SCIENCE 



Friday, July 13, 1917. 



CONTENTS 

 Physical Chemistry in the Service of Phyto- 

 geography : Dr. J. Akthub Harris 25 



Scientific Events : — 

 Memorial to Sir William Bamsay; Smith- 

 sonian Botanical Expeditions; War Service 

 for Chemists 30 



Scientific Notes and News 33 



University and Educational News 36 



Discission and Correspondence: — 



A Bemarlcahle Coincidence: Dr. W. W. 

 Campbell. Eeport of Dr. E. E. Williams on 

 tlie First Phase of Pennsylvania Glaciation: 

 Db. G. Frederick Weight 36 



Quotations : — 



Tlw War and Scientific Investigation 39 



Scientific BooTcs: — 

 Miinsterherg's To-morrow : Professor T. D. 



A. COCKERELL 40 



Special Articles: — 



Shythmical "Heat Period" in the Gidnea- 

 pig: Drs. C. E. Stockaed and G. N. Papani- 

 colaou 42 



The Iowa Academy of Science: Dr. James H. 

 Lees 44 



MSS. InUnded for publication and books, etc.. Intended for 

 review should be sent to Professor J. SIcKeen Cattcll, Ga 

 On-Hudson, N. Y. 



PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY IN THE SERV- 

 ICE OF PHYTOGEOGRAPHYi 



Biologists, grown in the present genera- 

 tion from a mere squad of determined 

 scouts to a splendid army of disciplined 

 investigators, increasing daily in rank and 

 equipment, have as their greatest task the 

 placing of biology alongside physics and 

 chemistry in the ranks of the exact sciences. 



In the title of this paper, Phytogeog- 

 raphy, which even its most ardent disciples 

 must confess is one of the least quantita- 

 tive of the biological sciences, is coupled 

 with Physical Chemistry, which is con- 

 ceded by all to be one of the most precise 

 of the physical sciences. This contrast has 

 been made, not to magnify the chasm which 

 conventionally has been assumed to sepa- 

 rate the exact from the descriptive sciences, 

 but to emphasize to biologists and to chem- 

 ists and to physicists alike, the fact that the' 

 methods of the most advanced physical sci- 

 ences can now be successfully employed in 

 such a confessedly descriptive phase of biol- 

 ogy as ecology and phytogeography. 



In turning to the task of the moment, 

 which is to consider how certain of the 

 simplest physico-chemical methods may be 

 of service in ecology and phj^;ogeography, 

 it is important to place the group of prob- 

 lems to be investigated in its proper bio- 

 logical setting, and to state these problems 

 in such a form that their relationship to a 

 physico-chemical method of investigation 

 is quite obvious. 



1 A paper presented at the Symposium on Rela- 

 tions of Chemistry to Botany, before the joint ses- 

 sion of Section G, American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, and the Botanical Society 

 of America, December 27, 1916. 



