702 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 177. 



Nageli. He expressed his views ia a 

 powerful manner in his last writings — the 

 physiological ' Notices ' * published in 

 'Flora.' The manuscript found after his 

 death, entitled ' The Principles of Vegeta- 

 ble Formation,' has been handed over to 

 Professor ISToll for publication. 



This slight sketch can give but an in- 

 adequate idea of Sachs' life-work, with its 

 abundant results as regards science ; in- 

 deed, I can but liken what I have written 

 to a man striking, one by one, a few strings 

 of an instrument that has answered to the 

 touch of some great musician. 



One may well say with the Psalmist in 

 speaking of his days : 



"Yet is their strength hut lahor and sorrow." 

 Nevertheless his life has borne rich fruit ; 

 his name is forever bound up with the his- 

 tory of botany. He has enriched this 

 science by the discovery of new and im- 

 portant facts and conceptions and by his 

 unrivalled power of clear definition. In 

 the nature of things it is impossible that all 

 his theories should retain acceptance, but 

 they have all profoundly influenced his 

 contemporaries. There is no doubt that in 

 any other calling Sachs would have risen 

 to the first rank ; eccentricities and narrow 

 ' specializing ' wei'e alike repugnant to him. 

 In the last years of his life he applied him- 

 self eagerly to paleontological and zoological 

 studies. " I must be learning, always learn- 

 ing," he wrote in a letter. In spite of his 

 incessant labors, he was one of the few men 

 of the present day who possess the gift of 

 letter-writing and withal a spii-ited style, 

 clear and trenchant. And yet these letters, 

 written during the last fifteen years of his 

 life, form one long report of illness. 



At last Death, who in the latter years 

 had often drawn very near, took him gently 

 by the hand and led him to his final rest. 



K. GOEBEL. 

 * These will shortly appear as a separate puhlica- 



tiOD. 



THE BREEDING OF ANIMALS AT WOODS 



ROLL DURING TEE MONTH OF 



APRIL, 1898. 



The temperature of the water has re- 

 mained above the average almost through- 

 out the month. During the first week the 

 thermometer registered 41 F. to 42 F. ; dur- 

 ing the last week, 45 F. to 46 F. The 

 specific gravity has varied from 1.0231 to 

 1.0235. The weather has been generally 

 cloudy and the temperature of the atmos- 

 phere low. 



Vertebrates. — The winter flatfish, P. 

 americanus, ceased spawning early in the 

 month, and, though the height of the breed- 

 ing season was in March, few of the young 

 flatfish have been taken, even over the 

 natural spawning grounds. Young sculpin 

 {A. ceneug) were very abundant in the tow, 

 especially during the first of the month. 

 On April 4th a very large number were 

 captured, and many were taken on the 

 18th. On the 27th a few more were taken 

 which apparently had just hatched. Small 

 cod and pollock have been frequently cap- 

 tured, and the latter were more numerous 

 than in March. The young of the sand- 

 launce (A. americanus) have diminished in 

 numbers but little since last month, though 

 some have increased considerably in size. 

 On the 17th an unusually large number 

 were taken. The young of the fall herring 

 {A. harengus), from three- fourths of an inch 

 to three inches in length, have appeared in 

 increasing numbers. A few specimens of 

 Ctenolahrus were examined on April 19th, 

 but the sexual glands, though quite large, 

 were not nearly mature. Petromyzon has 

 been taken in the fish traps, and may be 

 seen frequently in the markets. 



Crustacea. — The small species of Gam- 

 manis, abundant in the tow during March, 

 are still breeding. Their appearance, from 

 day to day, is uncertain. One day there 

 may be only four or five in the net, and the 

 next day hundreds may be captured. A 



