6 SCIENCE 
the other islands of the Hawaiian group there 
are voleanic mountains scarcely less interest- 
ing. The crater of Haleakala, in the summit 
of East Maui, 10,000 feet above sea level, is one 
of the largest extinct craters in the world and 
is as well preserved as if its fires had been ex- 
tinguished but a few years, instead of perhaps 
several hundred years ago. 
The active volcanoes of Hawaii give a won- 
derful demonstration of the processes by which 
all these island mountains have been built up 
from the great depths of the ocean. Since the 
days of Captain Cook, geologists and others 
who are interested in the problems of volcanoes 
have visited the Hawaiian Islands and written 
about them. 
Near the base of these mountains of igneous 
rock lie fields of sugar cane, which are just 
now of special interest. They are supplied 
with water from mountain streams and from 
wells and drainage tunnels that tap under- 
ground supplies. The Geological Survey, in 
cooperation with the Territory of Hawaii, has 
for several years been studying the water re- 
sources of the islands with a view to increas- 
ing the amount of water available for use in 
irrigation, and therefore in the output of 
sugar and other crops. 
Several publications giving information on 
special phases of these interesting islands will 
be sent free on application to the Director of 
the United States Geological Survey, Depart- 
ment of the Interior, Washington, D. C. 
Among these are Water-Supply Paper 318, 
“Water Resources of Hawaii, 1909-1911,” by 
W. F. Martin and C. H. Pierce, and Water- 
Supply Paper 336, “ Water Resources of 
Hawaii, 1912,” by C. H. Pierce and G. K. 
Larrison. These papers deal mainly with 
stream measurements and kindred subjects but 
contain also much information of general in- 
terest. A paper on the water supply of one of 
the neighboring islands is also available— 
Water-Supply Paper 77, “ The water resources 
of Molokai, Hawaiian Islands,” by Waldemar 
Lindgren. This paper contains an excellent 
map of the island. 
Professional Paper 88 of the United States 
Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, 
IN. S. Von. XLVIII. No. 1227 
“Tavas of Hawaii and their relations,’ by 
Whitman Cross, presents a summary of our 
present scientific knowledge of the lavas of the 
islands. With the exception of the introduc- 
tion the book is mainly technical. It contains 
97 pages and includes an excellent map of the 
Hawaiian Islands and diagrams showing the 
composition of 'the lavas. 
THE DIVISION OF GAS WARFARE OF THE 
WAR DEPARTMENT 
By direction of President Wilson all the ac- 
tivities of the government concerned with 
manufacturing poison gas for war and experi- 
menting in the work of devising new methods 
were transferred to the control of the War De- 
partment on July 1. 
The entire gas experimental work will be 
under the direction of Major General William 
L. Sibert, who recently returned from France, 
where he commanded the First Division of the 
regular army, and was assigned as chief of a 
special department on gas defense. 
President Wilson has signed an order trans- 
ferring the chemical section of the Bureau of 
Mines of the Department of the Interior to 
the War Department in accordance with the 
President’s decision that measures for the use 
of gas as a weapon of offense and defense 
should be coordinated under the War Depart- 
ment, Experiments on war gas and masks 
have been divided among several branches of 
the government, including the Ordnance and 
Medical Departments of the army. 
The most extensive work has been conducted 
by the Bureau of Mines, which established a 
special chemical laboratory at the American 
University on the outskirts of Washington. 
About 1,700 American chemists have given the 
government the benefit of their advice, experi- 
ence, and services in this work, and important 
results are predicted. 
Among the chemists whose services have 
been utilized by the Bureau of Mines in its 
Chemical Section in the gas experimentation 
are Dr. William H. Nicolls of 25 Broad Street, 
New York, President of the General Chemical 
Company; Dr. F. C. Venable, of the Univer- 
sity of North Carolina; Professor E. C. 
