August 12, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



123 



mental similarities between himself and the 

 lower organisms, the latter represented by his 

 laboratory specimens. 



Next the student is given an " unknown " 

 vertebrate to study. For the most part the 

 student is placed on his own responsibility 

 and judgment in handling the new specimen, 

 his problem being to determine and record 

 facts in the best possible manner, and to 

 make intelligible to any one unfamiliar with 

 it, the appearance and organization of the new 

 animal. Having been given a method with 

 the earlier specimen he is expected to apply it 

 to the second. A large majority of the stu- 

 dents give a ready response to this appeal to 

 their individual initiative and to the oppor- 

 tunity for making discoveries for themselves. 

 In some cases an interest which may have 

 been lagging is stimulated into renewed and 

 sustained activity. 



The compound microscope is nest intro- 

 duced by a special problem on the use of the 

 microscope, and this is followed by the 

 study of cells and tissues. Then follow in 

 succession studies on embryology, cell divi- 

 sion, maturation and fertilization, with espe- 

 cial attention to the behavior of the chromo- 

 somes. But since the complex behavior of 

 the chromosomes in mitosis, maturation, and 

 fertilization is most satisfactorily explained 

 as the mechanism for the behavior of men- 

 delian factors, the subject of heredity, and 

 especially mendelism, is considered along with 

 these morphological studies. A book on 

 heredity, such as that of Oonklin^ or that of 

 Guyer" is read by the student and he also 

 carries out a breeding experiment with 

 Drosophila. 



N'ext an evolutionary series is presented 

 consisting of representatives of the protozoa, 

 coelenterates, flat worms and annelids, fol- 

 lowed by other studies illustrating evolution. 

 In addition to furnishing evidences for organic 

 evolution, the series is made to illustrate a 

 variety of biological principles, further de- 



8 ' ' Heredity and Environment, ' ' Princeton, 

 Princeton UniveiBity Press. 



9 "Being "Well Born," Indianapolis, Bobbs-Mer- 

 rill Co. 



tails about which will, for the sake of brevity, 

 be omitted here. 



These objective studies are handled in the 

 form of problems based upon the scientific 

 method previously outlined. As the course 

 develops and the student gains in experience 

 he is placed more and more on his own re- 

 sponsibility as to methods of procedure and 

 record, thus permitting him to apply the 

 lessons in method that have been learned. In 

 addition to training in method, the student 

 gains through these studies much of the in- 

 formation that he is supposed to acquire, and 

 gains it in a way that will make it of the 

 most value and permanency for him. Addi- 

 tional information is conveyed through lec- 

 tures, quizzes, and assigned readings, so 

 selected and arranged as to emphasize general 

 principles and to contribute to the " unity 

 and balance " of the course. 



Since the scientific method is more time- 

 consuming than other methods, its use im- 

 poses rather definite limitations upon the 

 amount of ground which may be covered in 

 any given time. But the results have been 

 so much more satisfactory than those secured 

 by other methods that the instructors giving 

 the course feel that its use is thoroughly 

 justified. 



D. H. Wenrich 



Zoological Laboratory, 

 TJniversitt of Pennsylvania 



LOUIS ALBERT FISCHER 



Louis Albert Fischer, physicist and chief 

 of the Division of Weights and Measures of 

 the United States Bureau of Standards, died 

 at his home in Washington on July 25, aged 

 fifty-seven years. Early in life he joined the 

 old weights and measures office of the U. S. 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey. During this pe- 

 riod he compared the standards of length in 

 the custody of the national government with 

 the standards submitted for test by manufac- 

 turers, educational institutions, and the va- 

 rious state weights and measures bureaus. 

 The duties of this position also included the 

 standardization of weights, the ordinary 

 weights of commerce as well as the weights 



