possible that in aqueous acids we have present, not the ion H, but OH, or OH,. H. In each case the hydrogen ion would be associated with a molecule of the solvent. Besides these compounds which act as acids in water, there are other compounds not acids in aqueous solution, which act as acids in ammonia. Such, for example, are the acid amids and imids.

In acetamid we may, perhaps, assume

the ions CHI,CONH and H; in urea the ions HNCONH and H, as well as CO(NH), and 2H. Here the NH seems to play the same part as the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl of acetic or carbamic acid. When sodium is dissolved in liquid ammonia, it gradually decomposes it with the evolution of hydrogen and the formation of sodium amid, NaNH,. The reaction is of course exactly analogous to the action of sodium on water with the formation of sodium hydroxid, NaOH. The interesting point is that sodium amid in ammonia solution is a base, just as sodium hydroxid in water. It colors phenolphthalein and neutralizes the ammonia acids. Just as aqueous bases contain the OH ion, the ammonia bases contain the NH2 ion. When the bases react upon acids in liquid ammonia, salts are formed, which may be precipitated when insoluble, or left as crystals on evaporating the ammonia. Thus the reaction between acetamid and potassium amid may be expressed as follows:

CH.CONH.H+K.NH, =CH CONH.K+ NH. Salts of the strongly positive metals, as far as they are soluble, dissolve in ammonia as in water without change. Compounds of the negative elements are more or less completely hydrolyzed by water. The same compounds are ammonolyzed' by liquid ammonia. The analogy is shown by comparing the reactions:

AsCl, +3H. OH= As (OH) 3 + 3HC1 AsCl,+3H. NH2 = As (NH2)3 + 3HCl,

(3HCl + 3NH3=3NH,C1).

As the hydrolysis of SnCl, gives us not Sn(OH), but SnO(OH),, so the ammonolysis of PCI, gives not P(NH), but P(NH)NH,, and of SiS, gives Si(NH), rather than Si(NH,). As with hydrolysis so in ammonolysis the reaction need not go to com

pletion. In such a case we have in aqueous solution the precipitation of basic salts, and so here also are formed ammono-basic salts, which may be more or less de-ammoniated and hence appear as amins, imins or even as nitrils, that is, nitrids. The reaction of the formation of these basic salts is, as would be expected, reversible, and they can, after precipitation, be carried back into solution by an excess of ammono-acid,' that is, by an ammonium salt. This method of treatment seems to clear up very satisfactorily the mercury-ammonia compounds which have for nearly three quarters of a century been a stumbling block to chemists. They here appear to be ammono-basic salts, or mixed hydro- and ammono-basic salts, occasionally with ammonia of crystallization. They thus

fall completely in line with the many and more familiar hydro-basic compounds of mer

cury.

It is a large field which has thus been opened by Franklin, and one which will require much work, of great experimental difficulty, before it is satisfactorily worked over, but what has been already done has served to greatly broaden our knowledge of solutions.

J. L. H.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF

ANATOMISTS.

THE first meeting of the Congrès fédératif international d'Anatomie was held in Geneva, and commenced on the morning of Sunday, August 6, by the opening of an exhibition of specimens and appliances illustrating recent progress in anatomy. The congress closed on the evening of Thursday, August 10, when three hundred members and adherents of the congress were entertained by the city of Geneva at an official banquet. The congress represented a conjoint meeting of the five leading anatomical societies-the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Anatomische Gesellschaft, Association des Anatomistes, Association of American Anatomists and the Unione Zooligica Italiana. 1 From Nature.

Almost every country was represented. Switzerland itself contributed more than 100 members, France 66, Germany and Austria 36, Great Britain and Colonies 23, Italy 11, America 3, and other countries 16. The largest contributors to the proceedings of the congress, however, were the Germans; out of a total of 117 communications, 32 were made by them, 31 by the French, 18 by the British, 15 by the Swiss, 8 by Italians, 5 by Swedes, and 2 by Americans.

From every point of view the congress was a success. Anatomy is peculiarly susceptible of international treatment, the subjects for description and discussion being concrete and capable of direct demonstration. The language difficulty certainly hindered a free discussion on more than one occasion; for instance, on the second day, a speaker, after giving his communication in French, listened most attentively to a vigorous criticism in German, and, bowing profoundly, replied, 'Je ne comprends pas l'allemand.' With an agenda list overloaded with 117 communications, there was a grave risk of disorganization. Thanks to the complete arrangements made by the committee of organization, presided over by Professor A. Êternod, of Geneva, and to the perfect arrangement of business by the president of the secrétariat, Professor von Bardeleben, the proceedings of the congress made an even and steady progress. The success of the congress must also be ascribed to Professor Nicholas, of Nancy, secretary of the French society; English members were indebted to Professor Symington, president of the British society, and to Dr. Christopher Addison, its secretary. Each day's work was divided into two parts; the morning was devoted to papers, ten minutes being allowed for each communication, and three minutes to any member who wished to criticize; the afternoon was set aside for exhibition of new specimens and demonstrations of the material on which the communications of the morning were based, and this was by far the most instructive and profitable part of the day's work. The Swiss cow-bell employed by the president of each day's proceedings (for the

president of each society acted in turn as chairman) to warn the speaker that he had reached the limit of his allotted time, bound the members of the congress by a common sense of humor and materially aided the success of the meeting. In spite of the entente cordiale, the British anatomists associated more closely with the German than with the French members of the congress-an association determined, for the greater part, by the fact that the Germans were the superior linguists.

or crew.

The members of the congress took part in the dedication of a monument to the memory of Professor Hermann Fol, who set sail from Havre in his yacht, l'Aster, in the spring of 1892 to investigate the fauna of the Mediterranean. From the day he sailed until now not a single trace has been discovered of ship The members of the congress were lavishly entertained by Madame Fol. The congress placed a wreath on the bust of the Swiss physiologist Servetus, who discovered the pulmonary circulation in the sixteenth century, and was burned at the stake by Calvin because, so it is said, he denied the existence of the Trinity. A wreath was placed by the British section of the congress on the spot where he was burned, this gracious act being prompted by Professor Dixon, of Trinity College, Dublin.

The congress was a social as well as a scientific success. An invitation from American

anatomists to meet at Boston in 1907 was declined, as it was felt that at least a space of five years should intervene between each congress. A permanent committee for the organization of the next congress was formed by the nomination of five men, one from each of the five affiliated societies. It is intended to bring out a bulletin containing the proceedings and transactions of the congress, to which purpose part of the sum (11,000 francs) raised by subscription in Geneva to meet the expenses of the congress will be devoted. When it becomes the turn of London to entertain this congress, it will not be found an easy matter to attain the standard of hospitality which has been set by Geneva.

MAGNETIC AND ALLIED OBSERVATIONS DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

OF AUGUST 30, 1905.

THE stations finally decided upon by the department of terrestrial magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington in order to provide for the proper distribution and successful study of the subject under investigation were as follows:

Labrador: Battle Harbor (magnetograph, atmospheric electricity observations and declination eye-readings, the whole under the direction of J. E. Burbank, assisted by Messrs. Bowen and Homrighaus) and Turnavik (magnetic declination eye-readings by Mr. G. L. Hosmer, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Both parties were supplied with full sets of absolute instruments with which important magnetic secular variation and magnetic distribution data will be obtained en route and returning. As the Canadian magnetic expedition, under the direction of Professor Stupart, located its station in Labrador within the belt of totality, the above stations were selected so as to have one immediately south of the belt and the other about the same distance north. Dr. W. G. Cady, of Wesleyan University, furthermore, made magnetic observations at Black Point, Nova Scotia, and Dr. L. A. Bauer, assisted by Professor W. C. Bauer, of Baker University, observed at Missinabi, Ontario, Canada.

In addition, Professors Elster, Geitel and Harms made atmospheric electricity observations at Palma, Majorca. It was also found that the department could avail itself of the skill and experience of Professor Palazzo, director of the meteorological and magnetic service of Italy, and so made arrangements for magnetic, electric and meteorological observations under his direction at Tripoli.

Observations were made under the auspices of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey at Pembina, North Dakota, by Professor H. W. Fisk, of Fargo College; at Wausau, Wisconsin, by Mr. C. C. Craft; at Colebrook, New Hampshire, by Dr. G. B. Pegram, of Columbia University, and at the various magnetic observatories. At the Cheltenham Mag

netic Observatory both special magnetic and electric observations were made under the direction of the observer-in-charge, Mr. W. F. Wallis.

At all of these stations the assigned program of work as published in SCIENCE was successfully carried out.

These stations in addition to those by other countries will afford a unique and most valuable collection of data covering the entire belt of totality. The hearty cooperation secured from foreign countries has been very gratifying, some of them going to considerable expense and pains. To cite but one instance, Russia in order to complete the distribution of stations along the belt of totality, sent under the auspices of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, an expedition specially equipped for magnetic work and placed it under the direction of one of its most experienced magneticians, M. Dubinsky, in charge of the Pawlovsk Magnetic Observatory. Other European countries were no less zealous and likewise either sent special expeditions equipped for magnetic and electric work under the direction of able and experienced observers or made special arrangements for careful and comprehensive observations at their home stations.

According to the reports already received from observers in the United States and Canada, the eclipse interval was a rather disturbed one, due to a cosmic magnetic storm, the magnetic disturbances having in fact begun several days before the day of the eclipse. During the night of August 29 and 30, brilliant polar lights were visible at the northern stations.

At the writer's station (Missinabi, Canada, 48° 28'.6 N. and 5h 33.9m west of Greenwich) in addition to the disturbances already referred to, there was a smaller fluctuation about the time of maximum obscuration of the sun of the character and amount to be expected as the eclipse effect-as judged by previous eclipses. However, whether this particular fluctuation is really to be referred to the eclipse can not be stated definitely until the records have come in from other stations. If it is found that the characteristic features of

A NATIONAL Conference of Trustees of American Colleges and Universities will be held at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, beginning Tuesday, October 17, 1905. All trustees of such institutions and all persons who have served as trustees are cordially invited to attend.

The sessions will be held during the week in which Dr. Edmund J. James will be formally inaugurated as president of the University of Illinois. The members of the conference will be invited to attend the exercises connected with the inauguration. This will give the members of the conference an opportunity to meet representative men, presidents and professors, from many different institutions, who will be in attendance as delegates, and also to inspect the work of one of the larger of the state universities.

It is well known that the method of governing higher institutions of learning by boards of trustees, that is, bodies of non-expertslaymen, so to speak, in the field of education, -is peculiarly American.

In England the old universities are selfgoverning bodies, controlled largely by the faculties; in France and Germany they are departments of the government, and so far as they are not directly under the control of the government, they are autonomous, that is, ruled by the faculties. In the United States alone we felt it necessary to create a third organ, an independent, often self-renewing

body of non-experts, in whose hands the entire legal control has usually been placed.

Many authorities regard this as a most satisfactory method; others find in it some of the most serious weaknesses of our American system of higher education; all believe that the problems connected with such a plan of control are far from being worked out satisfactorily.

This conference has been called for the purpose of discussing some of the most important questions of college and university administration, involving the relations of trustees, presidents and faculties. Among the questions which will be discussed are the following:

1. What should be the real administrative body of a college or university, the faculty or the trustees?

Should the trustees limit their functions to selecting a faculty and then vest in the latter the actual administration, or should the board itself undertake to administer the institution, either as a body or through its committees ?

2. Should the president of the institution be the sole advisory authority to the board of trustees, or should the other administrative officers, or the various faculties, be consulted? 3. Should the faculty be authorized to nominate men to the board for vacancies, or should that be done by the president or by the committees, or by the members of the board?

(C)

4. How should trustees be selected? (A) By cooperation? (B) By the alumni? By outside authority? (1) In case of private institutions, by the church or other body? (2) In case of state institutions: (a) Appointed by the governor? (b) Elected by the people? (c) Or ex officio, e. g., governor, superintendent of public instruction, etc.?

5. Should the trustees assume entire control of the financial administration, or should they allow the faculties to have a representation also, by allowing them to submit a budget either by departments or as a whole?

6. Should the trustees, if they reserve the financial authority, undertake to determine the budget in all its details, or should they simply distribute by departments and leave it to the individual departments to make detailed distribution?

7. Should the trustees of all institutions, public and private alike, be required by law to file full financial statements with some public authority and publish the same?

8. Should the alumni have some formally recognized place in the scheme of government of the institution? If so, what?

9. Should the student body have formal recognition in the scheme of government by being privileged to appoint representatives to any disciplinary or administrative body?

10. Is it possible to devise uniform methods of bookkeeping and statistics, so as to make comparisons more valuable?

It will be seen that these are all vital questions, indicating difficulties which every board of trustees has to meet. It is believed that every university or college trustee will derive great aid in the performance of his duties by attending this conference and exchanging views on these important topics.

Urbana, in which the University of Illinois is located, forms with its adjoining city, Champaign, a single community of about twenty thousand inhabitants. It is situated 128 miles due south of Chicago, at the junction of three great railway systems, the Illinois Central, the Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and St. Louis (Big Four), and the Wabash railways, and is thus easy of access from every direction.

Persons desiring to attend this conference should notify the undersigned as soon as possible. Suggestions as to other desirable topics for discussion will be thankfully received. Address:

DAVID KINLEY, Dean of the College of Literature and Arts, University of Illinois,

Urbana, Illinois.

THE HARVEY SOCIETY. THE Harvey Society, described by its constitution as 'a society for the diffusion of the knowledge of the medical sciences,' offers the following course of lectures which are to be given under the patronage of the New York Academy of Medicine:

February 16, Professor T. H. Morgan, The Extent and Limitations of the Power to Regenerate in Man and other Vertebrates.'

February 23, Professor Charles S. Minot, 'On the Nature and Cause of Old Age.'

March 2, Professor J. C. Webster, 'Modern Views regarding Placentation.'

March 9, Professor Theobald Smith, 'Some Phases of Tuberculosis.'

March 16, Professor W. H. Howell, 'The Cause of the Heart Beat.'

The lectures will be held in the Academy of Medicine at half past eight on the above evenings during the winter. In the Sorbonne at Paris courses of lectures by distinguished Frenchmen and men of other lands are given with the object of bringing science before those engaged in practise and art of various pursuits. The aim of the Harvey Society is similar in character. The Harvey Society cordially invites all interested to attend this

course.

SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS.

DR. W J MCGEE, U. S. Commissioner of the International Archeological and Ethnological Commission, lately chief of the department of anthropology and ethnology of the St. Louis Exposition and ethnologist in charge of the Bureau of American Ethnology, has been appointed managing director of the St. Louis Public Museum.

H. FOSTER BAIN, Ph.D. (Chicago), geologist of the U. S. Geological Survey and formerly assistant state geologist of Iowa, has been appointed state geologist of Illinois.