May 19, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



531 



versity in 1915, Dr. Branner occupied the head- 

 ship of the department of geologj' and mining, 

 holding also the office of %-ice-president of the 

 university from 1898 to 1913. Upon the creation 

 of the title of chancellor for Dr. Jordan, in 1913, 

 Professor Branner was elected president, a posi- 

 tion which he held until January, 1916, when he 

 also retired under the age limit established by 

 the university, and became president emeritus. 

 During his years of service at Stanford, Dr. 

 Branner found occasion to direct or participate in 

 professional missions, such as his expedition to 

 Brazil under the patronage of Alexander Agassiz 

 in 1899, and again in 1907-1908. He was also 

 one of the special government commissioners on 

 the Panama Canal, and on the California earth- 

 quake of 1906. 



' ' The scientific service of Professor Branner 

 has been ividely recognized. He was a member of 

 the National Academy of Sciences, the American 

 Philosophical Society, was president (1904) of the 

 American Geological Society, vice-president 

 (1890) of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, held membership in the 

 Geological Societies of London, Edinburgh, 

 Prance, was president (1911) of the American 

 Seismological Society, and was a member of 

 geologic and geographic societies of several Bra- 

 zilian states and of other countries. He has re- 

 ceived the degrees of Ph.D. from Indiana Uni- 

 versity in 1885, of LL.D. from the University of 

 Arkansas in 1897, from Maryville College in 1909, 

 and from the University of California in 1915, 

 and the degree of Sc.D. from the Universitj' of 

 Chicago in 1916. 



"His publications are numerous and, while the 

 great majority are on geology, many evidence the 

 breadth of his active interests in botany, ento- 

 mology and other lines of natural sciences. His 

 grammar of the Portuguese language (now in its 

 fourth edition) grew out of his Brazilian experi- 

 ence. His bibliography of Clays and Ceramics, 

 , an important compilation; the "How and Why 

 Stories, ' ' a charming collection of southern negro 

 dialect myths (1921); Tiis genealogy of "Casper 

 Branner of Virginia and His Descendants ' ' ; and 

 his recently completely but as yet unpublished 

 translation from the Portuguese of . Alexandre 

 Hereulano's Establisliment of the Inquisition in 

 Portugal, all evidence his breadth of interests and 

 his tireless energj'. 



"As a teacher Professor Branner exerted upon 

 his students an influence which inspired them to 

 their best efforts. His broad experience, his own 

 sytematio and untiring research, his realization 



of the supreme importance of practical experience 

 as the final test of all theories, were w-ell calcu- 

 lated to stimulate the ability and energy of his 

 students, while his simple, sincere, and sympa- 

 thetic personality attached them to him with a 

 rare devotion. ' ' 



Dr. Branner 's attitude toward the office of 

 president was characteristically expressed in his 

 inaugural address: 



' ' I am here to serve you in every way in my 

 power and in everything that pertains to your 

 work as instructors in the university and as 

 scholars interested ■ iii your own special lines of 

 Avork. I expect and I intend to be the servant of 

 every member of this faculty except myself. I 

 consider the support I can give you my most 

 important duty, and it will be my greatest 

 pleasure. ' ' 



In becoming president of the university. Dr. 

 Branner did not cease to be teacher and col- 

 league. He made the problems of all the depart- 

 ments his own. In his relations Avith students 

 and faculty the informality of attitude and higli 

 courtesy were unchanged. He maintained the 

 same dignified simplicity he had exhibited as 

 executive head of his department. 



Dr. Branner 's life is a great heritage for Stan- 

 ford University, for California, and for the 

 nation. 



Ray Lyman Wilbur, 



President 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 

 A COUNT OF BIRDS 



Renewed interest in the bird population of 

 the United States has led to a revival of the 

 efforts, begun in 1914, by the Biological Survey 

 of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, to collect information on the number and 

 distribution of the birds breeding in this 

 country. Counts liave been made each suc- 

 ceeding year, and interested persons who are 

 thoi'oughly familiar with the breeding birds of 

 their respective vicinities are asked to aid in 

 the work. By continuing these counts over a 

 period of years and counting the same areas 

 each year, knowledge can be gained not only 

 of our total bird population but also of its 

 fluctuations from year to year. The counts, 

 moreover, will greatly help in determining what 

 effect the present state and federal laws have 

 on the increase of game and insectivorous 



