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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLI. No. 1047 



scriptions, provided governments contribute 

 the share stated. It was also resolved to col- 

 lect £5,000 for the erection of a hotel for Euro- 

 pean students. The committee has not selected 

 Ceylon for the site ; at the same time it favors 

 that country. 



The weekly French scientific journal. La 

 Nature, which suspended publication at the 

 beginning of August, began again on Decem- 

 ber 12. 



Dr. O. p. Hay, research associate of the 

 Carnegie Institution of Washington, D. C, 

 who is making a study of the Pleistocene ver- 

 tebrates of North America for the institution, 

 delivered before the Science Club of the Uni- 

 versity of Texas on December 21, an illustrated 

 lecture entitled " The vertebrate fauna of the 

 Pleistocene epoch." Dr. Hay called attention 

 to the characteristic mammoth, mastodon, 

 sloths, bisons and horses of the Pleistocene, 

 showing illustrations of the skeletons, jaws, 

 and restorations of the more prominent species. 

 A series of maps was exhibited showing the 

 distribution of the various species during vari- 

 ous stages of the Pleistocene. 



Under the auspices of the department of 

 geology and geography of Harvard University 

 a series of five public lectures will be given in 

 the geological lecture room. University Mu- 

 seum, at 4 P.M. These lectures have been 

 arranged in response to a real interest in the 

 influence which geographic conditions have or 

 may have upon the present European war. 



Monday, January 18.— "The Physical Geog- 

 raphy of Central and Western Europe." (Illus- 

 trated.) Professor William M. Davis. 



Wednesday, January 20. — ' ' Some Military Fea- 

 tures along the Western Front." Professor Rob- 

 ert M. Johnston. 



Monday, January 25. — "European Weather and 

 the War. ' ' Professor Robert DeC. Ward. 



Wednesday, January 27. — ' ' The Food Supply in 

 Europe." Professor Thomas N. Carver. 



Friday, January 29. — "Mineral Resources of 

 Central and Western Europe." Professor Henry 

 L. Smyth. 



In connection with these lectures certain 

 maps and charts of special geographic inter- 

 est will be displayed in the lecture room, which 

 will be open at 3 :30 on the days of the lectures. 



The legislature efficiency committee, in its 

 report on the administrative system of Illinois 

 which appeared December 7, makes according 

 to the Journal of the American Medical Asso- 

 ciation the following recommendations: The 

 reorganization of the various health agencies 

 into a state health department to be under the 

 direction of a salaried health commissioner; 

 an unpaid state health board of five officers to 

 be appointed by the governor; the state health 

 department to have supervision over the exam- 

 ination and licensing of physicians, pharma- 

 cists, dentists and nurses, and the regulation 

 of those organizations which carry on other 

 professions and trades for the protection of 

 public health; a small board or committee to 

 be provided for each profession to arrange for 

 examinations, issue licenses and to revoke same 

 for cause; the clerical and administrative work 

 in connection with such examinations to be 

 handled through one office and the action of 

 the examining boards in revoking licenses, to 

 be subject to review by the state board of 

 health. The board of barbers' examiners to be 

 abolished and the power of sanitary control 

 over barbers to be exercised by the health de- 

 partment; the law for the collection of vital 

 statistics to be made more effective ; the pharm- 

 acy law to be revised; the cold storage of food 

 products to be regulated and a state sanitary 

 code to be enacted. 



Part of the government's exhibit for the 

 Panama-California exposition at San Diego 

 leaves Washington this week. This portion 

 has to do with the national forests of 'New 

 Mexico, and will be shown in the New Mexico 

 building, the exhibit having been prepared in 

 cooperation with the state board of exposition 

 commissioners of that state. The material 

 also shows specimens of the principal timber 

 trees of New Mexico alid their uses. Other 

 exposition material is to leave soon for San 

 Eraneiseo, where it wiU form a part of the 

 Panama-Pacific exposition. Part of this is 

 being prepared through cooperation between 

 the forest service and the United States civil 

 service commission. The commission passes 

 on the qualifications of aU candidates for 



