630 The American Naturalist. [July, 
Boston Society of Natural History, May 16.—The blo 
paper was read: 
Mr. A. W. Grabau: Ancient and modern channels of the Gina 
River. Stereopticon views were shown. 
SAMUEL HENSHAW, 
Secretary. 
SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Professor G. J. Romanes.—We have to announce the recent 
sudden death of Professor Romanes. He was born in Kingston, Can- 
ada, in 1848, and graduated at Cambridge, England, in 1870. In 
1873 he was Burney prize essayist, and Croonian lecturer in 1875. 
His first important investigation was on the anatomy and physiology of 
the nervous system of the Medusae, and he first placed our knowledge 
of this subject on a definite basis. His works on the evolution of mind 
in the lower animals and man are the best we have on the subject. He 
was a prolific writer on evolution, and leaned sometimes to the Neola- 
markian, sometimes to the Neodarwinian opinions. In his latest work 
he revised the opinions of Weismann, and showed the important mod- 
ifications which they have undergone. The death of Professor Romanes 
is a serious loss to science. | 
The Peary Auxiliary Expedition.—The members of this ex pe- 
dition dined together at St. Georges Hotel, Brooklyn, June 17th, pre- | 
paratory to taking passage on the steamer Portia for St. Johns, N. B. 
A farewell dinner was given to Henry G. Bryant, the leader of the 
expedition and his colleagues at the Art Club, Philadelphia, on June 
18th by the members of the advisory committee of the Geographical 
Club. At St. Johns they expect to be joined by the steam whaler 
Falcon, on which they will sail for North Greenland to look for Lieut. 
Peary and his party. 
'The members of the expedition are Professor Wm. Libbey, Jr., of 
Princeton University, geographer; Professor T. C. Chamberlin, of the 
University of Chieago, geologist; Dr. Axel Ohlin, of Sweden, zoolo- 
gist; Dr. H. E. Wetherill, of Philadelphia, surgeon; H. L. Bridgman, 
of the Brooklyn Standard-Union; Emil Diebtsch, of Port Royal, S. 
C., civil engineer. 
When the Portia sails to-morrow she will have on board the usual 
Arctic outfit of snow shoes, sledges, ice axes, tents, etc. The vessel 
