246 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOUBNAL 



fin, comparatively high and broad. Stomach 

 examination shows that the Greenland scul- 

 pin had been feeding on small crustaceans 

 (resembling our shrimp and sand hoppers) 

 which abound in polar seas. They doubtless 

 will eat almost any creature that comes 

 within reach of their cavernous maws. 



Dk. C-E. a. Winslow, curator of the de- 

 partment of public health at the American 

 Museum, is serving as a member of two of 

 the subcommittees of the Medical Advisory 

 Board of the Council of National Defense, in 

 connection with nursing and child hygiene, 

 respectively. 



The department of invertebrate zoology 

 of the American Museum has just received 

 from Mr. Charles W. Leng an important ac- 

 cession of Coleoptera, adding more than 

 seven hundred species to the Museum's col- 

 lection. 



During January a new window group was 

 put on exhibition in the Darwin hall of the 

 American Museum, illustrating the animals 

 and plants of a tide pool on our northern 

 New England coast, based on studies made 

 by the department of invertebrate zoology 

 at Nahant, Massachusetts, during recent 

 years. It is the work of Messrs. Show 

 Shimotori, Chris E. Olsen, Herman Mueller, 

 and the late Ignaz Matausch, under the di- 

 rection of Mr. Eoy W. Miner. A more 

 detailed description of this group with illus- 

 trations will appear in an early number of 

 the Journal. 



Miss Mary Eliza Audubon, grand- 

 daughter of the famous naturalist, died on 

 November 23, 1917, at the home of her sister 

 in New Haven, Connecticut. Miss Audubon 

 was born in New York City, at Audubon 

 Park on the banks of the Hudson, then her 

 grandfather 's estate. She was a woman of 

 dignity, sweetness, and unselfishness. The 

 large painting entitled "Pheasants," the 

 work of Audubon, had been recently pre- 

 sented to the American Museum by Miss 

 Audubon, who was connected with the insti- 

 tution for many years as life member. 



When the ))uilding which stood at Broad- 

 way and Quincy Street, Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts, burned early in 1917, a notable 



landmark was thereby destroyed, one 

 which might well have been preserved for all 

 time as a monument to one of America's 

 famous men. For this house had been for 

 many years the home of Professor Louis 

 Agassiz, and after him of his son Alexander 

 for a longer period. Designed especially for 

 Professor Agassiz, it was occupied by him 

 from 1854 to 1873 and during that time was 

 the scene of many interesting events. It 

 was here between 18-55 and 1863 that hun- 

 dreds of young women received instruction 

 from the great naturalist, who was assisted 

 in his work by his wife and daughter. The 

 house was known as one of the most hos- 

 pitable homes in Cambridge and Boston. 

 Distinguished men of science were enter- 

 tained within its walls, and many a Harvard 

 man who was young at that time remembers 

 with pleasure its hospitalities. The land 

 upon which the house stood was bequeathed 

 by Alexander Agassiz to Harvard College. 

 It is hoped that when the war activities 

 which now engross the attention of the en- 

 tire university are no longer necessary plans 

 may be developed for marking the site of 

 the Agassiz House. 



On the evening of February 28, 1918, the 

 American Museum, in cooperation with dele- 

 gates from the New York Academy of Sci- 

 ences, the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, the New York 

 Mineralogical Club, and other institutions, 

 celebrated the 175th anniversary of the birth 

 of Abbe Bene Just Haiiy (174.3-1822), the 

 founder of crystallography. There were 

 read papers by George P. Kunz, Herbert P. 

 Whitlock, Edgar T. Wherry, Frank D. 

 Adams, Henry S. Washington, Alexander 

 Vachon, Edward H. Kraus, and Alexander 

 Hamilton Phillips, and one written for the 

 celebration by the late L. P. Gratacap was 

 also presented. An exhibition of books, por- 

 traits, and other memorabilia was arranged 

 in special cases in the mineralogical hall of 

 the Museum aud included one original letter 

 and two photostats of the only four letters 

 still in existence which were written by Abbe 

 Haiiy. 



With a knowledge of crystallography it 

 frequently requires but a glance to deter- 

 mine a mineral either by its crystalline form 

 or by its cleavage — or perhaps the measure- 

 ment of a few faces by a hand goniometer — 

 obtaining a result that can be verified chemi- 

 cally in a few minutes; whereas an analysis 



