132 
our understanding of this process so funda- 
mental to our well being and happiness and 
even to existence itself. The energy point 
of view is the keynote of modern investiga- 
tions in plant physiology. 
This method of thinking is proving bene- 
ficial not only in those biological problems 
upon which direct experimentation is pos- 
sible but also in giving clearer notions of 
some processes that have taken place in the 
past and appear to be at the present time 
outside the realm of possible experimenta- 
tion. 
Thought as to the possible steps involved 
in the early stages of organic evolution fur- 
nishes a good example of this. We are now 
getting away from a consideration of 
merely the form of the possible organisms 
which represented the first stages in the 
evolution of higher plants and animals and 
are now considering what forms of energy 
they could have utilized. Since we can 
hardly suppose that the first step from the 
non living to the living involved the pres- 
ence of chlorophyll we think about them in 
terms of the possible forms of energy that 
they could have found available. Progress 
is being made by this kind of thinking. 
The suggestion that it at present offers is 
that sulphur and iron bacteria being able 
to oxidize inorganic compounds and being 
thus free from the necessity of the presence 
of chlorophyll on the earth, probably rep- 
resent very early stages in organic evolu- 
tion. 
The usefulness of the energy point of 
view is thus apparent. It is not profitable 
to think longer in terms of vital force, of 
corpuscular responsibility for inheritance, 
nor alone in terms of the chemical com- 
pounds involved. We think rather of the 
energy transformations as related to both 
physical and chemical conditions. Does it 
not seem evident that the line of future 
progress in many fields of botanical investi- 
SCIENCE 
[N. 8. Von. XLVIII, No. 1232 
gation will be largely along the paths seen 
from the view point of energy transforma- 
tions in the plant? 
GerorcE B. Riee 
SEATTLE, WASH. 
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS 
THE DEATH OF THORILD WULFF 
A uerrer from Peter Freuchen, the Danish 
factor at Knud Rasmussen’s Station at North 
Star Bay, Northwest Greenland, written in 
late February, gives a direct and definite ac- 
count of the death of Dr. Thorild Wulf, 
Swedish botanist and ethnologist, who accom- 
panied Knud Rasmussen on his recent trip to 
Peary Land and return across the Greenland 
ice-cap. Translated from the Danish, part of 
the letter is as follows: 
The party, composed of Knud Rasmussen, leader; 
Lauge Koch, geologist and cartographer, and Dr. 
Thorild Wulff, botanist and ethnologist, left North 
Star Bay, as you probably know, early in April, 
1917. They were accompanied by four Eskimo— 
Hendrik Olse, Inukitsok (‘‘Harrigan’’), Ajago 
(‘‘Pingasut’’) and Boatsman. 
They traveled without mishap as far as St. 
George Fjord, where difficulties began—no game 
at all, with the exception of a few hares and a seal 
or two; scarcely a trace of muskoxen. Hence they 
could go no farther than De Long’s Fjord. Here 
they started homeward, exhausted, and much de- 
pressed by the loss of Hendrik, who was devoured 
by wolves while out hunting. Weak from lack of 
food, he had apparently lain down to sleep, and 
before he could defend himself, the wolves had 
overcome him, 
The others talk of the return journey over the 
ice-cap as a bad dream. After incredible difficul- 
ties, they finally attained the west coast at Cape 
Agassiz near the Humboldt Glacier, just a short 
time after they had eaten their last dog. 
Knud Rasmussen and Ajago at once started on a 
foreed march to Etah to get aid. The others were 
to rest a little, and then follow slowly after, trying 
to kill enough game to sustain them. After a few 
days slow travel without any food, Dr. Wulff could 
go no farther, and laid himself down to die. He 
wrote messages to his children and his parents, and 
dictated to Koch a brief survey of the vegetation 
about Peabody Bay, for he had continued his ob- 
servations to the last. He was so weak and ex- 
