SCIENCE 



Editobial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physios; R. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Eemskn, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Marsh, Paleontology; W. K. Brooks, 



C. Hart Merbiabi, Zoology; S. H. Scuddeb, Entomology; C. E. Bessey, N. L. Bbitton, 



Botany; Henry F. Osborn, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Emhryology, Histology; 



H. P. BowDiTCH, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene; J. McKeen Cattell, 



Psychology; Daniel G. Beinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, Februaet 17, 1899. 



CONTENTS: 

 The Economic Stains of Insects as a Class : L. 0. 

 Howard 233 



Anti-friction Alloys ; R. H. T 247 



Annual Sleeting of the American Psychological As- 

 sodation: De. LIVINGSTON Fabband 249 



Scientific Books : — 



The New Maryland Geological Survey : Bailey 

 "Willis. La vie sur les hauls plateaux: Pro- 

 fessor George Bruce Halsted. Books Re- 

 ceived 252 



Scietitific Journals and Articles 257 



Societies and Academies : — 



The Biological Society of Washington : Dr. O. 

 F. Cook. The New York Section of the Amer- 

 ican Chemical Society : De. Durand Wood- 

 man 257 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 

 Reply to Critics: Major J. W. Powell. Ar- 

 tificial Dreams: Dr. Hieam M. Stanley. 

 Trowhridge'' s Theory of the Earth's Magnetism : 

 Pbofessoe L. a. Baxjee, Professor John 



Teowbeidge 259 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 266 



Zoological Notes 266 



Current Notes on Anthropology: — 

 Ethnography of Liberia; The Significance of 

 Skull-masks ; The Svastica in America : Peo- 



tESSOR D. G. Beini'on 267 



Scientific Notes and Netos 267 



University and Educational News 271 



MSB. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor. Profes- 

 sor J. McKeen Cattell.'fTarrlson-ou-Hudson N. Y. 



THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF INSECTS AS A 

 CLASS.* 



The popular conceptiou of insects in gen- 

 eral is undoubtedly that they are injurious. 

 Many writers, it is true, have pointed out 

 the benefits derived from insects, but we 

 think of their damage to crops and of their 

 annoyance to man and animals, and this as- 

 pect of the subject is at once apt to prepon- 

 derate in our minds. It is more than 80 

 years since Kirby and Spence contrasted 

 the injuries caused by insects with the bene- 

 fits derived from them, and it has not been 

 comprehensively done since. In the mean- 

 time, whole groups of important injuries 

 have been developed and whole classes of 

 beneficial work have been discovered. 

 Moreover, the tendency of modern thought 

 has not taken this direction. The biologic, 

 taxonomic and phylogenetic, and other as- 

 pects of large groups of forms of life have 

 been considered to the exclusion of the eco- 

 nomic aspect, and even where this side has 

 attracted attention investigators have con- 

 fined themselves to specific problems and 

 have not generalized. It may be interest- 

 ing, therefore, once more to contrast the in- 

 jurious insects with the beneficial ones in aa 

 effort to gain a clearer idea of the status of 

 the group in its relations with man. 



In abroad way, we may consider the sub- 

 ject under the following heads : 



* Address of the retiring President of the Biological 

 Society of Washington, delivered January 18, 1899. 



