February 28, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



317 



cable, therefore, in the course of a few 

 years, to furnish something like a detailed 

 history of this remarkable basin, which has 

 now been carefully studied at intervals 

 since its discovery in 1854 by the late Pro- 

 fessor N. P. Blake. 



One of the most important investigations 

 undertaken during the past year is that of 

 a comprehensive study of the large and 

 highly diversified family of cactus plants. 

 Through the cooperation of Professor N. L. 

 Britton, director of the New York Botan- 

 ical Garden, and Dr. J. N. Rose, of the staff 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, who have 

 been appointed research associates, it will 

 be practicable, by aid of the facilities of 

 the department, to produce a monographic 

 study of these typical desert plants. 



Several volunteer associates and collabo- 

 rators of the department have participated 

 in departmental researches and contributed 

 to the progress attained therein. Upwards 

 of twenty individuals have taken part in 

 one or more phases of this work. 



Department of Experimental Evolution 



The advances made by this department 

 during the past year have been chiefly 

 along the lines of studies in cytology, in 

 the chemistry of pigmentation, in the fac- 

 tors of mutation, and in the problems of 

 human heredity. These studies have been 

 carried on by aid of experiments with 

 plants and animals and by aid of rapidly 

 accumulating statistical data concerning 

 human traits and their transmission 

 through successive generations. The di- 

 rector has been able to give much of hie; 

 time to studies in human heredity by rea- 

 son of his connection with the Eugenics 

 Record Office, whose work has been lib- 

 erally supported by Mrs. E. H. Harriman 

 and by Mr. John D. Rockefeller. The 

 experiments of the department proper with 

 plants and animals are thus supplemented 



very advantageously by the extensive in- 

 formation already acquired by the Eugen- 

 ics Record Office in respect to human 

 heredity. 



Very interesting chemical studies have 

 been carried on by Dr. Gortner, a member 

 of the staff, in respect to the chemical 

 nature of jDigments which determine color 

 characteristics, especially of the plumage 

 in birds, of the wool in sheep, and of the 

 skin in men. 



Dr. ShuU has continued his fertile 

 studies into the heredity of plants, in- 

 cluding further investigations into the con- 

 nection between heredity and environment 

 in the case of corn. These further studies 

 confirm his earlier conclusions and show 

 also that the hereditary traits of different 

 strains are maintained irrespective of en- 

 vironmental influences. 



The director calls attention to the need 

 of his department for additional buildings 

 and eqiiipments. A recommendation with 

 respect to this need wiU be found in a sub- 

 sequent part of this report. 



Department of Economics and Sociology 

 According to the report of Professor 

 Henry W. Farnam, chairman, the work of 

 this department has now reached such a 

 stage of advancement that the time of its 

 completion depends mainly on the amount 

 of leisure the collaborators may obtain in 

 the near future for consecutive attention 

 to their several contributions to the "Eco- 

 nomic History of the United States." By 

 aid of the special appropriation for pay- 

 ment of salaries (made by the board of 

 trustees a year ago), it is now practicable 

 for some of the collaborators to devote part 

 of their time and attention consecutively 

 to this work, and two or three of them will 

 doubtless be able to give at least half-time 

 under this plan during the ensuing year. 



