64 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1307 



given clearly the characteristic high note, 

 audible at considerable distance. But since 

 it has been spread out in the warm dry room, 

 and received some handling, it has lost the 

 sonorous quality. 



H. L. Faiechild 

 Universitt op Rochestee 



more on singing sands 



To THE Editor of Science: The comment 

 of Mr. Richardson in a recent number of 

 Science (November 28, 1919) on the singing 

 sands of Lake Michigan, calls to mind some 

 observations made a number of years ago that 

 should be considered in connection with the 

 hypothesis he advances to explain the singing 

 quality of the sand. 



These sands were encountered by us in 

 connection with the soil survey of Allegan, 

 county, Michigan. The singing quality was 

 particularly well developed within four to six 

 rods of the lake shore. We collected a sample 

 of several hundred pounds which was for- 

 warded to the Bureau of Soils at Washington. 

 After the material was in the sack on the 

 beach, the singing quality could be developed 

 by merely running the fingers through the 

 sands. 



The material was shipped by freight and 

 stored in the basement of the building then 

 occupied by the bureau. Some months later 

 the material was looked up and examined. It 

 had completely lost its singing quality. Of 

 course it had dried out. There was no leach- 

 ing and presumably no change in chemical 

 composition. 



It has seemed to me that this quality is 

 associated with two primary factors namely: 

 (a) Very well rounded and smooth particles, 

 (6) A particular amount and condition of 

 moisture. Neither a very wet nor a very dry 

 condition suffices. We have noticed a slight 

 tendency to this singing quality in walking 

 over the sand dunes in that section of Mich- 

 igan, if the foot is jammed into the sand so 

 as to get below the very dry surface layer and 

 into contact with the somewhat moist sand 

 immediately below. 



I am inclined to think the percentage of 



moisture when coupled with the smooth, 

 rounded particles is the chief factor in devel- 

 oping singing sand. That per cent, is some- 

 where in the region of the lento-capillary 

 point or the margin between hygroscopic and 

 free capillary moisture where, due to surface 

 attraction of the sand particle, film movement 

 is very sluggish. It might be defined as the 

 first stage of film solidification. 



Elmer 0. Pippin 



THE initial course IN BIOLOGY 



The botanists are more and more loudly 

 proclaiming their academic rights as against 

 the zoologists. In most American xmiversi- 

 ties now there is a course in general biology, 

 and it is given, often entirely, by the depart- 

 ment of zoology. It is a very large course, 

 running sometimes to several hundred stu- 

 dents a year. It involves a large staff, assist- 

 ant professors, instructors and assistants, and 

 thus provides places for graduate students 

 without fellowships. Sometimes it carries 

 more patronage than all the other courses in 

 zoology, botany and related subjects combined. 



Naturally the botanists feel aggrieved, when 

 they compare the few students who reach their 

 courses, and the inadequacy of the assistant- 

 ships for their support in botany, with the 

 opident conditions in the department of 

 zoology. 



Professor George E. Nichols has presented 

 recently in Science data bearing on this 

 matter, and has discussed with fairness and 

 ability the question of the initial course in 

 biology. The initial course in any field is a 

 difficult subject : whether it should be designed 

 primarily as introductory for those who in- 

 tend to go further, or as broadly educational 

 for those who can not. 



I take it as axiomatic that there is a certain 

 minimiun of information regarding matters 

 biological which every educated man ought to 

 have, and that this would consist particularly 

 in some knowledge of the living himian body. 

 In fact, however, a large number of students 

 are passing through our universities, many 

 are even taking courses in biology, who fail 



