1893.] Scientific News. 317 
Dr. Karl Spruner von Merz, the author of “ Historisch Geograph- 
ischer Hand Atlas,” died August 24th, 1892, at the age of 89. His 
great work, commenced in 1837, was not completed until 1852. Spru- 
ner was also the author of two school atlases of historical geography. 
The University of Cape Town has been admitted to affiliation with 
the University of Cambridge. This is the second of the Colonial 
Universities thus affiliated, the other being that of New Zealand. 
According to the Anatomischer Anzeiger, the Biological station at 
Plön, under the direction of Dr. Otto Zaccharias, has accomplished 
successful work during the past Summer. Of the species of animals 
occurring in the Lake of Plön, there have been determined 20 fishes, 40 
crustacea, 69 worms, 14 mollusca, and 74 protozoa. Of greatest inter- 
est is the discovery in fresh water of many organisms that have hitherto 
been supposed to occur only in the sea; and among these more espec- 
ially may be noted certain genera of diatoms, rhizopods and worms. 
An illustrated report on results is soon to be published, 
—Dr. R. von Wetlstein has been appointed Professor of Botany in 
the University of Prague, Bohemia. 
—Mr. E. E. Prince, M. A., Professor of Zoology in St. Munigo’s 
College, Glasgow, has been appointed Commissioner and General 
Inspector of Fisheries in Canada. 
The Indiana Academy of Sciences has issued its Proceedings for 
1891, in the shape of a pamphlet of 176 pages. It contains not only 
the proceedings of that year, but also a list of all papers read before 
the Academy since its organization in 1885. The Academy has 121 
active, 11 non-resident and 1 honorary members. Copies of the Pro- 
ceedings may be had of the secretary, Amos W. Butler, Brookville, 
Indiana. 
Professor Bohumil Shimek has gone to Nicaragua to collect in the 
interests of the State University of Iowa. He will pay especial atten- 
tion to the invertebrata and the cryptogamous plants. ` 
Bulletin No. 40, of the U. S. National Museum, contains the fourth 
of the bibliographies of American Naturalists, that of George N. Law- 
rence by L. S. Foster, 121 titles are enumerated. A good steel por- 
trait accompanies the Bulletin. 
