SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Friday, March 26, 1909 



CONTENTS 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 The Regulation of Physical Instruction m 

 Schools and Colleges from the Standpoint 

 of Hygiene: Db. E. Tait Mackenzie 481 



On the Physiological Effects of Moderate 

 Muscular Activity and of Strain: Be. Theo- 

 DOEE Hough 484 



Current Progress in Conservation Work: 

 W J McGee 490 



Scientifio Notes and News 499 



Appropriations for the United States Bureau 

 of Education 498 



University and Educational News 499 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Note on the Spectrum of Mars: De. W. W. 

 Campbell. A New Kind of Ptarmigan : De. 

 HuBEBT Lyman Claek. Sdenoe and Poli- 

 tics in Cuba : De. S. F. Eable 500 



Scientifio Books: — • 



Richards's Industrial Water Analysis: 

 Pbofessoe W. p. Mason. Eardesty's 

 Laboratory Guide for Histology: Pbo- 

 fessoe M. F. GrTYEE. Banta on the Fauna 

 of May field's Ca/ve: De. Hoeace C. Hovet 501 



Scientifio Journals and Articles 504 



Notes on Entomology : Db. Nathan Banks . . 505 

 Special Articles: — 



Concerning the Existence of Non-nitrifying 

 Soils: Pbofessoe F. L. Stevens and W. 

 A. WiTHEBS 506 



The American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 Anthropology at the Baltimore Meeting: 

 De. Geoege Geant MacCubdt 508 



Section K — Physiology and Experimental 

 Uedicine: De. Wm. J. Gies 514 



Societies and Academies: — 

 The Washington Academy of Sciences: 

 J. S. DiLLEB. The Philosophical Society 

 of Washington, D. C: R. L. Faeis. The 

 Academy of Science of St. Louis: De. W. 

 E. McCouet 516 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 

 THE REGULATION OF PHYSICAL INSTRUC- 

 TION IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES FROM 

 THE STANDPOINT OF HYGIENE "■ 



The researches of modern physiologists 

 on the growth of the brain and nervous 

 system have done more to place the phys- 

 ical instruction of the young on a sound 

 and logical basis than any other influence 

 that can be named, for the specialization 

 of the child's muscular system progresses 

 with the increasing complexity of the 

 brain, and the evolution of his physical 

 nature is but an epitome of the evolution 

 of the whole race. 



The infant is born with but two definite 

 voluntary movements, sucking and grasp- 

 ing, necessary for self preservation; all 

 others consist of aimless waving and kick- 

 ing of the arms and legs and it is not 

 until the assumption of the upright posi- 

 tion that the specialization begins that ad- 

 vances him above his four-footed fellows. 

 Relieved of their function of support, 

 the arms rapidly learn movements' of 

 throwing and striking, grasping and pull- 

 ing, and he familiarizes himself quickly 

 with his surroundings and soon begins the 

 imitation of the movements in animals and 

 people and machines that are within his 

 range of observation. 



^ An address delivered in a symposium on " The 

 Regulation of Physical Instruction in Schools and 

 Colleges, from the Standpoint of Hygiene " before 

 Section K (Physiology and Experimental Medi- 

 cine) of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, Baltimore, December 20, 

 1908. 



