January 19, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



65 



subdivisions as minute as desired, though in 

 practise an average of one guide per inch will 

 be found to be a generous allowance. Any 

 pamphlet in the series may be found and re- 

 moved without disturbing others, or the whole 

 group bearing upon a single subject may be 

 located instantly. 



It goes without saying that the publicatio*ns 

 are protected in the most complete manner 

 from dust, light and accidental injury and are 

 at the same time kept perfectly flat and under 

 light pressure. 



The total floor space occupied is little if 

 any greater than is required for storage on 

 shelves. The horizontal extent of the case 

 along the wall is less than in other types of 

 storage. The latter point is often of great 

 importance, due to the limited amount of wall 

 space in many offices. Furthermore, the ver- 

 tical file may be placed in the center of the 

 floor if the room happens to be a large one. 

 The entire cabinet with its contents can be 

 moved from one location to another with no 

 risk of disarranging the collection. 



Storage in this manner is not as expensive 

 as is ordinarily supposed. A vertical filing 

 case which I have just received for my own 

 use contains filing space equal to 110 inches 

 of shelving. The cost is about twelve and one 

 half cents per inch, without guides. This is 

 not a transfer case, but a well-made five-drawer 

 upright unit, invoice size. It is steel con- 

 struction inside with oak exterior. Data are 

 not at hand regarding the cost of filing in 

 pamphlet cases, but shelving with closed dust- 

 proof back if made of selected lumber and 

 well finished would cost probably from seven to 

 ten cents per lineal inch of filing space. If to 

 this be added the cost of pamphlet cases the 

 expense of the method can not be much less 

 than that of vertical filing. The convenience 

 of the latter is such that it would appear ad- 

 visable to investigate it closely in every case 

 before adopting another system. It oifers par- 

 ticular advantages for personal use. 



It should be added that the file that I am 

 using accommodates papers with a greatest 

 dimension of ten and one fourth inches. This 

 will provide for most separates, though there 



are of course a few which are too large. 

 Larger drawers will cost about the same per 

 cubic inch, but correspondingly more per 

 lineal inch. W. L. Eikenberry 



School of Education, 

 University op Kansas 



phrenology 



It is gratifying to report the receipt of the 

 following communication, relating to the lec- 

 ture on " Phrenology " which was referred to 

 in Science of December 29. The letter is 

 dated January 4, and is signed by Professor 

 Wm. A. Wilbur, dean of Columbian College, 

 George Washington University. 



Following your letters of December 21 and De- 

 cember 23, concerning an announced lecture on 

 phrenology before the Enosinian Society, and fol- 

 lowing a letter of December 26 from Dr. Frank 

 Baker, relating to the same subject, President 

 Stockton directed me to see that the lecture was 

 not given. On December 28 I notified the president 

 of the society of President Stockton's directions in 

 the matter, and I am in receipt from him of a let- 

 ter of January 3 cancelling all arrangements for 

 the lecture referred to. 



President Stockton directed me to say that he 

 felt sure you would wish to give this action of 

 the university as wide publicity as the announce- 

 ment and note over your signature in the issue of 

 Science of December 29, 1916. 



A. Hrdlicka 



U. S. National Museum, 

 Washington, D. C. 



QUOTATIONS 



THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN GREAT 

 BRITAIN 



While discussion is in progress as to the 

 right principles upon which science, now be- 

 ginning to be recognized as an educational 

 essential, should be introduced into our cur- 

 ricula, it is well to wait until some general 

 synthesis of opinion has been effected before 

 attempting a general summary of conclusions. 

 In practise, we shall arrive at the type of 

 science teaching that commends itself to those 

 who are most closely in contact with present 

 needs and conditions. But it may help to 

 clear the air of controversy if two points of 

 view are restated which are coming into gen- 



