40 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 706 



another vocation, sucli as that of the phy- 

 sician. 



Closer unity and cooperation among 

 physical anthropologists of different coun- 

 tries must always be one of our cherished 

 aims, and the same is true of the unifica- 

 tion and perfection of anthropometrieal 

 processes and standards, as well as the 

 methods of dealing with anthropometric 

 data and their recording. Concerning the 

 latter, the establishment of definite rules is 

 still distant, the whole subject being in the 

 process of evolution. One of the main 

 questions, accentuated especially since the 

 establishment of the journal Biometrica, 

 relates to the employment and utility of 

 higher mathematics in the analysis and 

 presentation of the data. A simple ex- 

 position of facts, intelligible to every edu- 

 cated person, carries with it so great an 

 advantage to every branch of investiga- 

 tion and to the public as well, that the 

 matter of the extensive use of algebraic 

 formulae in publication can not be passed 

 over lightly. It would be folly to oppose 

 the legitimate use of higher mathematics, 

 which in special cases excel all other meth- 

 ods, and may, in fact, be the only means 

 by which to arrive at a solution of a given 

 problem ; but when it comes to the presen- 

 tation of the results arrived at, it can not 

 be denied that the high-mathematical meth- 

 od, while finding special favor with some, 

 abstracts the subject from critical perusal 

 by a large percentage of scientific men, not 

 to speak of others. The whole matter de- 

 mands very careful attention. 



A supply of up-to-date text-feooks is a 

 pressing need. It was twenty years ago 

 that Topinard's great handbook appeared 

 and nothing has been produced since that 

 would bring it up to date or replace it. 

 Yet a considerable advance has been made 

 in every direction and the need of a thor- 

 ough presentation of the accumulated facts 

 and changes is acute. There is hope that 



the unification and precision of anthro- 

 pometric methods, inaugurated two years 

 ago at the Congress of Monaco, will stimu- 

 late efforts in this direction. 



An advance towards strictly specialized 

 periodicals, to be devoted exclusively to 

 physical anthropology, is merely an aim at 

 a further step in differentiation, such as 

 is manifested in all other branches of re- 

 search, after they have reached a certain 

 stage of development. It depends upon 

 the strengthening of the ranks of the phys- 

 ical anthropologists. 



The importance of complete and con- 

 tinued bibliographical record is evident 

 enough to every student and author and is 

 an aim calling for the earliest possible 

 realization. Beginnings in this line have 

 already been made, particularly with cur- 

 rent literature, and more is promised, but 

 the movement calls for definite organiza- 

 tion and extension to the older publica- 

 tions. 



Improvement in and generalization of 

 information concerning collections in phys- 

 ical anthropology are highly desirable. 

 Such information, furnished through 

 periodically supplemented registers of ma- 

 terial by and to all institutions, would 

 greatly promote collaboration as well as 

 the extent of research. Aa additional pro- 

 cedure of much consequence would be the 

 deposit of smaller collections in larger 

 centers in each country, where they could 

 be better cared for and be more available. 



Finally, a matter of vital concern to 

 physical anthropology is the augmentation 

 and improvement of its collections. It is 

 necessary that these be supplemented in a 

 more systematic manner than has been 

 done hitherto, and in all particulars. 

 There are needed much additional osseous 

 material, including all parts of the skele- 

 ton, for racial and other group studies; 

 ample developmental series, on which could 

 be determined racial and other peculiarities 



