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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



in textiles at the American Museum of 

 Natural History. 



A SPIRIT of hearty cooperation with the 

 reptile work in the American Museum has 

 been evinced by museum authorities in New 

 Zealand, with the object of obtaining for the 

 Museum in the United States materials and 

 accessories for the construction of a habitat 

 group of the reptile Sphenodon. Photographs 

 of Karewa Island, in the Bay of Plenty, 

 where these animals occur, together with bo- 

 tanical and other specimens, have already 

 been received, through the curator of the 

 Canterbury Museum at Christchurch, New 

 Zealand, from Mr. R. W. B. Oliver, of Auck- 

 land, a most competent observer, who sends 

 also valuable notes and descriptions. This 

 and other material to be shipped later will en- 

 able the American Museum to make available 

 to the public in the near future a study group 

 of the world's most interesting living reptile. 



Dr. Maurice C. Tanquary, the first to 

 return from the Crocker Land expedition, 

 on which he served as zoologist, has been 

 appointed assistant professor of entomology 

 in the Kansas State Agricultural College. 



The treaty between Canada and the United 

 States for federal protection of migratory 

 birds, now become law in both countries, was 

 actively supported by practically every 

 national, state, and local organization inter- 

 ested in the protection of wild bird and ani- 

 mal life. Prominent among these may be 

 mentioned the American Game Protective 

 and Propagation Association, the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies, and the 

 more than one hundred state and local organi- 

 zations affiliated with it, and the New York 

 Zoological Society. The treaty provides: 

 First, that no migratory bird important to 

 agriculture because of insect-destroying pro- 

 clivities shall be shot at any time. Second, 

 that no open season for any species of game 

 bird shall extend for a longer period than three 

 and one-half months. Third, that both coun- 

 tries shall so restrict open seasons on game 

 birds as to prevent their being taken during 

 the breeding season. After the success of 

 this important measure, for which the people 

 of this country owe a profound debt of grati- 

 tude to the President and Senate, and espe- 

 cially to Senator George P. McLean, it comes 

 as a surprise to learn that the continued exis- 

 tence of Lake Malheur in southeastern Oregon 



is threatened — one of the largest wild-fowl 

 reservations and a natural refuge and breeding 

 place for thousands of water fowl. A pro- 

 ject on foot in Oregon would drain the lake 

 and use the land, and application has been 

 made to the federal authorities to achieve this 

 end. It is much to be hoped that this valu- 

 able reservation, which now attracts large 

 numbers of wild fowl from Canada, will not 

 be suffered to disappear. 



The New York State College of Forestry 

 in cooperation with the Lake Placid Club 

 conducted a "forest week" at Lake Placid in 

 the Adirondacks, July 24-28. Round table 

 discussions in the morning, field studies in 

 the afternoon, and an address illustrated by 

 lantern slides and motion pictures, in the 

 evening, constituted each day's program. 

 Addresses were given by Mr. Melvil Dewey, 

 president of the Lake Placid Club; Dr. Hugh 

 P. Baker, dean of the New York State College 

 of Forestry; Dr. J. S. Whipple, president of 

 the New York State Forestry Association; 

 Clifford R. Pettis, director of the forestry 

 division. New York State Conservation 

 Commission; Professor Henry R. Francis, 

 landscape engineer of the New York State 

 College of Forestry; Dr. John H. Finley, 

 commissioner of education, Albany, New 

 York, and Mr. Benton MacKaye, of the 

 United States Forest Service, Washington, 

 D. C. This is the first time a Forest Chau- 

 tauqua has been held in the Adirondacks and 

 its notable success has already suggested 

 plans for a repetition next year. 



At the time of the ammunition works ex- 

 plosion on Black Tom Island, New Jersey, it 

 was extensively noted in the public press that 

 the seismograph at ' the American Museum 

 did not record any unusual occurrence. In 

 this connection it may be of interest to men- 

 tion that a seismograph is designed to register 

 earth movements, and the instrument at the 

 Museum is tuned to record only such move- 

 ments. The explosion of the ammunition 

 plant produced very little if any movement of 

 the earth, the damage done and the principal 

 effects being due to air concussion. This 

 would not affect any seismograph, and such 

 slight earth motion as may have been due 

 to the explosion was too local and incon- 

 siderable to be recorded. 



Mr. Roy W. Miner spent several weeks 

 of the summer at Nahant, Massachusetts, 



