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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 



at Santa Marta, and Mr. Robert Sargent, 

 Americans residing near Santa Marta. Througii 

 their eilorts the party was provided with splen- 

 did facilities for field work and received sub- 

 stantial assistance in gathering material. The 

 Colombian government permitted the free 

 entrance of the equipment. 



The collections of the expedition are now 

 being studied by a number of investigators, 

 and the results will be published from time to 

 time as the studies are completed. 



Alexander G. Euthven 

 Museum op Zoology, 

 Univeesity of Michigan 



THE PBESIDENT OF TEE UNIVERSITY OF 

 ILLINOIS 



A CORRESPONDENT at the University of Illi- 

 nois asks us to print the following communi- 

 cation : 



In order to ascertain whether or not a persistent 

 fumor that he had not the support of the faculty, 

 was true, President Edmund J. James, of the 

 University of Illinois, submitted the matter to a 

 ■referendum vote of those of the faculty elected for 

 two years or longer. The result was overwhebn- 

 ingly against the rumor — 188 expressing confidence 

 in the president as against four who voted in the 

 negative. At a later meeting a vote of instructors 

 and assistants — those holding positions of one 

 year tenure — revealed an even greater degree of 

 confidence, but one disenting voice arising. The 

 latter meeting was called on the initiative of the 

 men themselves. 



The procedure was unique in American universi- 

 ties. Indeed the American university system has 

 been criticized to the effect that the president or 

 head has the power of an autocrat. Autocratic 

 power, all history shows, is unsafe in any man's 

 hands, as it soon becomes too dear to his heart. 

 Therefore when a man elected to the presidency of 

 a great university voluntarily submits the question 

 of his own efficiency to the vote — a secret ballot — 

 of Ms force, the act has signal significance. 



During the ten years that Dr. James has served 

 as president the university has made phenomenal 

 growth in revenue, equipment, faculty, attendance 

 and general standing. The commonwealth has been 

 liberal; trustees, members of the faculty, alumni 

 and other friends of the university have cooperated 

 .heartily in bringing about this result. The presi- 



dent felt, naturally, that he also had been a fac- 

 tor in this upbuilding, that unless this was so after 

 ten years of persistent and laborious work, his pres- 

 ence in such an institution as its head was a mis- 

 take. As a consequence he submitted the follow- 

 ing to a referendum vote of the faculty: "I 

 want to know whether in your opinion my admin- 

 istration as president of the University of Illinois 

 during the past ten years has been liberal and pro- 

 gressive, and has promoted the substantial de- 

 velopment of the institution on broad and scholarly 

 lines, and whether as president I have the regard 

 and cooperation of the faculty. On this proposi- 

 tion I ask you to vote either yes or no." 



The result on a secret ballot was, as stated above, 

 188 to 4, in favor of confidence in the president. 



Previous to this endorsement by the faculty the 

 mini Club of Chicago, consisting of 1,000 gradu- 

 ates, had expressed to the president their most un- 

 qualified approval in a set of resolutions passed at 

 its annual business meeting. 



Following this the pastors of some nineteen 

 churches in the twin cities of Urbana-Champaign, 

 including the Y. M. C. A. 's, Methodists, Catho- 

 lics, and practically aU denominations represented 

 in the cities, sent a special delegation bearing a 

 series of signed resolutions to President James 

 expressing their confidence in him and their pleas- 

 ure in the many evidences of the university's 

 progress. 



StiU later the Alumnse Association of Chicago 

 addressed a letter to President James saying 

 among other things. "It is the earnest hope and 

 wish of every member that you continue to serve 

 as president in the work which has made possible 

 the constant growth, the increasing influence and 

 the general development of the University of Illi- 



THE CABNEGIE INSTITUTION EXPOSITION 

 TO TORSES STRAITS 



The expedition of the department of marine 

 biology of the Carnegie Institution of Wash- 

 ington has returned from the region of Torres 

 Straits where it visited the islands between 

 New Guinea and Cape York, Australia, re- 

 maining for the greater part of the time upon 

 Maer Island, one of the Murray Islands, on 

 the outer edge of the Great Barrier Eeef 

 south of the Bligh Entrance. 



In response to Ambassador Bryce's letters of 

 introduction the Governor of Queensland and 



