OCTOBEK 22, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



381 



will yield rich collections in all branches of 

 science. 



The material will be exhibited in the pro- 

 posed Hall of Asiatic Life in The American 

 Museum of Natural History, which it is 

 hoped the city will add to the museum build- 

 ing's in the near future, and it is hoped that 

 this expedition will make New York the 

 center of Asiatic scientific activity. 



The scientific results of the Third Asiatic 

 Expedition will be embodied in a series of 

 volumes that should be, for many years to 

 come, the standard work on the natural his- 

 tory of Central and Eastern Asia, and also in 

 popular books written in non-technical lan- 

 guage. Furthermore, the public will be regu- 

 larly informed of the whereabouts and the 

 activities of the members of the expedition, 

 for articles written in the field will be pub- 

 lished in Asia Magazine. 



Those responsible for the expedition desire 

 to make it a factor in the development of the 

 educational life of the Chinese Republic. 

 China has no institution wherein natural his- 

 tory objects can be studied and exhibited by 

 modern methods and where the scientific work 

 of her own people can be encouraged and 

 directed. It has therefore been decided to in- 

 vite the Chinese government to cooperate 

 with the expedition in carrying on its work 

 in the Orient. China will be invited to dele- 

 gate to the expedition certain men who have 

 had already preliminary instruction in various 

 branches of science; under specialists these 

 men, while in the field, will receive training 

 in modern methods of scientific exploration 

 and study. 



When the expedition has been completed, 

 it has been agreed to deposit in Peking a 

 duplicate set of the collections, which will form 

 the basis of the Chinese Museum of Natural 

 History. The proposed institution will then 

 have a valuable nucleus of specimens for ex- 

 hibition and study and a staff of expert 

 Chinese to carry on the work. It will remain 

 for the government to set aside a suitable 

 building where the collections can be housed. 



THE THOMAS A. EDISON PRIZE 



The most meritorious research on " The ef- 

 fects of music" submitted to the American 

 Psychological Association before June 1, 1921, 

 will be awarded a prize of $500. 



This sum has been placed at the disposal of 

 the association by Thomas A. Edison, Inc. 

 It is the wish of Mr. Edison and his associates 

 to direct attention toward the importance of 

 research in the psychology of music. They 

 point out that we have to-day all too little 

 scientific understanding of the effects, both 

 affective and volitional, which contrasted sorts 

 of musical selections produce on listeners of 

 differing native endowments and training, 

 under varying conditions of mood, season and 

 physical condition. 



Researches brought to completion during 

 the present academic year may be submitted 

 in competition for the Thomas A. Edison 

 prize. Manuscripts may be sent at any time 

 before May 31, 1921, to the undersigned, who 

 will transmit them, without the names of the 

 authors, to the members of the committee 

 of award, to be designated by the Ameri- 

 can Psychological Association. Manuscripts 

 should be submitted in form for publication. 



The following topics are suggested as suit- ' 

 aible, but the choice of subject is not limited 

 to this list. The committee will welcome any 

 research bearing directly on the nature of 

 music and the way it influences people. 



dassification of musical selections according to 

 their psychological effects. 



Individual differences in musical sensitivity. 



Types of listeners. 



Validity of introspection in studying affective re- 

 sponses to music. 



Modification of moods by music. 



Effects of familiarity and repetition: Emotional 

 durability of various types of selections. 



Effects of contrasting types of music on muscular 

 activity. 



Other objective (physiological) measurements of 

 effects of musical stimuli. 



An experimental study of music as an aid in 

 synchronizing routine factory operations. 



The problems projwsed for investigation are 

 indeed complex, the conditions extremely vari- 



