Personal and Scientiiic News- 341 
vate a small basin now known as "the pond hole." Another 
ledge of hard rock, another descent and the old glacier tra- 
versed the basin of the lower Salmon. 
A lateral spur of considerable hight separates the Salmon 
lakes from Gold lake. Gold lake is a larger sheet of water 
than any of the others mentioned. Like the others, however, 
it occupies the bed of a glacier, the former presence of which 
is attested by magnificent examples of glacier-planing on the 
crystalline rock masses about its outlet. 
A GENEROUS GIFT OF $150,000 was made recently to the Uni- 
versity of Minnesota by ex-governor and regent John S, 
Pillsbury, of Minneapolis. It was conditioned only on the 
pledge by the Legislature that the university should not be 
weakened by the division of the funds that now constitute its 
endowment, but that the so-called agricultural land grant 
(under the law of congress of 1861) should remain inseparably 
connected with the university proper. This pledge the Legis- 
lature gave. The gift will be used, as intended, to complete 
and furnish the new Science Hall. At the university of Cali- 
fornia the Lick astronomical observatory was the result of a 
large private donation. At Madison, Wisconsin, the Wash- 
burn observatory was largely the gift of the citizen whose name 
it bears, and citizens of Michigan erected and furnished the 
Detroit observatory at the university of Michigan. The dona- 
tion of Gov. Pillsbury, however, seems to be the first of impor- 
tance to a state university in behalf of what are generally 
known as natural sciences. 
The committee appointed to aeeange the meeting of the 
International Congress of Geologists for 1891 met in Washing- 
ton April 20 and elected the following officers : Permanent 
chairman, professor J. S. Newberry, vice-chairman, G. K. Gil- 
bert, secretary, H. S. Williams. The committee also added to 
its number the following gentlemen : Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, 
Prof. E. D. Cope and Dr. Persifor Frazer. Provision was 
made for three sub-committees, (1) on the scientific pro- 
gramme of the congress, (2) on excursions and (3) on arrange- 
ments in Philadelphia. The committee adjourned to meet at 
Philadelphia in ISI'ovemlier at the time of meeting of the 
National Academy. A majority of the committee were present 
at the Washington meeting. 
Department of Geology in the University of Nebraska. 
For some years subsequent to the organization of the Uni- 
versity of Nebraska in 1871 instruction in geology was included 
in the duties appertaining to the chair of natural sciences 
which was filled by Prof Samuel Aughey. Notwithstanding 
his multifarious duties he made a creditable beginning both in 
geological field work and instruction. Chemistry, botany and 
physics were successively constituted separate and indepen- 
dent departments. Zoology is still nominally attached to the 
chair of geology but is practically a distinct department. 
