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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIII. No. 1362 



misunderstanding in biological discussions 

 arises from the misuse of such terms as mu- 

 tation and saltation? We would not quibble 

 with Archbishop Trench's remark that words 

 simply will not stay tied as regards their 

 meaning but are "constantly drifting from 

 their moorings," but the more the scientist 

 allows his vocabulary to drift the more is he 

 disturbed by the redefined or original terms 

 of his colleagues who, believeing it impossible 

 to use words of two, three or more meanings, 

 continue to inflict long-suffering humanity 

 with an ever-increasing nomenclature. Rather 

 do we agree with Alice who, after listening to 

 a dissertation by Humpty Dumpty in which 

 he makes his words mean what he chooses 

 them to mean — "neither more nor less," 

 comes to the conclusion that his remarks are 

 not particularly illuminating. Of course 

 Humpty Dumpty was, among other things, a 

 poet, not a geologist! 



But Professor Miller also states that 



The definition proposed by . . . Field ... is 

 faulty in that it errs in the time concept. He has 

 committed the popular error of considering his- 

 toric synonymous with the present geological epoch. 



This is an unfortunate misstatement by 

 Professor Miller and it is only necessary to 

 quote from the original text to show that 

 Field was not making the " popular error " 

 implied. 



A fossil is an object which indicates former ex- 

 istence of an organism Which has been buried and 

 preserved previous to historic time. According to 

 this definition the mastodon preserved in the arctic 

 ice is a fossil ; the leaf buried in the gutter is not. 



It is also worth noting that Schuchert and 

 others distinguish the recent or historic 

 period as beginning the Psychozoic era. If 

 in agreeing with this concept an error has 

 been committed, it is certainly not a " popu- 

 lar " one. 



Paleontology, the study of ancient life, is 

 literally the study of fossils. Paleo is ac- 

 cepted in earth science as meaning geologic- 

 ally ancient. As a last analysis, which is the 

 more " apt," paleo climates or " fossil 

 climates " ? 



Professor Miller's constructive criticism 

 consists of the new definition already quoted. 

 It has the advantage of being brief, but in 

 using the expression " past geological age " 

 (subdivision of the present geological epoch, 

 i.e., Bronze Age) he appears to make a very 

 slight geological time distinction indeed. 

 After careful reading of the whole text, we 

 are under the impression that he means " past 

 geological epoch" or pre-historic ! 



RiCHAED M. Field 



Department op Geology, 

 Bbown University 



the biographical directory of american 

 men of science 



The third edition of the Biographical 

 Directory is now in type; it will be published 

 as soon as the printers can complete their part 

 of the work. The editor ventures to ask for 

 the return of all proofs and also for informa- 

 tion in case proof has not been received. A 

 second copy of the proof (by letter post and 

 with return letter postage) has been sent to 

 those who did not return the first copy within 

 a reasonable time. If it is not known that a 

 scientific man can be reached at the address 

 given, or even that he is living, it will in most 

 cases be undesirable to include the biograph- 

 ical sketch. 



It is gratifying that the number of those 

 engaged in scientific work in America has in- 

 creased from about 4,000 in 1905 to about 

 10,000 at the present time. This circimi- 

 stance, however, has greatly enhanced the 

 labor and the cost involved in the preparation 

 of the work, and it is not possible to write 

 individual letters of enquiry in all cases where 

 this might be desirable. The editor conse- 

 quently makes public this request for the 

 return of the corrected proofs of all biograph- 

 ical sketches. 



J. McKeen Oattell 



Garsison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



QUOTATIONS 



WHEN AN INVENTION IS NOT AN INVENTION 



There exists in our patent and copyright 

 laws a gap which has always seemed to us a 



