SCIENCE 



Editorial Committee : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; R. S. Woodwaed, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering, As- 

 tronomy ; T. C. Mendenhall, Physics ; R. H. Thurston, Engineering ; Ira Remsen, Chemistry ; 

 J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; 0. C. Marsh, Paleontology; W. K. Brooks, 

 Invertebrate Zoology ; C. Hart Merriam, Vertebrate Zoology ; S. H. Scuddee, Entomology ; 

 N. L. Beitton, Botany ; Heney F. Osborn, General Biology ; H. P. Bowditch, 

 Physiology ; J. S. Billings, Hygiene ; J. McKeen Cattell, Psychology ; 

 Daniel G. Beinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, August 16, 1895. 



CONTENTS: 



The Hodgkins Fund Prizes 169 



The History, Aims and Importance of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science : F. 

 W. Putnam 171 



Bolometric Investigations in the Infra-red Spectrum 

 of the Sim: WILLIAM Hallock 174 



Verteirate Paleontology in the American Museum : 

 Heney F. Osboen 178 



77(6 Geograjiliieal Distribution of the Molusca : 

 Feank C. Baker 179 



Current Problems in Plant 3Iorphology (I.) : CON- 

 WAY MacMillan 183 



Scientific Notes and News: — 184 



Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science; The Geological Society of America ; The 

 Work of Yale Observatory ; General. 



Correspondence: — 188 



The Causes of the Gulf Stream, The Nature of 

 Vmoels : Joseph Le Conte. 



Scientific Literature : — 189 



3fenschutkin's Analytical Chrmistry: MOEEIS 

 LOEB. Paiton'r; Treat i.ie on Ciril Engineering: 

 Mansfield JIeeeijian. J'crify's Electricity Up 

 to Date : J. W. MOOEE. Terrestrial Magnetism : 

 L. A. Bauer. 



Scientific Journals : — 193 



2%e Physical Peview ; The American Geologist. 



New Books 196 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review sliould be sent to tlie responsible editor, Prof. J. 

 McKeen Cattell, Garrison on Hudson, N, Y. 



Subscriptions and advertisements sliould be sent to Science. 

 41 N. Queen St., Lancaster, Pa., or 41 East 49th St., New York- 



THE HODGKINS FUND PRIZES. 



EEPOBT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TO AWARD 



THE HODGKINS FUND PRIZES. 



The Committee of Award for the Hodg- 

 kins prizes of the Smithsonian Institution 



has completed its examination of the two 

 hundred and eighteen papers submitted in 

 competition by contestants. 



The Committee is composed of the follow- 

 ing members: 



Dr. S. P. Langley, chairman, ex-officio ; 

 Dr. G-. Brown Goode, appointed hy the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution ; As- 

 sistant Surgeon-General John S. Billings, 

 ■by the President of the ISTational Academy 

 of Sciences ; Professor M. W. Harrington, 

 bjr the President of the American Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science. 



The Foreign Advisory Committee, as first 

 constituted, was represented bj^ Monsieur 

 J. Janssen, Professor T. H. Huxley and 

 Professor von Helmholtz ; and after the 

 recent loss of the latter, Dr. W. von Bezold 

 was added. After consultation with these 

 eminent men, the Committee decided as 

 follows : 



First prize, of ten thousand dollars, for a 

 treatise embodying some new and impor- 

 tant discoveries in regard to the nature or 

 properties of atmospheric air, to Lord Ray- 

 leigh, of London, and Professor William 

 Ramsay, of the University College, London, 

 for the discovery of Argoii, a new element 

 of the atmosphere. 



The second prize, of two thousand dol- 

 lars, is not awarded, owing to the failure of 

 any contestant to comply strictly with the 

 terms of the offer. 



The third prize, of one thousand dollars, 



