824 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 181. 



whicli a stock of isolated elements plays a 

 part ; is from ' pure experience ' or un- 

 differentiated feelings to discrimination, 

 on the one hand, to generalizations, abstrac- 

 tions, on the other. If, as seems probable, 

 the Primates display a vast increase of 

 associations, and a stock of free-swimming 

 ideas, our view gives to the line of descent 

 a meaning which it never could have so 

 long as the question was the vague one of 

 more or less ' intelligence.' It will, I 

 hope, when supported by an investigation 

 of the mental life of the Primates and of 

 the period in child life when these directly 

 practical associations become overgrown by 

 a rapid luxuriance of free ideas, show us 

 the real history of the origin of human 

 faculty. 



Edward Thoendike. 

 Psychological Laboratory, 

 Columbia University. 



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECBANICAL 

 ENGINEERS. 



The American Society of Mechanical 

 Engineers held their spring meeting at 

 Niagara Falls, May 31st to June 3d, in- 

 clusive. The reception was initiated by 

 Mayor Hastings in an interesting and 

 cordial address, and bj' Mr. Coleman Sel- 

 lers, and Mr. W. A. Brackenridge, who de- 

 scribed with Ian tern- illustrations the work 

 of the Cataract Construction Company. In 

 addition to Society business, the time was 

 given to visits to points of professional in- 

 terest, at Niagara and at Buffalo and ad- 

 jacent towns, and, later, at Dunkirk and at 

 Toronto. 



Some very important papers were read, 

 Mr. Barrus made a ' Plea for a Standard 

 Method of Conducting Engine Tests ' ; in- 

 tending particularly tests of mill-engines ; 

 the Society having already, through special 

 committees, established precise methods of 

 engine trial for steam pumping engines and 

 locomotives, and of steam-boilers, which 



have been accepted as models, almost uni- 

 versally. A standard is now proposed that 

 shall be general and cover the whole field. 

 Mr. Bryan Donkin, an English member of 

 the association, proposes an extension of 

 these sj'stems into other countries. The 

 American Society having led the way in 

 instituting such formal programs, steps 

 should be now taken to secure general adop- 

 tion throughout the world. 



Mr. James See presented a very concise 

 discussion of the principal points to be con- 

 sidered in patenting new devices. Mr. W. 

 H. Bryan discussed ' Eelations Between 

 the Purchaser, the Engineer and the Manu- 

 facturer,' a phase of economics which is at- 

 tracting much attention among members of 

 the engineering profession. Mr. G. A. 

 Lowry gave an interesting outline of the 

 development of the industry of ginning and 

 baling cotton, and of the inventions which 

 have brought about its remarkable prog- 

 ress. Messrs. Woolson, Baker, Norton, 

 Cole, Johnson and others discussed the con- 

 struction, setting and details of steam-boiler 

 practice. Mr. Benjamin detailed results of 

 investigation of the strength of cast-iron 

 cylinders, and Professor Carpenter reported 

 the outcome of the extensive Sibley Col- 

 lege researches on the properties of the 

 aluminum alloys, with the various other 

 useful metals and experiments upon the 

 value of a remarkable new seamless tube. 

 Dr. Thurston illustrated a variety of novel 

 ' Graphic Diagrams and Glyptic Models,' 

 employed for representation of the laws of 

 variation of strength of materials of engi- 

 neering and the economics of the steam 

 engine, mainly of his own devising for use 

 in his researches in these departments. 



E. H. Thurston. 



BOTANICAL NOTES. 

 BOTANY AND AGRICULTURE. 



In the Proceedings of the Eighteenth 

 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Pro- 



