NOTES. 733 



of seed and plant introduction; J. INI. de JVIarcaida, assistant to expert in seed and 

 plant introduction; Alfred M. Sanchez, soil physicist; A. J. Washburn, manager of 

 stock farm on the island of Culion; Thomas L. Richmond, superintendent of Malate 

 experiment station; George M. Havice, in charge of San Eamon government farm; 

 James H. Shipley, expert in plant culture, in charge of experiment station work in 

 Batangas; Thomas Hanley, expert in tropical agriculture, in charge of experiments in 

 Benguet Province; C. E. Miles, in charge of rice farm at Murcia, Tarlac Province. 

 The position of director of the agricultural college and experiment station in Western 

 Negros was made vacant at the beginning of the year by the resignation of A. P. 

 Hayne, who has engaged in private work. The botanical work in charge of E. D. 

 Merrill was transferred to the Bureau of Government Laboratories last July. Prof. F. 

 Lamson-Scribner, who organized the Bureau of Agriculture and has been for the past 

 two years its chief, has returned to this country on leave of absence. 



New agricultural institutions for India. — ^Mention was made some months since of an 

 endowment for agricultural work in India which had been given by Mr. Henry 

 Phipps, of Pittsburg. The travel letters of Wilham E. Curtis give a more detailed 

 account of the plan of organization. It appears that Mr. Phipps placed at the dis- 

 posal of Lord Curzon $100,000, to which he has since added $50,000, to be devoted to 

 whatever object of public utility in the direction of scientific research the viceroy 

 might consider most useful and expedient. The council of state took the subject in 

 hand and have arranged for the organization of an agricultural institution at Pusa, 

 which will include a central research station, a high-grade agricultural college, an 

 experimental farm, and a cattle-breeding farm. Whatever funds are necessary to carry 

 out the jiroject, in addition to 3Ir. Phipps's donation, will be supplied from the 

 imperial treasury. 



A Mr. Coventry, a planter of experience, who came to India in 1880 as manager of 

 a large estate in Southern Bengal, has been selected as director. Other members of 

 the staff are now being selected, and so far as possible natives will be secured to fill 

 these positions. It is proposed to place the agricultural college upon a higher grade 

 than has been reached by any of the agricultural schools in India, the object being 

 not only to provide for the reform of the agricultural methods of the country, but 

 also to furnish a model for and raise the standard of the provincial schools. It is 

 proposed to have a course of 5 years for the training of teachers for other institu- 

 tions and specialists needed in the various branches of science connected with the 

 agricultural department, who are now usually imported from Europe. For young 

 men who desire only to train themselves for the management of estates a three-years' 

 course will be offered, with practical work upon the farm and in the stable. 



The draft horse in action. — The American jNIuseum of Natural History, in New 

 York City, is fitting up an alcove showing the evolution of the horse. This will 

 consist of two series of mounted specimens, the first of fossil horses and of the wild 

 horses, asses, and zebras so far as they can be secured, to show the evolution of the 

 horse in a state of nature; the second of the domesticated horse, showing the modi- 

 fications of the skeleton as brought about by the artificial selection of man. The 

 three types selected to show the varieties of the domesticated horse are the Perche- 

 ron, to illustrate the draft horse; the race horse, to show the swiftest form, and the 

 Shetland pony, to show the smallest and least powerful. The expense of preparing 

 the exhibits in this alcove has been borne by the late William C. Whitney, who was 

 a trustee of the museum, and much interested in this subject. 



The latest addition to the alcove is the skeleton of a Percheron horse which in life 

 weighed 2,160 pounds, and was 5 feet 60 inches in height at the withers. The skele- 

 ton was mounted by S. H. Chubb, and illustrates the position in drawing a heavy 

 load. Preparatory to the mounting, Mr. Chubb took a large series of photographs 

 of the side, front, and rear views of similar horses hauling heavy loads, in order to 

 ascertain as nearly as possible the position of every part of the skeleton when the 



