July 10, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



43 



accumulated knowledge, and together with 

 other branches of research, the tendencies 

 of the future evolution of man and lay- 

 down indications for its possible regulation 

 or improvement. 



A few words in conclusion regarding the 

 duties of physical anthropology in this 

 country and in America in general. 

 American students ought to contribute, as 

 much as lies in their power, to knowledge 

 concerning the white race at large and 

 of other peoples outside of this continent 

 with its dependencies. They have already 

 added in no small degree to the study of 

 child growth and should not stop in this 

 direction ; they should also cooperate in all 

 investigations concerning special, environ- 

 mental and pathological, groups of hu- 

 manity. But there are several problems 

 which will be to them of especial im- 

 portance and demand the bulk of their 

 labor. These are: (1) The appearance of 

 man in America; (2) the composition and 

 detailed characteristics, with their com- 

 plete range of variation, and the affinities, 

 of the indigenous race, including the 

 Eskimo; (3) the crystallization of the new 

 contingents of the white race in America, 

 particularly in the United States; (4) 

 the development of the negro element, 

 especially in this country; and (5) the 

 effects of the mixture of the white with 

 the negro and the Indian. Beside these 

 range themselves parallel problems affect- 

 ing the insular possessions of the United 

 States. All these are scientifically, as well 

 as practically, serious questions, and re- 

 search into them deserves to be generally 

 promoted. There is no other branch of 

 natural science which can occupy itself 

 with them and define them; they are the 

 role of physical anthropology in this 

 country and demand its development. 



Ales Hrdlicka 



U. S. National Museum 



TBE EAtiOVER MEETING OF THE AMER- 

 ICAN ASSOCIATION FOR TBE AD- 

 VANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



The special summer meeting of the 

 American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science held at Hanover, N. H., 

 on the invitation of Dartmouth College, 

 from June 29 to July 2, took place in ac- 

 cordance with the program that has 

 already been printed in Science. The 

 local committee, with Dean Robert Fletcher 

 as chairman and Professor H. H. Home 

 as secretary, had made admirable arrange- 

 ments for the reception and entertainment 

 of members, and the college campus and 

 buildings and the beautiful surrounding 

 country were of even greater interest than 

 had been anticipated. 



The meeting was called to order at 8 p.m. 

 on June 29 in the auditorium of Dart- 

 mouth Hall, and an address of welcome 

 was given by the acting president of the 

 college. Dr. John King Lord, who drew at- 

 tention to the large place science now has 

 in the college curriculum as compared with 

 the conditions when the college was 

 founded some one hundred and forty years 

 ago. The president of the association, Dr. 

 T. C. Chamberlin, of the University of 

 Chicago, responded on behalf of the asso- 

 ciation and the visiting members. He laid 

 stress on the increasing use of the scien- 

 tific method in all subjects included in the 

 college course and the importance of this 

 movement for the future of society. 



On Tuesday and "Wednesday, June 30 

 and July 1, Section B and Section E of 

 the association held sessions for the read- 

 ing of scientific papers in conjunction with 

 the American Physical Society and the 

 Geological Society of America. Reports of 

 the proceedings will be published sub- 

 sequently in this journal. On the evening 

 of June 30, Professor J. W. Spencer gave 

 a public lecture entitled "The Spoliation 

 of Niagara," and on July 1 Mr. J. S. 

 Palmer lectured on "The American 



