Septembek 29, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



359 



(5) Membranous sound production and trans- 

 mission. Improvement dii the fidelity of sound 

 produotiou through telephonic and phonographic 

 reproducers ; reduction of inherent membraneous 

 tones and noises; problem of sibilants and as- 

 pirates. 



(6) The acoustio qualities of confined areas. 

 Question of preventing leakage of sound through 

 ventilating systems and wall-supports ; reflecting 

 and absorbing qualities of various building mate- 

 rials to be used from time to time; acoustic prop- 

 erties of halls, rooms, etc.; "sound-proof" 

 rooms. 



(7) Auditory theory. Turther investigation of 

 the human auditory 'mechanism and its pathology ; 

 intracranial conduction of sound ; tonal gaps and 

 ' ' islands. ' ' 



Specifically, then, it is the opinion of the 

 Avriter that there exists in this field a threefold 

 need : 



I. There should fee a closer affiliation of 

 ■workers in acoustics. An association of those 

 interested might be assembled under some such 

 title as the American Acoustical Society. 



II. A journal with this society as sponsor 

 would become an outlet for the publication of 

 papers on the general topics of acoustics. 



III. If in the course of events progress is 

 recorded, an endowment fund should be raised 

 with perhaps industrial assistance for the pur- 

 pose of erecting a central laboratory or insti- 

 tute where apparatus would ibeoome available 

 for precise and intensive work. It would save 

 the expense of multiplying elaborate research 

 pieces in our various laboratories where they 

 frequently lie idle for long periods of time. It 

 might serve further for the exchange and loan 

 of apparatus under a system of adequate guar- 

 antee against mishandling and breakage. 



A number of our leading men working io- 

 getlier at such an institute would not only lend 

 zest to their own endeavors, but would offer a 

 place for the training of younger men in the 

 field. The institute would, moreover, provide 

 for the industries tliat are concerned in the 

 manufacture of acoustical apparatus a fund of 

 information for their guidance and an atten- 

 tive and trained "ear" for protolems that arise 

 in their practical work. 



Christian A. Ruckmick 



Welleslet College 



PROPOSED FEDERATION OF AMERI- 

 CAN BIOLOGICAL SOCIETIES 



A CONFEEEKCE was held in Washington 

 in April, 1922, at wMeh a number of 

 biological organizations were represented, 

 to discuss plans for a federation of Ameri- 

 can biological societies. This meeting was 

 held in pursuance of instructions given by the 

 several societies at their annual meetings at 

 Toronto and elsewhere in 1921. The Washing- 

 ton conference, after some debate, affirmed its 

 belief in the desirability and feasibility of a 

 federation of biological societies, and adopted 

 a general plan in accordance with which such 

 a federation might be established. An outline 

 of this plan has already been published in this 

 journal^. A committee was raised to work out 

 the details of the plan and to prepare a con- 

 stitution embodying these details. 



This committee, which consisted of F. R. 

 Lillie, C. W. Greene, I. F. Lewis, C. E. Mc- 

 Clung, A. Franklin Shull, R. W. Thatcher, 

 H. B. Ward, and B. E. Livingston represent- 

 ing the American Association, met in Woods 

 Hole, Massachusetts, August 4 and 5, 1922. 

 Professor Hei'bert Osborn substituted for Pro- 

 fessor Livingston at this meeting. 



For its own guidance, after some delibera- 

 tion, the committee adopted certain funda- 

 mental principles upon which, in its opinion, 

 any federation should be .based. These prin- 

 ciples are stated in the following resolution 

 which was adopted toy the committee. 



Resolved, That it is the judgment of the so- 

 ciety representatives considering the formation 

 of a federation of biological societies that cer- 

 tain principles should be observed in setting 

 up relations with existing organizations. These 

 principles are: 



1. The federation should, for its benefit, 

 utilize other organizations in accordance with 

 their nature and purposes. 



2. The federation should, on the other hand, 

 so direct its policies and methods as to strength- 

 en the efforts of organizations with which it 

 is affiliated. 



3. The federation should avoid unnecessary 

 duplication of effort and expenditure. 



ISCIENCE, Vol. LVI, p. 184. 



