74 



SCIENCE, 



[Vol. IV., No. 76. 



deal with the same subject as regards the cretaceo- 

 tertiary floras. Other papers are: G. F. Matthews, 

 on the geological age of the Acadian fauna, and on 

 the primitive conocoryphean ; E. Wethered, the 

 structure of English and American coals. 



After the azoic and paleozoic rocks of Canada, the 

 drift-deposits are of great interest. The following 

 papers bear on this subject : Mr. A. R. C. Selwyn, on 

 a theory of ice-action in the formation of lake-basins 

 and in the distribution of bowlders in northern lati- 

 tudes; the Rev. E. Hill, on theories of glaciation; 

 F. Drew, on the thickness of ice in the Himalayan 

 valleys during the glacial period. 



Amongst other papers of interest are: Professor 

 Hull ( who is not expected to be present), on the geolo- 

 gy of Palestine, giving an account of his recent ex- 

 plorations ; Prof. T. R. Jones, on the geology of 

 South Africa; W. Whitaker, on the economic value 

 of geological maps, with especial reference to Avater- 

 supply, illustrated by the survey maps of the chalk 

 area in England. Papers are also promised by Dr. 

 Arch. Geikie, Dr. G. M. Dawson, Prof. V. Ball, 

 Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins, Dr. C. Le Neve Foster, W. 

 Carruthers, H. Bauerman, E. Gilpin of Halifax, N.S., 

 and others. 



Several reports will be submitted by committees, or 

 by persons appointed for this purpose at the last 

 meeting of the association (the name mentioned is 

 that of the secretary to the committee, or the re- 

 porter) : Prof. J. Milne, earthquakes in Japan; W. 

 Cash, fossil plants of Halifax; G. R. Vine, British 

 fossil Polyzoa; Dr. H. W. Crosskey, erratic blocks 

 of England, Wales, and Ireland; Prof. T. R. Jones, 

 fossil Phyllopoda of the paleozoic rocks; C. E. De 

 Ranee, underground waters; J. W. Davis, Raygill 

 fissure, Yorkshire; C. E. De Ranee and W. Topley, 

 erosion of seacoasts of England and Wales; F. Drew 

 and Prof. A. H. Green, the present state of knowl- 

 edge respecting the interior of the earth; W. Whita- 

 ker, geological record ; W. Topley, national geological 

 surveys, and progress of the international geological 

 map of Europe. 



The local committee at Montreal is preparing a 

 guide-book to the city and neighborhood, which will 

 contain a geological map. A general geological guide 

 to the dominion will be prepared by the geological 

 survey of Canada. 



— We regret to learn, that, at the close of the first 

 year, Williams college relinquished the only Ameri- 

 can table held at the Naples zoological station. It 

 was occupied in the first part of the year by Dr. E. B. 

 Wilson, and, in the latter half, by Prof. S. F. Clarke 

 of the college; who, however, was taken ill soon 

 after reaching Naples, and is not yet fully recovered. 

 Only one applicant for the table appeared for the sec- 

 ond year. 



— Raoul Pictet writes to the Journal de Geneve of 

 his first acquaintance with Wurtz, as follows: — 



"It was in 1867. I reached Paris with a letter of 

 introduction from Mr. A. de la Rive, I entered the 

 court-yard of the medical school, where was pointed 

 out to me a square room quite poorly lighted, and 



rather small for the twenty students who narrowly 

 found place there. Mr. Wurtz, in laboratory costume, 

 alert and active, was going from one to the other, 

 and was talking with great animation. One of his 

 favorite scholars was at this moment taking his ex- 

 amination for the fellowship, with what anxiety to 

 know the result. 



" I shall never forget the words which Mr. Wurtz 

 with frank cordiality addressed to me: 'You come 

 from one of the masters of science; my laboratory is 

 open to you; there are but twenty places ; ah, well! 

 this year there will be twenty-one of us.' Then 

 after having appointed me to a place, and introduced 

 me to Mr. Wilm, his chief attendant, he added, 'By 

 the way, you know, I receive Friday evenings; you 

 will always be welcome; this invitation I never 

 repeat.' 



" And in this way the students who were fortunate 

 enough to be near the teacher found in him at the 

 same time a learned professor, a director of their 

 studies, an inspirer of their discussions, a defender 

 of new but logical ideas, and a friendly adviser, an 

 interesting and cheerful converser, a host at enjoy- 

 able and easy receptions, happy to please and to be 

 useful to those whom he considered his intellectual 

 family. How can I reproduce here the impression 

 left by the scientific discussions excited in the labora- 

 tory by the work of a scholar or by a new discovery ! 

 There was an enthusiasm, an impulse, a joy, which 

 we all felt under the direct and spontaneous influence 

 of an instructing friend, a respected master." 



— The fifth international hygienic congress will be 

 held at The Hague from the 21st to the 23d of August, 

 under the presidence of the ministers J. Hemskerk 

 and de Beaufort. The work of the congress will be 

 divided into five sections, and lectures will be given 

 from three to four o'clock every afternoon. The prin- 

 cipal speakers will be L. Pasteur, on methods of infec- 

 tion ; H. Paechiotti of Turin, on the hygiene of the 

 future; Professor Finkelnburg of Bonn, on the influ- 

 ence of the microbe theory; Jules Rochard, on the 

 value of public hygiene ; Stephen Smith of New York, 

 on the medical professions in the United States; E. J. 

 Marey of Paris, on useful powers in the forward move- 

 ment; W. H. Corfield of London, on science and sick- 

 ness; E. Irelat of Paris, on hygiene in dwellings; J. 

 Crocq of Brussels, on drinking-water. Other lectures 

 will be given by Drs. Koch and Bockh of Berlin. 

 Applications for participation in the congress should 

 be addressed to Professor van Overbeck de Meijer of 

 Utrecht. 



— At a late session of the section of physical and 

 experimental science of the Royal society, Mr. G. 

 Johnstone Stoney, late astronomical assistant to the 

 Earl of Rosse, described a form of instrument which 

 had proved very successful in completing the optical 

 adjustment of reflecting-telescopes. The new colli- 

 mator which he invented as long ago as 1857 was 

 made by Mr. Grubb last autumn, and is a short-focus 

 telescope of two inches aperture and eleven inches 

 long, which, when used, is to be inserted into the eye- 

 piece-holder of the large reflector. A spark between 



