate of Cam- 
bridge, made three trips to Central America, and was for several 
years editor of the ornithological journal, 7%e /éis. He was author, 
_ either alone or with an associate, of about 125 papers. 
The University of California has been presented by the Alaskan 
Commercial Company of San Francisco with the large and valuable 
