608 
NA BORE 
[APRIL 25, 1907 
a favourite researching ground in America. Few of 
its larger universities are without observatories, 
and many of the smaller colleges possess them also. 
The institution seems to aim at extensive schemes 
which are beyond the scope of the universities. In 
the department of solar physics 28,oool. has been 
expended on the buildings and equipment of the 
Mount Wilson Observatory, and the year’s work 
under Prof. Hale includes photography of the sun 
and of the spectra of sun-spots and flocculi, spectro- 
scopic study of solar rotation, and bolographic study 
of solar absorption. It is interesting to note that, 
notwithstanding its princely endowment, the institu- 
tion is glad to announce a gift of goool. for the pro- 
vision of a mirror of 1oo inches aperture for a great 
reflecting telescope, to be used for the analysis of the 
light from faint stars and nebula. The second astro- 
nomical department, that of meridian astronomy, has 
been organised in the present year, and Prof. L. Boss 
has been appointed, with an appropriation of 40,000l., 
to superintend the preparation of a catalogue giving 
the precise positions of all stars down to the seventh 
magnitude. As an essential feature of the work he 
is to establish a temporary observatory in the 
southern hemisphere. 
In the department of geophysics, the work has 
been conducted hitherto by individuals. But their 
investigations on the flow of rocks, the elasticity and 
plasticity of solids, and mineral solution and fusion 
under high temperatures and pressures, have been so 
successful that an appropriation of 30,0001. has been 
made for the purchase of a site in Azadia, D.C., and 
for the building and equipment of a laboratory. In 
another geophysical department, that of terrestrial 
magnetism, Dr. L. A. Bauer, with a grant of 
11,000l., has been carrying out a magnetic survey 
of the Pacific Ocean, as well as of the island of 
Hainan and a number of islands of the southern 
Pacific. 
There are five biological departments. The widest 
in scope is that of experimental evolution, under the 
direction of Prof. Davenport, who has been provided 
with a laboratory specially designed for the study 
of the phenomena of heredity, hybridisation, and 
mutation, ‘‘by substantially the same methods as 
those applied to the stars by the astronomer or by 
the chemist to inorganic matter.’? The director is 
hopeful of success, and has already some results to 
report; but he points out that ‘‘a decade is the 
smallest convenient unit of time for measuring the 
progress of the more important investigations now 
under way.’’ The department of marine biology is 
under the direction of Dr. A. G. Mayer, who has 
been provided with vessels, buildings, and docks, and 
with the aid of specialist guests is studying the fauna 
of the Florida coast. More novel in its aim is the 
department of desert botany, which has a domain 
and buildings in Arizona, and is directed by Dr. D, T. 
MacDougall. It is devoted to research on the flora 
of arid regions, and the influence of altitude and 
climate on vegetation. The director is establishing 
small plantations at various heights above sea-level, 
and denuding areas here and there that he may study 
their re-occupation by desert plants. He is also 
*making systematic observations on the shores of an 
accidentally formed lake, 500 square miles in area, in 
the Salton Basin, California. The channel between 
the lalke and the Colorado River, by the overflow of 
which it was formed, has now been closed, and 
during the gradual disappearance of the lake the 
re-occupation by desert vegetation of the areas left 
bare by the recession of the water is to be studied. 
The department of horticulture is on more ordinary 
lines, plant, flower, and fruit development forming 
its scheme of work. The department of nutrition is 
NO. 1956, VOL. 75] 
less conventional in its character, its aim being to 
extend our knowledge of the physics and chemistry 
of normal nutrition and of the conditions and 
remedies for abnormal nutrition. As in previous 
years, its work is entrusted to individual investigators 
—three, working on distinct lines—at whose disposal 
a sum of 3oool, has been placed, but the provision 
of a special laboratory is under consideration.! 
Finally, we have the related departments of 
historical research and of economics and sociology. 
Prof. J. F. Jameson, who directs the former, is 
engaged mainly in the preparation and publication of 
guides to the materials for American history to be 
found in the archives of Washington, Cuba, Great 
Britain, and Spain, to be extended as soon as possible 
to France, Mexico, and Rome, also in the publication 
of documents bearing upon the history of the United 
States. About 3000]. has been allotted to this de- 
partment during the year. In economics and 
sociology, Dr. C. D. Wright and his 130 collabor- 
ators, with a grant of about 6oo00l., have been making 
a bibliographic index to the public documents of 
the various States of the Union, and are studying 
population and immigration, agriculture and irriga- 
tion, manufactures, transportation, labour and in- 
dustrial movements, taxation, and the negro problem, 
with a host of questions which these subjects 
suggest, ranging from railway pools to the need of 
church federation in. Vermont. 
It will be noticed that in the selection of larger 
projects the trustees have kept in view Mr. Carnegie’s 
expressed wish that not merely knowledge itself, but 
the application of knowledge to the improvement of 
mankind, should be advanced. Most of the depart- 
ments which have been organised have a distinct 
practical bearing, and some, such as the desert 
botany and the terrestrial magnetism departments, 
have blocked out work of great importance from both 
points of view. That the “‘ mankind ”’ of the articles 
of incorporation is being interpreted in the first 
instance in a somewhat local sense is natural. 
Charity begins at home. And it must be remembered 
that we are all interested in the ocean magnetic 
fields in which the great Republic has a_ special 
interest, that we must all benefit by a thorough 
knowledge of the history and the social condition of 
the United States, and that year by year we are all 
becoming more painfully affected by those abnormali- 
ties of nutrition to which the strenuous life of her 
citizens is supposed to give rise. 
Little space remains to notice another department 
of the work of the institution, viz. the issue and 
distribution of publications. So far, fifty-seven 
volumes have been published, and thirty-one are now 
in the press. During 1906 nineteen volumes appeared, 
the expenditure on them being about 85o0ol. Lists of 
the publications are sent to about 10,000 individuals 
and institutions, but as the standard edition is 1000 
copies only, but one-tenth of the 1ro,ooo can be ex- 
pected to respond. This restriction to 1000 copies is 
the most un-American feature of the policy of the 
institution, and in the interests of the advancement 
of knowledge is to be regretted. No doubt even an 
endowment of 2,000,0001. gives a limited income. 
But if the scientific work which it produces is of 
value, the publications describing the work should 
be widely distributed. And the president seems to 
take a perverse view of the question when, in order 
to meet anticipated criticism, he says:—‘‘If the 
bibliophile has found reason for dissatisfaction in the 
distribution of the publications of the Institution he 
may be disnosed to be lenient with the latter on learn- 
ing that he is one of many thousands soliciting 
favors.”’ 
1 Since the i sue of the Year-Bock it seems to have been decide upon. 
