148 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1390 



with the arms and legs bent close to the body, 

 and the skull had been deformed with the 

 frontal depression. The entire skeleton was 

 tinged a bright red by the infiltration of iron, 

 and the inner surface of the skull was covered 

 by a deposit of brownish-black limonite. We 

 were able to take out the skull, which fell into 

 a hiindred pieces, and only fragments of the 

 bones. The only relic found was the foot of 

 a pottery vessel with traces of a highly pol- 

 ished red inner surface. This was found 

 near the skeleton above the bones and under 

 the gravel. The skeleton was covered with 

 earth, immediately below the layer of gravel 

 and alluvium, and was not intrusive, there 

 being absolutely no signs of disturbance above. 

 It could not have been intruded from the side 

 as there is rapid erosion going on here. Every 

 year parts of the banks are washed away by 

 the sea during the time of flood tides. The 

 owner of the property assured the writer that 

 the bank now visible is not the surface seen 

 during former visits, as the ocean is slowly 

 washing away the shoreline. 



Concerning the age of this skeleton, the 

 archeologist is not competent to pass his 

 opinion. This must be done by the geologist 

 and physiographer. But the writer is of the 

 opinion that this find is the oldest burial thus 

 far found in South America. 



Marshall H. Saville 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE MULFORD BIOLOGICAL EXPLORATION 

 OF THE AMAZON BASIN 



Further advices received from Dr. H. H. 

 Eusby, director of the Mulford Biological 

 Exploration, report continued favorable prog- 

 ress, and a considerable amount of scientific 

 work already accomplished in quest for 

 medicinal plants and biological specimens. 



Members of the expedition left La Paz, 

 Bolivia, about July 9, whence they pro- 

 ceeded by rail to Eucalyptus, the terminus 

 of the railroad. From Eucalyptus to Pongo 

 they traveled by auto truck over the new auto 

 road recently completed by the Guggenheim 

 interests in Bolivia. From Pongo, a three 

 days' journey by mule brought them to Cana- 



mina, which will be their temporary head- 

 quarters for three or four weeks. From this 

 point certain members of the party will make 

 an ascent of the La Paz river for a consider- 

 able distance for the purpose of making 

 special collections, the remainder of the party 

 making detailed studies in the vicinity of 

 Canamina. 



Collections have been made in and around 

 Mollendo, Arica, Arequipa, Tiavaya and La 

 Paz. A large quantity of these materials, 

 shipped just before the party left La Paz, has 

 been received in Philadelphia. 



The shipment includes among other things 

 botanical specimens of economic products of 

 Peru and Bolivia, such as the green-colored, 

 purple-striped fruit of the " pepino " ; the 

 fruit of a species of Tasconia which is 

 sold in the markets there under the name 

 of " Tumbo " ; also another edible fruit known 

 as " acchocta," and a turnip-shaped root 

 called " rhacache," and many others. These 

 will go to the economic museum of the N"ew 

 York Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn 

 Botanical Garden. A quantity of herbs is also 

 included, which will be sent to Professor 

 Edward Kramers of the University of Wis- 

 consin, who will study the volatile oils con- 

 tained in them. 



In ascending and crossing the mountains 

 from Mollendo to La Paz, Drs. Eusby and 

 Hoffman made systematic observations on 

 blood pressure changes at different altitudes 

 and on the mountain sickness known as " sir- 

 roche." They have availed themselves of 

 every opportunity to study tropical diseases 

 and while at Arequipa they visited the fine 

 hospital there to study a form of tropical 

 ulcer known as " uta." 



EDUCATIONAL FORESTRY 



(From a correspondent) 



Educational forestry is being carried on by 

 experts at the Alleghany State Park, the new 

 public recreation ground just dedicated in 

 Cattaraugus county. The Buffalo Academy 

 of Science is cooperating with the New York 

 State College of Forestry in this work. 



Henry E. Francis, professor of forest 



