June 3, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



75.9 



8.7 

 8.9 

 8.7 

 8.9 

 9.4 

 8.6 

 8.3 

 8.78 



was between spectral red and green. In 

 the calculation of the results the amount 

 of red light transmitted was taken as 14.6, 

 and the amounts of green light calculated 

 from the ratios obtained ; these were as fol- 

 lows: 



The mean of all the results was 

 8.78, instead of 8.4 per cent, as di- 

 rectly determined. 



These measurements were made 

 by myself, but I thought it would be 

 interesting to see how nearly the 

 same result would be obtained by a 

 person wholly unused to the pho- 

 tometer, and in general to photometric work. 

 Miss L., after the nature of a flicker had 

 been explained to her, at once obtained 

 9.07, which difiers by -f^ of a per cent, from 

 the mean of my more elaborate work. 



Results of equal or greater accuracy were 

 obtained by myself and others using blue 

 and red light, or green and blue light, all of 

 them being intense or saturated. No trouble 

 was found in causing the disappearance of 

 the flicker when the speed of the motor was 

 properly regulated, nor were the eyes more 

 fatigued than in making ordinary optical 

 observations ; of course, if the illumination 

 is feeble the flicker becomes feeble ; conse- 

 quently the lamps and their distances from 

 the prism should be so chosen as to afibrd 

 the best illumination possible under the 

 given conditions. 



Ogden N. Rood. 

 Columbia XJniveesity. 



THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 

 Much progress has been made during the 

 past year by the Zoological Society of New 

 York, and the establishment of the Park in 

 the near future now depends solely upon 

 the cooperation of the city government. 

 Under the present city administration, and 

 especially with the policy of economy which 

 has been generally adopted, it appears pos- 

 sible that the project may be somewhat de- 



layed, although the Park Commissioners are 

 in hearty sympathy with the project of the 

 Society. 



In the recently issued report of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, the following are enu- 

 merated as the chief results of the year's 

 work : A contract with the City of New 

 York, unanimously adopted by the Com- 

 missioners of the Sinking Fund, March 24, 

 1897 ; completion of the General Plan of 

 the Park, and its unanimous approval by 

 the Park Commissioners, November 22, 

 1897 ; subscription of the first f 100,000 to- 

 ward the gift of $250,000 from the Society 

 to the city, completed February 15, 1898 ; 

 preliminary plans of nine of the principal 

 buildings, prepared and submitted for crit- 

 icism to several American and European 

 zoological garden specialists ; increase of 

 the membership of the Society from 118 to 

 600 active members. 



According to the agreement with the city, 

 $125,000 is to be expended by the city in 

 the preparation of walks, sewers, public 

 comfort buildings, boundary fences, etc., 

 and a large part at least of this prelimi- 

 nary work is absolutely essential before the 

 Society can judiciously expeud any portion 

 of its Park Improvement Fund of $250,000. 

 During the next few weeks the matter will 

 probably be decided, and in the meantime 

 detailed plans for every division of work 

 are being prepared with the greatest care. 



The preliminary plan of the Park pre- 

 sented by Director Hornaday in 1896 was 

 used, as a basis for criticism and suggestion 

 by various leading zoological experts of the 

 country, especially by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, 

 Mr. George B. Grinnell and Mr. D. G. 

 Elliott, who made a careful inspection of the 

 Park and offered a number of valuable sug- 

 gestions. The preliminary plan was then 

 approved by the Executive Committee and 

 a close topographical servey of the Park 

 ordered. The next step was the combina- 

 tion of the zoological or scientific with the 



