November 26, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



503 



variation in the amount of heat radiating 

 from the sun. 



The premises advanced have not hitherto 

 given rise to any other conclusion as to the 

 cause of the Ice Age than that a solution of 

 the problem, in its general nature, can be 

 reached in this way. 



With respect to the method of overcoming 

 the difficulties of the new branch of investi- 

 gation the brief memorandum which I issued, 

 which was intended mainly for specialists, 

 could only refer to a somewhat more compre- 

 hensive statement of mine,^ which also gave 

 a short historical review from 1878. From 

 this review it may be learned that after pub- 

 lishing in 1884 my first plan of obtaining a 

 geochronology, but before trying earnestly to 

 follow it out, I was so impressed with the 

 supposed difficulties of the task that it was 

 not until 1904, or twenty years later, that I 

 took the matter up seriously. Thus I am in- 

 deed well aware that it is not enough to be 

 cautious, one must also be audacious. 



Having thus myself delayed for twenty 

 years, it was just with a thought of the 

 daring energy of my esteemed American 

 friends that I gave myself the hope of trying 

 by something like a spurt to regain some iwr- 

 tion of the time which had been lost. As may 

 be known by all who have followed this ques- 

 tion, the investigations thus begun have been 

 unexpectedly successful in results. 



On the present occasion I have appealed to 

 the kind collaboration of my American 

 friends for organizing with their aid the 

 application on their continent of a method of 

 investigation which already has been tested 

 in a region, the nature of which from several 

 points of view has a striking similarity with 

 that of the formerly glaciated regions of 

 North America. Yet, the glaciation of this 

 latter continent was much more extended 

 than that of northern Europe. Certain parts 

 of its highly interesting glacial geology, ac- 

 cording to the admirable investigations of the 



2 Gerard de Geer, ' ' A geochronology of the last 

 12,000 years." Presidential address, Eleventh In- 

 ternational Geological Congress, Stockholm, 1910 — • 

 Map and diagrams. Comptes Eendus, 1912. 



American geologists, showing a very compli- 

 cated late glacial evolution, it seems highly 

 probable that the introduction and use of a 

 real time scale here will be of special interest 

 and that comparisons with the conditions in 

 Sweden and other parts of northern Europe 

 will doubtless be very instructive in many 

 respects. 



In the hope of a continued, fruitful collabo- 

 ration I use this occasion to express my hearty 

 thanks for the great hospitality and all the 

 kind interest, which from so many sides, in 

 the United States as well as in Canada, have 

 been shown to the expedition, and especially 

 so from the American Scandinavian Founda- 

 tion, which never fails to support every initia- 

 tive aiming at the evolution of our mutual 

 relationships. 



De Geer 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



DEDICATION OF THE NEW LABORATORY 



BUILDING OF THE BUREAU OF 



FISHERIES AT FAIRPORT, 



IOWA 



At the United States Fisheries Biological 

 Station at Fairport, Iowa, the new laboratory 

 building has been publicly dedicated in the 

 presence of a large assemblage composed of 

 representatives of various state universities, 

 the pearl-button industry and the Bureau of 

 Fisheries, together vnth the Assistant Secre- 

 tary of Commerce and the member of congress 

 from the Fairport district. 



The new laboratory, which is constructed of 

 concrete, stone and brick, replaces a frame 

 building destroyed by fire in 191Y. The build- 

 ing is about 100 by 50 feet, with three stories 

 and half basement; and is superior to the old 

 structure in respect of serviceability, con- 

 venience and capacity. The laboratory ac- 

 commodations for 16 investigators may be 

 increased as circumstances require. A well- 

 lighted library, a chemical laboratory, a photo- 

 graphic room, a museum, a mess hall and 

 kitchen, and tank and aquarium rooms in 

 addition to offices are among the useful 

 features of the building. 



The dedication exercises were as follows: 



