SCIENCE 



Editorial Committee : S. Nkwcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickeeing 



Astronomy; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics; R. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Marsh, Paleontology; W. K. Brooks, 



C. Hart Merriam, Zoology; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology; C. E. Bessey, N. L. Britton 



Botany; Henry F. Osboen, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology; 



H. P. BoWDlTCH, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, 



Psychology; DANIEL G. Beinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, Febeuaey 4, 1898. 



CONTENTS; 



The Biological Problems of To-day : — 

 Paleontology: PROFESSOR Heney F. Osborn. 

 Botany: PROFESSOR WILLIAM TRELEASE. 

 Anatomy: PROFESSOR BuetG. WiLDEE. Psy- 

 chology: Peofessoe J. McKeen Cattell. 

 Physiology: Peofessor Jacques Loeb. De- 

 velopmental Mechanics : Peofessor T. H. Mor- 

 gan. Morphogenesis : PROFESSOR Chaeles B. 

 Davenport 145 



Current Problems in Plant Morphology : — 

 Belationship between Pteridophytes and Qymno- 

 sperms: Professor CoN WAY MacMillan 161 



Paleontological Notes: H. F. 164 



Current Notes on Anthropology: — 

 Deformed Skulls from Guatemala ; Native A meri- 

 can Stringed Instruments : Professor D. G. 

 Beinton 165 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry: J. L. H 166 



Scientific Notes and News : — 



International Congress of Zoology ; General 167 



University and Ediicational News 172 



Disc^ission and Correspondence : — 



'Wild Neighbors:' ERNEST INGERSOLL, Vee- 

 NON Bailey 172 



Scientific Uieratv/re : — 



La Cellule et les protozoaires : GARY' N. Cal- 

 kins. Sleep: PROFESSOR G. T. W. Pat- 

 rick 174 



Societies and Academies : — 



New York Academy of Sciences — Sectio7i of Biol- 

 ology : Gary N. Calkins. Section of Geology : 

 Professor Eichard E. Dodge. Sub-section of 

 Anthropology and Psychology : Professor 

 Charles B. Bliss. The Chemical Society of 

 Washington: Dr. V. K. Chesnut. The Bio- 

 logical Society of Washington : F. A. Lucas. 

 Boston Society of Natural History: Samuel 

 Henshaw 176 



Neio Books 180 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 tot review should be sent to the responsible editor, Prof. J. 

 McKeen Cattell, Garrlson-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



TBE BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF TO-DAY* 

 Paleontological Problems. Peofessor Heney 



F. Osboen, Columbia University. 



The chief paleontological problems of 

 the present day are involved in the phylog- 

 eny of the Mammalia, for upon this depend 

 both Embryology and Comparative Anat- 

 omy, as well as Paleontology. The last 

 decade has been one of a rapid succession 

 of brilliant discoveries in South America 

 and in southern Africa, and of a very great 

 expansion of our knowledge of the North 

 American fauna, together with some single 

 discoveries of great importance, chief 

 among which is the discovery of the foot 

 structure of Psitfacotherium by Wortman, 

 leading to his exposition of the order Gan- 

 odonta as ancestral to the Edentata. Of 

 great interest also is the hypothesis recently 

 advanced by Matthew, that Mixodedes, of 

 the Basal Eocene, is the ancestor of the Eo- 

 dentia, instead of being connected with the 

 Primates, as Cope supposed. 



As regards the South American forms 

 they are mainly important as revealing the 

 existence of a new life center upon a con- 

 tinental scale ; as tending to demonstrate a 

 continental union between South America 

 and Australia, and as exhibiting Marsupials 

 which are more nearly allied to Placentals 

 than any hitherto known. As Lydekker 



*Disoussion before the annual meeting of the Amer- 

 ican Society of Naturalists held at Ithaca, N. Y., De- 

 cember 28, 1897. 



