380 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VI. No. 1190 



His first biological text4)ook, " Elements of 

 Botany," appeared in 1896 and its excellence 

 was speedily recognized. With some modifica- 

 tions it was subsequently republished under 

 the name of " Essentials of Botany," and in 

 1901 Mr. Bergen brought out his " Founda- 

 tions of Botany," including a condensed flora 

 for school use. Other text-books with special 

 adaptation for schools of particular grades of 

 scientific equipment were later published by 

 Mr. Bergen with the collaboration of Dr. Otis 

 W. Caldwell and Professor Bradley M. Davis. 



By his long personal experience in the diffi- 

 culties of the presentation of the subject of 

 botany in the secondary school Mr. Bergen was 

 able to frame these text-books in a way to meet 

 both the needs of teacher and pupil and it is 

 doTibtful if any other texts have been more 

 widely used or met with a greater success dur- 

 ing the last two decades in the field which they 

 cover. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF VARIABLE 

 STAR OBSERVERS 



The American Association of Variable Star 

 Observers concludes this month six years of 

 active service with a record of 15,763 observa- 

 tions of 332 variable stars for the year, and a 

 grand total for the six years of 75,373 observa- 

 tions. 



The past year has been one of marked prog- 

 ress in the efficiency of the scientific service 

 rendered and growth in the membership of the 

 association. 



A meeting of the association will be held at 

 the Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, 

 Mass., at 2 p.m., November 10. At this meet- 

 ing a constitution and by-laws will be adopted 

 and officers elected. Seventy-two observers 

 have already enrolled as charter members and 

 a cordial invitation is extended to all inter- 

 ested in the work to be present at the meeting. 

 It will be a splendid opportunity to inspect 

 through the courtesy of the director. Professor 

 E. C. Pickering, the historic Harvard College 

 observatory and to see exhibits of great inter- 

 est to all astronomically inclined. 



The undersigned will be pleased to answer 

 any questions relative to the work of the asso- 

 ciation and will be glad to hear from any one 



who wishes to join the organization, and take 

 up a line of telescopic work that is teeming 

 with interest, devoid of mathematics and intri- 

 cate detail, and eminently worth while. 



William Tyler Olcott, 

 Corresponding Secretary 

 Norwich, Conn. 



the cornell medical school 

 Cornell University Medical College opened 

 its twentieth session on October 1, 1917. The 

 student assembly was addressed by Dr. William 

 H. Polk, the dean, who discussed the relation 

 of the medical college to the present military 

 situation and outlined the opportunities for 

 patriotic service by students of medicine. The 

 attention of the student assembly was called to 

 the active participation in the work of the 

 United States of America by the college, 

 the members of the faculty and the medical 

 graduates by active service in the field and by 

 providing facilities for the instruction of offi- 

 cers of the Medical Reserve Corps. The enter- 

 ing students were exhorted to continue their 

 course, that, in accord with the announced 

 plan of the authorities, they may be prepared 

 to fill the vacancies in the medical ranks 

 which, with the continuance of the war, are 

 certain to arise. The enrollment is as fol- 

 lows: First year, registered in 'New York, 38; 

 registered at Ithaca, 30 ; total, 68 ; second year, 

 34; third year, 29; fourth year, 27; graduates 

 in medicine, 4; total, 182. All students regis- 

 tered for the degree of M.D. (with the excep- 

 tion of those in the first year who are taking 

 the seven-year course leading to the degrees of 

 A.B. and M.D.), are graduates in arts or sci- 

 ence. As a result practically all members of 

 the first -year class fall within the limits of the 

 military draft. Several students, having been 

 drafted into the National Army, or fearing the 

 draft in the immediate future, failed to reg- 

 ister. 



A SCHOOL FOR ORAL AND PLASTIC SURGERY 



By order of the surgeon general of the 

 army an officers' school for oral and plastic 

 surgery has been established in St. Louis. 

 The purpose of this new school is to train a 



