SCIENCE 



Editoeial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodwaed, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickeeing, 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; R. H. Thueston, Engineering; lEA Remsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le CoNTE, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; Heney F. Osboen, Paleontology; W. K. 



Beooks, C. Haet Meeeiam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessey, N. L, 



Beitton, Botany; C. S. MiNOT, Embryology, Histology; H. P. Bowditch, Physiology; 



J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology; Daniel G. Bein- 



TON, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, June 23, 1899. 



CONTENTS: 



United States Naval Observatory 857 



The Diffraction Process of Color Photography : 

 Peof'essoe R. W. Wood 859 



The Mental Fatigue due to School Worh : Dk. Ed- 

 WAED Thoendike 862 



The International Catalogue of Scientific Litera- 

 ture : — 



Physics: Peofessok J. S. Ames 864 



Chemistry : De. H. Caeeinqton Bolton and 



William P. Cuttek 837 



3feteorology : Peofessoe CLEVELAND ABBE .. 871 



The Stokes Jubilee 872 



Scientific Boolcs : — 



Poynting and Thomson on Sound : Peofessoe 

 W. Le Conte Stevens. Cole on Photographic 

 Optics : De. Feank Waldo. Books Received. 872 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Snence Club of the University of Wisconsin : 

 Peofessoe William H. Hobbs Torrey Bo- 

 tanical Club : Edwaed S. Bueqess, Zoolog- 

 ical Club of the University of Chicago 875 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



Totemism: HiEAM M. Stanley. Arousal of an 

 Instinct by Taste Only : De. E. W. Sceiptuee. 877 



•Current Notes on Meteorology : — 



Influence of the Great Lakes on Precipitation ; Se- 

 port of the Chief of the Weather Bureau ; Jamaica 

 Weather Service; New Daily Weather Slaps; 

 Winter Temjieratures at Dawson City; Recent 

 Publications: R. DeC Waed 878 



Botanical Notes : — 



The Varieties of Corn ; The Agricultural Grasses 

 of Kansas ; Diseases of the Sweet Potato : Peo- 

 fessoe Chaeles E. Bessey 880 



The American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science 882 



The Centenary of the Royal Institution 882 



Scientific Notes and News 884 



University and Educational Neivs 887 



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

 for review stiould be sent to the responsible editor, Profes- 

 -anr J. McKeen Cattell, Garnson-on-Hudson N. Y. 



UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 



Astronomers everywhere will be grati- 

 fied by the announcement from Washing- 

 ton that Secretary Long has appointed a 

 board to visit, examine and report upon the 

 TJ. S. Naval Observatory. The work of 

 this body will be of such far-reaching impor- 

 tance—perhaps determining the character 

 of our government astronomy for fifty 

 years to come — as to make it worthy of the 

 serious consideration of the public. Whether 

 it shall prove as nugatory as the eiforts 

 heretofore made to improve the administra- 

 tion must depend upon the wisdom with 

 which the board executes its diificult and 

 delicate task. 



We believe a grave mistake will be made 

 if the board confines itself to matters of 

 detail and merely points out the features in 

 which the administration can be improved. 

 We have had plenty of such criticism in 

 the past and always without any impor- 

 tant result. The subject should be ap- 

 proached from a broader point of view, 

 taking in its scope the whole history of the 

 institution, past and prospective. What 

 we are concerned with are the work and 

 results of the most richly endowed and 

 liberally supported astronomical observa- 



