316 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1213 



published by Eicliards in Londou in 1906. 

 Specifically the account is found in Dampier's 

 narrative of his " First Voyage to the Bay of 

 Campeachy" which is dated 1676. Dampier 

 was, of all the early -English ship captains and 

 circumnavigators, by far the keenest observer. 

 His " Voyages " fairly bristle with the most 

 interesting and valuable natural history notes, 

 and it seems not improbable that if they were 

 better known they might constitute his best 

 bid for fame. His text seems to indicate 

 quite clearly that these " Carrion Crows " are 

 our well-known " Turkey Buzzards," and if so 

 it may be that this is the first and possibly 

 the only recorded occurrence of albinos among 

 them. E. W. Gudger 



State Normal College, 

 Greensboro, N. C. 



an open letter 

 My dear Professor Jeffrey : In your delight- 

 ful volume (excuse the word, but it expresses 

 my feeling) on Woody Plants, you make a 

 division of Arehigymnospermffi and Meta- 

 gymnospermEe on the basis of pollen chamber, 

 fertilization by motile sperms, and presence 

 of cryptogamic wood. In other places you 

 show the close relationship of Cordaitales, 

 Ginkg-oales and Coniferales. Could you ex- 

 plain briefly, in this journal, for the benefit of 

 many who will undoubtedly be interested, why 

 you split the gymnosperms between the Gink- 

 goales and Coniferales rather than between the 

 pithy stemmed Cycadean series and the woody 

 Cordaites-Ginkgo-Conifer series ? 

 Sincerely yours, 



Henry S. Cokard 



Dear Professor Conard: Your open letter 

 has been submitted to me by the editor of 

 Science. My motive in dividing the Archi- 

 gyTnnosi>erme8e from the Metagymnospermese 

 on the basis of the presence of antherzoid 

 fertilization and cryptogamic centripetal wood 

 is largely one of expediency, since there are 

 fortunately almost no gaps in the series of 

 vascular plants outside the very considerable 

 one which separates the Angiosperms from 

 the Gymnosperms. The cryptogamic wood 

 (or the hois centripete) has been an important 



criterion for the lower gymnosperms since the 

 days of Renault and Brongniart. Zoidoganiy, 

 predicted by Hofmeister for the lower gym- 

 nosperms and discovered in the Cycads and 

 Ginkgo by Hiarase Ikeno and Webber is a 

 prominent character on the garaetophytic side. 

 The combination of these two accepted criteria 

 makes the line of separation come above the 

 Ginkgoales. The large pith and large leaves 

 which you emphasize were also possessed by 

 many Cordaitean forms. Some of these had 

 leaf bases very fern-like in organization, as 

 described by Dr. D. H. Scott and myself in 

 remains from the lower Waverly of Kentucky. 

 I would repeat that the term Archigymno- 

 spermeiB is one of convenience, and like most 

 scientific terms falls short of covering the 

 situation. I would quite agree with you that 

 the Ginkgoales are fully as closely allied to 

 the Coniferales as to the Cordaitales, yet con- 

 venience and the present state of our knowl- 

 edge includes them with the ancient gymno- 

 sperms. I may add that your " Cycadean 

 Series " appears to me to be a very natural 

 one, and in fact is generally admitted. 

 Hoping I have made my position clear I re- 

 main. Yours sincerely, 



E. C. Jeffrey 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Studies in the History and Method of Science. 

 Edited by Charles Singer. Oxford, Clar- 

 endon Press, 1917. xiv + 304 p. 4°, XLI 

 plates (many colored), 33 illustr. in text. 

 As Sir William Osier tells us in the intro- 

 duction to these essays, they are the outcome 

 of a quiet movement on the part of a few 

 Oxford students to stimulate a study of the 

 history of science. Upon the generous initia- 

 tive of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Singer, a bay 

 has been set apart in the Eadcliife Camera 

 of the Bodleian for research work in this 

 field. The objects pursued are: first, to place 

 at the disposal of the general student a col- 

 lection that will enable him to acquire a 

 knowledge of the development of science; 

 secondly, to assist the special student in re- 

 search: (a) by placing him in relationship 

 with investigations adready undertaken, (&) 



