440 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 951 



has been made to establish a " dead line " to 

 prevent further spread of the insect. A zone 

 of timber consisting largely of white pine and 

 other evergreens is selected and all hardwoods 

 or broad-leaf growth removed. As the insects 

 are unable to complete their life history on 

 the pines, they are checked and it may be pos- 

 sible to prevent their spreading northward 

 into the Adirondacks, or into the Catskills, 

 through the maintenance of such zones of 

 coniferous growth. In the caterpillar stage 

 the two moths do the greatest damage and 

 the greatest spread of the insect occurs at this 

 time. They are often blown long distances 

 by the wind or carried by automobiles and 

 other vehicles and much can be done in pre- 

 venting this kind of distribution by keeping 

 the roadside districts free of the caterpillars 

 through spraying and the removal of their 

 favored food plants. 



The outbreak of the gipsy moth in this 

 state in the summer of 1912 was not extensive 

 and by prompt measures, such as the removal 

 of infested trees, spraying, etc., the colony 

 was destroyed. It is entirely possible, how- 

 ever, that there may be other well established 

 colonies in outlying districts near the Cats- 

 kills or Adirondacks of which there is no offi- 

 cial knowledge. The state in the prosecution 

 of its forestry work should make thorough in- 

 vestigations, especially along the eastern 

 border in sections where there is the greater 

 danger of the incoming of the caterpillar and 

 thus prevent its doing the tremendous damage 

 which it has done in Massachusetts. 



THE NEW GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BUILDING 

 After a campaign lasting 26 years the 

 United States Geological Survey has received 

 generous recognition at the hands of congress 

 in the authorization of an expenditure of 

 $2,596,000 for the construction of a fireproof 

 building " of modern oifice-building type of 

 architecture." With this sum it is proposed 

 to erect a building on ground already owned 

 by the government which shall accommodate, 

 besides the Geological Survey, the Reclama- 

 tion Service, the Indian Office and the Bureau 

 of Mines, all bureaus of the Interior Depart- 



ment whose work is closely related to that of 

 the Survey and among all of which there is 

 more or less constant cooperation. The pub- 

 lic buildings law, which carries the Survey 

 item, authorizes an immediate appropriation 

 of $596,000, the balance to be appropriated as 

 needed in construction. Plans can thus go 

 forward at once for the construction of the 

 new building. For the needs of the Survey and 

 the other bureaus mentioned an up-to-date, con- 

 veniently arranged, and well-lighted building 

 is of especial importance. Too many of the 

 civil employees at Washington work in part 

 or exclusively by artificial light, in quarters 

 that may be compared to dungeons, a condi- 

 tion which is suggestive of medieval times, 

 when the first requirement of castles was walls 

 thick enough to resist the attacks of battering 

 rams and catapults, or of the still more an- 

 cient period when huge, ornate pillars and 

 columns were the fashion, regardless of the 

 arrangements with respect to light and con- 

 venience on the inside of the building. The 

 innovation of providing a structure of the 

 modern office type for government " work- 

 shops " in which a maximum of the best work 

 is the first consideration, such as will occupy 

 the new building, will be welcomed. 



Mr. Alfred H. Brooks, of the Alaska Di- 

 vision, Mr. Sledge Tatum, of the Topographic 

 Branch, and Mr. Herman Stabler, of the 

 Water Resources Branch, of the Geological 

 Survey, have been appointed an advisory com- 

 mittee to assist the director in regard to the 

 plans for the new building. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 

 For the meeting of the British Association, 

 which will take place in Birmingham on Sep- 

 tember 10-17 next, under the presidency of Sir 

 Oliver Lodge, F.R.S., the following sectional 

 presidents have been appointed: A (mathe- 

 matics and physics). Dr. H. F. Baker, F.R.S.; 

 B (chemistry). Professor W. P. Wynne, 

 F.R.S.; C (geology), Professor E. J. Gar- 

 wood; D (zoology), Dr. H. F. Gadow, F.R.S.; 

 E (geography). Professor H. N. Dickson; F 

 (economics). Rev. P. H. Wicksteed; G (engi- 

 neering), J. A. F. Aspinall, M.Eng. ; H (an- 



