AlPlBiL 30, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



429 



Is it email wonder that the majority of us 

 are turnir^ to the use of English names except 

 in some group with which we happen to be 

 familiar. 



I am perfectly aware that tiie systematist 

 who concerns himself only with questions of 

 the number of species and genera and the 

 names for the same, in a single branch of sci- 

 ence in which he specializes, will regard my 

 remarks as pure rubbish. We must all admit, 

 however, that specialization makes us blind to 

 the views of outsiders and to some of the 

 broader aspects of our specialty. Things that 

 seem to us from long association as necessary, 

 may be found upon unbiased consideration, 

 susceptible of very importarut modifications and 

 the present problem seems to be one of these. 



In presenting these ideas I do not wish to 

 be misunderstood. I do not wish to he placed 

 in the same category as the carping critic of 

 all nomenclatural changes who, by the use of 

 clever sarcasm, appeals to the multitude who 

 know as little about the facts as he does him- 

 self. I am a staunch sapporter of the Interna- 

 tional Code of Nomenclature and all of the 

 changes which its enforcement requires. 

 They are necessary for ultimate stability and 

 are happily permanent. I would encourage the 

 etudy of geographic variation in the species 

 and the establishment of subspecies since no 

 matter how many of the latter we may have, 

 their relationship to specific groups is always 

 clearly indicated by the accompanying specific 

 name. 



I would encourage, to the fullest, research 

 into the relationship of species, with however 

 as much consideration for their resemblances 

 as for their differenees, and I would endorse 

 the establishment of as many groups as may be 

 desired under subgeneric headings — or any 

 Cither term that may be preferred — but let us 

 not insist upon introdticing our conclusions 

 on this matter into the technical name with 

 the result of seriously imparing the prineii)al 

 use of that name. 



Let us he conservative in the number of 

 generic names that we recognize, and let gen- 

 eral utility have a voice in the matter, of equal 

 weight with that of the splitter and the liunper, 



just as to-day in another field of discussion the 

 pu!blic is becoming recognized as a third party 

 on an equal footing with laibor and capital. 

 Wither Stone 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 Philadelphia 



OSCAR A. RANDOLPH 

 Dr. Oscar A. Eandolph, associate professor 

 of physics in the University of Colorado, lost 

 his life in a snow storm on April 11, during a 

 trip to the Arapohoe Peaks on the Continental 

 Divide. He made the trip with one com- 

 panion Mr. Ellett, also of the department of 

 physics, for the purpose of photographing 

 winter storm scenes. They ascended to am 

 altitude of about 12,500 feet and then de- 

 scended into what is known as the Hell Hole;. 

 On the trip Dr. Eandolph became ill and was 

 unable to overcome the handicap of a Suddeii 

 heavy fall of snow accompanied by bitter cold. 

 Mr. Ellett had assisted him on the return trip 

 till they were both exhausted. Mr. Ellett 

 then protected Dr. Eandolph with all the 

 means at his command and started for help 

 at the cabin of two trappers who were living 

 some five miles away. In his weakened and 

 confused condition he wandered for several 

 hours without making much progress in the 

 deep snow. One of the trappers finally found 

 him and learned of Dr. Eandolph's condition. 

 Dr. Eandolph died however before the trapper 

 could reach him. Owing to the fact that both 

 men were experienced mountaineers and had 

 often made trips to the peak their friends at 

 the university did not become alarmed till 

 noon on April 13, when a rescue party started 

 for the scene. Mr. Ellett, though ten-ibly ex- 

 hausted and somewhat frozen, will recover. 



0. C. Lester 



ALFRED J. MOSES, 1859-1920 

 By the death, on February 27, of Alfred J. 

 Moses, professor of mineralogy at Columbia 

 University, the science of mineralogy has lost 

 one of its most eminent and valued exponents. 

 PiTofessor Moses's work as a teacher, as a 



