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occurred in California, Lower California, Mexico, Falfurrias, 
Texas, and Miami, Florida. Apparently only in exceptionally 
favorable circumstances, as in the present case, does it become 
epidemic and therefore of economic importance. . 
E, W. OLtrve, 
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. 
As is now well known, the National Academy of Sciences, at 
the request of the President of the United States, has appointed a 
National Research Council to assist and encourage scientific re- 
search. With this end in view, the council is collecting informa- 
tion concerning the research men and facilities available in the 
United States. Such information will be used to promote re- 
search in pure science, to stimulate investigational activity and co- 
operation along technical lines, and to aid in the solution of the 
scientific and technical problems of the government, with par- 
ticular reference to national defense. The chairman of the 
council is Professor George E. Hale. 
Blanks have been distributed to the scientific and higher educa- 
tional institutions of the country, asking them to appoint research 
committees to report on any research funds, and to indicate in 
what ways and to what extent, in view of existing war conditions, 
the men and facilities of the institution are available for problems 
relating to national defense. The research committee of the 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is composed of Dr. E, W. Olive 
(chairman), Dr. O, E. White, and the director of the Garden. 
A second blank .for ‘Departmental Report” has been dis- 
tributed, calling for fuller information as to research work now 
in progress, names and ages of investigators, the percentage of 
their time now devoted to research, their main line of research, 
and the percentage of their time that could be made available for 
national defense problems. Information is also requested con-— 
cerning special research equipment and facilities, the greatest 
research needs of the staff, the suggestion of research problems 
in pure science and directly for national defense, and the names 
of outside institutions with which staff members are now co- 
operating. 
