May 5, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



471 



collection of some 4,000 specimens. In addi- 

 tion to collecting plants and specimens for the 

 garden, the object of the expedition was the ob- 

 taining of data for a flora of Porto Rico and 

 the adjacent islands for pnblication by the New 

 York Academy of Sciences, as parts of the sci- 

 entific survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin 

 Islands. 



This survey was commenced in 1913 by the 

 New York Academy of Sciences in cooperation 

 with the insular Government of Porto Rico, the 

 American Museum of Natural History, the New 

 York Botanical Garden, the department of 

 geology and of anthropology of Columbia Uni- 

 versity and with other American institutions. 

 The work has been prosecuted since whenever 

 practicable, but was much interrupted by the 

 World War. In his report to the scientific di- 

 rectors of the garden, Dr. Britton says of the 

 accomplishments to date in connection with the 

 survey : 



The materials brought together already have 

 formed the basis of numerous noteworthy con- 

 tributions to knowledge, published by learned soci- 

 eties and by the cooperating institutions. Pub- 

 hcation of the final reports was begun by the 

 Academy in 1919, and three parts of the geological 

 volumes and two of paleontology have now been 

 issued, under the editorship of Professor K. W. 

 Tower of the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory. Additional parts of the geological volumes 

 are now ready for the press, to be followed by 

 those dealing with the botany and vegetable re- 

 sources, the zoology, archeology and anthropology 

 of the islands, as rapidly as funds for printing- 

 become available. The completion of the work 

 will make the geology and natural history of 

 Porto Eico and the Virgin Islands, insular posses- 

 sions of the United States, the key to natural 

 science knowledge of the West Indies. 



The objects of the trip as detailed by Dr. 

 Britton on his return were to supplement infor- 

 mation about the vegetation obtained during 

 several previous visits to the region and from 

 the study of many specimens obtained by other 

 collectors in former years ; to ascertain now that 

 the geological field work in Porto Rico has been 

 completed, such distribution of species as may 

 be governed by soils of difJrerent mineral eoniT 

 position, and to increase the representation of 



Porto Rican plants in the collections of the gar- 

 den, with duplicates for exchange with other 

 botanical institutions. These objects were sat- 

 isfactorily accomplished, he says, over consider- 

 able areas of the island, special attention being 

 given to the Northern and Southern Coastal 

 Plains and to the higher mountain summits of 

 the central districts. 



EXPEDITION TO THE FIJI ISLANDS 

 A British government launch may be placed 

 at the disposal of a party of scientific men from 

 the University of Iowa who will be in the Fiji 

 Islands on a collecting expedition during June 

 according to a letter to Professor C. C. Nutting 

 from Mr. T. E. Fell, acting governor of Fiji. 

 Professor Nutting is head of the expedition 

 which will sail from Vancouver on May 19 to 

 the Fijis and New Zealand to gather laboratory 

 and museum material for the university. Mem- 

 bers of the party are; Professor R. B. Wylie, 

 head of the department of botany; Professor 

 A. 0. Thomas, geologist; Professor Dayton 

 Stoner, entomologist and ornithologist; Mrs. 

 Dayton Stoner, who will assist in entomology; 

 Waldo S. Glock, photographer and assistant 

 geologist ; and Professor C. C. Nutting, director 

 of the expedition, whose specialty is marine 

 invertebrates. 



Arriving at Suva, Fiji Islands, about June 3, 

 the party will be personally greeted by Governor 

 Fell, who, as acting governor of Barbados at 

 tlie time of the university's Barbados-Antigua 

 expedition in 1918, extended many courtesies to 

 the members of that party, which was also in 

 charge of Professor Nutting. 



The entire island of Makaluva, near Suva, 

 has been placed at the disposal of the visitors, 

 and the necessary buildings and equipment are 

 conveniently at hand there. In addition to the 

 launch the governor expresses his hope of hav- 

 ing a small boat at hand for use in exploring 

 the neighboring reefs, and arrangements are be- 

 ing made in advance for divers and reef experts 

 to aid the party. All scientific equipment is 

 to be admitted free of duty. 



After remaining at Suva until early in July 

 to make a study of Marine and tropical life, the 



