December 22, 1904] 



NA TURE 



187 



two women which, owing to the foresight of the late Prof. 

 Struthers and of Prof. Reid, have been slowly accumulated 

 and safely preserved in the anatomical museum of the 

 university. These prehistoric Aberdonians were of low 

 stature (s feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches), with rounded heads 

 which measured in breadth from 82 per cent, to 85 per cent, 

 of their length. One can see, by referring to " An Analysis 

 ■of .Anthropometric Statistics," a contribution made to this 

 volume of the Proceedings by Mr. John Gray, that only 

 about 12 per cent, of the present inhabitants of Aberdeenshire 

 possess heads which, in the proportion of their diameters, 

 resemble those of the prehistoric race. Further, it is 

 evident that the present inhabitants of Aberdeenshire stand, 

 as regards the diameter of the head — the only racial 

 characteristic that can be dealt with — in an intermediate 

 position between the long-headed highlanders of the west 

 of Scotland and the short-headed prehistoric people of the 

 ■east coast. The natural inference appears to be that the 

 present race of the north-east of Scotland is the result of a 

 fusion of the east and west types — but the west has exerted 

 the stronger influence. One of the two female skulls de- 

 scribed by Dr. Low is that of a woman who, in shape of 

 head, belonged to the west rather than to the east type. 

 She may have been an exceptional member of the " short- 

 cyst " race, but it is more probable that she was a western 

 woman captured by the eastern invaders. Those who seek 

 to discover the factors which determine the shape of the head 

 will find most valuable material in the fourteen plates con- 

 tributed by Prof. Reid. They represent serial sections of 

 the heads of two subjects which had been very successfully 

 prepared. 



In these Proceedings one can recognise the influence that 

 the .\natomical Society exerts on the medical graduates of 

 Aberdeen. A skeleton of a Chinese coolie sent from Singa- 

 pore, a Boxer's skull brought from north China, five Wa 

 Kamba skulls and ten Wasoga crania collected in Uganda, 

 provide material for the junior members to examine and 

 report on. A paper contributed by Dr. F. W. Moir contains 

 the results of a prolonged study of the people of Ashanti. 

 Is it not strange that the University of London, in the very 

 centre of the Empire, offers no such stimulus to its medical 

 graduates as is given in Aberdeen? When the board of 

 studies for human anatomy and morphology was recently 

 constituted in the University of London the study of human 

 races was, for all practical purposes, completely excluded. 



The eyesight of the people in the north-east of Scotland 

 is remarkably good. Drs. Usher and Stoddart found, from 

 the examination of 400 students, that 15 per cent, were 

 myopic or short sighted ; Fuchs found in Germany that 

 <io per cent, of students at a corresponding age were myopic ; 

 Norris and Oliver give 28 per cent, as the corresponding 

 figure for American students. About three in every hundred 

 of the .-Yberdeen school children are myopic ; the proportion 

 in Edinburgh is almost twice that number. .Seven per cent. 

 of the .Aberdeen police are short-sighted. 



In conclusion, it is to be hoped that the oblivion which 

 so frequently overtakes the Proceedings of local societies, 

 because of their inaccessibility to other workers, will spare 

 the Proceedings of which this volume is but one of a series. 



HYDROLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



"T^HE Geological Survey Department of the United States 

 embraces much wider duties than those covered by the 

 similar department in this country, and the following notes 

 upon some of the various matters with which it deals, and 

 of the trouble taken to afford information as to the mineral 

 resources and water supply of America, may be of interest. 



The United States Geological Survey Department was 

 created by an Act of Congress in 1879. From time to time 

 its duties, as originally set out, have been considerably 

 extended. For administrative 'purposes the survey is now 

 divided into branches and divisions, comprising geology, 

 topography, hydrography, with offices charged with 

 administration and the publication of maps and reports. 



The department of the Geological Survey has charge and 

 classification of all public lands ; the examination of the 

 geological structure, mineral resources, and the products of 



NO. 1834, VOL. 71] 



the national domains ; the survey of forest reserves and the 

 preparation of topographic and geologic maps. The hydro- 

 graphic and hydrological branch has charge of all investi- 

 gations relating to the occurrence of water as a mineral and 

 as a source of wealth to the country. It is engaged in 

 making systematic measurements of the rivers and streains 

 throughout the States, and of the flow of water and the 

 supply available, whether for domestic use or as a source 

 of power. It also, through the Reclamation Service, pre- 

 pares plans for the construction of reservoirs, canals, and 

 other works for the irrigation of arid lands, of which there 

 are very large areas in America, and superintends the carry- 

 ing out of works that have been decided on for reclamation. 



To show the thorough way in which the work of the 

 department is carried out and the pains taken to ensure 

 efficiency, recently a conference was called by the chief 

 engineer for the purpose of enabling the heads of the 

 engineering staff of the Reclamation Service (twenty-five in 

 number) to become acquainted with their work, and of ex- 

 changing views and information as to the works in hand 

 and those planned for the future, and so secure uniformity 

 of method in carrying out their work. At this conference 

 an address was given by the chief engineer on the duties 

 of the officers engaged in the work, and papers were read 

 by the engineers having charge of the various works in 

 execution. A record of these proceedings, with copies of 

 the papers and other information, is given in one of the 

 State papers issued by the department.' 



Nearly two hundred engineers, hydrographers, and topo- 

 graphers are in the employ of the Reclamation Department 

 alone, and comprehensive instructions are issued as to the 

 management of the works, rates of pay for assistants and 

 workmen, and other matters. One condition laid down by 

 the State is that in all constructive work eight hours shall 

 constitute a day's work for all labourers and mechanics. 



For the use of the staff engaged in the hydrological 

 department a manual ^ has been issued containing instruc- 

 tions as to the proper method of taking observations and 

 the best form of float and current meters to be used under 

 different conditions, with illustrations of the different kinds 

 of meters in use and the method of using the same from 

 bridge, cable, and boat stations ; forms of reports, diagrams 

 of discharge and current observations ; with formulje and 

 tables to be used in computations. 



From time to time the reports sent in by the staff as to 

 the results of the various surveys and works going on are 

 issued by the department, some of which, relating to water 

 supply and irrigation, the relation of rainfall to run 

 off and the floods in the Mississippi, have been noticed in 

 Nature of January 7, July 28, and November 3, the last re- 

 ports, Nos. 89, 90, gi, being on the water resources of the 

 Salinas Valley, the geology and water resources of the 

 lower James River Valley, and on the natural features and 

 economic development of drainage areas in Ohio.' 



1 " Proceedings of the Fiist Conference of Engineers of the Reclamation 

 Service, with accompanying Papers " Compiled by F. H. Newell. Water 

 Supply and Irrigation Paper, No. 93. (Washington : Government Printing 

 Office, 1904.) 



- " Hydrographic Manual of the U.S. Geological Survey." Water Supply 

 Papers, No 94. 



' " On Destructive Floods in the United States in 1903 ": "On the Pro- 

 gress of Stream Measurements for 1903": "Underground Waters in 

 Southern Louisiana": "Contributions to the Hydrology of the Eastern 

 United States in 1903 "; " The Underground Waters of Arizona." 



" Water Resources of the Salinas Valley, California." Paper No, 89. 



"Geology and Water Resources of the Lower James River Valley." Water 

 Supply and Irrigation Paper, No. 90. 



" The Natural Features and Economic Development of the Sandusky, 

 Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami Drainage Areas in Ohio." Water Supply 

 and Irrigation Paper, No. 9r. 



" Destructive Floods in the United States in tgos " By E. C. Murphy 

 Paper No. 96. 



" Report on the Progress of Stream Measurements for the Calendar Year 

 1903." ByJ. C. Hayl. Paper No. 97. 



" Report on the Progress of Stream Measurements for the Calendar Year 

 1903." By J. C. Hayt. Paper No. 98. 



"Underground Waters of Southern Louisiana." By G. D. Harris. 

 Paper No, loi. 



" Contributions to the Hydrology of Eastern United States." By M. L. 

 Fuller. Paper No. 102. 



"The Underground Waters of Gila Valley, Arizona." By W. T. Lee. 

 Paper No. 104. (Washington ; Government Printing Office, 1904.) 



