1893.] Scientific News. 917 
SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Among the recent deaths we notice those of Leonard Blomefield, the 
veteran naturalist of Bath, England; George William Shrubsole of 
Chester, England, aged 66; Miss Anne Pratt, the author of ** Flower- 
ing Plants and Ferns of Great Britain," aged 87; the geologists, D. 
Homfray and George Robert Vine; and Franz Kiaer, the bryologist 
of Christiania, Norway. 
Many Americans will learn with regret of the recent death of Mr. 
George Brook. He was born at Huddersfield, England, in 1857, was 
trained in business in his father's cotton mills, but soon turned to 
science. His early work was done in an admirably equipped private 
laboratory at home where he maintained marine aquaria and studied 
the embryology of the Teleosts. In 1884 he became connected with 
the Scotch fishing board and in 1855 was appointed lecturer on embry- 
ology to the University of Edinburgh. Among his more important 
papers may be mentioned his “Challenger” memoir on the Antipatha- 
ria and his catalogue of the Madreporarian corals of the British 
Museum, one volume of which was issued just before his death, which 
occurred August 12, as the result of sunstroke. 
Mr. James William Davis of Halifax, England, died July 21, 1893, 
at the age of 47. He is best known for his monographs on the fossil : 
fishes, the results of studies carried on in moments snatched from the 
large business enterprises carried on by himself and his brother. 
D. T. Maedougal, formerly assistant in the biological laboratories 
at Purdue University at Lafayette, Indiana, has been appointed 
instructor in plant physiology in the University of Minnesota. 
Dartmouth College is to be congratulated in its call of Dr. William 
Patton to the newly established Chair of Biology. 
Professor Dr. J. Sollas has been appointed petrologist to the geologi- 
eal survey of Ireland. 
Dr. A. Dendy, well known for hisresearches on sponges, has been 
appointed Professor of Biology in Canterbury College, Christchurch, 
N. Z., and will enter upon his duties there, February 1, 1894. 
