398 The American Geologist. December, 1902. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
The Hayden Memorial Medal for 1902 was conferred 
by the Philadelphia Acadeni}^ of Natural Science on Sir Arch- 
ibald Geikie. 
Prof. J. F. Kemp and Dr.- E. O. Hovey were recently 
elected respectively chairman and secretary for 1903 of the 
section of geology and mineralogy of the New York Academy 
of Sciences. 
Natural g.\s was developed recently by a well at Heath- 
field, Sussex, England, the capacity being fifteen million cubic 
feet per day. This is situated 46 miles from London, and the 
gas is derived from the Kimmeridge clays. 
Prof. A. W. Grabalv, of Columbia University, on Nov. 
19 gave a public address at the College of Physicians and 
Surgeons, New York, on "Illustrations of the law of Tachy- 
genesis, or acceleration of development." 
Dr. F. a. Wilder late of the Iowa survey has recently 
been appointed state geologist of North Dakota and professor 
of geology at the State University. The survey is an adjunct 
to the department of geology in the State University, located 
at Grand Forks. 
Geological Society of Washington. At the meeting on 
November 12th the following program was presented: "Ti- 
tanic iron ore from W\'oming," Waldermar Lindgren ; "Min- 
eral vein formation in Yellowstone Park," W. H. Weed; "A 
reconnaissance in the Mt. McKinley region, Alaska," Alfred 
H. Brooks. 
The American Association for the Advancement of 
Science will hold its fifty-second annual meeting at Washing- 
ton, D. C, Dec. 27 to Jan. 3. The "affiliated societies" number 
twenty-two and they will hold meetings at Washington the 
same week. Section E, (Geology) of the Association 
will hear the address of Prof. W. M. Davis, of Cam- 
bridge, Mass., who will also preside over the Section. The 
The Geological Society of America will be presided over by 
Prof. N. H. W^inchell, Minneapolis, who will give the annual 
presidential address. This society will meet in the hall of the 
United States Geological Survey. Prof. Winchell will discuss 
the question: IVas Man in America in the Glacial period f 
Mr. R. a. Blair died at his home in Sedalia, Mo., on the 
i8th of October. He had not been in good health for 6 
months and finally, after an illness of something like two 
weeks, died. He was about 60 years old. 
